Talk:List of songs about mental illness
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China Girl was not written by Iggy Pop. Iggy Pop covered the song while the actual song was written by David Bowie.
This article has gone from bad to worse to irrelevant. Revolver 06:15, 29 January 2006 (UTC)
i am bi-polar, and just have to comment that some of the songs listed here, are not about bipolar disorder, but about heroin addiction. References to "monkey" in a song lyric is a slang term used for heroin. Ohters are purely about depression alone, and have nothing to do with bi-polar disorder. thanks. sirrealpuppy.
Surely "Joey" is about PTSD, no? "I'll just stand by ..."? ♥ «Charles A. L.» 14:27, Nov 1, 2004 (UTC)
- "Joey" is about chemical dependency and I figure the POV in the lyrics is that of a co-dependent partner. I'm kinda uncertain if it falls into the mental illness category. I debated in my mind about adding "Loaded Gun" but decided the POV is of an alcoholic with major depression and suicidal ideation. --Jaguara 22:31, 12 May 2006 (UTC)
Why I removed two Garbage songs: A song (Fix Me Now) with lyrics like "Kiss me blind time after time/ Take away my doubt" can't be about bipolar disorder, it should be obvious. "Only Happy When It Rains" is an angst parody. -Hapsiainen 14:22, Dec 2, 2004 (UTC)
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is about racism, not mental illness (leaving aside any links between mental illness and racism). It was about being black in a prejudiced white America; this is why, according to Eric Burdon's autobiography, "I Used To Be An Animal", Nina Simone was quite bothered about Burdon singing it; she did not think any white person could relate to the sentiments expressed in the song.
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[edit] VfD
On April 8, 2005, this article was nominated for deletion. The result was keep. See Wikipedia:Votes for deletion/List of songs about bipolar disorder for a record of the discussion. Mindspillage (spill yours?) 14:37, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)
- The article would be greatly improved by removing those that are of dubious or tenuous relation to mental illness (e.g. drug references do not necessarily warrant being listed here) and also a short note with each song, explaining its relevance. I'll start with "Help" and a couple others as examples. Revolver 18:45, 12 July 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Weird listing order
It seems weird to me the order in which the songs are listed... I think the songs should be alphabetical, purely alphabetical, even if there's more than one song by the same artist. Would make it easier to find stuff. -- DocSigma 7 July 2005 13:54 (UTC)
- You're right. But for today, I don't feel like doing boring editing stuff. DePiep 7 July 2005 13:58 (UTC)
- I did it. Finally. It'd be cool if people kept up with this format, but I can't force them to (and wouldn't if I could). -- DocSigma 11:55, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
I really don't think that the word 'The' should be counted as alphabetical, if no one objects can I change this? Tartan 18:21, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] vetting for relevance
I've removed a lot of titles which didn't seem obviously related to mental illness ("Dancing in the Dark"??) I believe this list should stick to those songs that have a fairly direct reference to mental illness. Please note, "brooding" or "being moody or depressed" does not warrant inclusion in this list. In particular, songs about being depressed after getting dumped by your lover, or brooding songs about how terrible life is and how pointless and meaningless it all is do not belong here, unless there is some direct reference. Neither do songs about drug abuse, unless there is some direct reference to mental illness.
I'm sure I have deleted at least one title which legitimately belongs here. This was done in the interest of removing a large number, which collectively did not belong. If you have specific reasons for re-including one of these, please mention why it should be brought back. Revolver 03:36, 13 July 2005 (UTC)
I deleted Spencer Davis Group's "Keep On Running" because I don't see any mental illness-related references. Unrequited love/lust isn't a mental illness. Jaguara 20:43, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
[edit] explain relevance of these songs
The following songs were re-established, without comment:
- I'm so tired
- The Beatles
- I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink
- I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink
- I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
- No,no,no.
- I'm so tired I don't know what to do
- I'm so tired my mind is set on you
- I wonder should I call you but I know what you'd do
- You'd say I'm putting you on
- But it's no joke, it's doing me harm
- You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain
- You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane
- You know I'd give you everything I've got
- for a little peace of mind
- I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset
- Although I'm so tired I'll have another cigarette
- And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
- He was such a stupid git.
- You'd say I'm putting you on
- But it's no joke, it's doing me harm
- You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain
- You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane
- You know I'd give you everything I've got
- for a little peace of mind
- I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind
- I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind
While the vocalist obviously suffers from insomnia and has likely hung-over and perhaps has done other drugs, the relation to true mental illness is tenuous, at best. As I said before, I think this list should confine itself to songs that are clearly related to clinical mental illness, and while this one implies the vocalist is in a depressed state of mind, there is not enough here to suggest that he suffers from true depression. The phrase "I'm going insane" is more a figure of speech in this case, then anything. Everyone here has lost a boy/girlfriend, or gone through frustration trying to decide to tell someone our feelings, and gone through a few weeks of hell sorting through the feelings. That is called life, not clinical depression.
- Fear is a Man's Best Friend
- John Cale
- Standing waiting for a man to show
- Wide eyed one eye fixed on the door
- This waiting's killing me, it's wearing me down
- Day in day out, my feet are burning holes in the ground
- Darkness warmer than a bedroom floor
- Want someone to hold me close forever more
- I'm a sleeping dog, but you can't tell
- When I'm on the prowl you'ld better run like hell
- You know it makes sense, don't even think about it
- Life and death are just things you do when you're bored
- Say fear's a man's best friend
- You add it up it brings you down
- Home is living like a man on the run
- Trails leading nowhere, where to my son?
