Sunday 14 February 2010

Miserable Music Meme

The old brain isn't in tip top condition today and seeing as the blog's been super serious of late, I thought I'd try and brighten things up by getting a new meme off the ground. Unfortunately all I could think of this Valentine's Day are bloody miserable songs about bloody miserable things. If you want happy, go and listen to Kylie and Jason or something.

I've selected one each from the 80s, 90s and 00s. They are:

Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy (1984)




It doesn't get much grimmer than a song about suffering hassle for being gay (but it does look like Jimmy's going to crack up when his "dad" threatens to hit him).

There's no cheer to be found in my next choice. This one comes from 1999, which is probably the best year for electronic music in the history of ever. Mind you I can't see many going wild on the dance floor to this one. This is Portishead's Roads:




Fast forwarding to 2004, here's Dark Globe with Break My World:



Probably the most zeitgeisty video of the mid-00s.

That's my downbeat selection from the last three decades. Now it's over to you. I hereby tag
HarpyMarx, Madam Miaow, Everyone's Favourite Comrade, The Daily (Maybe), A View from the Public Gallery, Though Cowards Flinch, Luna 17, and Solomon's Mindfield. This should be easy for those comrades who spent their teenage years holed up in their bedrooms nursing dark thoughts ...

And those of you without blogs, what would be your misery picks from the 80s, 90s and 00s?

22 comments:

Reuben said...

One of us cannot be wrong - Leonard cohen. Also every other song by the same poetic genius.

EFComrade said...

this track is a bit different from the ones you posted but for some reason it came to mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4

Generally seen as a very depressing song but I find it quite happy. Maybe that just says something about me, but try listening to it see how it good be interpreted that way

CharlieMcMenamin said...

Bah! Humbug! Young People today!

Don't even know what a miserable song sounds like.....

Xmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWgb4pugxBY

& if that's too happy for you...

Sam Stone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEa4qi6cYOQ

EddM said...

"Unfortunately all I could think of this Valentine's Day are bloody miserable songs about bloody miserable things."

You and me both, comrade.

Highlander said...

That's a bit uncanny. There is a Facebook campaign going (not another one I hear you groan) to try and get Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart to number 1. I did a 'You've heard the music' type post but it wasn't particularly aimed at Valentine's Day - I've been with my wife for 20 years after all :)

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

No Smiths?

Poo.

SamG said...

How about All by myself, Celine Dion version.

I went out with a girl who would always play songs relevant to how our relationship was going at the time. During the breakup I would walk in her house and she would have this song playing all the time!

And if there is a hell (which I am still hoping you burn in) may the last thing you hear be Celine Dion.

Anonymous said...

"This should be easy for those comrades who spent their teenage years holed up in their bedrooms nursing dark thoughts ..."

Oh you know me so well... ;)

Will do this meme thing.

asquith said...

I look a bit further back for my miserablists.

Hank Williams- Wedding Bells

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v_xkHnIRqk

Phil said...

Celine Dion? Pah, that's nothing SamG. The question is has the SWP toughened you up to handle an eternity of this?

Jim Jepps said...

Sorry to hear everyone seems to be miserable! I've posted my selection at my place - bizarrely I've included two things mentioned here in the comments.

Anyway, enjoy!

catherine buca said...

I hope I'm not being implicitly touted as the reason for your misery, Phil.

Phil said...

Not at all, lol.

Solomon Hughes said...

Maybe I need to cheer up, but I have five decades of misery here:-
1960's - Verdelle Smith, with the first English version - and the best one , I think - of "In My Room"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5I-oeGal3A

1970's - TheFall with Bingo Masters Break Out ("checks the cards through eyes of tears")

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

1980's, I think the Elvis Costello version of Shipbuilding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMURp7S8nZA

1990's - Smog with Bqthysphere

2000's , words by Charles Bukowski
Kristian Asbjornsen - Slow Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKDXzdFsC0s

Seabiscuit said...

You don't know the meaning of misery until you've spent some time with the Fleapit Orchestra:

http://www.myspace.com/nigelburch

If I can find a video of such lugubrious ditties as 'BooHoo', 'Bottle Sucker', or 'We said out goodbyes at the bottle bank ' I'll post them here asap - they're not famous/signed so you'll have to search the net - you won't be disappointed (or rather you will be, very much so)

http://www.last.fm/music/Nigel+Burch+And+The+Flea-Pit+Orchestra/_/Future+Next+Ex-Sweetheart

SamG said...

"The question is has the SWP toughened you up to handle an eternity of this"

No!

I was expecting Phil Collins, so I was mentally prepared but...


Catherine Buca said,

"I hope I'm not being implicitly touted as the reason for your misery, Phil."

No it was very explicit.

Anonymous said...

1950-1990

1950s Conway Twitty "It’s Only Make Believe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXDfYiYTdWg&feature=related

1960s Ketty Lester "Love Letters Straight from your Heart"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLdsIQ3dN8g&feature=related

1970s Leonard Cohen "Chelsea Hotel #2"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGfgMYfdBFc&feature=related

1980s Queen "Who Wants to Live Forever"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWfhopxpPr8

1990s Sinéad O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2U"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_fPS0HwjJc

Solomon Hughes said...

"Chelsea Hotel #2" is a great song - but is it miserable ? Not to my mind - nor to Jeffrey Lewis's mind, if his "Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song" is to be believed

Madam Miaow said...

Oops! Didn't see I'd been tagged, Phil, and now I've missed the Valenitne's Day. Probably would have been Billie Holiday and various Emo output. Or ...

Ghosts by Japan

Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye by Leonard Cohen

Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis

The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More by The Walker Brothers

Phil said...

Emo? Nooooooo!

Catherine Buca said...

SamG said ...

"No it was very explicit."

Well I guess there are only so many romantic Valentine's Days you can have after 13 years together. Right? Right? :(

NeoHoxhaist said...

1999 was a lame year for trip hop and techno, and an alright year for IDM. Nevertheless, the Portishead record came out in 94, back when the genre was at its peak! If it came out 5-6 years past the movement's sell by date, noone would have cared about Dummy and Portishead would have faded within minutes :)