Songs about death

[Samoan]

Angie Baby, sung by Helen Reddy but it's cryptic

Now that's a song that really creeps me out.

[The Slider]

I Did What I Did for Maria

[The Slider]

I shot the Sherriff

[Santa C]

Songs about 'adultery' would be a good A category

As you were




.

[northernsky]

Flirted with you all my life - Vic Chesnutt

[Rayge]

A speciality of mine. I don't LOVE all of these, but I bought them all in the Sixties
The Shangri-las also did Give Me Your Blessings and I Can Never Go Home Any More
Twinkle - Terry
J Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers - Last Kiss
Ricky Valance - Tell Laura I Love Her
Four Seasons - No Surfing Today
Kingsmen - Death of an Angel
Mark Dinning - Teen Angel
Jmmy Cross - I want My Baby Back
Marty Wilde - Endless Sleep
Dickey Lee - Laurie (strange things Hapen)
Laura Nyro - And When I die
Everly Brothers - Ebony Eyes
James Brown - The Bells
Patti Smith Group - Redondo Beach & Birdland from Horses
Doll By Doll - When a Man Dies
White Stripes - Death Letter
American Pie???

That's all I can remember without delving
apologies if I suggested any that others have already put in - I haven't read all the posts.

[copehead]

Jmmy Smith - I want My Baby Back
.

Not as good as

Jimmy Cross - I want my Baby Back.

Is my guess

I see this stalled car right smack in front of me
Well I wasn't about to slam on the brakes
Cause I didn't have none to start to with
So I swerved to the left and what do I see?
Some mush-head on a motorcycle heading right at us
And I knew at last me and my baby were about to meet The Leader of the Pack

Well when I come to I looked around
And there was the Leader
And there was the Pack
And over there was my baby
And over there was my baby
And way over there was my baby

[Rayge]

Jmmy Smith - I want My Baby Back
.

Not as good as

Jimmy Cross - I want my Baby Back.

Is my guess

I see this stalled car right smack in front of me
Well I wasn't about to slam on the brakes
Cause I didn't have none to start to with
So I swerved to the left and what do I see?
Some mush-head on a motorcycle heading right at us
And I knew at last me and my baby were about to meet The Leader of the Pack

Well when I come to I looked around
And there was the Leader
And there was the Pack
And over there was my baby
And over there was my baby
And way over there was my baby

Cheers, Will, I've edited - was doing the whole list from memory. Incidentally, the main inspiration for IWMBB was that track by J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers which was a huge hit in America, mayb e a number one

[copehead]

Jmmy Smith - I want My Baby Back
.

Not as good as

Jimmy Cross - I want my Baby Back.

Is my guess

I see this stalled car right smack in front of me
Well I wasn't about to slam on the brakes
Cause I didn't have none to start to with
So I swerved to the left and what do I see?
Some mush-head on a motorcycle heading right at us
And I knew at last me and my baby were about to meet The Leader of the Pack

Well when I come to I looked around
And there was the Leader
And there was the Pack
And over there was my baby
And over there was my baby
And way over there was my baby

Cheers, Will, I've edited - was doing the whole list from memory. Incidentally, the main inspiration for IWMBB was that track by J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers which was a huge hit in America, mayb e a number one

I heard it on Kenny Everett's World's Worst Record Show album.

Some of the songs on it were just bad - Mrs Miller - But that song is a great novelty track, and Surfin' Bird is on there which is surely one of the greatest songs of all time not one of the worst.

A1 Jimmy Cross– I Want My Baby Back - Brilliant
Written-By – Garfield*, Bofkin*

A2 Zarah Leander– Wunderbar
Written-By – Cole Porter

A3 The Legendary Stardust Cowboy– Paralysed - an outsider music classic, the Trumpet solo is worth the entrance fee alone.
Written-By – Norman Odam*

A4 Pat Campbell (3)– The Deal -
Written-By – Prather*, Miles*, Merston*

A5 Nervous Norvus– Transfusion
Written-By – J. Drake*

A6 Jess Conrad– This Pullover
Written-By – Meccia*, Stellman*

A7 Mel* & Dave*– Spinning Wheel
Written-By – P. C. Thomas*

A8 Dickie Lee*– Laurie
Written-By – Harman*, Addington*

A9 Mrs Miller*– A Lover's Concerto - How gentle is the rain that falls softly on the meadow
Written-By – Randell*, Linzer*

A10 Ferlin Husky– The Drunken Driver - Possibly the most unintentionally hilarious song ever committed to vinyl
Written-By – George Adams (3)

B1 Jess Conrad– Why Am I Living?
Written-By – Gail*, Slavin*

B2 The Trashmen– Surfin' Bird - WTAF!!!!
Written-By – Wahreb*

B3 Steve Bent (2)– I'm Going To Spain
Written-By – S. Bent*

B4 Duncan Johnson– The Big Architect
Written-By – Johnson*

B5 Jess Conrad– Cherry Pie
Written-By – Josea*, Taub*

B6 Eamonn Andrews– The Shifting Whispering Sands
Written-By – Madler*, Gilbert*

B7 Tub Thumper– Kick Out The Jams - Can't remember this, surely it must be good
Written-By – Reedman*, Jarratt*

B8 Adolph Babel– My Feet Start Tapping
Written-By – A. Barbell*

B9 Skip Jackson (3)– The Greatest Star Of All
Written-By – D. Green*, R. Easterby*

B10 Raphael (2)– Going Out Of My Head - The one the Zombies did but with heh best accent of all time
Written-By – Weinstein*, Randazzo*

[Rorschach]

Lady Waters & The Hooded One - Robyn Hitchcock

Spoiler alert!
She's not actually dead at the end.

