Reading Time: 18 min read

15 Chilling Murder Ballads (2024) [๐Ÿ“ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Monika Grafik from Pixabay; Iluha Zavaley from Unsplash]15 Chilling Murder Ballads features music courtesy of Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Underwood, Eminem, SZA, and Taylor Swift.

Ah, the murder ballad โ€“ what a dark but captivating, intriguing type of song! Murder ballads describe a murder of some sort โ€“ what prefaces it as well as the aftermath.ย  The definition has been blurred, and such ballads date back hundreds of years. That said, for the purposes of our playlist, 15 Chilling Murder Ballads, we keep things simple โ€“ and still, murderous. 15 Chilling Murder Ballads features music courtesy of Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Underwood, Eminem, SZA, and Taylor Swift among others.ย  So, without further ado, prepare yourself for a dark, deranged mindset on 15 Chilling Murder Ballads!


1. SZA, โ€œKill Billโ€ ย 

SOS / โ€œKill Bill (Remix)โ€ // Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA // 2023โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

SZA, SOS [๐Ÿ“ท: Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA]โ€œI might kill my ex, not the best idea,โ€ Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter SZA (Solana Rowe) asserts on โ€œKill Billโ€,โ€ฏone of the best songs from her critically acclaimed sophomore LP, SOS.โ€ฏ In the record, she sings gorgeously despite being pissed off.โ€ฏ In the first verse of the original, she asserts, โ€œIโ€™m still a fan even though I was salty / Hate to see you with some other broad, know you happy / Hate to see you happy if Iโ€™m not the one drivinโ€™.โ€ Like the Quentin Tarantino films sheโ€ฏreferences, sheโ€™s angry at her ex, eventually confirming she kills him and his new girlfriend.โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

SZA, โ€œKill Bill (Remix)โ€ [๐Ÿ“ท: Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA]Ultimately, her love pain, and violence, is our listening pleasure, accentuated even more on โ€œKill Bill (Remix)โ€ featuring fellow Grammy winner, Doja Cat.โ€ฏ Doja appears at the beginning of the remix, replacing the original verse by SZA.โ€ฏ It is colorful, painting a violent picture, because of her ex-boyfriend being a dick.โ€ฏ Doja ends up going to his new house, the new girlfriend is angry, and ultimately, after the new girlfriend charges at Doja, she shoots her.โ€ฏ Memorably, she closes the verse with a bang: โ€œYโ€™all crisscrossed, saw her fall to the floor / Then you paused there in horror, that shot wasnโ€™t for her.โ€โ€ฏ From there, we get the rest of the original โ€œKill Bill,โ€ beginning with the unforgettable, ex-killing chorus, and second verse by SZA (โ€œI try to ration with you, no murders, no crime of passion / But, damn, you was out of reachโ€). โ€œKill Billโ€ is a stellar track.

โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏย 


    2. Bruce Springsteen, โ€œNebraskaโ€ย 

    Nebraska // Bruce Springsteen // 1982ย 

    Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska [๐Ÿ“ท: Columbia]One of the most notable albums in the Bruce Springsteen discography is Nebraska, released in 1982.โ€ฏ As Ian Couch writes for The New Yorker in article โ€œThe Original Wrecking Ball: Bruce Springsteenโ€™s โ€˜Nebraskaโ€™โ€, it was unique, thanks to its share of dark material being told from a first-person perspective.โ€ฏโ€œNebraska,โ€ the title track, tackles 19-year-old spree killer, Charles Starkweather, who murdered 11 people.

