13 Songs Filled with the Blues | Playlist 🎧

13 Songs Filled with the Blues features music by Arcade Fire, DMX, Johnny Cash, Parsa Sleighter, and The 5^th Dimension. 

Ihate to be a downer, but the BLUES are in full effect on 13 Songs Filled with the Blues. Sometimes, I am surprised that certain subjects or words haven’t been developed into a musical compendium on The Musical Hype 🤯. Back in 2021, I published Blues: 3BOPS No. 31 (2021) from the defunct miniature playlists.  Of course, there were only three blues songs in that list – what an injustice 🤦‍♂️! 13 Songs Filled with the Blues provides a sampling of 13 songs that feature the word blues in their title. It is NOT a requirement for any of these ‘blues’ songs to be blues songs stylistically.  This list goes against the grain.  It focuses on blues as sadness, not the awesome musical style. 13 Songs Filled with the Blues features music by Arcade Fire, DMX, Johnny Cash, Parsa Sleighter, and The 5^th Dimension. So, without further ado, prepare to get blue as we listen to these amazing blues songs (that aren’t necessarily the genre 😉).

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~ Table of Contents ~ 

1. Parsa Sleighter, “A Playboy’s Blues”

2. The 5^th Dimension, “Wedding Bell Blues”

3. DMX, “Hood Blues” (Ft. Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher & Conway The Machine)

4. Kesha, “Cowboy Blues” 

5. Bring Me The Horizon, “nihilist blues”

6. Sabrina Claudio & The Weeknd, “Christmas Blues” 

7. Mason Ramsey, “Lovesick Blues”

8. Against Me!, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”

9. CeeLo, “CeeLo Green Sings the Blues”

10. Macabre, “Jeffrey Dahmer Blues”

11.Church of Misery, “Red Ripper Blues (Andrei Chikatilo)”

12. Arcade Fire, “(Antichrist Television Blues)” 

13. Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues”

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1. Parsa Sleighter, “A Playboy’s Blues”

“A Playboy’s Blues” // Parsa Sleighter // 2024

“No one talk to me in ‘cause I’m in love.” The extraordinarily fine Parsa Sleighter knows what he’s doing to us with those shirtless pics and gorgeous eyes 🔥 🥵 😮‍💨.  But, the focus is on his musical talent that shines like a beacon on his single, “A Playboy’s Blues”. That said, this song fueled by infatuation is hot 🥵 too.  It’s the music, the voice, and the vibe.  Parsa wrote a bop that is distinct and sounds very Californian. “A Playboy’s Blues” is indulgent (positively), hypnotic, and mesmerizing.  The first time you hear it, beginning with the stellar instrument intro, it sucks you in.  The production is unique sounding amorous, bright, and warm – it’s otherworldly. The sound palette is marvelous – the groove, keys, synths, rich guitar, and robust bass line. Not only does the record give indulgent vibes, but so do the yearning vocals by Parsa. His tone is beautiful and clearly, the love he’s experiencing is impenetrable, at least from his perspective.  “You raise me up, and take me closer towards heaven,” he sings in the second verse, adding, “And when your lips touch mine / It makes me feel like a kid again.” Damn 😮‍💨. His honesty and memorable melodies are a big selling point.  The section to beat is the chorus (arguably, you can label it otherwise) where there is a change of feel compared to the verses. The guitar riffs rachet up while chilling vocal harmonies complement Sleighter’s lead.

“He’s backwoods on fire and I’m in love

Dancing on the patio

Now his shirt is off

Moving his hips and his hands are up

He whispers in my ear, and it sounds like a song

Swaying to the beat under the moon above

No one talk to me ‘cause I’m in love.”

Relatable… at least, the fantasy of it, sigh. “A Playboy’s Blues” is a song that becomes even more special with successive listens.  It’s magical initially but unveils more excellence as the ears pick up on all the musical brilliance Parsa Sleighter puts in.  A beautiful song from a beautiful man 🤭.

