Depression songs lyrics (+ their implications)

In this article, we will discuss the topic “ Depression songs lyrics”, a brief summary of depression and it’s major signs and symptoms, the relationship between depression and song, some of the depressive song and it’s lyrics and finally some frequently asked questions related to the topic.

Depression songs lyrics are:

• “You see me standing, but I’m dying on the floor / Stone cold, stone cold / Maybe if I don’t cry, I won’t feel anymore.” Coldplay
• “The joy and the chaos, the demons we’re made of / I’d be so lost if you left me alone.” Demi Lovato
• “Take comfort in your friends / Everybody hurts. Don’t throw your hand… If you feel like you’re alone, no, no, no, you are not alone” by REM
• “Everywhere I look someone dies / wonder when it’s my turn” Biffy Clyro
•  “What have I become, my sweetest friend / everyone I know goes away in the end”, Nine inch Nails
• “I’m growing old/ And I don’t wanna know/ I’m growing old/ And I wanna go home.” Nick Drake
•  “All the kids that I can’t compare to / making friends like they’re all supposed to / you will never come close to how I feel” by Tame Impala

Depression

Depression is believed to be the key cause of disability around the world. It is a mood disorder characterised by the feeling of persistent and prolonged low mood, sadness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities: anhedonia, feeling down and low throughout the day, weeks and months. 

Although the feeling of sadness and loss of pleasure is familiar and a normal feeling to every one of us, depression is something that persists and causes severe impairment in an individual’s life. It can affect people from any age group ranging from children, adolescent, adult and geriatric population.

The duration of depressive episodes differs and varies from each individual wherein, for some cases, it lasts for about 2 weeks while in others it might persist for months and years.

Symptoms of Depression

Despite Depression being a mood disorder and causing severe impairment in the individual, there are other associated effects of depression in the everyday functioning of the individual. 

It can take a toll on one’s psychological health, physical health, job performance, social relation and overall well-being. 

The three noting symptoms of Depression are:

• Fatigability, tiredness and feeling of exhaustion
• Anhedonia, loss of interest in pleasurable activities
• Depressed mood or prolonged sadness

Some of the other signs and symptoms of Depression are:

• Sustained and prolonged depressed mood
• Loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities or those that one enjoys doing
• Loss of sexual drives
• Fluctuations in body weight
• Disruption in sleep cycle resulting in insomnia and hypersomnia
• Muscle agitation, restlessness and twitches
• Disruption and disturbance in speech
• Fatigue and low energy in performing daily task
• A feeling of worthlessness and excessive guilt
• Recurrent thoughts on death, suicide and attempts for suicide.
• Impairment in concentration and attention

These are some of the major signs and symptoms of Depression. The severity and the interference of these symptoms differ and varied individually owing to other underlying reasons.

Songs and Depression

Depression and songs are found to be related and people with depression often listen to gloomy and sad songs since it makes them feel better. 

A study has shown that depressed people tend to prefer listening to sad songs and music. And even when people who are diagnosed with depression were asked to choose between happy, lightening and lively music and low, sad and calm kinds of music and song, they prefer the latter.

Another finding has shown that people who are actually depressed when they listen to sad songs and music, report that their mood and feelings get better and it makes them feel lighter from the overly depressed and low mood. Sad songs and music indeed have a relaxing, calming and healing effect for them.

An intriguing finding from research has shown that incorporating music, song and playing it at the background in the therapy session as well as in an intervention session could elevate the mood of the person and in relieving pain too. 

Music seemed to have an important role in the life of many people and adolescents who listen to music every day when distressed tend to elevate their mood. 

Some of the Depressive songs and with an underlying theme of depression are:

There are different songs with an underlying theme of depression and often

“ Now I’m in it” by Haim

It is a song by Danielle Haim with an underlying theme of going through it and has shared her journey of depression. An excerpt from her song lyrics is “ Every time I’ve been depressed — it takes me accepting that I need help, to start to get out of it. It’s gotten a little easier as I have gotten older to recognize the symptoms and remind myself that when this happens, I need to seek help. (shout out to my therapist!!) Anyway, we all know it’s important to talk about this stuff.”

“Hunger” by Florence and The Machine

Florence Welch shares her struggle with mental health issues especially eating disorders, “ “I learned ways to manage that terror — drink, drugs, controlling food. It was like a renaissance of childhood, a toddler’s self-destruction let loose in a person with grown-up impulses,”

“1-800-273-8255” by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid

The title of the song itself is a helpline number of National Suicide Prevention and shares the perspective of contemplating suicide. 

His background of the song “ Your music has saved my life. You’ve saved my life.’ And I was always like, ‘Aw so nice of you. Thanks.’ And I give them a hug and shit but in my mind, I’m like, ‘What the ?'” he said. 

“And they’re really serious. And they like that shit on their arms and get shit like lyrics that save their life and in my mind, I was like, ‘Man I wasn’t even trying to save nobody’s life.’ 

“Help!” by The Beatles

John Lennon shared his reflection of life, he shared, “ I was fat and depressed, and I was crying out for help.”

Paul McCartney shared his reflection on a song and mental health struggle, “ I’m now fat and I’m feeling miserable” And he said, “ He didn’t say, ‘I’m now fat and I’m feeling miserable. He shared he blustered his way through. Reflecting back onto his life, he shared he has always been looking or seeking help. Often he shared his experience about paranoia feeling that people around him are dying. His mother passed away and he has been living his whole life surviving all alone and seeking for help.

“Life” by Ivy Sole featuring Dave B

Sole song about Life shares, “ I think my mental health often makes me feel despair even when there is light and love around me. But being able to see through the fog of depression and anxiety is something so invaluable to me”

Her song was inspired and moved by her friend who died by suicide and is aimed to spread awareness and uplift people who are already dealing with mental health issues.

