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, โKill Billโ ย
SOS / โKill Bill (Remix)โ // Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA // 2023โฏโฏโฏย
โI might kill my ex, not the best idea,โ Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter SZA (Solana Rowe) asserts on โKill Billโ,โฏone of the best songs from her critically acclaimed sophomore LP, SOS.โฏ In the record, she sings gorgeously despite being pissed off.โฏ In the first verse of the original, she asserts, โIโm 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 Iโm not the one drivinโ.โ Like the Quentin Tarantino films sheโฏreferences, sheโs angry at her ex, eventually confirming she kills him and his new girlfriend.โฏโฏโฏย
Ultimately, her love pain, and violence, is our listening pleasure, accentuated even more on โKill Bill (Remix)โ featuring fellow Grammy winner, Doja Cat.โฏ Doja appears at the beginning of the remix, replacing the original verse by SZA.โฏ It is colorful, painting a violent picture, because of her ex-boyfriend being a dick.โฏ 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.โฏ Memorably, she closes the verse with a bang: โYโall crisscrossed, saw her fall to the floor / Then you paused there in horror, that shot wasnโt for her.โโฏ From there, we get the rest of the original โKill Bill,โ beginning with the unforgettable, ex-killing chorus, and second verse by SZA (โI try to ration with you, no murders, no crime of passion / But, damn, you was out of reachโ). โKill Billโ is a stellar track.
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Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏย
- Awesome Songs: April 2023โฏโฏย
- Best Songs of 2023 (So Far)โฏ
- 13 Compelling Songs About Specific People (2023)โฏโฏ
- 15 ElectrifyingโฏSongs That Utterly KILL It (2023)โฏ
- 51 Best Songs of 2023ย
2. Bruce Springsteen, โNebraskaโย
Nebraska // Bruce Springsteen // 1982ย
One of the most notable albums in the Bruce Springsteen discography is Nebraska, released in 1982.โฏ As Ian Couch writes for The New Yorker in article โThe Original Wrecking Ball: Bruce Springsteenโs โNebraskaโโ, it was unique, thanks to its share of dark material being told from a first-person perspective.โฏโNebraska,โ the title track, tackles 19-year-old spree killer, Charles Starkweather, who murdered 11 people.
โI saw her standing on her front lawn just twirling her batonโฏย
Me and her went for a ride, sir, and ten innocent people diedโฏย
From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska, with a sawed-off .410 on my lapโฏโฏย
Through to the badlands of Wyoming I killed everything in my path.โโฏโฏโฏย
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.โฏโThe jury brought in a guilty verdict and the judge he sentenced me to death,โ Springsteen sings, continuing, โMidnight in a prison storeroom with leather straps across my chest.โโฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:ย ย
- Songs About Mass Murderers, Vol. 1 (2017)โฏ
- 50 Songs About the 50 States (2018)โฏย
- 33 Great, If Disturbing Songs About Serial Killers (2018)โฏย
- An Unorthodox Soundtrack to the United States (2020)โฏย
- The Midwest Region: Deconstructed (2020)โฏย
- Mass Murder Songs: A Disturbing Compendium (2021)โฏย
3. Taylor Swift, โno body, no crimeโ (Ft. HAIM)โฏย
evermore // Taylor Swift // 2020
โHe 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, โno body, no crime.โ โNo body, no crimeโ has a strong case as the very best record of Swiftโs second surprise album of 2020, evermore. All parties feel totally locked in โ totally in their element.โฏ From the jump, with HAIMโs assertion, โHe did it,โ โNo body, no crimeโ feels totally elite.โฏ Swift confirms the elite nature of this minor-key, criminal cut in the first verse (โHer husbandโs actinโ different, and it smells like infidelityโ).โฏThe centerpiece of โNo body, no crimeโ is the chorus.โฏ Here, Swift and HAIM masterfully join forces:โฏ
โShe says, โI think he did it, but I just canโt prove itโโฏย
I think he did it, but I just canโt prove itโฏย
โฆ No, no body, no crimeโฏย
But I ainโt lettinโ up until the day I die.โโฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏย
4. The Killers, โJenny Was a Friend of Mineโ ย
Hot Fuss // Island // 2004
โJenny Was a Friend of Mineโ hails from The Killersโ fabulous 2004 debut album, Hot Fuss.โฏ Hot Fuss ranks among the best alternative albums of the 00s.โฏ Perhaps โMr. Brightsideโ and โSomebody Told Meโ gets the most love, but โJenny Was a Friend of Mineโ is awesome too! Also, the backstory โ something else!โฏโฏย