Appears in 🔻:

• Parsa Sleighter, A Playboy’s Blues: Beaming with Pride 🏳️‍🌈 39 (2024) 

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2. The 5^th Dimension, “Wedding Bell Blues”

The Age of Aquarius // Sony Music Entertainment // 1969 

“Bill, I love you so, I always will / I look at you and see the passion eyes of May.” Was Marilyn McCoo singing to her future husband, Billy Davis Jr. on “Wedding Bell Blues”? Yes. Both members of the iconic, eclectic soul collective were engaged when the song was released.  But, this beloved The 5^th Dimension classic is a cover 🤯.  “Wedding Bell Blues” was written and originally performed by the late Laura Nyro (1947 – 1997). Nyro, a fantastic songwriter, provided the Grammy-winning soul collective with several songs with “Wedding Bell Blues” earning top honors.  ‘Bill’ was the potential groom addressed in her original. Still, Marilyn addressing her eventual husband (they married the same year) is an irresistibly sweet storyline. The fourth track from the collective’s 1969 album, The Age of Aquarius, earned them their second no. 1 hit following their ‘ace-in-the-hole,’ “Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)”.

The songwriting is marvelous.  Laura Nyro was ‘the stuff,’ and, rightfully, posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Oh, but am I ever gonna see my wedding day?” McCoo asks, adding, “I’d never scheme or lie, Bill, there’s been no fooling / But kisses and love won’t carry me till you marry me, Bill.” Bill had to marry Marilyn – it was inevitable! Notably, Davis Jr. and McCoo would have success as a duo post-5^th Dimension.  Besides urging Bill to “take those wedding vows,” the musicianship of “Wedding Bell Blues” shines. It’s groovy and ‘sunny’ from the get-go.  The piano is crucial to the accompaniment.  Additionally, sweet orchestration ups the ante – soaring strings, bright, biting horns, and mallets. The lead vocals are authentic, commanding, fun, and playful.  The 5^th Dimensions backing vocals are assertive – a fabulous response to the lead. With tuneful melodies and encouraging matrimony (“Oh, come on Bill” and “Come on and marry me, Bill / I got the wedding bell blues”), “Wedding Bell Blues” was an inevitable chart-topper on the pop charts.

Appears in 🔻:

• The 5^th Dimension, Wedding Bell Blues: Covers No. 29 (2024)

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3. DMX, “Hood Blues” (Ft. Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher & Conway The Machine)

Exodus // Def Jam // 2021 

The world lost a musical icon in 2021 with the passing of gruff-voiced, East Coast rapper DMX on April 9, 2021.  Simmons was ‘rough around the edges,’ but the sheer talent and influence he brought to the game, as well as his tremendous faith, is undeniable.  He’s on fire on the song “Hood Blues,” a highlight from his 2021 posthumous album, Exodus, named after his youngest son. The production is marvelous, a product of Avenue Beatz and Swizz Beatz.  Creating the jazzy backdrop is a sample of “Shady Blues” (Lee Mason).   Of course, beyond the picturesque production, the highlight is the performers. Westside Gunn shines on the first verse, asserting, “Pray five times a day, get on the wave, nigga.” Benny the Butcher follows on the second, with several clever lines. Conway the Machine gets to work on the third, quoting Nas: “‘Cause Nas said a G at night wasn’t good enough, and he was right.” Finally, the ‘man of the hour’ arrives to close things out on the fourth, asserting, “I done Punk’d more niggas than Ashton Kutcher (C’mon, c’mon).” Woo!  He also memorably states in the outro, “I’m not fifty years old for nothing.” 

Appears in 🔻:

• Blues: 3BOPS No. 31 (2021)
• 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)
• Neighborhood: 5ive Songs No. 48 (2021)
• 13 Incredible Neighbor / Neighborhood Songs (2021)
• Best Songs of 2021: Honorable Mentions

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4. Kesha, “Cowboy Blues” 

High Road // Kemosabe // 2020 

“Sing it with me, you shithead…” Yep, only Kesha would introduce a song in that manner, LOL. “Cowboy Blues” marks one of many ‘changes of pace’ that take place throughout High Road, the fourth studio album by the Grammy-nominated pop artist.  How so? Well, “Cowboy Blues” finds Sebert dipping into country and folk-pop.  She penned “Cowboy Blues” with Drew Pearson, Eric Leva, and Stephen Wrabel. “I can’t help that I’m in bed with my three cats / I’m still obsessed with some boy,” Kesha sings, continuing, “I shot whiskey with for one night / And I don’t remember if he remembers me / While I sit here thinking about him.”  Yep, that’s the blues. A four-minute, ukulele-accompanied number wasn’t expected from Kesha, but it was successful! Of course, she gets her ‘bomb in:   

“Did I fuck my whole life up?  

