40 Great Songs About Dying and Death

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An inspiring topic, I know. We're talking about the act itself, coming to grips with it and the like. Thus, Beach Boy fans, "'Til I Die" doesn't count, because it's about life sucking BEFORE you die...

I'm thinking:

40. George Harrison — "All The Must Pass"
39. Dennis Wilson — "Farewell, My Friend"
38. The Flaming Lips — "Do You Realize?"

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

37. Don McLean- American Pie

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"Great songs," Dom...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Might as well get this out of the way...

36. Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper

― wetmink (wetmink), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:30 (twenty-one years ago)

35. Warren Zevon - "Keep Me in Your Heart"

― JC-L (JC-L), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

34. Ice Cube - "Dead Homiez"
33. Scarface - "Seen A Man Die"

― Dorian, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Why only 40?

32. "Hung Again" by Cop Shoot Cop
31. "Dying" by XTC
30. "Everybody Loves You When You're Dead" by Cop Shoot Cop

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

29. "Oh Death" by Ralph Stanley

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

ha ha "All The Must Pass"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Because forty's nice, Alex, that's why. But yes, it doesn't really leave from for TWO Cop Shoot Cop songs, does it?

And, er, whoops, nickalicious. How about:

40. "All Things Must Pass"

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

PJ Harvey -- Down By the Water

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Sugar, "A Good Idea"

― phil dennison, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Easily the finest song about death and fellatio that will make this list.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

97. Slim Slo Slider

― rumple, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Obviously there are 40 because we're pouring out a 40 for them...

― wetmink (wetmink), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

26. Bonnie "Prince" Billy, "Death to Everyone"

― Chris F. (servoret), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Obviously there are 40 because we're pouring out a 40 for them...

Ahhahahahahaaha

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

25. Lucinda Williams, 'Pineola'/'Sweet Old World'

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

grateful dead, black peter

― dan (dan), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Seasons in the Sun
I don't know who does the original but I've heard I've listened to the cover by Spell (Boyd Rice and Rose Mcdowell) a lot lately.

― theodore fogelsanger, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:10 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure's "The Funeral Party"

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and Kitchens of Distinction's "When in Heaven"

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Motorhead - Killed by Death

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:37 (twenty-one years ago)

19. Leonard Cohen - "Death of a Ladies Man"

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

20. suicide - dust
21. how can you kill me i'm already dead - eugene chadbourne
22. death walks behind you - atomic rooster

― duane, Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

23. dead man - josefus
24. i like to die - the drags
25. dead babies - alice cooper

― duane, Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes - To Be Over

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:18 (twenty-one years ago)

26: Jim Carroll, "People Who Died"

― Stephen Boyle (SBoyle), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Kinks - Days

― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:43 (twenty-one years ago)

oops i meant

27. Kinks- Days
28. Nilsson - Think about your troubles

― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)

or something..duh

― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust
Queen - All Dead
Iced Earth - I Died For You

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)

29. Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Dylan

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:27 (twenty-one years ago)

This is fascinating -- we counted down from 40 to 20 and are back up to 29 now...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)

isn't that the way these things are meant to be done ? : P

― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)

It's cyclical, obv.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)

28. 'Dead' - The Pixies
(couldn't every song by the Cure count, almost)

― Gilles Meloche (Gilles Meloche), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:38 (twenty-one years ago)

heading back down now. cool !

― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

27.? Death Of A Clown - Kinks
26.? A Day In The Life - Beatles
25.? Paint it Black - Rolling Stones
24.? Needle and The Damage Done - Neil Young
23.? Down By The River - Neil Young
22.? Moody River (I like the Doc Watson version)

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 24 June 2004 03:05 (twenty-one years ago)

oh of course...

21. Neil Young - Tonight's The Night

― wetmink (wetmink), Thursday, 24 June 2004 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

20? The Chills - "Pink Frost"

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Thursday, 24 June 2004 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

danielson famile- meeting with your maker

― todd swiss (eliti), Thursday, 24 June 2004 05:26 (twenty-one years ago)

18. Sonic Boom "If I Should Die"

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 24 June 2004 06:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"dead" - carolyn sullivan

― cameron, Thursday, 24 June 2004 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry that was my fault

― duane, Thursday, 24 June 2004 09:24 (twenty-one years ago)

hi cam!!