“Breathe Me” by Sia

Her album, “ Colour the small one”, and song “ Breathe me” as an emotional experience of having to deal with anxiety.

It is also a song of feeling worried and anxious. She shares how being overwhelmed with the inner dialogue and potentially result in harm and then asks for help.

“Rose-Colored Boy” by Paramore

He addressed many mental health concerns and issues in most of his songs. “ Rose-Colored Boy” addressed the stigma attached to depression and other associated issues and concerns. The song shares about the feeling of pressure to look around the world with blind optimism when the feeling of hopelessness stuck. Social Pressure of having to be happy and pleased actually induces shame and guilt when one doesn’t feel so. The shame associated and sadness is found to be a cocktail effect. 

He also focused on the importance of Empathy in the understanding of healing and to meet people. 

“24/7” by Kehlani

“ 24/7” shares the personal lyrics, “ I had my nights where I’m not anxious to wake up and feel any better”, it was “ It’s OK to not be OK” that was Kehani’s single of 24/7. 

“Good Grief” by Bastille

The song of Bastille, “ Good Grief” is about the loss and grief and many other emotions with experience. 

Dan Smith also shares about the song, “it aims to capture the complicated and messy process of any type of loss, and the processes in life that one gets on. The moment of both highs and lows in a lifetime, having to be optimistic as well as finding the balance between despair and euphoria.

“Skyscraper” by Demi Lovato

The song of Demi Lovato shares her feelings and the journey of having to spend time in a treatment centre for her emotional as well as physical issues and getting through it. As per her statement, there was so much emotion that she could relate with when recording the song. Even when she was recording it in the studio, this left her in tears and never had she experienced any kind of emotion like that.

I feel like dying by Lil Wayne

This song by Lil Wayne talks about the debilitating antagonist of drugs and the key lyrics of the song is “ I am a prisoner, locked up behind Xanax bars/ I have boarded a plane without a pilot.

Adam’s song, Blink 182

The song has a dark lyrics that were written when the band was on their tour, it was when they encountered an incident of a teen taking away his life and leaving a suicide note to the parents. The story of suicide and taking one’s life was not something rare rather a frequent happening, especially in youth. And rather than actually taking away one’s life, it is ideal to opt for another better way out. 

One of the key lyrics of the song is, “ Another six months, I’ll be unknown/ give all my things to all my friends/ you’ll never step foot in my room again/ you’ll close it off, board it up”.

“Paint It, Black” by the rolling stone

It was originally released as a single in 1966 and then added onto the US version of “ Aftermath” album. The lyrics speak about anger and melancholy, wishing and the desire to cover up all the brightness and light of the world. 

The key lyrics of the song is “ I look inside myself and see my heart is black/ I see my red door and must have it painted black/ maybe then I’ll fade away and not have to face the fats/ it’s not easy facing up when the whole world is black”

“Living is a problem because everything dies,” Biffy Clyro

The opening track of the album “ Puzzle” is the song that shares about the low point of life and not even caring about it. The focus is on classic depression with the lyrics, “ Everywhere I look someone dies/ wonders when it’s my turn”.

“Hurt” by Nine-inch nails

“ What have I become, my sweetest friend/ Everyone I know goes away in the end” is the key lyrics of his song. It also focuses on human communication ending up one positive despite everything being negative.

“Solitude is Bliss”, Tame Impala

The song is believed to be the anthem for introverts, depressed and for those who are already depressed and low. Key lyrics of the song is “ All the kids that I can’t compare to/ making friends like they’re all supposed to/ you will never come close to how I feel”.

Basket Case by Green Day

It is a song that reflects the hard and challenging phase of people diagnosed and battling with depression has to undergo. An excerpt from the lyric is “ sometimes I give myself the creeps/ sometimes my mind plays tricks on me/ it all keeps adding up I think I’m cracking up/ am I just paranoid or am I just high?”

“ Suicide is painless”, Manic Street Preachers

The song is from the very well celebrated and widely known album, “ Ruby Trax” in which the key lyrics, “ Suicide is painless, it brings on many changes and you can do the same thing if you please”

These are some of the songs with the theme of depression and the lyrics reflecting the lived experience of a depressive patient.

FAQs: Depression songs lyrics

BetterHelp: A Better Alternative

Those who are seeking therapy online may also be interested in BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers plenty of formats of therapy, ranging from live chats, live audio sessions and live video sessions. In addition, unlimited messaging through texting, audio messages and even video messages are available here.

BetterHelp also offers couples therapy and therapy for teenagers in its platform. Furthermore, group sessions can also be found in this platform, covering more than twenty different topics related to mental health and mental illness. The pricing of BetterHelp is also pretty cost-effective, especially considering the fact that the platform offers financial aid to most users.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the topic “ Depression songs lyrics”, a brief summary of depression and it’s major signs and symptoms, the relationship between depression and song, some of the depressive song and it’s lyrics and finally some frequently asked questions related to the topic.

Links for more information

50 Songs About Depression

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/songs-about-mental-health_l_5e326e79c5b69a19a4a9f977

Bibliography

Bartleet, L. (2019). 50 Songs About Depression. NME. https://www.nme.com/list/50-songs-about-depression-1109

Bologna, C. (2020). 16 Powerful Songs About Mental Health To Make You Feel Less Alone. huffpost. https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/songs-about-mental-health_l_5e326e79c5b69a19a4a9f977

People with depression feel better after listening to sad music, research suggests. (2019). The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/4/18528349/depression-music-sad-emotion-psychology-health