Part of what makes life interesting, and sometimes
infuriating and terrifying too, is that we know that someday it’s going
to end. This much we can all agree on. Wars are fought over the details
of what happens after we die, but ultimately we will face the reality of
our own end sooner or later, no matter what we believe it means, or
what we think might or might not come after. This of course can be quite
a weighty, even morbid, thought. Yet for many, the fact that this story
will end someday is part of what adds to its meaning; that our life is
not defined by the fact that we’re going to die, but rather is made more
valuable in that each moment is precious in its evanescence. Is this
too heavy for a simple top ten list? Yes? Fair enough.
How about this. There have been many songs and
songwriters over the years which have written about death from various
perspectives. Since there’s really no way to nail down the nature of
death and what it means in any definitive way, that makes it a pretty
fertile area for songwriters to bring forth their bounty of songs about
it. Kinda weird that I made a metaphor there about growth and creativity
to describe the matter of death? Maybe so. But, many would argue that
death is as much a part of the growing process as any other stage. And
for songs to be made out of our musings about death perhaps can lend
some perspective, if not comfort, to the thoughts about the inevitable.
So, here are 10 songs about the Great Void, the
Gateway to the Afterlife, The Big Sleep, The Dirt Nap, served up for
your Gothic curiosity, your existential angst, your hopefulness that the
shadow death is no reason to stop living. And hopefully out of all
this, you’ll discover some cool music too.
See That My Grave is Kept Clean – Blind Lemon Jefferson
There is a balance kept in the early blues
tradition, with the carnal world of booze, sex, and riches (or lack
thereof) on one end of the scale, and matters of the eternal soul on the
other. In Blind Lemon Jefferson’s 1928 recording of ‘See That My
Grave Is Kept Clean’, we get a portrait of a dying man making a
request to his loved ones to celebrate his life by being reverent in his
death. There is a certain sense of hopelessness here, that the toling
bells are those of doom and sadness, and that the hope of redemption,
once scoffed at, is now a treasure which is out of reach.
The song is written in a certain tradition which is
linked to the gospel churches, the warning to the living to abide by
higher powers before it’s too late to rely on their mercies; ” Well, my
heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold/Now I believe what the
bible told”.
On her 2004 album Have a Little Faith, Mavis Staples
recorded a stripped-down version of this song; see the above clip to
view a live performance. And where the song itself could be looked upon
as being somewhat manipulative, I personally look on it as a reminder to
celebrate the little moments in life, the little details, to a greater
degree than we’re often allowed in a busy life. Because in the end, it
won’t be one’s appointment book which defines what one’s life has meant.
Mystery Train – Elvis Presley
This song is one of a few which
defines Elvis Presley’s early career at Sun
Records in Memphis. It’s actually a cover version of a song by
Junior Parker co-written with Sun producer/owner Sam Phillips and
released in 1953. When Elvis recorded the tune in 1956, it was done in
the typical slap-back
echo production style of rockabilly, which adds to its mysterious
atmosphere. This is largely down to Scotty Moore‘s
insistent guitar riff, which is as rhythmic as any train moving down the
track.
The extra element of the song is the implication
that the long, black train which takes the narrator’s loved one is on a
one way journey into the unknown, never to return. As such, this is a
song of mourning, and a common metaphor for death; a train bound for the
Great Mystery.
The song has become a rock n’ roll and pop music
standard, covered by such diverse acts as Ricky Nelson, The Band, The
Neville Brothers, Dwight Yoakam, and The Soft Boys. It seems that the
image of a fearsome, unstoppable train as an image for death resonates
across all kinds of genres, eras, and cultures. Yet in Elvis’ version, the train takes loved ones away, but
it also delivers them, making it a mixed blessing of sorts that even
when loved ones depart, that there going on their own journey elsewhere.
Teen Angel – Mark Dinning
At
the end of the 1950s and early 60s, there was an odd sub-genre of pop
song called the death ballad, or teen
death song which usually centered around a tragic accident which
separates teen lovers. This could have its roots in the country and
western murder ballad, which was also a popular and grisly
sub-genre which had been popular in the 20s and 30s. There are a number
of songs which can be counted among this sub-genre – ‘Tell Laura I Love
Her”, “Dead Man’s Curve”,”Leader of the Pack”, and many others.
