My recent Johhny Cash post had me thinking about song categories again...quite a few songs have a psychopathic character or event about a guy or gal that does something really despicable - with no apparent remorse. I'll start off with the Johnny Cash song I mentioned:

Cocaine Blues - but the author is T. J. "Red" Arnall - whose version is a lot more matter-of-fact hillbilly bluegrass - Johnny Cash sounds like a 'baddder' due to me

On the Banks of the Ohio - another guy that is hard to relate to

Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen's character in this song sounds like a guy that deserves no pity either

Who can outdo me for songs about even more despicable characters ? : ) More points if it's your own original !!! :0

Of course, there's the song "Timothy" by the Buoys (Rupert Holmes song); quite a contrast from the Pina Colada Song.

Maybe Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley from my childhood? Pretty edgy to sing about at the time, though not so unknown as a crime (if he even committed it).

The first verse in Riders On The Storm by The Doors is actually about a serial killer:

There's a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin' like a toad
Take a long holiday
Let your children play
If you give this man a ride
Sweet family will die
Killer on the road

The verse is from true life events. Apparently, a psychopath serial killer named Billy Cook killed six people while hitchhiking to California.

Helen Reddy's "Angie Baby" comes to mind.

"The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" is another one.

And of course, Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe".

Maybe the Blue Meanies should be considered...
As really despicable psychopathic characters ?
After all they represented all the music-hating bad people in the world.

If not them the how about Mr, Hitler?

I think Sting's "Every Breath You Take" has to be on the list. This is about someone stalking their former lover.

Also, "Mack The Knife" has its colourful moments, too.

Then of course, "Banks Of The Ohio" is about murdering a lover.

What about "Tom Dooley"? This is about a guy who is going to the gallows for murdering a woman.

Two songs, two such characters. The first writes a letter. The second, stars in a murder drama from centuries ago.

I heard "The Letter" by Don and Dewey only once, as a child rolling newspapers in the middle of the night (when the disc jockeys would play anything they liked).

I never forgot it.

Sonny Bono worked with Don and Dewey, hence this version by Caesar and Cleo (Sonny and Cher) prior to "Sonny and Cher".

It's a very short letter and a very mean letter. This is a different kind of violence than that of previous posts, but it's violence none the less.

The final two lines are incredibly cruel.

"The Letter" Caesar and Cleo (Sonny and Cher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZMWEJj5OE



"Barbara Allen" is thought to be the oldest English language song, predating Shakespeare by at least a century.

There are apparently thousands of versions of "Barbara Allen"; as it passed from locale to locale, verses were subtracted and added. That practice continued as the song came to America.

The Everly Brothers version is my favorite, recorded with the teenage brothers accompanied only by Don on guitar. It's from the album "Songs Our Daddy Taught Us". It's easy to imagine them singing "Barbara Allen" on their front porch.

It probably would have been my favorite version just because it's the Everlys, but I love it mostly because of the lyrics.

The final two verses of the version that made it to Kentucky elevate the song to masterpiece status.

They encompass everthing I hope for (but will never achieve) in a lyric.


"Barbara Allen" Everly Brothers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnPCIU3bpig

Dolly Parton has a few murder ballads that are outright chilling, and of course I can't remember the names of any of them. I'm sure google would help here.

Tom Dooley
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
The Night The Lights went out in Georgia
I Don't Like Mondays

I forget the name of this song, but the chorus goes -
"I swear I left her by the river,
I swear I left her safe and sound
(I forget the next bit)
And leave this cold Nebraska town"

Delia's gone
I shot the sheriff
Stagger Lee
The Death of Emmett Till
...Deb

You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch ?
/Sorry, had to lighten it up a bit.

“Another one bites the dust” by queen about an active shooter going to kill his ex lover. At least that’s one explanation.

Take murder ballads outa bluegrass and shooting lovers references outa blues and there would a a lot of shorter set lists.