Did I miss my one true love?  

Was he right in front of me at the dive bar? 

Was that you with the cowboy blues?  

You ask me, ‘Babe, take a chance, come on, just stay’ 

Why’d I leave you standing there at the dive bar?  

I miss you with the cowboy blue suit.”  

Appears in 🔻:

• 10 Alluring Songs That Reference Cowboys (2020)

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5. Bring Me The Horizon, “nihilist blues” (Ft. Grimes)

amo // Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited // 2019 

“Paradise is in my soul, and I’m terrified I can’t get out / I’m lost in a labyrinth, we are lost in a labyrinth / Please, don’t follow.” Word. Bring Me The Horizon kicked ass and took names on their sixth studio album, amo. “Nihilist blues,” the third track, continued the momentum of the Grammy-nominated rock album. For some context, Merriam-Webster defines Nihilism as a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless, and a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and especially of moral truths. In a track-by-track video with NME, Oli Sykes describes “nihilist blues” as his favorite song, praising the guest appearance by the ever-unique Grimes. The second-longest record of amo, it’s also among the most elite and most distinct.  Sykes oscillates between grittier chest-fueled vocals and his lighter, more pop-oriented falsetto. “I’ve been climbing up the walls to escape the sinking feeling,” he sings in the first verse, adding, “But I can’t hide from the nihilist at my door.” Grimes serves up light vocals, which contrast the driving, dynamic, and rhythmic backdrop accompanying her.  In the second verse, she sings, “Isolation neophyte, too afraid to taste your conscience / You march in the dark, little lamb to the slaughter.” Ultimately, the five-and-a-half-minute cut drips in its eclecticism – elements of minimalist electronica fused with rock and pop, not to mention a smidgen of eccentricity. 

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6. Sabrina Claudio & The Weeknd, “Christmas Blues” 

Christmas Blues // SC Entertainment / Atlantic // 2020

According to Sabrina Claudio, “If I didn’t have you / When the snow is fallin’ / On that winter mornin’ / I’d have Christmas Blues.” I agree with Claudio on that one.  Being lonely sucks, particularly on Christmas.  Luckily, on the smooth, expressive, and sultry “Christmas Blues,” which appears on her 2020 Christmas EP, Christmas Blues, she doesn’t end up having that problem.  Sweetening the deal on this holiday original is featured guest, The Weeknd.  In the first verse, Sabrina makes it clear that following “a long year / The toughest of my life so far /…What I want under the tree” is “just you with me.” Similarly, in the second verse, The Weeknd “don’t want mistletoes” but wishes for “you and me.” This is a gorgeous duet, one in which the vocal chemistry between the two is lit.  Furthermore, it’s well produced, courtesy of Kaveh Rastegar, NASRI, and Sad Money. Nothing to be blue about listening to “Christmas Blues” that’s for sure!  

Appears in 🔻:

• 15 Absolutely Terrific, Merry Christmas Songs (2020)

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7. Mason Ramsey, “Lovesick Blues”

Famous (EP) //  Big Loud / Atlantic // 2018

“I got a feeling called the blues, oh Lord / Since my baby said goodbye / Lord, I don’t know what I’ll do / All I do is sit and sigh, oh Lord.” Ooh-wee! One viral video of the yodeling Wal-Mart kid, 11-year-old Mason Ramsey, translated into a record deal with Atlantic (Big Loud). Following the release of his post-yodeling, debut country single “Famous”, Ramsey returned to his roots, delivering a studio version of the Hank Williams classic that made him famous, “Lovesick Blues”.  This sick, tongue-in-cheek classic offered a lucrative lane for the young country singer that’s worth exploring.  An extremely talented kid with a great voice, his boyish pipes ‘pop’ in this tried-and-true classic. The only thing that’s sickening about this is how awesome he sounds!  “Lovesick Blues” appeared on his 2018 EP, Famous (EP) in 2018.  

