Of the many Barenaked Ladies songs that I really like, there are several that feels like someone has ripped out my heart each time that I listen to them.

Call And Answer

For me, the song makes me remember of things that I have done in the past to someone that I really liked but never had the chance to tell her. The way that song is sung is quite haunting and the final word repeating at the end, “Rebuild”, just pounds on my chest each time it is sung.

War on Drugs

The second half of the song really causes me to crumble, even when just thinking about the lyrics, as it talks about people taking their lives by jumping off of a bridge. Also, the following block really causes me to break down:

They say that Jesus and mental health
Are just for those who can help themselves
But what good is that when you live hell on earth?

Thinking about the memories of the past is close to hell on earth for me.

What A Good Boy

My interpretation of the song is of parents that have a set of expectations for their child or children once they come to the world. What makes it depressing for me is that I always feel that I not only cannot meet what I consider to be decent level of expectation from society but also of others. The two set of lines that drills that in to me are:

We’ve got these chains that hang around our necks
People want to strangle us with them before we take our first breath

and:

I wake up scared, I wake up strange
I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever going to change

Having been a fan of Semisonic for a while, when the lead singer, Dan Wilson, released a single and an EP, two of the songs that I would listen to at night when I’m depressed is “Come Home Angel” (previously available on Ballroom Sessions, but will be re-released on Free Life) and “I Can’t Hold You” (previously available on “Sugar” e.p. and also available on For New Orleans).

For “Come Home Angel”, the song’s melody, the way that it is sung and the premise of the song would smooth me when I’m starting to feel depressed or allows me to sink into my shell even more.

“I Can’t Hold You” hits all of the right buttons for me, from the song’s opening to the harmony of the chorus, and the following chorus lyrics feels like I have been punched in the chest:

and now, I’m afraid / I can’t hold you
and now, I’m afraid / I can’t keep you

I just reminds me of the several times that I have felt strongly for someone but never had the nerve to go after them.

Both songs now have a greater affect on me after attending my ten-year high school reunion.

One of my favorite depressing songs is “Goodbye” by The Corrs, originally found on their album, “Borrowed Heaven”.

There are several reasons why I find the song depressing and alluring. Even though the song is about the passing of someone near and dear (the subject of the song is the mother of the siblings Corrs), I find the tone, emotion and harmony to have the most effect on me.

The version of “Goodbye” that affects me the most is the live version found on their “All The Way Home: Live in Geneva” DVD. The emotion that is carried in that version and the haunting ending of the song while the members leave the stage for the encore really hits me hard.