There are plenty of references to voice hearing, “madness”, paranoia, unusual beliefs and/or survival within music of all genres.
This list was suggested by Hywel Davies. Please send in your own suggestions by replying to this post. Just click on the title of this post to see the comments box.
Click on the title for lyrics and other information about the song. Where available we’ve linked the song to You Tube, so you can listen to it if you want to.
The song is said to have been inspired when Hendrix and his then girlfriend had an argument; after she stormed out of their apartment. Excerpt from song: After all the […]
Track 11, Whiplash; Mercury Records I wrote one lyric about a guy going to commit suicide by going on his favorite walk and lying down in the snow and allowing […]
Excerpt from song: I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind There was something so pleasant about that place. Even your emotions have an echo In […]
A Russian-born American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered on New York City’s East Village. Excerpt from song: I never loved nobody fully Always […]
This song is supposed to be about the high and low points of Taylor’s life. He was only 20 when he wrote this, but was battling depression and drug addiction. […]
Regarded as a metaphor the song may be commenting on drug addiction or simply the decadent lifestyle the hugely successful band had been caught up in. Another theory is that […]
“I Can Hear Music” is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector and performed by the Ronettes (1966). It was famously covered by the Beach Boys […]
Oscar-winning actor/director/writer/musician Billy Bob Thornton was raised in Arkansas by his high school basketball coach father and psychic mother. After hitting it big in Hollywood, Thornton decided to return to […]
This was a reaction to the pressures of the music business. I wound up in a huge row with the record company …. I was so angry with the whole […]
“Salva Mea (Save Me)” is a song recorded by British dance group Faithless. It was released in 1995 , the album version is more than ten minutes long and contains […]
The song is about a friend of Okereke (the lead singer and song writer) who hears voices. Excerpt from song: She’s hearing voices call her She’s hearing voices warn her […]
The Black Crowes are a blues-oriented hard rock jam band. The song is about a woman who is a herione addict. Excerpt from song: She paints her eyes as black […]
Sit Down (1989) “Sit Down” is one of the most famous tracks by James, released in 1989 by Rough Trade Records. The songs lyrics were written as a thank you […]
“The Sound of Silence” is the song that propelled the 1960s folk music duo Simon and Garfunkel to popularity. It was written by Paul Simon in the aftermath of the […]
Swan Dive (1998) Although much of DiFranco’s material is autobiographical, it is often also strongly political. Many of her songs are concerned with contemporary social issues. This song is about […]
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