Fast Car
Pumped Up Kicks
Flowers on the Wall
this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2025
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Rock-a-bye, baby
On the tree top
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all
We sing that shit to literal babies, what the fuck is wrong with us?
Like half of Fall Out Boy's discography. "Hum Hallelujah" gets a special mention for literally being about a suicide attempt. Also "Dance In the Dark" by Lady Gaga, "Stomach Vs Heart" and "Humor of the Situation" by Barenaked Ladies ("Angry People" as well), "Slip Slidin Away" by Paul Simon, "When I Come Around" by Green Day...suffice it to say, I enjoy this trope a lot :P
Happier - by Bastille and Marshmello. It might depend on the listener tho.
Aint it fun - Paramore
Honestly, i don't like that a lot of radio music is so sad. I have to look to real oldies to find a happy song.
Love - Forever Changes. The whole album.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lIfiGGgw0nJ6H3UcVvp1UbFhwr0LGPiBE
You are my sunshine
The other night dear As I lay sleeping I dreamed I held you in my arms But when I woke up I was mistaken so I held my head and I cried You are my sunshine My ONLY sunshine
It doesn't get any better from there
Edit: I will never understand how to format things the way I want them to sorry
Brown Sugar
A lot of that album was pretty subversive but hidden behind upbeat rock. The olds didn't realize what the kids were listening to because they just heard pop rock.
- OutKast - Hey Ya!
- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - The Message
- Tones and I - Dance Monkey
- NENA - 99 Red Balloons
- The 88 - At Least It Was Here
- The Beatles - Help!
- R.A. the Rugged Man - Legendary Loser
- Theory of a Deadman - Bitch Came Back
- Atmosphere - The Best Day
- Atmosphere - Yesterday
- Gorillaz - DoYaThing (Full-Length)
- Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue
- Foster The People - Best Friend
- The Offspring - The Kids Aren't Alright
- Tyler, The Creator - 48
- Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A
- KISS - Detroit Rock City
- Scissor Sisters - Laura
- The Dead South - In Hell I'll Be In Good Company
Lots of mentions of The Boss, but not those other cheery Jerseyites. Bon Jovi with “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
The Motown hit Keep Me Hanging On by the Supremes is the classic example of this.
It was even recognized for its pathos and turned into a sadder slow version by psychedelic band Vanilla Fudge
This is probably a controversial opinion, but Ive always felt a little bad for the guy this song is about.
I think it's unfair for her to say he doesn't care a thing about her. He obviously does. If he didn't he wouldn't want her to still be a part of his life.
This song is just about two people who want different things out of their relationship, and the singer is just unable to accept it.
She has the ability to cut him out of her life if that's what she really wants, same as he does. She should cut herself free if it's too painful for her to be his friend.
I feel that. Maybe this song is her way of cutting herself free? Or by telling him to make a decision, she's giving him more autonomy than if she just left. Like she's saying, "Look, we need to commit to a decision, no more up and down, which way would you have it?"
Or by telling him to make a decision, she’s giving him more autonomy than if she just left. Like she’s saying, “Look, we need to commit to a decision, no more up and down, which way would you have it?”
I can see that, though it feels to me like from the context of the song they have already had that discussion at least once before.
I know that it hurts when you feel a certain way about someone and they don't feel that way about you- it can hurt a lot and it can take time to come to terms with it- and I don't' think removing yourself from their lives is an unreasonable solution if you are having trouble dealing with it- so I definitely feel empathy for the singers pov as well.
Club America by The Cure
Pumped up kicks
Under the bridge Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Came here to post pumped up kicks
HEALTH - everything from the band is banger after banger but with lyrics that'll leave you feeling a certain type of sad
Semi-charmed Life
Sad lyrics and fast tempo :
Kazim Koyuncu - Narino
Bagpipe song with the lyrics "I lost my sanity", "I sat down and cried", and "I wish someone knew my pain" especially. Can find longer versions on youtube.
French Gal - Poupèe de cire
Lyrics are about feeling more like a doll than human. TRIGGER WARNING FOR FRENCH LANGUAGE
Kazim Koyuncu - Fadime
Kemençe song with lyrics along same lines. Takes a bit before beat changes.
Sad lyrics and happy music/tone :
Danny Gonzales - Downhill
Song argues with a young adult on how rest of their life will suck.
Istanbul12 Orkestrasi - Bile Bile
Song about being unable to accept rejection.
Ayase/YAOSABI - Into the night
I am 70% sure "upbeat sounding song about suicide" is a genre in Japanese music.
Mmmmbop
Ring around the rosey
And
Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear
Has anybody mentioned Joy Division yet?
Radiohead - No Surprises
90% of ska/ska punk music is like this. A few examples:
"The Science of Selling Yourself Short" - Less Than Jake
"Beer" - Reel Big Fish
"Struggler" and "I Don't Love You Anymore" - Bomb the Music Industry!
"The Last Bell I Will Ever Hear", "1-800-ALARM-ME" and "Last on my List" - The Arrogant Sons of Bitches
"Ska Dream" and "Checkerboard Ashtray" - Jeff Rosenstock
"A Better Place, a Better Time" and "As the Footsteps Die Out Forever" - Streetlight Manifesto
Absolutely this.
Zero 7 - Waiting to die
Snowpix mentioned lots of ska/ska punk I gotta agree, my pick is The Aquabats - chemical bomb
Maybe a bit of a stretch but just running with the musical tone doesn't match the lyrics Ben Folds - bitches ain't shit cover
pretty much anything by third eye blind
Bullet by Hollywood undead.
Singing about killing himself in a super upbeat song, even has kids at the end going "I wish that I could fly, way up in the sky", the part where he was singing about jumping off a skyscraper.
Timothy by The Buoys is a very happy song about men trapped in a mine collapse cannibalizing each other to survive.
Every Stromae's songs.
It's always funny to see non-french-speaking people being so hyped by Stromae's songs, like they think it's joyful af and all... While his songs lyrics are litterally about :
- a man who drinks and dances a lot in order to forget his shitty life ( Alors on danse )
- a song about his father who was killed during Rwanda's genocide ( Papaoutai )
- other songs about suicide, cancer, breakups, addictions, depression etc... But always with an upbeat melody !
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Jonathan Coulton has a bunch of these. "I Feel Fantastic" "Betty and Me" "Blue Sunny Day" "Shop Vac" "Chiron Beta Prime" "Future Soon" off the top of my head. "Skullcrusher Mountain" and "Re: Your Brains" to a lesser degree.
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My Worst Enemy - Lit
Man, who is probably an alcoholic, wakes up the next day from a bender to find his girlfriend has left him.
So I listened to some of Lit's new stuff, they went full religious man. Bummed me out.
Stroke 9 on the other hand are fucking amazing and I love nearly all their tracks, their latest two albums are sick, Lake got me back into them, then went back to all their stuff I missed. Here's a screenshot of my ratings :)
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