Throughout history, people have used songs to express their feelings and confront inexplicable concepts that roam inside their minds. One of the most perplexing concepts that we’re still no closer to figuring out is, certainly, death. The way in which different artists tackle on this serious subject shows off all the diverse beauty of music. Here are some of the most memorable popular songs about death where artists bare their souls and contemplate life through death. Take a look.
Pearl Jam – Light Years
“You seemed to like it here.”
Photo: Lyle A. Waisman (Getty Images)
Pearl Jam has always been a lyric-heavy band that speaks from the heart. The lead singer and songwriter, Eddie Vedder, has covered numerous topics over the years, including songs about losing a loved one. One of their confessional songs about death that stuck in mind of every Pearl Jam lover at the time was Light Years from the Binaural album released in 2000. Dedicated to a friend of a band who died a couple of years prior, Light Years seemingly naively questions the nature of our life’s end and pays a soft tribute to the lost one. The song woes for the time spent away from each other and notes that there are light years separating them now. It’s a soft and pondering tune that does exactly what it’s supposed to do – says goodbye.
The Smiths – Asleep
“Sing me to sleep.”
Photo: Pete Cronin (Getty Images)
On the other hand, there are the ever-depressing Smiths. Perpetually dissatisfied with life and what it has to offer, Morrissey wrote a lot of disconcerting songs that, together with Johnny Marr‘s unique guitars expressed inner pain. One of such songs that undoubtedly deals with death is Asleep. Morrissey speaks about his weariness of life and his need to rest, implying that it’s the final rest he wants. As he asks for the final lullaby, he mentions that his departure won’t be a sad thing for him, but actually a release from the world of pain and misunderstanding. Overly dramatic, it’s always rather impossible to tell whether he is being ironic and intentionally pathetic or not. That’s the whole beauty of the Smiths right there.
Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
“Would you know my name, if I saw you in heaven?”
Photo: Chris Jackson (Getty Images)
Sometimes the background behind a song gives it a lot more weight and pretty much everyone knew the tragedy behind Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven when it came out in 1992. When it comes to songs about loss, nothing hits as hard as this one. Namely, in 1991, Clapton’s four-year-old son Conor, fell through a window on the 52nd floor of a building to his death. Clapton was just on his way to see him and his mother when he spotted the emergency services and crowd gathering nearby. He faced the horror of it only when he climbed up to the room and realized what had happened. Tears in Heaven is a touching tribute to his son that he was just starting to get to know. However, in spite of it all, Tears in Heaven is still an optimistic story about overcoming loss and living on.
Offspring – Gone Away
“The world has grown cold, now that you’ve gone away.”
Photo: Lee Celano (Getty Images)
Now, you couldn’t say that Offspring was one of the greatest bands in the ’90s, but they really marked the decade with their carefree songs that featured, above all, the weirdly screaming vocals of Dexter Holland. It’s not that their lyrics didn’t address some serious issues because they did (from time to time), but their overall post-punk attitude and simplistic song structure didn’t really leave much room for expressing emotions. However, observing how exactly these post-punk musicians deal with grief gives you a whole new perspective on their music. Offspring never explained the background of this song and adamantly refuse to do it.
Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue – Where the Wild Roses Grow
“As I kissed her goodbye, I said, ‘All beauty must die'”
Photo: Dave Tonge (Getty Images)
To people who don’t know much about Nick Cave and his dark inclinations, Where the Wild Roses Grow may sound like a straightforward duet love song that bears no weight, but they would be so wrong. The song is actually popularly dubbed a murder ballad, a concept Cave is fairly known for. In the song, the two strangers meet for three days, flirt, and reach a tragic conclusion by the end of day three. While Kylie Minogue’s character (Elisa Day) is a naive beautiful girl infatuated by the handsome and mysterious stranger she meets, Cave’s character is a somewhat unbalanced, idealistic psychopath who ends us killing her because he’s unable to cope with her beauty.
Queen – Show Must Go On
“Inside my heart is breaking,
my makeup may be flaking but my smile
still stays on.”
Photo: Fox Photos (Getty Images)
When it comes to truly personal dealing with death, we have to mention one of the greatest singers of all time – Freddie Mercury and his band Queen. Freddie left us in 1991 but kept his illness a secret for as long as he could and didn’t let it influence his music. Show Must Go On is the last song on the Queen’s final album, Innuendo, and talks about his struggle with AIDS. Despite being in a dire situation, Freddie chose not to give in so easily and sang his way to death. Show Must Go On is a touching and powerful confession of a dying man that has since become a classic anyone can relate to.
Pink Floyd – The Great Gig in the Sky
“…”
Photo: David Redfern (Getty Images)
Pink Floyd was always a band that challenged boundaries when it came to music, lyrics, and performance on stage. Their psychedelic endeavors influenced a number of different bands and set a standard for any future guitar enthusiasts out there. So, when it came to writing a song about death, they’ve simply decided not to use words, but to convey their message with atmospheric, spacey music and extremely powerful vocals by Clare Torry who screamed her life out in two and a half takes. When you close your eyes, you can practically see the eponymous gig in the sky calling you out. It’s a beautiful way of envisioning death when you’re a musician.
Which songs about death do you particularly enjoy? Do they have some special meaning to you?
