As I was going through the thread about depressing songs, it occured to me that I listened to and enjoyed one for a year before I paid attention to the lyrics and realized it was about female genocide. (Emmylou Harris “Lost Unto This World”.
Another song with meaning many people don’t notice is the Police song “Every Breath You Take”. Most folks know the song. Many do not realize it’s about a stalker.
Does anyone have suggestions of other songs with meanings that are obscured by their music? It probably wouldn’t be right to count songs with dark meanings and unitelligble lyrics. One more thought. The songs that occur to me have dark meanings and rhythmic or soothing or cheerful musicality. Are there songs with cheerful, upbeat lyrics living in dark ominous melodies??
Well, there’s always good old “Báidín Fheidhlimidh”…as cheerful and bouncy a little tune as was ever written…and all about poor ol’ Feidhlimidh getting himself wrecked on Tory Island!
A lot of people seem to think “you are my sunshine” is a happy song because of the melody and the refrain but if you actually listen to the song it’s horribly depressing.
How about Macpherson’s rant? A jumpy wee tune about this James Macpherson, scottish outlaw, swordsman, and fiddler. Some rich folk didn’t like seeing him earn so much dough, so he was caught and tried in 1700. While under sentence of death MacPherson is said to have composed the tune, and he is also said to have played it under the gallows, and then to have broken his fiddle either across his knee or over the executioner’s head.
“Man of Constant Sorrow” - made famous by the Soggy Bottom Boys of “O Brother Where Art Thou”. Basically, the guy is singing about how crappy his life is. But it’s got such an upbeat tempo (on that version) that it makes you smile.
I’ve heard versions by Ralph Stanley and by Patty Loveless (Soul of Constant Sorrow, since she’s obviously female) that were much more, well, sorrowful.
I am a man of constant sorrow,
I’ve seen trouble all my day.
I bid farewell to old Kentucky,
The place where I was born and raised.
(The place where he was born and raised )
For six long years I’ve been in trouble,
No pleasures here on earth I found.
For in this world I’m bound to ramble,
I have no friends to help me now.
(He has no friends to help him now.)
It’s fare thee well my old lover.
I never expect to see you again.
For I’m bound to ride that northern railroad,
Perhaps I’ll die upon this train.
(Perhaps he’ll die upon this train.)
You can bury me in some deep valley,
For many years where I may lay.
Then you may learn to love another,
While I am sleeping in my grave.
(While he is sleeping in his grave.)
Maybe your friends think I’m just a stranger
My face, you’ll never see no more.
But there is one promise that is given
I’ll meet you on God’s golden shore.
(He’ll meet you on God’s golden shore
