Happy Music... Depressing Lyrics

[David O Burcham]

So, I get home from work and start flipping through the channels when I see this infomercial with Barry Williams selling one of those Time/Life 70's music collections. One of the songs is "Billy, Don't Be A Hero". It's been forever since I've heard this song, but I always remembered the happy, upbeat music from my childhood.

Then I remembered how damn depressing the story of the song is.

Billy, don’t be a hero, don’t be a fool with your life
Billy, don’t be a hero, come back and make me your wife
And as he started to go she said, Billy, keep your head low
Billy, don’t be a hero, come back to me

I heard his fiancee got a letter
That told how Billy died that day
The letter said that he was a hero
She should be proud he died that way
I heard she threw that letter away …


Another depressing song masquerading as a happy song is "Flowers On the Wall", by The Statler Brothers.

It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete

Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do

I'm thinking of making a comp with these type of songs. Any suggestions?

[Expletive Deleted]

The Decemberists' "A Cautionary Song"

Although that's not so much depressing as . . . disturbing.

[Screwtape]

"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" - Billy Joel
"Annie Waits" - Ben Folds
"Nothing Better" - The Postal Service

[WhiteRose]

Gah.

Clare Bowditch's "The thing about Grief."
It's a happy song...about grief and losing someone close.

And Imogen Heap's "The Walk."
The song is dance-club worthy, but it's about meeting an ex who you still have feelings for.

[K'Nort]

Pretty much anything by The Smiths.

[MacQuarrie]

Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again, Naturally."

Downright jaunty piano music, happy as hell, and lyrics that go:

In a little while from now
If I’m not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top will throw myself off
In an effort to make it clear to who
Ever what it’s like when you’re shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Where people're saying:
"My God, that’s tough
She's stood him up
No point in us remaining
We may as well go home"
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally

To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to, as who wouldn’t do,
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
All about God and His mercy
For if He really does exist
Why did He desert me?
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally

It seems to me that there are more hearts
broken in the world that can’t be mended
Left unattended
What do we do? What do we do?

Alone again, naturally

Now looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul,
Couldn’t understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start with a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally

Doesn't that make you want to shoot yourself in the foot to cheer up?

[Fish Sauce]

I found Blow Up the Pokies by The Whitlams reasonably cheerful. Then I found out that it was about one of the founding members who comitted suicide due to his gambling addiction. After listening to the lyrics, it's now one of the saddest songs I know.

There was the stage
Two red lights and a dodgy P.A
You trod the planks way back then
And it's strange that you're
Here again - here again

And I wish , I wish I knew the right words
to make you feel better
Walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again

Don't, don't explain
Lots of little victories take on the pain
It takes so long to earn
You can double up or
You can burn - You can burn

And I wish, I wish I knew the right words
To make you feel better
Walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again

And I wish, I wish I knew the right words
To blow up the Pokies and
Drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time

Flashing lights - It's a real show
And your wife - I wouldn't go home
The little bundles need care
And you can't be a father there
Father there

And I wish, I wish I knew the right words
To blow up the Pokies and
Drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time
Not a man there was made the trains run on time

[Matt Linton]

The Beatles - Run For Your Life

I’d rather see you dead, little girl,
Than to be with another man.
You’d better keep your head, little girl,
Or I won’t know where I am.
You’d better run for your life if you can, little girl,
Hide your head in the sand, little girl.
Catch you with another man,
That’s the end - ah, little girl.
Well you know that I’m a wicked guy
And I was born with a jealous mind,
And I can’t spend my whole life tryin’,
Just to make you toe the line.
You’d better run for your life if you can, little girl,
Hide your head in the sand, little girl.
Catch you with another man,
That’s the end - ah, little girl.
Let this be a sermon,
I mean everything I said,
Baby, I’m determined,
And I’d rather see you dead.
You’d better run for your life if you can, little girl,
Hide your head in the sand, little girl.
Catch you with another man,
That’s the end - ah, little girl.
I’d rather see you dead, little girl,
Than to be with another man.
You’d better keep your head, little girl,
Or I won’t know where I am.
You’d better run for your life if you can, little girl,
Hide your head in the sand, little girl.
Catch you with another man,
That’s the end - ah, little girl.

[chicainery]

The Beatles - Run For Your Life

That's the first one I thought of when I saw the thread title.

[Melbourne Mew Mew]

I remember Nick Cave called "Better The Devil You Know" by Kylie Minogue the most disturbing song he had ever heard, all the moreso because of Kylie's joyful innocence. Kylie sang about going back to the guy who treated her badly because "better the devil you know..." (than the devil you don't).