- We're already dead, just not yet in the ground
- Take my helping hand I'll show you around
- You know it makes sense, don't even think about it
- Life and death are just things you do when you're bored
- Say fear's a man's best friend
- You add it up it brings you down
Ummm...am I missing something? Nothing here. Please explain.
- Dancing in the Dark
- Bruce Springsteen
- I get up in the evening
- and I ain't got nothing to say
- I come home in the morning
- I go to bed feeling the same way
- I ain't nothing but tired
- Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
- Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
- You can't start a fire
- You can't start a fire without a spark
- This gun's for hire
- even if we're just dancing in the dark
- Message keeps getting clearer
- radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
- I check my look in the mirror
- I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
- Man I ain't getting nowhere
- I'm just living in a dump like this
- There's something happening somewhere
- baby I just know that there is
- You can't start a fire
- you can't start a fire without a spark
- This gun's for hire
- even if we're just dancing in the dark
- You sit around getting older
- there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
- I'll shake this world off my shoulders
- come on baby this laugh's on me
- Stay on the streets of this town
- and they'll be carving you up alright
- They say you gotta stay hungry
- hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
- I'm dying for some action
- I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
- I need a love reaction
- come on now baby gimme just one look
- You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
- This gun's for hire
- Even if we're just dancing in the dark
- You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
- This gun's for hire
- Even if we're just dancing in the dark
- Even if we're just dancing in the dark
- Even if we're just dancing in the dark
- Even if we're just dancing in the dark
- Hey baby
So, you're tired, you're bored, you're sick of the monotony of life? You wonder if you need to make changes in your life? You're hungry for an intimate relationship? You're not feeling so great? Nice try. It's called life, not depression. Revolver 17:41, 13 July 2005 (UTC)
[edit] The Whole of the Moon
With regards to the removal of "The Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys- I am fairly sure that this song is about mental illness, or at least the borders between genius and insanity. This is mainly given that the full moon has generally been associated with insanity (hence 'lunacy') and the song speaks of someone who was a natural genius without even trying, therefore seeing 'The Whole of the Moon' is an analogy for seeing the bigger picture of life while being regarded as insane by others. If anyone could provide me with the true meaning of the song I would be more than grateful, as I have searched the internet but all I found was a Christian site which interpreted the song as being about homosexuality...
[edit] Removal of 3 songs
Just regarding my removal of three songs, they were removed because I foundno reference to mental illness. The songs were:
- "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne (supposedly about heroin)
- "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind (about a suicide)
- "How to save a life" by The Fray (about a crack addict)
Also, please do not add songs to the See Also section. Tartan 20:42, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] 4st 7lbs and Ana's Song
Removed "4st 7lb" by the Manic Street Preachers and "Ana's Song" by Silverchair, because both are about anorexia, but 4st 7lbs talks of wishing to walk in the snow without leaving a footprint and Ana's Song could be about heartbreak.
4st 7lbs
"I choose my choice, I starve to frenzy Hunger soon passes and sickness soon tires Legs bend, stockinged I am Twiggy And I don't mind the horror that surrounds me
Self-worth scatters, self-esteem's a bore I long since moved to a higher plateau This discipline's so rare so please applaud Just look at the fat scum who pamper me so
Yeh 4st. 7, an epilogue of youth Such beautiful dignity in self-abuse I've finally come to understand life Through staring blankly at my navel"
Ana's song (Open Fire)
"And you're my obsession I love you to the bones And Ana wrecks your life Like an Anorexia life"
[edit] Roy Harper song
I added this song. If you need all the lyrics to justify entry, then I'll be happy to find them. If you pop over to Roy Harper you'll see that he went through ECT as a young man and "Angel Of The Night" is a song about his "demons".
"WHEN MY MADNESS COMES, IT COMES IN WAVES, I GET PARALYZED. I CREEP AROUND MOTIONLESS OVERPOWERED BY MY SLAVES, MY BALANCE AND MY SPIRIT AND MY GUTS ARE NOT MY OWN, STANDING ON THE PRECIPICE ETERNALLY ALONE, ONE STEP OUT OF SIGHT THE ANGEL OF THE NIGHT..." Delete these if they don't need to be here. Stephenjh 23:00, 7 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] The instrumental by Lupe Fiasco
The Instrumental by Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor is probably about an autistic person obsessed with a box
He just sits, and listens to the people in the boxes Everything he hears, he absorbs and adopts it Anything not comin out the box he blocks it See he loves the box and hope they never stop it Anything the box tell him to do, he does it Anything it tell him to get, he shops and he cops it He protects the box, locks it in a box when he goes to sleep But he never sleeps Cuz he stays up to watch it, scared to look away Cuz at that moment it might get stolen And thats the last of the boxes So he chained himself to the box, took a lock and locked it Swallowed the combination and then forgot it As the doctors jot it all down with they pens and pencils The same ones that took away his voice and just left his instrumental, like damn
Do what you want with this information.
[edit] Whole Album?
The Entire Boy's Night Out album Trainwreck is about a mentaly ill patient, where should it be added? I thought by song would be a little redundant