    โ€œI saw her standing on her front lawn just twirling her batonโ€ฏย 

    Me and her went for a ride, sir, and ten innocent people diedโ€ฏย 

    From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska, with a sawed-off .410 on my lapโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

    Through to the badlands of Wyoming I killed everything in my path.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

    Starkweather had an accomplice, his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, who was just 14. Ultimately, for his crimes, which took place in Wisconsin and Nebraska, Starkweather went to the electric chair.โ€ฏโ€œThe jury brought in a guilty verdict and the judge he sentenced me to death,โ€ Springsteen sings, continuing, โ€œMidnight in a prison storeroom with leather straps across my chest.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

    Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 


      3. Taylor Swift, โ€œno body, no crimeโ€ (Ft. HAIM)โ€ฏย 

      evermore // Taylor Swift // 2020

      Taylor Swift, evermore [๐Ÿ“ท: Taylor Swift]โ€œHe did it / He did it.โ€ Who, Taylor Swift, who? The Grammy-winning superstar is joined by Grammy-nominated sister collective, HAIM, on the gem, โ€œno body, no crime.โ€ โ€œNo body, no crimeโ€ has a strong case as the very best record of Swiftโ€™s second surprise album of 2020, evermore. All parties feel totally locked in โ€“ totally in their element.โ€ฏ From the jump, with HAIMโ€™s assertion, โ€œHe did it,โ€ โ€œNo body, no crimeโ€ feels totally elite.โ€ฏ Swift confirms the elite nature of this minor-key, criminal cut in the first verse (โ€œHer husbandโ€™s actinโ€™ different, and it smells like infidelityโ€).โ€ฏThe centerpiece of โ€œNo body, no crimeโ€ is the chorus.โ€ฏ Here, Swift and HAIM masterfully join forces:โ€ฏ

      โ€œShe says, โ€˜I think he did it, but I just canโ€™t prove itโ€™โ€ฏย 

      I think he did it, but I just canโ€™t prove itโ€ฏย 

      โ€ฆ No, no body, no crimeโ€ฏย 

      But I ainโ€™t lettinโ€™ up until the day I die.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

      Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏย 


        4. The Killers, โ€œJenny Was a Friend of Mineโ€ ย 

        Hot Fuss // Island // 2004

        The Killers, Hot Fuss [๐Ÿ“ท: Island]โ€œJenny Was a Friend of Mineโ€ hails from The Killersโ€™ fabulous 2004 debut album, Hot Fuss.โ€ฏ Hot Fuss ranks among the best alternative albums of the 00s.โ€ฏ Perhaps โ€œMr. Brightsideโ€ and โ€œSomebody Told Meโ€ gets the most love, but โ€œJenny Was a Friend of Mineโ€ is awesome too! Also, the backstory โ€“ something else!โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        A name you need to know: Robert Chambers.โ€ฏ Who? Well, Mr. Chambers was a deplorable individual โ€“ a murderer.โ€ฏChambers killed an 18-year-old girl named Jennifer Levin.โ€ฏ The Killersโ€™ song, โ€œJenny Was a Friend of Mine,โ€ is about the aftermath of the murder. In the chorus, front man Brandon Flowers, posed as the killer, sings:โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        โ€œTell me what you wanna knowโ€ฏย 

        Oh, come on, oh, come on, oh, come onโ€ฏย 

        There ainโ€™t no motive for this crimeโ€ฏย 

        Jenny was a friend of mineโ€ฆโ€โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 


        5. Carrie Underwood, โ€œTwo Black Cadillacsโ€ ย 

        Blown Away // 19 Recordings Limited / Sony // 2012

        Carrie Underwood, Blown Away [๐Ÿ“ท: 19 Recordings Limited]โ€œAnd the preacher said he was a good man / And his brother said he was a good friend / But the women in the two black veils didnโ€™t bother to cryโ€ฆโ€ Grammy-winning country singer Carrie Underwood is at her best when sheโ€™s able to exhibit โ€˜that attitude.โ€™ โ€œTwo Black Cadillacsโ€ ranks among the crรจme de la crรจme of her catalog.โ€ฏ The narrative-driven number appears as the third track on her fourth studio album, Blown Away (2012).โ€ฏFrom the onset, โ€œTwo Black Cadillacsโ€ sounds magical, instantly engaging the listener. There is a mysteriousness and sketchiness about the production, which sets the tone before Underwood sings a note. There is a clearly defined rhythmic groove, but itโ€™s understated. The narrative ofย is superb with Underwood setting things up perfectly the first verse:โ€ฏโ€œTwo black Cadillacs driving in a slow parade…โ€ฏ/ One is for his wifeโ€ฏ/ The other for the woman who loved him at nightโ€ฏ/ Two black Cadillacs meeting for the first time.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Later, the second verse expounds upon what went down โ€“ โ€œHis wife called the number on his phone / Turns out heโ€™d been lying to the both of them for oh so longโ€ฆโ€ Of course, in the bridge, itโ€™s clear the women secretly conspired, โ€œShared a crimson smile and just walked away / And left the secret at the grave.โ€ Regardless, the centerpiece is the chorus, excerpted at the beginning of the blurb. It continues, depicting the feelings of the two women:โ€ฏโ€œ…Yeah, they took turns laying a rose downโ€ฏ/ Threw a handful of dirt into the deep groundโ€ฏ/ Heโ€™s not the only one who had a secret to hideโ€ฏ/ Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        โ€ฏย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏย 