A name you need to know: Robert Chambers.โฏ Who? Well, Mr. Chambers was a deplorable individual โ a murderer.โฏChambers killed an 18-year-old girl named Jennifer Levin.โฏ The Killersโ song, โJenny 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:โฏโฏย
โTell me what you wanna knowโฏย
Oh, come on, oh, come on, oh, come onโฏย
There ainโt no motive for this crimeโฏย
Jenny was a friend of mineโฆโโฏโฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:ย ย
5. Carrie Underwood, โTwo Black Cadillacsโ ย
Blown Away // 19 Recordings Limited / Sony // 2012
โAnd 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 didnโt bother to cryโฆโ Grammy-winning country singer Carrie Underwood is at her best when sheโs able to exhibit โthat attitude.โ โTwo Black Cadillacsโ ranks among the crรจme de la crรจme of her catalog.โฏ The narrative-driven number appears as the third track on her fourth studio album, Blown Away (2012).โฏFrom the onset, โTwo 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 itโs understated. The narrative ofย is superb with Underwood setting things up perfectly the first verse:โฏโTwo black Cadillacs driving in a slow parade…โฏ/ One is for his wifeโฏ/ The other for the woman who loved him at nightโฏ/ Two black Cadillacs meeting for the first time.โโฏโฏย
Later, the second verse expounds upon what went down โ โHis wife called the number on his phone / Turns out heโd been lying to the both of them for oh so longโฆโ Of course, in the bridge, itโs clear the women secretly conspired, โShared 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:โฏโ…Yeah, they took turns laying a rose downโฏ/ Threw a handful of dirt into the deep groundโฏ/ Heโs not the only one who had a secret to hideโฏ/ Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye.โโฏโฏย
โฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏย
- 11 Incredibly Intriguing, Totally Black Songs (2019)โฏโฏย
- 10 Absolutely Alluring Songs About Cars (2020)โฏโฏย
- Elements of Art, Illustrated Via Song (2020)โฏโฏย
- 13 Songs Where the Focus is TWO (2021)โฏย
6. Aerosmith, โJanieโs Got a Gunโย
Pump // Geffen // 1989ย
โNow that Janieโs got a gun / She ainโt never gonna be the same.โ What a statement Steven Tyler and Aerosmith make on โJanieโs Got a Gunโ.ย โJanieโs Got a Gunโ appears as the fifth track on the bandโs 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. โJanieโs 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 โJanieโs Got a Gunโ does sound bright โ the content is dark! What isnโt 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 โJanieโs Got a Gunโ the โsugar honey iced tea.โ โThey say when Janie was arrested / They found him underneath the train,โ Tyler sings in the second verse. He adds, โBut man, he had it cominโ / Now that Janieโs got a gun / She ainโt never gonna be the same.โย So, how and why did he have it cominโ? Well, her daddy โJacked 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: โShe had to take him down easy / And put a bullet in his brain / She said, โcause nobody believe me / The man was such a sleaze / He ainโt never gonna be the same.โย Facts โ heโs dead! โJanieโs 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 ๐ป:ย ย
7. HARDY, โwait in the truckโ (Ft. Lainey Wilson) ย
the mockingbird & THE CROW // Big Loud / Big Loud Rock // 2023โฏโฏย
HARDY andโฏLainey Wilsonโฏmake sweet music together on โwait in the truck,โโฏone of the best songs from HARDYโs 2023 double album, the mockingbird & THE CROW. โฏThe twang is elevated to the nthโฏdegree. โฏAlso elevated is the songwriting. โWell, 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, โShe didnโt tell me the whole truth, but she didnโt have to / I knew what happened to her.โ There is abuse at the hands of another man in play,โฏsomething that Wilson sings about in the chorus. โฏCharacterizing HARDY (or his character, rather) as an angel, she asserts, โHe 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 seatโฆโ Intriguing that an angel with aโฏpieceโฏ(aka gun) can be hellishโฆ hence why โwait in the truckโ graces this weapon-fueled musical compendium!โฏ The choir is a phenomenal addition to โwait in the truck,โ adding some gospel vibes as both HARDY and Lainey state, โHave mercy on me.โโฏ
ย
Appears in ๐ป:ย ย