Bud

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die


Parchman Farm - Mose Allison's take on a Bukka White song
First he says:
Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
And I ain't never done no man no harm
And later:
Well I'm a gonna be here for the rest of my life
And all I did was shoot my wife
Technically correct, he didn't harm a man.

Insights and incites by Notes

Down By the River N. Young..... I shot my baby...

DOA Blood Rock.... (morbid song)

Maxwell's Silver Hammer The Beatles.

Don't forget the Dixie Chicks & Earl...

Yeah...I'm not playing. I've heard WAY too many songs that make you want to un-listen to them. I'm not sure anyone would go looking them up for one; and I wouldn't want anyone looking them up for reason number two.

A quick example would be something like "Dead Skin Mask" by Slayer. It's about Ed Gein. The unsettling part is it's from Ed Gein's perspective! No thanks.

If you go into the death/dark metal genre of music, it gets weird quick. A lot about rape, molestation, murder, torture, aborted fetuses...even necrophilia, if that puts it into perspective. That's why I'm not playing. None of us needs the therapy bill that would result from playing this "off topic" game. lol

I'm actually finding this whole "Baby Shark" song to be rather evil.

I actually came here to answer this...



I believe that's "Hazard" from Richard Marx. He actually has many songs much better than that one IMO.

Led Zeppelin ... Dead Babies?

Dead babies can't take care of themselves
Dead babies can't take things off the shelf
Well, we didn't want you anyway
Lalala-lalalalalala-la…

Here is one I remember hearing as a kid. https://youtu.be/SldQ0qCE4Sw

Prairie Ramblers - Ghost in the Graveyard

Well it was scary then and horrible back then.

Tony

Alternative lyrics for Tom Dooley:

Hang down your head Tom Dooley,
Hang down your head and cry,
Hang down you head Tom Dooley,
Cos your tie's caught in your fly.

Ah - some "fun" songs to listen to here - but I agree with Hear to Learn - gotta stay out of the death metal / devil worship genre...

Alice Cooper has a song "I love the dead"...though I can't relate - it's better than hurting the living I guess...but I think it's really more about shock value than that he genuinely relates to the song....

Now Frank Zappa has a song about loving appliances....at first I thought it was the stupidest thing ever, and that the guy was despicable...but then again, there are many other types of appliances that are very helpful to the average person - so maybe there was more to this song than the surface lyrics...

Sometimes I think folks love their cell phones more than they care about people.

I am trying to decide if Christopher Lee's metal music qualifies. (Dracula of Hammer films fame.)

Yes, he had a metal band.

...Deb

Sure - I could have just googled it - like most questions...but where's the fun in that. In case you need a more exhaustive list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_or_referencing_serial_killers

Don't forget Broadway: "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" He's a demon barber and he keeps his razor keen.

Looks like the Joe V Rocky Horror show Singalong will be making a debut at a venue near you soon.

Led Zepplins "What is and what should never be" in my opinion is about illicit sex. Lots of rockers who didn't know any better participated in under age sex. But the tolerence level was different and churches of various kinds weren't parading politics. At this point Religion has way too much Hate towards so many kinds of groups that for me I have withdrawn my support for it. It's not worth my time. and I am unwilling to hate the groups of people the Evangelicals and Baptist's hate.

Groups I Refuse to listen to
Gary Glitter (Never have listened to any of his songs.)
Feel free to add to this list.

Aussie band Skyhooks had a song “Horror Movie”. The line “Horror movies right there on my TV. Horror movies the 6:30 News.”

I sit here right now in front of my TV almost in tears watching the news and the devastation and loss of lives on the South East Coast of New South Wales and Eastern Victoria. These fires just keep going and getting worse for all concerned.

Not to make light of it but Skyhooks - Horror Movie can be something different albeit a really good song. https://youtu.be/XljmO_KPQaM

Tony

Well, a song comes to mind sung by a couple of folks from close to where I grew up. Here's Ralph Stanley and Patty Loveless;


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XV7mxfIIr0