        6. Aerosmith, โ€œJanieโ€™s Got a Gunโ€ย 

        Pump // Geffen // 1989ย 

        Aerosmith, Pump [๐Ÿ“ท: Geffen]โ€œNow that Janieโ€™s got a gun / She ainโ€™t never gonna be the same.โ€ What a statement Steven Tyler and Aerosmith make on โ€œJanieโ€™s Got a Gunโ€.ย  โ€œJanieโ€™s Got a Gunโ€ appears as the fifth track on the bandโ€™s 1989 LP, Pump.ย  A hit single, it peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. Not only was it successful on the charts, but it also earned Aerosmith one of its four Grammys, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. โ€œJanieโ€™s Got a Gunโ€ was written by Tyler and Tom Hamilton. The late Bruce Fairbairn produced the gem which benefits from rocking production and a bright, exuberant sound.

        ย 

        It’s surprising that โ€œJanieโ€™s Got a Gunโ€ does sound bright โ€“ the content is dark! What isnโ€™t surprising is the fact that we get high-flying, rousing vocals by Steven Tyler.ย  That, of course, is the expectation from the iconic, gifted front man.ย  The songwriting, coupled with the tuneful melodies, make โ€œJanieโ€™s Got a Gunโ€ the โ€˜sugar honey iced tea.โ€™ โ€œThey say when Janie was arrested / They found him underneath the train,โ€ Tyler sings in the second verse. He adds, โ€œBut man, he had it cominโ€™ / Now that Janieโ€™s got a gun / She ainโ€™t never gonna be the same.โ€ย  So, how and why did he have it cominโ€™? Well, her daddy โ€œJacked a little bitty baby /… They say the spell that he was under / The lightening and the thunder / Knew that someone had to stop the rain.โ€ Controversial justice, right? Of course, Tyler fills us in on how things went down with Janie: โ€œShe had to take him down easy / And put a bullet in his brain / She said, โ€˜cause nobody believe me / The man was such a sleaze / He ainโ€™t never gonna be the same.โ€ย  Facts โ€“ heโ€™s dead! โ€œJanieโ€™s Got a Gunโ€ is one of the best rock songs of the late 80s and early 90s โ€“ a tour de force by Aerosmith.ย ย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 


        7. HARDY, โ€œwait in the truckโ€ (Ft. Lainey Wilson) ย 

        the mockingbird & THE CROW // Big Loud / Big Loud Rock // 2023โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        HARDY, the mockingbird & THE CROW [๐Ÿ“ท: Big Loud / Big Loud Rock]HARDY andโ€ฏLainey Wilsonโ€ฏmake sweet music together on โ€œwait in the truck,โ€โ€ฏone of the best songs from HARDYโ€™s 2023 double album, the mockingbird & THE CROW. โ€ฏThe twang is elevated to the nthโ€ฏdegree. โ€ฏAlso elevated is the songwriting. โ€œWell, she was bruised and broke from head to toe / With a tear in her blood-stained shirt,โ€ HARDY sings in the second verse, adding, โ€œShe didnโ€™t tell me the whole truth, but she didnโ€™t have to / I knew what happened to her.โ€ There is abuse at the hands of another man in play,โ€ฏsomething that Wilson sings about in the chorus. โ€ฏCharacterizing HARDY (or his character, rather) as an angel, she asserts, โ€œHe was hellbent to find the man behind / All the whiskey scars I hid / I never thought my day of justice / Would come from a judge under his seatโ€ฆโ€ Intriguing that an angel with aโ€ฏpieceโ€ฏ(aka gun) can be hellishโ€ฆ hence why โ€œwait in the truckโ€ graces this weapon-fueled musical compendium!โ€ฏ The choir is a phenomenal addition to โ€œwait in the truck,โ€ adding some gospel vibes as both HARDY and Lainey state, โ€œHave mercy on me.โ€โ€ฏ