8. Eminem, โStanโ (Ft. Dido)ย
The Marshall Mathers LP // Interscope // 2000
Controversy and Academy and Grammy award-winning rapper Eminem (Marshall Mathers) are synonymous.โฏHis approach is edgy, pushing the envelope over the mountain, essentially. Among his many controversial songs is โStanโ from his legendary 2000 album, The Marshall Mathers LP.โฏ The song and subject matter created a brand-new word, stan (an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan). Stanley, the โstanโ from the song, exemplifies the dangerous, over-devoted fan. Three out of four verses find Em rapping from Stanโs perspective.โฏ 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.โฏ Stan writes a letter to Eminem, hoping heโll respond back to him. Notably, he mentions his pregnant girlfriend, with whom he has a suspect relationship with. By the second verse, Stan still hasnโt received a response and becomes more upset, taken with the rapper in a fanatical sense.โฏ By the third, the most memorable from Stanโs perspective, things have gone totally off-the-rail.โฏ Heโs angry with Eminem, addressing him as โDear Mr. Iโm-Too-Good-to-Call-or-Write-My-Fans,โ and asserting, โThisโll be the last package I ever send your ass.โ He goes on to depict risky behavior, including โDoinโ 90 on the freewayโ and โdrinking a fifth of vodka.โโฏ Expectedly, things donโt end well for Stan.โฏ Eminem finally responds on the fourth and final verse, rapping as himself for the first time.โฏ He encourages Stan to get help, but realizes by the end, Stan is dead.โฏโฏโฏย
So, where does the controversy come in?โฏ In the fourth verse, Eminem came off as homophobic to some, namely GLAAD:โฏโAnd whatโs this shit about us meant to be togetherโฏ/ That type of shitโll make me not want us to meet each other.โโฏWithout 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.โฏ Furthermore, given Mathersโ explicitness throughout his career, would it be far-fetched if he went to take a jab at the LGBTQ ๐ณ๏ธโ๐ here? Nope, because GLAAD wasnโt merely mad at him about โStan.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 heโs unstable. Of course, Elton John, an openly gay musical icon, who performed โStanโ with the rapper live, had no issues with the lyrics.โฏโฏThe music video for โStanโ is disturbing too (the Eminem shrine alone).โฏ A creepy Devon Sawa and Dido are the actors in this tale where Sawa goes off the deep end obsessed with Eminem.โฏ Didoโs 1999 song, โThank Youโ is sampled.โฏ It ends up being the perfect match for this record.โฏโฏโฏย
โMy teaโs gone cold, I’m wondering why Iโฏโฏย
Got out of bed at allโฏโฏย
The morning rain clouds up my windowโฏโฏย
And I can’t see at allโฏโฏย
And even if I could it’d all be grayโฏโฏย
But your picture on my wallโฏโฏย
It reminds me that it’s not so bad, it’s not so bad.โโฏโฏย
All told, a book could be written regarding โStanโ, one of the best songs of the Eminem catalog.โฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏย
- Eminem, Stan: Controversial Tunes ๐๐ถ No. 7 (2022)โฏย
- 13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 2 (2023)
9. Madonna, โGang Bangโย
MDNA // Boy Toy, Inc.ย // 2012ย
โI thought it was you, and I loved you the most / But I was just keeping my enemies close.โ Word!ย โGang 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 โGang 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 (โBang, 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 โGang Bangโ are hellish, embracing the murder ballad through and through. The chorus is dark yet infectious with Madge singing, โBang 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 โGang Bangโ not named the chorus is the bridge:ย
โAnd Iโm going straight to hellย
And I got a lot of friends thereย
And if I see that bitch in hellย ย
Iโm gonna shoot him in the head againย ย
โCause 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!โย
Madonna is one of a kind โ an understatement.ย No, MDNA isnโt her most memorable album, especially considering her output early on in her career, but โGang Bangโ is a surefire winner.ย ย
Appears in ๐ป:ย ย
10. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Deidre Goodwin, Denise Faye, Ekaterina Chtchelkanova, Mya Harrison & Taye Diggs, โCell Block Tangoโย
Chicago (Music from the Miramax Motion Picture) // Sony Music Entertainment Inc. // 2002ย
