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Title: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Mofo Rising on December 07, 2011, 04:32:37 AM This song surprised me because it came up when I was listening to my playlist on random play. I still have no clear idea how it made its way into my music collection.
Anyway, it's a cheery little ditty about a relationship that his dissolved into pure hatred and acrimony. The Mountain Goats, "No Children": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPy_fiv3sAw It has got one of my favorite lines: "And I hope when you think of me years down the line you can't find one good thing to say." So I've got a weakness for songs that sound upbeat, but when you listen to the lyrics they are anything but. Sorry to bring up Morrissey, but the only other song I can think of right now that fits this bill is "Glamorous Glue." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AkEEiTL94I Oh wait, Pulp's "Common People" also fits this bill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqgXzPfAxjo I swear I don't listen to all that much British glam-rock. Here, I can prove it! Violent Femmes, "Country Death Song" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwj5_SNWYc8 Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: RCMerchant on December 07, 2011, 06:55:14 AM The Ramones do it all the time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT1OKo1rT84 The Dead Kennedys too... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWO4JxM3nDc Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: zombie no.one on December 07, 2011, 06:57:28 AM Franklin Bruno - Clean Needle. it's about heroin addiction from the point of view of a guy who wants a girl/wife/lover to get off it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZmBbboZlQM the weird thing is, this is the first song that came to mind, and in the related videos is The Mountain Goats doing a cover of one of this guy's songs Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Mr. DS on December 07, 2011, 12:00:38 PM One of my all time favs for obvious reasons...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy9_JjLnmZI Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Mr. DS on December 07, 2011, 12:03:49 PM Come to think of it, this thread could apply to the whole NIN album Pretty Hate Machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrcTsxs-anU Or perhaps most of Depeche Mode's work... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRvVysmCLhc Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Flick James on December 07, 2011, 12:26:50 PM Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
:bouncegiggle: Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: AndyC on December 07, 2011, 01:28:54 PM OK, this one is inevitable. Gilbert O'Sullivan sings a bouncy little ditty about heartbreak and suicide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eki_PRzNk-Y Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: ChaosTheory on December 07, 2011, 02:14:34 PM Suzanne Vega's "Luca", a peppy little tune about child abuse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZt7J0iaUD0 Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: ulthar on December 07, 2011, 03:04:50 PM First one that comes to mind for me is Del Shannon's "Hat's Off to Larry." What a malicious song to be so happy sounding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk_FR3341bA Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Mofo Rising on December 08, 2011, 04:36:06 AM We should mention Tom Lehrer.
The '50s are often remembered as a completely wholesome Ozzie & Harriet time, but there were still people out there like Tom Lehrer putting out incredibly barbed satire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlJ8ZCs4jY Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Mr. DS on December 08, 2011, 09:12:53 AM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeEYQOy4oQ4
Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Trevor on December 08, 2011, 09:46:53 AM I think the worst of these songs is the horror that is Paul Evans' Hello This Is Joanie about a guy who has a fight with his girlfriend, she leaves, dies in a car crash and the only way he can hear her voice again is to call her answering machine. Peppy, upbeat song but helluva depressing. :buggedout:
www.youtube.com/watch?=VRfS10Ae46o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?=VRfS10Ae46o) You have been warned! :buggedout: Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Jack on December 08, 2011, 10:21:15 AM Good ol' Guns 'n' Roses, though it's a bit tongue-in-cheek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXIuAz7aryo&feature=player_detailpage Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: AndyC on December 08, 2011, 11:07:39 AM For tongue-in-cheek, I'm reminded of this love song from Alice Cooper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFkRjrRFd_g "I liked your late husband, Donald But such torture his memory brings Sliced up and sealed tight in baggies. Guess love makes ya do funny things." :bouncegiggle: Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Chainsawmidget on December 08, 2011, 03:28:50 PM Mac the Knife
Some nice swinging jazz about a murderer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qrjtr_uFac Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: Rev. Powell on December 08, 2011, 05:33:05 PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCPutYaGFlE
I love to imagine white-bread teeney boppers at a sock hop dancing to this tale of gambling-motivated murder. Am I the only one who is disturbed by the chorus cheering the killer on? "Go Stagger Lee... Go Stagger Lee..." Title: Re: Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects Post by: The Gravekeeper on December 11, 2011, 01:56:10 PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_7c2UtiHWc&feature=related
A lot of his stuff is similar in tone, and fittingly enough is easy for me to work to when I'm working on my artwork. |