        ย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 


        8. Eminem, โ€œStanโ€ (Ft. Dido)ย 

        The Marshall Mathers LP // Interscope // 2000

        Eminem, Marshall Mathers LP [๐Ÿ“ท: Interscope]Controversy and Academy and Grammy award-winning rapper Eminem (Marshall Mathers) are synonymous.โ€ฏHis approach is edgy, pushing the envelope over the mountain, essentially. Among his many controversial songs is โ€œStanโ€ from his legendary 2000 album, The Marshall Mathers LP.โ€ฏ The song and subject matter created a brand-new word, stan (an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan). Stanley, the โ€œstanโ€ from the song, exemplifies the dangerous, over-devoted fan. Three out of four verses find Em rapping from Stanโ€™s perspective.โ€ฏ In the first verse, we get a picture of how obsessed he is, connecting with the rapper on a much deeper level than fans/musicians generally connect.โ€ฏ Stan writes a letter to Eminem, hoping heโ€™ll respond back to him. Notably, he mentions his pregnant girlfriend, with whom he has a suspect relationship with. By the second verse, Stan still hasnโ€™t received a response and becomes more upset, taken with the rapper in a fanatical sense.โ€ฏ By the third, the most memorable from Stanโ€™s perspective, things have gone totally off-the-rail.โ€ฏ Heโ€™s angry with Eminem, addressing him as โ€œDear Mr. Iโ€™m-Too-Good-to-Call-or-Write-My-Fans,โ€ and asserting, โ€œThisโ€™ll be the last package I ever send your ass.โ€ He goes on to depict risky behavior, including โ€œDoinโ€™ 90 on the freewayโ€ and โ€œdrinking a fifth of vodka.โ€โ€ฏ Expectedly, things donโ€™t end well for Stan.โ€ฏ Eminem finally responds on the fourth and final verse, rapping as himself for the first time.โ€ฏ He encourages Stan to get help, but realizes by the end, Stan is dead.โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        So, where does the controversy come in?โ€ฏ In the fourth verse, Eminem came off as homophobic to some, namely GLAAD:โ€ฏโ€œAnd whatโ€™s this shit about us meant to be togetherโ€ฏ/ That type of shitโ€™ll make me not want us to meet each other.โ€โ€ฏWithout context, or unintentionally, this line could be viewed homophobically because Stan is so taken with Eminem, it sounds gay to the rapper โ€“ something he disapproves.โ€ฏ Furthermore, given Mathersโ€™ explicitness throughout his career, would it be far-fetched if he went to take a jab at the LGBTQ ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ here? Nope, because GLAAD wasnโ€™t merely mad at him about โ€œStan.โ€ In this case, however, the homophobic claims seem like a stretch. Stan is an obsessive person with mental issues, hence why Eminem might take pause in meeting him because heโ€™s unstable. Of course, Elton John, an openly gay musical icon, who performed โ€œStanโ€ with the rapper live, had no issues with the lyrics.โ€ฏโ€ฏThe music video for โ€œStanโ€ is disturbing too (the Eminem shrine alone).โ€ฏ A creepy Devon Sawa and Dido are the actors in this tale where Sawa goes off the deep end obsessed with Eminem.โ€ฏ Didoโ€™s 1999 song, โ€œThank Youโ€ is sampled.โ€ฏ It ends up being the perfect match for this record.โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        โ€œMy teaโ€™s gone cold, I’m wondering why Iโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Got out of bed at allโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        The morning rain clouds up my windowโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        And I can’t see at allโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        And even if I could it’d all be grayโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        But your picture on my wallโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        It reminds me that it’s not so bad, it’s not so bad.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        All told, a book could be written regarding โ€œStanโ€, one of the best songs of the Eminem catalog.โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏย 


