Songs About Mental Illness? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Beautiful that one.

Instititutionalized - Suicidal Tendencies

Institute of mental health - Peter Hammill

Black Sabbath - Am I going insane

" " - Paranoid (I'm sure there's others besides these two also)

Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train

The Kinks - Destroyer

Prince - Let's go crazy

Radiohead - Creep

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

MortSahlFan wrote:

If you can think of examples of songs about mental illness by those who were mentally ill, even better, since its coming from a familiar place, as opposed to someone writing about something they don't know.

Pink Floyd - Brain Damage

I think Roger is intelligent and was troubled, but he had it under control... Someone like Jim Morrison did not have control. Perhaps "Break on Through" is one of many, since many of his lyrics are surreal and can be interpreted differently, where Roger is very direct.

Well, I guess you could say Syd Barrett was mentally ill(even though his family denied it)so if he had any songs about it that would probably be as close to first person as you could get.

As for Brain Damage well I think the whole Dark Side of the Moon album is about mental illness isn't it? The wall was really more about the music industry's negative impact and psychological effect of a rock star and not mental illness per say and WYWH was more about the music industry in general.

Jugband Blues

Pink Floyd

It's awfully considerate of you to think of me here
And I'm much obliged to you for making it clear
That I'm not here
And I never knew we could be so thick
And I never knew the moon could be so blue
And I'm grateful that you threw away my old shoes
And brought me here instead dressed in red
And I'm wondering who could be writing this song

I don't care if the sun don't shine
And I don't care if nothing is mine
And I don't care if I'm nervous with you
I'll do my loving in the winter

And the sea isn't green
And I love the queen
And what exactly is a dream
And what exactly is a joke

Despite his health, he did have some awareness.. This was his last song he wrote for Pink Floyd according to the other members of the band.

Edited by MortSahlFan - December 22 2019 at 14:09

https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition

https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List

Logan wrote:

I read "Fruit Tree" by Nick Drake as relating to depression/ melancholia, and as the product of depression. Much of his music was melancholic, and his death is very sad. The lyrics of songs of his such as "Hazey Jane II" and others showed a sense of isolation and alienation (not fitting in with this world).

I agree. I find Nick Drake's music to be very depressing and melancholic and that's why I choose not to listen to his albums as I'm a very positive and outgoing person with an optimistic outlook on life. I like music that's joyful and triumphant and uplifting, especially if it's proggy.

It's probably because of my own melancholy that I can appreciate and relate to Nick Drake's music so much. His Five Leaves Left is one of my favourite albums, and "River Man" is one of my all-time favourite songs. I like the fragile beauty of his music (Vashti Bunyan has a similar fragile beauty with "Winter is Blue", and I can relate it to some Robert Wyatt).

In prog land, for strangely uplifting music, I turn to Magma the most methinks. And I love Beethoven's "Ode to Joy".

Just a fanboy passin' through.

Snicolette wrote:

Logan wrote:

I read "Fruit Tree" by Nick Drake as relating to depression/ melancholia, and as the product of depression. Much of his music was melancholic, and his death is very sad. The lyrics of songs of his such as "Hazey Jane II" and others showed a sense of isolation and alienation (not fitting in with this world).

I love Nick Drake. I have a strong liking for melancholic music. Much of Tom Rapp's music was what he described as "Constructive Melancholy," and named a release this, completed many years after his PBS days, that compiled many of his songs with that group. Though his music was not necessarily about being mentally ill....

True to form, I generally also much prefer music in minor keys. Love that iamthemorning recording also! Not necessarily about mental illness, but certainly dealing with grief in a creative and moving way, is Nick Cave's new release, "Ghosteen."

I like Tom Rapp too. I've listened to all ten of his albums, both solo and under the name Pearls Before Swine.

Grey Walls by Richard Thompson...brilliant track, but disturbing.

Apparently "lead a normal life" by Peter Gabriel is about living in a mental institution. For example the lyrics "eating with a spoon they don't give you knives" is probably because they don't want you to hurt yourself or others.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - December 22 2019 at 21:36

Mental Illness? Presumably Paranoid Schizophrenia , bi-polar condition , depression etc.

It's funny in a way that no one has mentioned Paranoid by Sabbath. The lyrics are perfect but it's also just a great track!

...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...

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