― duane, Thursday, 24 June 2004 09:24 (twenty-one years ago)

17. why kill time when you can kill yourself - cabaret voltaire.

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 24 June 2004 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

16. a prayer for my death - foetus interruptus

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 24 June 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

15. lust for death - Scrapting Foetus off the Wheel.

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 24 June 2004 09:30 (twenty-one years ago)

14. The Smiths - Asleep

― Mog, Thursday, 24 June 2004 09:33 (twenty-one years ago)

hi duane!

― cameron, Thursday, 24 June 2004 09:45 (twenty-one years ago)

13 - The Clientele - Lamplight

― dave amos, Thursday, 24 June 2004 10:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Tumor Circus - Turn off the Respirator
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat

― Ben Dot (1977), Thursday, 24 June 2004 12:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Beck "He's A Mighty Good Leader"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 24 June 2004 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

9. George Harrison, "The Art of Dying"
8. Blood Sweat & Tears, "And When I Die"
7. Love, "You Set the Scene" (arguable)

― Joseph McCombs, Thursday, 24 June 2004 12:45 (twenty-one years ago)

6. Get me away I'm dying - Belle and Sebastian
5. Tell Laura I love her - any version, that song is SO funny
4. Yeah oh yeah - Magnetic fields
3. Tram nr 7 to heaven - Jens Lekman

― Rush Rhees (Rush Rhees), Thursday, 24 June 2004 12:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Nicalicious, re your 29, you really should hear David Lindley do that song "Oh Death" (Twango Bango II). It's been in his repertoire for 40 years since before the Kaleidoscope days and he knows it, just knows it, and makes it a dance of death, really getting down to the bones interpretation. Still the best version I've heard and it'll make you dance on anybody's grave.

"flaskalacious"

― bflaska, Thursday, 24 June 2004 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll check that out...thanks! It's really one of my favorite songs ever.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 24 June 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

2. smog permanent smile

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 24 June 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Reverse!

3. Bee Gees, "I've Gotta Get a Message to You"

― Joseph McCombs, Thursday, 24 June 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

-4. Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"

A capital case for death if I ever heard one!

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 24 June 2004 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Needle of Death - Bert Jansch

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Thursday, 24 June 2004 22:34 (twenty-one years ago)

-5. lambchop "soaky in the pooper"
-6. eric's trip "my bed is red"

― lukerock, Friday, 25 June 2004 02:28 (twenty-one years ago)

i made a mix cd recently called "murder, suicide, and domestic violence"

lets see if i can remember the most appropriate
7. ballad of hollis brown - dylan
8. the butcher's boy - buell kazee
9. death letter - son house

just for kicks heres the entire mix. most of them are about wanting to hurt rather than dealing with death though.
Oh Death Dock Boggs (which i think is a more chilling version)
Baby Let's Play House Elvis Presley
Down on The Banks of The Ohio The Blue Sky Boys
Booted Roscoe Gordon
He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss) the crystals
Fatal Flower Garden Nelstone's Hawaiians
There She Goes Again The Velvet Underground
Ballad of Hollis Brown Bob Dylan
Cocaine Blues Johnny Cash
A To Z Blues Blind Willie McTell
The Butcher's Boy Buell Kazee
Dead Man Blues Jelly Roll Morton

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Friday, 25 June 2004 02:52 (twenty-one years ago)

No Townes yet?

"Waitin' round to die"

― Evanston Wade (EWW), Friday, 25 June 2004 03:03 (twenty-one years ago)

really strangely moving songs about death:

"Endless Sleep" (the original by Jody Reynolds .... covered much, much later by Billy Idol)

"I looked at the sea and it seemed to say:
'I took your baby from you away' "

"The Bells" (R&B song, forget who did the original but James Brown covered it)
"There's four black horses with eyes of flaming red
There's roses tied with ribbons all around my baby's head"

― bflaska, Friday, 25 June 2004 03:47 (twenty-one years ago)

ooo that reminds me then :

#273 Nick Lowe - endless sleep (certainly not the same one as above)

― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Friday, 25 June 2004 04:17 (twenty-one years ago)

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