        9. Madonna, โ€œGang Bangโ€ย 

        MDNA // Boy Toy, Inc.ย  // 2012ย 

        Madonna, MDNA [๐Ÿ“ท: Boy Toy, Inc.]โ€œI thought it was you, and I loved you the most / But I was just keeping my enemies close.โ€ Word!ย โ€œGang Bangโ€ appears as the second track on MDNA, the 2012, 12th studio album by musical icon, Madonna. She produced the track alongside Demolition Crew and William Orbit.ย  โ€œGang Bangโ€ features an enigmatic, foreboding, dance backdrop. The thudding beat is intense. Furthermore, the rhythmic nature of the synths is a big selling point. Madonna sings with poise for most of the song but is potent to the nth degree. Additionally, she is effective with her use of whispering (โ€œBang, bang, shot you dead / In the headโ€). As the song progresses, the production grows fuller and more dynamic. Notably, and unsurprisingly given the era, there is a dubstep, breakdown section.ย 

        The lyrics throughout the course of โ€œGang Bangโ€ are hellish, embracing the murder ballad through and through. The chorus is dark yet infectious with Madge singing, โ€œBang bang, shot you dead, shot my lover in the head / Bang bang, shot you dead and I have no regrets.โ€ The most memorable section of โ€œGang Bangโ€ not named the chorus is the bridge:ย 

        โ€œAnd Iโ€™m going straight to hellย 

        And I got a lot of friends thereย 

        And if I see that bitch in hellย ย 

        Iโ€™m gonna shoot him in the head againย ย 

        โ€˜Cause I want to see him dieย 

        Over, and over, and over, and overย ย 

        And over, and over, and over, and overย 

        Now drive, bitch!โ€ย 

        Madonna is one of a kind โ€“ an understatement.ย  No, MDNA isnโ€™t her most memorable album, especially considering her output early on in her career, but โ€œGang Bangโ€ is a surefire winner.ย ย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 


        10. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Deidre Goodwin, Denise Faye, Ekaterina Chtchelkanova, Mya Harrison & Taye Diggs, โ€œCell Block Tangoโ€ย 

        Chicago (Music from the Miramax Motion Picture) // Sony Music Entertainment Inc. // 2002ย 

        Chicago (Music from the Miramax Motion Picture)[๐Ÿ“ท: Sony Music Entertainment Inc.]โ€œPop / Six / Squish / Uh-uh / Cicero / Lipschitz.โ€ And so, begins one of the best musical numbers of them all, โ€œCell Block Tangoโ€.ย  Following the first iteration of those memorable, recurrent lyrics from the seven-minute-plus, fourth track from the Chicago motion picture soundtrack, the emcee introduces the performers: โ€œAnd now, the six merry murderesses of the Cook County Jail in their rendition of the Cell Block Tango.โ€ Performing the beloved Fred Ebb and John Kander-penned gem are Academy Award winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Deidre Goodwin, Denise Faye, Ekaterina Chtchelkanova, Mya Harrison, and Taye Diggs.ย ย ย 

        The excerpted lyrics correspond to why the murderesses murdered. The commonality between them all is the infectious chorus:ย 