โPop / Six / Squish / Uh-uh / Cicero / Lipschitz.โ And so, begins one of the best musical numbers of them all, โCell 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: โAnd 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
โHe 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: โSo, I took the shotgun off the wall, and I fired two warning shotsโฆ into his head.โ Damn! Annie (Denise Faye) found out Ezekiel wasnโt single: โHe had six wives.ย One of those Mormonsโฆ 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.โย It doesnโt stop there.ย Juneโs (Deidre Goodwin) husband ran into her knife. Katalin Helinszki nicknamed Hunyak (Ekaterina Chtchelkanova) is innocent, but they didnโt 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, โHe saw himself as aliveโฆ and I saw him dead.โ โCell Block Tangoโ is, and will forever be, one of the great tour de forces from a musical. #ICONIC!ย
ย Appears in ๐ป:ย ย
11. The Chicks, โGoodbye Earlโย
Fly // Columbia // 1999โฏ
โEarl 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, letโs controversially consult โthe good bookโ for context in the controversial The Chicks classic, โGoodbye 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.โฏ 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.โฏโฏโฏย
To be fair, The Chicks did NOT write the song or originally perform it.โฏ 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)! โYouโre feeling weak / Why donโt you lay down and sleep, Earl,โ Maines continues singing in the chorus, adding, โAinโt 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 โWalked 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.โฏ Naturally, the message of โGoodbye Earlโ is mixed, hence why it aroused the controversy it did.โฏ 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.โฏ That said, it is still disturbing that โIt turns out he [Earl] was a missing person / Who nobody missed at all.โโฏโฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏย
- The Chicks, Goodbye Earl: Controversial Tunes ๐๐ถ No. 23 (2022)โฏย
- 13 Unapologetic, Controversial Tunes, Vol. 3 (2023)ย
12. Boomtown Rats, โI Donโt Like Mondaysโย
The Fine Art of Surfacing // Mercury // 1979
โTell me why / I donโt like Mondays / I wanna shoot the whole day down.โ Mondays tend to be an unpopular day, but in the case of โI Donโt Like Mondaysโ, the hatred is far more pronounced.โฏ 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 didnโt like Mondays, killed two adults and injured eight children with a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle at the elementary across from her house ๐ข.โฏA 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, โI Donโt 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.โฏย
โThe silicon chip inside her head / Gets switched to overload / And nobodyโs gonna go to school today / Sheโs gonna make them stay at home.โ Those lyrics, from the first verse of โI Donโt Like Mondaysโ, โฏcapture an unhinged person, in this case, a delusional mass murderer. In the first verse, Bob Geldof captures the shock of Brendaโs father, asserting, โAnd daddy doesnโt 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 didnโt see any signs, hence why โAnd mother feels so shocked, fatherโs world is rockedโ (verse two).โฏ The third verse is incredibly disturbing:โฏโฏโฏโฏย
โAnd all the playingโs stopped in the playground nowโฏโฏย
She wants to play with the toys a whileโฏโฏย
And schoolโs out early and soon weโll be learningโฏโฏย
And the lesson is how to die.โโฏโฏโฏโฏย
Morbid, morbid, morbid. Beyond the songwriting, โI Donโt Like Mondaysโ is incredibly ear catching, thanks to its art pop/New Wave sound.โฏ The piano and keyboard work is brilliant by Johnny Fingers.โฏ Furthermore, the backing vocals only accentuate Geldofโs fabulous lead.โฏ Also, shout out the marvelous strings/string arrangement.โฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏโฏย
- 12 More Songs About Mass Murderers (Vol. 3) (2018)โฏโฏย
- 15 Songs for the Days of the Week (2018)โฏโฏย
- 13 Unsettling Songs About Female Murderers (2019)โฏโฏย
- The Boomtown Rats, I Donโt Like Mondays: 1 Hit WONDERful ๐๐๐ No. 5 (2023)โฏโฏย
- 13 Songs Courtesy of Musicians from Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช (2023)โฏย
13. The Cranberries, โI Just Shot John Lennonโโฏย
To the Faithful Departed // Island // 1996
