Sure, the "Monster Mash" and the "Purple People Eater" are fun Halloween theme songs for the kiddies, but they're hardly a contribution to the creepy crawling scaredness that makes for a properly morbid holiday. We can do better.
For your Halloween listening pleasure, then, hunt you down these two dozen songs for a lovely CD mix to share with people you love. Maybe they'll take a frickin' hint...
"Gloomy Sunday" - Billie Holiday Numerous actual suicides are associated with this song, including the songwriter.
"Ode to Billie Joe" - Bobbie Gentry This classic was the biggest actual chart dominant hit single of the Summer of Love in 1967. The movie some years later provided an interesting answer to Billie Joe's why.
"Auf Wiedershen"- Cheap Trick Truly one of the most beautifully cold sentiments in the history of rock music, a kiss-off in many languages.
"Jeremy" - Pearl Jam I don't necessarily object to foolish teenagers choosing to climb out of the gene pool. I just wish the dumbasses wouldn't insist on taking others out with them.
"Richard Cory" - Them This is the only instance I know of Van Morrison singing a Paul Simon song, and a particularly unfairly overlooked classic song it is. The Simon and Garfunkel original rates a close second.
"I Hate Myself and Want to Die" - Nirvana
"Don't Fear the Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult
"Suicide Is Painless (MASH theme)" - Kenny Primus
"The Letter" - Macy Gray This must be the most cheerful suicide note ever.
"Love Will Tear Us Apart"- Joy Division The song does not specifically describe a suicide, but it's generally taken as the lead singer's suicide note. It's certainly morbid enough, even without the biographical detail.
"Sister Morphine" - The Rolling Stones There are few recordings as utterly beautiful and yet simultaneously totally pathetic as this story of a junkie's last fix.
Article comments
1 - Taloran
Great demented seasonal post!
2 - Hazy Dave
And I thought Christmas was the peak suicide season. :-)
Why is the bedroom so cold?...
3 - Al Barger
Not that I'm obsessing or excessively morbid, but I just posted this column at MORETHINGS- with a half dozen new, gruesome extra songs.
4 - Eric Olsen
I would feel better about suicide if it were temporary
5 - Al Barger
Ah, but that's the beauty of it Eric. Suicide is a 100% guaranteed permanent solution to ALL your problems.
Of course, people of a more superstitious nature insist on believing in some God or other acting as a referee so that you can't get out of ANYTHING. Of course, there are the reincarnation believers, and what not what just will not accept the simple fact of their own mortality.
Of course, once they snuff themselves, the reincarnationists and Christians are just as dead as the rest of us, so no matter.
6 - Al Barger
D'oh! Just thought of another great suicide song, with Rod Steiger! I'll just add it on over at MORETHINGS.
Since I published this article, I keep thinking of more and more cool suicide songs. It gives me reason to want to go on living!
7 - Eric Olsen
back to the cosmic drawing board, then