        โ€œHe had it comingย 

        He had it comingย 

        He only had himself to blameย 

        If you’d have been thereย 

        If you’d have seen itย 

        I betcha you would have done the same.โ€

        Throughout the course of this lengthy murder ballad, the women explain what happened in detail.ย  Liz (Susan Misner), for example, got sick of her husband popping his gum: โ€œSo, I took the shotgun off the wall, and I fired two warning shotsโ€ฆ into his head.โ€ Damn! Annie (Denise Faye) found out Ezekiel wasnโ€™t single: โ€œHe had six wives.ย  One of those Mormonsโ€ฆ So that night when he came home from work, I fixed him his drink, as usual. You know some guys just can’t hold their arsenic.โ€ย  It doesnโ€™t stop there.ย  Juneโ€™s (Deidre Goodwin) husband ran into her knife. Katalin Helinszki nicknamed Hunyak (Ekaterina Chtchelkanova) is innocent, but they didnโ€™t understand her (she speaks Hungarian). Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) kills her sister and husband for cheating on her. As for Mona (Mya Harrison), of her cheating husband, Al Lipschitz, โ€œHe saw himself as aliveโ€ฆ and I saw him dead.โ€ โ€œCell Block Tangoโ€ is, and will forever be, one of the great tour de forces from a musical. #ICONIC!ย 

        ย Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 


        11. The Chicks, โ€œGoodbye Earlโ€ย 

        Fly // Columbia // 1999โ€ฏ

        The Chicks, Fly [๐Ÿ“ท: Columbia]โ€œEarl had to die / Goodbye, Earl / Those black-eyed peas / They tasted all right to me, Earl.โ€ This seems like the opportune time to double down on the fact that two wrongs DO make a right, so, letโ€™s controversially consult โ€˜the good bookโ€™ for context in the controversial The Chicks classic, โ€œGoodbye Earlโ€! The Bible says, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, so, it feels totally right that Natalie Maines and company atoned for abuse with the murder of the scum of the earth. HELL yeah, with emphasis on the HELL part.โ€ฏ Honestly, the excerpted lyrics from the chorus tell you why this gem from their 1999 album, Fly, is deemed as one of the most controversial songs of all time.โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        To be fair, The Chicks did NOT write the song or originally perform it.โ€ฏ Blame songwriter Dennis Linde for the controversy, dang it! Linde is to blame for penning an anti-abuse anthem that found the abused (Wanda), and her friend (Mary Ann), murdering the abuser (Earl)! โ€œYouโ€™re feeling weak / Why donโ€™t you lay down and sleep, Earl,โ€ Maines continues singing in the chorus, adding, โ€œAinโ€™t it dark / Wrapped up in that tarp, Earl?โ€ Again, what more can you say but, damn! Anyways, Linde wrote this anthem, which finds Earl abusing Wanda in the second verse, including Earl โ€œWalked right through that restraining order / And put her in intensive care.โ€ Originally, the song was recorded by Sons of the Desert but the album was never released โ€“ a whole mess.โ€ฏ Naturally, the message of โ€œGoodbye Earlโ€ is mixed, hence why it aroused the controversy it did.โ€ฏ It is probably best to look at this fictional song as tongue-in-cheek, however, there have been real life instances where someone was abused in some form or fashion, and they ultimately killed the abuser.โ€ฏ That said, it is still disturbing that โ€œIt turns out he [Earl] was a missing person / Who nobody missed at all.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏย 


        12. Boomtown Rats, โ€œI Donโ€™t Like Mondaysโ€ย 

        The Fine Art of Surfacing // Mercury // 1979

        The Boomtown Rats, The Fine Art of Surfacing [๐Ÿ“ท: Mercury]โ€œTell me why / I donโ€™t like Mondays / I wanna shoot the whole day down.โ€ Mondays tend to be an unpopular day, but in the case of โ€œI Donโ€™t Like Mondaysโ€, the hatred is far more pronounced.โ€ฏ Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats wrote and recorded a song that references the Grover Cleveland Elementary School shooting. Infamously, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer, who truly didnโ€™t like Mondays, killed two adults and injured eight children with a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle at the elementary across from her house ๐Ÿ˜ข.โ€ฏA worldwide hit from their 1979 album, The Fine Art of Surfacing, the song marks the only charting single by The Boomtown Rats on the Billboard Hot 100. Notably, โ€œI Donโ€™t Like Mondaysโ€ was a top five hit in many countries, including hitting no. 1 in Ireland, Australia, and the UK. In the United States, it settled for no. 73.โ€ฏย 