โIt was the fearful night of December 8thโฏ/ He was returning home from the studio lateโฏ/ He had perceptively known that it wouldnโt be nice,โ The Cranberriesโ late, dynamic front woman, Dolores OโRiordan sings on the murder ballad, โI Just Shot John Lennon.โย She continues singing on the highlight from the bandโs 1996 LP, To the Faithful Departed, โBecause in 1980, he paid the priceโฏ/ John Lennon died, John Lennon died, John Lennon diedโฆโ Thereโs fame and then thereโs infamy.โฏ Mark David Chapman, the assassin to musical icon John Lennon, exemplifies infamy.โฏ OโRiordan imparts the tale of the tragedy, committed at the hand, rather the Smith and Wesson .38 gun of Chapman.โฏ
โWith a Smith and Wesson .38โฏ
John Lennonโs life was no longer a debateโฏ
He should have stayed at homeโฏ
He should have never caredโฏ
And the man who took his life declared, he said:โฏ
โI Just Shot John Lennon!โโฏยโฆ Oh a sad and sorry and sickening sightโฏ
It was a sad and sorry and sickening night.โโฏ
โI Just Shot John Lennonโ was written by OโRiordan 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 ๐ป:ย ย
14. The Smiths, โSuffer Little Childrenโ ย
The Smiths // Warner Music UK // 1984
โBut fresh lilaced moorland fields / Cannot hide the stolid stench of death.โ EERIE ๐ฑ! ๐ต โSuffer 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.โฏ โSuffer 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.โฏ
โLesley-Anne, with your pretty white beadsโฏโฏโฏย
Oh John, youโll never be a manโฏโฏโฏโฏย
And youโll never see your home againโฏโฏโฏย
Oh Manchester, so much to answer forโฏโฏโฏย
Edward, see those alluring lights?โฏโฏโฏย
Tonight, will be your very last night.โโฏโฏโฏโฏ โฏโฏโฏย
Creepy. Interestingly, Ian Brady is left out of the name dropping.โฏ Myra Hindley, not so much. Historically, there seems to be greater hatred for Hindley, who, notably, died long before Brady:โฏ โHindley wakes and Hindley saysโฏ/ Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, and says:โฏ/ โOh, wherever he has done, I have done.โโโฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏโฏย
- Songs That Reference Ian Brady & Myra Hindley (2019)โฏโฏย
- Mourning ๐ญ: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 46 (2023)โฏย
- 13 Songs Filled with Grief, Mourning & Remembrance (2023)โฏย
15. Vicki Lawrence, โThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgiaโย
The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia // GME LLC // 1973
โWell, he got mad, and he saw red / And Andy said, โBoy, donโt you lose your head / โCause to tell the truth, Iโve been with her myself.โโ Wow ๐ฎ! It gets much worse on โThe 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.โฏ Lawrence is best known for her acting and comedy, particularly on The Carol Burnett Show and Mamaโs Family.โฏ That said, Lawrence reached the Billboard Hot 100 thrice. โThe Night the Lights Went out in Georgiaโ was her sole top-40 hit.โฏ How well did that top-40 hit perform? It reached no. 1! Woo-hoo!โฏโฏโฏย โฏย
โThatโs the night that the lights went out in Georgia,โฏโฏย
Thatโs the night that they hung an innocent man, uh-huhโฏย
Well, donโt trust your soul to no backwoods, southern lawyerโฏโฏย
Cause the judge in the townโs got bloodstains on his hands.โโฏย โฏย
A murder ballad, โThe Night the Lights Went out in Georgiaโ was written by Grammy winnerโฏ Bobby Russell (1940 โ 1992), who was her husband for a brief time.โฏ Originally, the song, which Russell was reluctant about himself, was offered to Cher.โฏ Her husband at the time, Sonny Bono, turned down the song because he believed it would upset her southern fans.โฏ Lawrence would record this dark country tune with producer Snuff Garrett and make it a hit.โฏ 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.โฏ Ainโt that some shit? Itโs a case of the wrong place at the wrong time and a suspect trial, etc.โฏโฏย
โWell, they hung my brother before I could sayโฏย
The tracks he saw while on his wayโฏย
To Andyโs house and back that night were mineโฏโฏย
And his cheating wife had never left townโฏย
And that oneโs body thatโll never be foundโฏย
See, little sister donโt miss when she aims her gun.โโฏโฏ
โThe 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.โฏ Vicki Lawrence outdid herself on this one.โฏโฏย
Appears in ๐ป:โฏโฏย
- Vicki Lawrence, The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia: 1 Hit WONDERful ๐๐๐ No. 11 (2023)โฏย
- 13 Songs Where GEORGIA is On the Mind (2024)โฏย
15 Chilling Murder Ballads (2024) [๐ท: 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]