A friend remarked to me today how depressing he found some of Nick Drake and Kevin Coyne's songs, and I had to reply Lou Reed's Berlin beat both those gentlemen hands down in the misery stakes in my opinion. But it gave me an idea for a thread which will no doubt be very unpopular due to its subject matter.

Depression, sadness, self pity, they're not the same but all are welcome here. How low can an artist make people feel?

This song is an absolute brute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7iasdKi5-8

June Tabor singing "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"

And pretty much anything by Leonard Cohen. I'll pick "Everybody Knows".

Try this

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KUCyjDOlnPU

Also known as the Hungarian suicide song. Sarah Vaughan does a particularly sombre version, but I can't find it at the moment.

I find this soundtrack incredibly forlorn and sad but also incredibly beautiful at times . No words, just a mood it takes me to..

Anything by Red Sovine

Elvis sings this one but the OC Smith is the first version i ever heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrcoKymPNEQ

In reference to the Waltzing Matilda song about WW1 , I only realized recently the term basket case as in a hopeless and helpless person\state, originated from WW1, referring to a soldier so injured or minus limbs, he had to be carried back in a basket as it were.

Here's a moving short song about war

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Y0SMitMpk

Can't do the video adding but here are some worth a listen

Niamh Parsons: John Condon or the French Prostitute. Both songs about WW1 as is Maginot Waltz by Ralph mcTell.

Any Leonard Cohen song.

I had to reply Lou Reed's Berlin beat both those gentlemen hands down in the misery stakes in my opinion.

Interesting choice of The Bed from Berlin. The track from that album that has always makes me well up is "The Kids" (They're taking her children away.)

WitawatWatawit linked to Gloomy Sunday performed by Billie Holiday. I find her Strange Fruit to be even darker.

Can't do the video adding but here are some worth a listen

Niamh Parsons: John Condon or the French Prostitute. Both songs about WW1 as is Maginot Waltz by Ralph mcTell.

Just to add some Youtube links:

John Condon

Maginot Waltz

One final addition for tonight.

I associated this song with a friend of mine who was murdered by an IRA bomb in London in 1983. He was 24, a newspaper reporter who ran towards Harrods department store on news of a bomb to report, only to be blown to pieces.

For me it also contains what I consider one of the most beautiful melodic lines of all time "Through the fish-eyed lens of tear stained eyes. I can barely define the shape of this moment in time."

Edited June 27, 201412 yr by AyG

Edited June 28, 201412 yr by xen

Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks

Honey - Bobby (too lazy to spell borough) Goldsboro.

And almost anything by Leonard Cohen or Neil Young.

Jerry Lee Lewis-----You Win Again (by Hank Williams)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=06xZyh8VBFQ

George Jones-----He Stopped Loving her Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1R2F9f2Cl6Y

There you go Thaddy!!

Edited June 28, 201412 yr by Patsycat

Amazing Grace.

Played poorly,

on a cheap keyboard,

at my mother's funeral.

And the other one for Thaddy. Must admit those two choke me up a bit too.

http://youtu.be/59BZxgohr9g

My saddest, along with lots of people is this one. Unfortunately, there is not a vid out there where he sings it himself, Luther Vandross - not my dad!! But this guy does a good rendition. Brings lots of little happy tears as well.

Edited June 28, 201412 yr by Patsycat

In response to Patsy's Jim Croce song on the romantic thread. I saw him do this one on the OGWT back in the early 70s, it was clear he had a promising career ahead, and it was the era of singer songwriters.

Tragically he was killed in a plane crash shortly after.

Tom Rush was great at evoking images of the vast open spaces of America and lovers far apart,always loved this one