        โ€œThe silicon chip inside her head / Gets switched to overload / And nobodyโ€™s gonna go to school today / Sheโ€™s gonna make them stay at home.โ€ Those lyrics, from the first verse of โ€œI Donโ€™t Like Mondaysโ€, โ€ฏcapture an unhinged person, in this case, a delusional mass murderer. In the first verse, Bob Geldof captures the shock of Brendaโ€™s father, asserting, โ€œAnd daddy doesnโ€™t understand it / He always said she was good as gold.โ€ This sometimes occurs in cases of mass murderers and serial killers where the parents didnโ€™t see any signs, hence why โ€œAnd mother feels so shocked, fatherโ€™s world is rockedโ€ (verse two).โ€ฏ The third verse is incredibly disturbing:โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        โ€œAnd all the playingโ€™s stopped in the playground nowโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        She wants to play with the toys a whileโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        And schoolโ€™s out early and soon weโ€™ll be learningโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        And the lesson is how to die.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Morbid, morbid, morbid. Beyond the songwriting, โ€œI Donโ€™t Like Mondaysโ€ is incredibly ear catching, thanks to its art pop/New Wave sound.โ€ฏ The piano and keyboard work is brilliant by Johnny Fingers.โ€ฏ Furthermore, the backing vocals only accentuate Geldofโ€™s fabulous lead.โ€ฏ Also, shout out the marvelous strings/string arrangement.โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 


        13. The Cranberries, โ€œI Just Shot John Lennonโ€โ€ฏย 

        To the Faithful Departed // Island // 1996

        The Cranberries, To the Faithful Departed [๐Ÿ“ท: Island Def Jam]โ€œIt was the fearful night of December 8thโ€ฏ/ He was returning home from the studio lateโ€ฏ/ He had perceptively known that it wouldnโ€™t be nice,โ€ The Cranberriesโ€™ late, dynamic front woman, Dolores Oโ€™Riordan sings on the murder ballad, โ€œI Just Shot John Lennon.โ€ย  She continues singing on the highlight from the bandโ€™s 1996 LP, To the Faithful Departed, โ€œBecause in 1980, he paid the priceโ€ฏ/ John Lennon died, John Lennon died, John Lennon diedโ€ฆโ€ Thereโ€™s fame and then thereโ€™s infamy.โ€ฏ Mark David Chapman, the assassin to musical icon John Lennon, exemplifies infamy.โ€ฏ Oโ€™Riordan imparts the tale of the tragedy, committed at the hand, rather the Smith and Wesson .38 gun of Chapman.โ€ฏ

        โ€œWith a Smith and Wesson .38โ€ฏ
        John Lennonโ€™s life was no longer a debateโ€ฏ
        He should have stayed at homeโ€ฏ
        He should have never caredโ€ฏ
        And the man who took his life declared, he said:โ€ฏ
        โ€˜I Just Shot John Lennon!โ€™โ€ฏย 

        โ€ฆ Oh a sad and sorry and sickening sightโ€ฏ
        It was a sad and sorry and sickening night.โ€โ€ฏ

        โ€œI Just Shot John Lennonโ€ was written by Oโ€™Riordan and Noel Hogan. It was produced by the band with late, Canadian producer, Bruce Fairbairn. It exemplifies a compelling murder ballad.ย ย ย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 


        14. The Smiths, โ€œSuffer Little Childrenโ€ ย 

        The Smiths // Warner Music UK // 1984

        The Smiths, The Smiths [๐Ÿ“ท: Rhino]โ€œBut fresh lilaced moorland fields / Cannot hide the stolid stench of death.โ€ EERIE ๐Ÿ˜ฑ! ๐ŸŽต โ€œSuffer Little Childrenโ€ is the penultimate track from The Smithsโ€™ 1984 self-titled debut. The Smiths were an English band from 80s, led by Morrissey, who later continued his career as a solo artist.โ€ฏ โ€œSuffer Little Childrenโ€ references the infamous child murders (Moors murders) committed by Ian Brady (1938 – 2017) and Myra Hindley (1942 โ€“ 2002). Morrissey mentions the victims of Brady and Hindley by name.โ€ฏ