Appears in 🔻:

• Lovesick 😍 💘 I… 5ive Songs No. 15 (2020)
• 10 Utterly Lovesick 😍 💘 Songs (2020) 

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8. Against Me!, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”

Transgender Dysphoria Blues // Total Treble // 2014 

“You want them to see you / Like they see every other girl / They just see a faggot / They hold their breath not to catch the sick.” That is a personal, powerful set of lyrics Laura Jane Grace sings in the pre-chorus of “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”. In those lyrics, Grace paints a portrait of how she’s viewed as a transgender woman.  Often, when people don’t agree or understand something, they are quick to cry foul and condemn it which is unfortunate.  Notably, the frontwoman of Against Me! came out publicly as trans in 2012.  Transgender Dysphoria Blues, released in 2014, marked her first album as Laura Jane Grace.  The title track, as well as other songs, capture her experience. 

“Rough surf on the coast

I wish I could have spent the whole day alone

Rough surf on the coast

I wish I could have spent the whole day alone with you.”

The keyword is alone, and it seems to capture the isolation and the desire to be left alone – not abused, bullied, or criticized because she’s trans. “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” commences the album energetically. Grace delivers blunt lyrics.  This is her account regarding being transgender.  Her brutal honesty pays off. For us unfamiliar with the trans experience, she has us imagine taking a walk in her shoes. “Your tells are so obvious / shoulders too broad for a girl,” she sings in the first verse. In the second, she adds, “You’ve got no cunt in your strut / You’ve got no hips to shake / And you know it’s obvious / But we can’t choose how we’re made.” A heavy listening, perhaps a trigger from some, Laura Jane Grace does a masterful job on “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” of expressing her feelings and speaking her truth.  A decade later, this song and album are as powerful as ever.

Appears in 🔻:

• Against Me!, Transgender Dysphoria Blues: Beaming with Pride 🏳️‍🌈 40 (2024)

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9. CeeLo, “CeeLo Green Sings the Blues”

Heart Blanche // Atlantic // 2015 

“Hello, my name Is CeeLo Green, and I’ve got the blues / Cause don’t nobody love me no more / Maybe just a little bit more than you did yesterday / But not like you loved my before…” “CeeLo Green Sings the Blues” marks the most moving performance from Heart Blanche, the 2015 album by Grammy-winning R&B singer, CeeLo Green.  Why is “CeeLo Green Sings the Blue” so accomplished? Well, it’s because it is something of an apology from Green, who has made his share of mistakes, namely being embroiled in controversy with ‘highly irresponsible’ rape tweets.  The perfect way to get canceled! Green is incredibly talented, but talent alone doesn’t atone for mistakes, period. “CeeLo Green Sings the Blues” proved not to be near enough to revive the idiosyncratic musician to his full glory.  A line like “My heart is filled with unconditional love / How could anyone hate me?” doesn’t necessarily play out favorably in everyone’s eyes because it seems, um, defensive. Still, from a critical standpoint, the record, to some extent, shows his willingness to attempt to redeem himself, as well as remind us of his remarkable musicianship.  That vocal grit – awesomeness exemplified!

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 More Songs That Feature Names in Their Titles (2020)
• 15 Songs Featuring Music Genres in Their Title (2021)
• Blues: 3BOPS No. 31 (2021)

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10. Macabre, “Jeffrey Dahmer Blues”

Dahmer // Nuclear Blast // 2000 

Macabre has been “delivering quality murderous music since 1985,” according to their website. Rock TF on 🤘! On The Musical Hype, in the past, I covered an extensive amount of true crime-inspired songs. Serial killers, mass murderers, and cult leaders. Notorious, gay serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer earned two playlists: An Eerie Soundtrack to Jeffrey Dahmer (2017), and its updated version, Infernal Songs That Capture the Horrors of Jeffrey Dahmer (2019). Macabre appeared on those lists though “Jeffrey Dahmer Blues” missed the cut.  It’s understandable because not every song from Macabre’s 2000 album, Dahmer, could be included in the playlist. However, “Jeffrey Dahmer’s Blues” is a glaring omission listening to it.  

“I got the Jeffrey Dahmer blues / It’s front-page news.” Yikes 😳 ! Fittingly, Macabre embraces a blues style – in a hard-rocking, metal sort of way. The music sounds mean, while the lyrics are even meaner.  The blues that the victim is elaborated on in the verses.  “He took me home and drugged me / So I couldn’t put up a fight,” the victim sings in the first verse.  In the second, he adds, “He’s drilling my head / I wish I was dead / Instead I’m a zombie / Laying in Jeffrey’s bed.” What more can you say? Jeffrey Dahmer was horrible and preyed primarily on men of color and of ‘lesser status’. Throw in the views of homosexuality at the time, particularly by police, and Dahmer was able to get away with his evil for far too long. “Jeffrey Dahmer Blues” only captures a smidgen of the hellishness.