But it's definitely about death.

[Rorschach]

American Trilogy

Are you talking about Elvis's show ending trilogy?
There are times when I wish Elvis had never happened.

[mudshark]

Country Death Song - Violent Femmes.

Gonna watch them play (for the last time, I hope) downtown Houston March 18th.
Wife & one my daughters are big fans. I like a few of their songs. The aforementioned is not one of those, but I'm in the minority,

[Rorschach]

Stone Dead Forever / Killed by Death / Ace of Spades - Motorhead

I think I'll just take Ace of Spades. I really like the intro to Killed by Death but it gets a bit annoying when the singing starts. Stone Dead Forever's just a racket.

Although, hang on, the outro is quite exciting. But still, the singing...

My Death - Scott/ Bowie /Brel

Walker and Brel should always be made to travel together so that if there's a fatal crash we get rid of both of the cunts.

Dead Babies - Alice Cooper

The cool kids at school used to carry around copies of Killer but I never actually listened to it. It appears I wasn't missing much.

Bat out of Hell

Fuck right off.

Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd

You're just choosing these to piss me off, aren't you.
This album was what the mainstream kids carried around in 6th form.
I Like the piano bits but that woman squawking all over it; what the fuck is that all about?

Gallows Pole - Led Zep

Now I know you're taking the piss.

Sonny's Lettah - Linton Kwesi Johnson

But what have we here? Splendid stuff!

Biko
Reggae fi Peach
Richard Corey
I just shot John Lennon by the Cranberries

Biko: the Joan Baez version, right?
Reggae Fi Peach: Not LKJ's best lyric. And it's about murder, really.
Richard Corey: Got. Them's version.
I Just Shot John Lennon: Shudder

Abraham, Martin and John

What's the best version? I'm not that keen on what Dion did with it but I love the song.

(Edit: I've gone with Marvin)

[Rorschach]

Death On Two Legs - Queen

Nice guitar but I really don't get Queen stop/start bombast.

Death of a Disco Dancer - The Smiths

Absolutely. Not sure how I missed this one.

Its Not Dark Yet - Robert Zimmerman

Well, I don't know who this Zimmerman chap is but I don't think he should give up his day job. He's never going to make it as a singer, is he.

Death of a Clown - The Kinks

Yes! Love this.

Death and the Maiden - The Verlaines

Never heard this lot before. Did they name themselves after the chorus? I sort of like it but I don't think it's really about death, except for a passing mention.

[Rorschach]

And here we go again...

Oh good lord I almost forgot A Salty Dog
What a majestic, forlorn song that is

Yes. Even I like this. I'm not sure what it's about but it's quite lovely.

and, essentially, Bohemian Rhapsody

I had no idea it was about death but I can't bear it anyway. A cancerous lump on the body of pop music.

Tramp the Dirt Down - Elvis C

Very folky, isn't it. I like it because it's so nasty.

I Don't like Mondays

Love it but it's a murder song.

I Don't like Mondays

Borderline murder but going in anyway.

Matty Groves

I once listened to this album all the way through and wanted to die. And this song does go on a bit.
But, I suppose death by a sort of duel isn't murder and it has an amusing punchline. And the guitar's great.

Whiskey in the Jar

I'm not sure anyone actually dies in this song. I'm pretty sure they don't in the Dubliner's version and Captain Farrell may well have survived for all we know in Thin Lizzie's version. Pretty sure it'd be murder if he is dead.

There are a few Pogues ones:
Worms
Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go
A Pair of Brown Eyes
Jessie James
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
etc

Of these, I definitely like A Pair of Brown Eyes best.

Death Disco - PIL

Tried it again. Nope. Horrible noise.

[Rorschach]

Death Walks Behind You - Atomic Rooster.

Almost missed this one!

What a shame I didn't!
I hate it when the bass and guitar both lock into the same riff.

I don't suppose anyone's ever listened to it all the way through, have they. It's terribly long.

[Rorschach]

That little lot took me over two hours!
I'm going to take another little break now...

[Rorschach]

Death Letter - Son House

I don't really like the blues.

Black Girl - Leadbelly

Though I'll make an exception for this. I've always liked it.

TB Sheets - Van Morrison

Definitely. Absolutely savage.

In My Time of Dying - Led Zep

Zep can do one. I'm not aware that I've ever listened to this and I don't want to.

There is a Light that Never Goes Out - The Smiths

But this is, of course, wonderful. Though I don't think it's really about death.

Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus

Too bloody long for a playlist.

I am Stretched on your Grave - Sinead O'Connor

Not heard this before. Love it.

Dead Souls - Joy Division

Not sure why you say this is about death.

[Rorschach]

Death in the morning - Phil Alvin

Not sure why, but I find it a bit annoying.

[Rorschach]

Mount Eerie's "Real Death" is lyrically the single most upsetting song I've ever heard. His wife died a couple of weeks before he started recording the album, the section about the gift she ordered for their daughter ... I just can't cope with that:

Made me cry just reading the lyrics.