[Gilda Dent]

Another depressing song masquerading as a happy song is "Flowers On the Wall", by The Statler Brothers.

It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete

Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do

I'm thinking of making a comp with these type of songs. Any suggestions?

"Bed of Rose's" is another good one. A nice happy, bouncy little tune about a boy whose family kicks him out, is found begging, and is taken in by a prostitute who has recently died as the song begins.

"Every Breath You Take" is about a stalker/voyeur and at one point was used as some people's wedding songs.

GILDA

[Aaron Kashtan]

Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street." Happy, upbeat music coupled with bitter, angry lyrics:

You got a lotta nerve
To say you are my friend
When I was down
You just stood there grinning

You got a lotta nerve
To say you got a helping hand to lend
You just want to be on
The side that's winning

You say I let you down
You know it's not like that
If you're so hurt
Why then don't you show it

You say you lost your faith
But that's not where it's at
You had no faith to lose
And you know it

I know the reason
That you talk behind my back
I used to be among the crowd
You're in with

Do you take me for such a fool
To think I'd make contact
With the one who tries to hide
What he don't know to begin with

You see me on the street
You always act surprised
You say, "How are you?" "Good luck"
But you don't mean it

When you know as well as me
You'd rather see me paralyzed
Why don't you just come out once
And scream it

No, I do not feel that good
When I see the heartbreaks you embrace
If I was a master thief
Perhaps I'd rob them

And now I know you're dissatisfied
With your position and your place
Don't you understand
It's not my problem

I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment
I could be you

Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You'd know what a drag it is
To see you

[MacQuarrie]

Booby Darin proved himself the undisputed master of ironic counterpoint with one song, "Artificial flowers". I believe he did this song this way intentionally, with the idea that the audience would get so caught up in the swinging tune that they wouldn't notice the bleak lyrics at first.

Here's a snippet of the music: Artifical Flowers at Amazon

And here are the lyrics:

Alone in the world
Was poor little Anne
As sweet a young child as you'd find.
Her parents had gone
To their final reward
Leavin' their baby behind.

This poor little child
Was only nine years of age
When mother and dad went away.
Still she bravely worked
At the one thing she knew
To earn her few pennies a day.

She made artificial flowers
Artificial flowers
Flowers for ladies of fashion to wear.
She made artificial flowers
Ya know those artificial flowers
Fashioned from Annie's despair.

With paper and shears
With some wire and wax
She made up each tulip and mum.
As snowflakes drifted
Into her tenement room
Her baby little fingers grew numb.

From makin' artificial flowers
Those artificial flowers
Flowers for ladies of high fashion to wear.
She made artificial flowers
Artificial flowers
Made from Annie's despair.

They found little Annie
All covered with ice
Still clutchin' her poor frozen shears.
Amidst all the blossoms
She had fashioned by hand
And watered with all her young tears.

There must be a heaven
Where little Annie can play
In heavenly gardens and bowers.
And instead of a halo
She'll wear 'round her head
A garland of genuine flowers.

No more artificial flowers
Throw away those artificial flowers
Flowers for ladies of society to wear.
Throw away those artificial flowers
Those dumb-dumb flowers ...

Fashioned from Annie's ...
Fashioned from A-a-a-annie's des-pa-a-a-air.

Give her the real thing!

[Cam63]

" Ring-a-Ringa Rosie " is about the Black Death plague, so I guess it may count.

[Bouncing Boy]

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"

[Written by Blue Oyster Cult]

All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
We can be like they are

Come on baby... Don't fear the Reaper
Baby take my hand... Don't fear the Reaper
We'll be able to fly... Don't fear the Reaper
Baby I'm your man...

Valentine is done
Here but now they're gone
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity...
Romeo and Juliet

40,000 men and women everyday... Like Romeo and
Juliet
40,000 men and women everyday... Redefine
happiness
Another 40,000 coming everyday...We can be like
they are

Come on baby... Don't fear the Reaper
Baby take my hand... Don't fear the Reaper
We'll be able to fly... Don't fear the Reaper
Baby I'm your man...

Love of two is one
Here but now they're gone
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear we couldn't go on
The door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew and then disappeared
The curtains flew then he appeared
Saying don't be afraid

Come on baby... And we had no fear
And we ran to him... Then we started to fly
We looked backward and said goodbye
We had become like they are
We had taken his hand
We had become like they are

Come on baby...don't fear the reaper