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11. Church of Misery, “Red Ripper Blues (Andrei Chikatilo)” 

The Second Coming // Rise Above // 2004 

How about another blues inspired by a serial killer? ‘The Red Ripper’ was one of the nicknames for serial killer Andrei Chikatilo.  Japanese death metal collective, Church of Misery, renowned for their infernal soundtracks to the scum of society, used that nickname as the title of a song about him. “Red Ripper Blues” hence, appears as the third track on their 2004 album, The Second Coming. Given the hellishness of Chikatilo, it should come as no surprise that “Red Ripper Blues” runs long – seven minutes long! Fittingly, the guitars (Takenori Hoshi) roar, and are indeed bluesy.  An active bass line (Tatsu Mikami) and heavy-handed drums (Junji Narita) anchor this most disturbed, bluesy metal joint down, with aggressive, raw vocals by Hideki Fukasawa serving as the cherry on top.  Written/transcribed lyrics are hard to come by on “Red Ripper Blues,” but the music and the attitude exhibited by Hideki Fukasawa speak for themselves, and of course, the Rostov Ripper.  

 

Appears in 🔻:

• 10 Disturbing Songs Referencing the Rostov Ripper (2021)

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12. Arcade Fire, “(Antichrist Television Blues)” 

Neon Bible // Sony // 2007  

“Dear God, I’m a good Christian man…” Hmm, and hence, an early sign of trouble in “(Antichrist Television Blues),” one of the gems from Neon Bible, the 2007 LP by Arcade Fire. “My girl’s 13 but she don’t act her age / She can sing like a bird in a cage / Oh Lord if you could see her when she’s up on that stage!” Hmm, sounds sus, sus, SUS! The Grammy-winning alternative band highlights a different sort of Antichrist on “(Antichrist Television Blues).” Here, a father is portrayed as an utterly flawed, despicable human being who’s sexually exploiting his daughter for money. In her review of the Neon Bible on PopMatters, regarding “(Antichrist Television Blues),” Adrien Begrand asserts “the parallels to Baptist minister-turned-teen pop svengali Joe Simpson glaringly obvious.” In the fourth verse, Win Butler sings, “But I just gotta know if it’s part of your plan / To seat my daughters there by your right hand?” The emphasis on men and age is particularly troubling: “I need you to get up for me, up on that stage / And show the men that you’re old for your age.” What a disgusting, horrible father! Then, at the end of the song, he has the nerve to ask God the following:   

“I’m through being cute, I’m through being nice 

Oh, tell me, Lord, am I the Antichrist?”  

Damn right, you’re the Antichrist!   

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Disturbing Songs About the Antichrist (2018)

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13. Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues”

At Folsom Prison // Sony Entertainment // 1968 

“I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on / but that train keeps a-rollin’ on down to San Antone.” One of the most iconic musicians of all time was none other than the late, great Johnny Cash.  One of his greatest songs of all time was “Folsom Prison Blues.” The key recording of “Folsom Prison Blues” appears on an iconic live album, At Folsom Prison, released in 1968.  This particular record masterfully encompasses country, specifically outlaw country, and rock, and references the blues. “Folsom Prison Blues” fittingly commences the live album, capturing a narrative of how the protagonist ends up in prison.  Was Johnny Cash incarcerated in Folsom Prison? No, but his imaginative narrative is incredible – #ICONIC! The second verse might be my favorite:

“When I was just a baby, my mama told me, ‘Son
Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’
But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die
When I heard that whistle blowing, I hang my head and cry.”

Of course, he couldn’t get away with murder… well, it happens, but it shouldn’t.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Totally Locked Up, Prison Songs (2021)
• Blues: 3BOPS No. 31 (2021) 

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13 Songs Filled with the Blues (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic,  Big Loud, Def Jam, Kemosabe, Nuclear Blast, Parsa Sleighter, Rise Above, SC Entertainment, Sony Entertainment, Total Treble; cottonbro studio, Timur Weber from Pexels]

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