        โ€œLesley-Anne, with your pretty white beadsโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Oh John, youโ€™ll never be a manโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        And youโ€™ll never see your home againโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Oh Manchester, so much to answer forโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Edward, see those alluring lights?โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Tonight, will be your very last night.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏ โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Creepy. Interestingly, Ian Brady is left out of the name dropping.โ€ฏ Myra Hindley, not so much. Historically, there seems to be greater hatred for Hindley, who, notably, died long before Brady:โ€ฏ โ€œHindley wakes and Hindley saysโ€ฏ/ Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, and says:โ€ฏ/ โ€˜Oh, wherever he has done, I have done.โ€™โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย 


        15. Vicki Lawrence, โ€œThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgiaโ€ย 

        The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia // GME LLC // 1973

        Vicki Lawrence, The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia [๐Ÿ“ท: GME LLC]โ€œWell, he got mad, and he saw red / And Andy said, โ€˜Boy, donโ€™t you lose your head / โ€˜Cause to tell the truth, Iโ€™ve been with her myself.โ€™โ€ Wow ๐Ÿ˜ฎ! It gets much worse on โ€œThe Night the Lights Went out in Georgiaโ€, the opening track from The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia, the 1973 debut album by Vicki Lawrence.โ€ฏ Lawrence is best known for her acting and comedy, particularly on The Carol Burnett Show and Mamaโ€™s Family.โ€ฏ That said, Lawrence reached the Billboard Hot 100 thrice. โ€œThe Night the Lights Went out in Georgiaโ€ was her sole top-40 hit.โ€ฏ How well did that top-40 hit perform? It reached no. 1! Woo-hoo!โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏย โ€ฏย 

        โ€œThatโ€™s the night that the lights went out in Georgia,โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Thatโ€™s the night that they hung an innocent man, uh-huhโ€ฏย 

        Well, donโ€™t trust your soul to no backwoods, southern lawyerโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Cause the judge in the townโ€™s got bloodstains on his hands.โ€โ€ฏย โ€ฏย 

        A murder ballad, โ€œThe Night the Lights Went out in Georgiaโ€ was written by Grammy winnerโ€ฏ Bobby Russell (1940 โ€“ 1992), who was her husband for a brief time.โ€ฏ Originally, the song, which Russell was reluctant about himself, was offered to Cher.โ€ฏ Her husband at the time, Sonny Bono, turned down the song because he believed it would upset her southern fans.โ€ฏ Lawrence would record this dark country tune with producer Snuff Garrett and make it a hit.โ€ฏ So, why exactly did the lights go out in Georgia? Well, an innocent man โ€“ the man who is cheated on, coincidently โ€“ was hung, while the guilty party, his sister (whom Vicki portrays in the song), walks free.โ€ฏ Ainโ€™t that some shit? Itโ€™s a case of the wrong place at the wrong time and a suspect trial, etc.โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        โ€œWell, they hung my brother before I could sayโ€ฏย 

        The tracks he saw while on his wayโ€ฏย 

        To Andyโ€™s house and back that night were mineโ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        And his cheating wife had never left townโ€ฏย 

        And that oneโ€™s body thatโ€™ll never be foundโ€ฏย 

        See, little sister donโ€™t miss when she aims her gun.โ€โ€ฏโ€ฏ

        โ€œThe Night the Lights Went out in Georgiaโ€ is the perfect example that it takes only one great song to carve out a place in music history.โ€ฏ Vicki Lawrence outdid herself on this one.โ€ฏโ€ฏย 

        Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏย 


        15 Chilling Murder Ballads (2024) [๐Ÿ“ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 19 Recordings Limited, Big Loud, Big Loud Rock, Boy Toy Inc., Bruce Springsteen, Columbia, Geffen, GME LLC, Interscope, Island, Mercury, Sony Music Entertainment Inc., Taylor Swift, Warner Music UK; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Monika Grafik from Pixabay; Iluha Zavaley from Unsplash]

         

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        the musical hype

        the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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