Upbeat Songs About Terrible Subjects

[Mofo Rising]

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

[RCMerchant]

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

[zombie no.one]

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

[Mr. DS]

One of my all time favs for obvious reasons...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy9_JjLnmZI

[Mr. DS]

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

[Flick James]

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

[AndyC]

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

[ChaosTheory]

Suzanne Vega's "Luca", a peppy little tune about child abuse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZt7J0iaUD0

[ulthar]

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

[Mofo Rising]

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

[Mr. DS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeEYQOy4oQ4

[Trevor]

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?=VRfS10Ae46o You have been warned! 

[Jack]

Good ol' Guns 'n' Roses, though it's a bit tongue-in-cheek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXIuAz7aryo&feature=player_detailpage

[AndyC]

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."

[Chainsawmidget]

Mac the Knife

Some nice swinging jazz about a murderer. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qrjtr_uFac