Possibly the most maudlin, the most contrived, and
manipulative of these is Mark Dinning’s “Teen Angel” which is the king
of them all, released in 1960. It’s got everything; tragedy, emotive
delivery, and (perhaps most importantly) silly choices that the
characters in the song make which cause their undoing.
Who knows why this type of song made such an
impact. It could be that the tender psyche of early-60s youth was ripe
for this kind of thing, fearing the loss of love more so than the loss
of life in the years where mortality is something only the elderly are
concerned with. This brings out the tendency to look upon death as
slightly Romantic (note the big “R”), in that the rule of
love is the prime focus here, that not even death can change the power
of true love.
There must have been a sense of catharsis at the
time which translated to money spent on hit singles by teenagers. Of
course now, there are songs about death which teens gobble up with not a
whiff of Romanticism in sight. If death is a constant, then everything
else sure isn’t when it comes to how we think about it.
And When I Die – Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was not
appreciated by the 60s counterculture, mainly because she was looked
upon as a traditionalist which was a capital offence to the turn
on, tune-in, and drop out crowd – she was booed when she played the
Monterey Pop Festival! Part of what made Nyro’s approach to songwriting
world’s apart from that of her contemporaries was that she leaned on
the traditions of the spirituals (among other influences, like tin pan
alley and show tunes). These are songs written from the standpoint of
straight-forward peoples who ponder the great questions of life and
death using very conventional, yet very potent means; their imaginations
and their faith.
Probably the most upfront of her songs along these
lines is her song “And When I Die”, which was featured on 1967′s More Than A New Discovery. The sentiment
toward death here is not romanticized, neither is it something to
necessarily be dreaded. But rather, this is about seeing death as
something unavoidable and being sustained by the idea that if something
is natural, than it must ultimately be good too.
The fact that ‘the world will carry on’ after our
deaths is a comforting thought here, that the experiences and memories
of the human race as a whole adds up to something we can all claim as a
legacy. As a footnote, Laura Nyro would pass at the early age of 50 from
ovarian cancer in 1997. Even still, another thing which carries on are
her songs, which is the little something extra artists of her stature
get to leave behind. Her song would be a hit by Blood, Sweat
& Tears, who recorded it in 1969 to make it a major radio staple
for many years, up until today.
All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
Of all of the Beatles,
George was the one who most found the riches and fame resulting from his
job as guitarist in a pop group something of an absurdity. This is
particularly true in light of his spiritual leanings toward Eastern
Mysticism which looks upon all things on the material plane as being
cumbersome to the spiritual journey, so long as we remain attached to
them. As such, the thought behind the song was a central one to his
worldview.
In this song, George acknowledges that everything
changes, that we are creatures in time, moving forward through it toward
an eventual end. Yet, like Laura Nyro’s song, this is not something to
be dreaded; it is the natural state of things.
My favourite version of this song is the one to be
found on The Beatles Anthology, Vol. 3, which George
recorded solo on his birthday, February 25, 1969. Why it wasn’t included
on the Let It Be is anyone’s guess. It’s just him and his
guitar – a beautiful, poignant song which demonstrated the remarkable
thoughtfulness of a man who had only just turned 25 years old. It would
of course serve as the title track of his first post-Beatles solo album,
and perhaps was also a means to speak to Beatles fans, who were
mourning the loss of their four heroes playing together.
(Don’t Fear) the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
In many
ways, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult from
their 1976 Agents of Fortune album was a throwback to the teen
death ballad as exemplified by Mark Dinning’s “Teen Angel”. This has the
whiff of Romanticism to it as well, going so far as to namecheck Romeo
& Juliet as the poster children for eternal love as consummated in
death – the ultimate teen death ballad couple.
The song is full of Gothic
imagery of Death as a comforting figure who gives power to those
who shuffle off this mortal coil. Some of the lines are cinematic, right
out of the horror movies of the time – doors opening, candles blowing
out, and fluttering curtains as Death appears.
Despite the relative pop nature of this song, with
an infectious guitar riff which remains to be as memorable as any in
rock history, the song has an unsettling quality to it. There is
something dreadful in the idea of making death into something
attractive, that ‘being able to fly’ in this song is preferable to
living a life.
The instruction not to fear the reaper becomes
blurred a bit here, as the song becomes more and more open to
interpretation as it goes along. Is this a song about a comforting
presence at the time of death, or is it one about the temptation of the
despairing, an attempt by malevolent forces to lure the downhearted into
the darkness by promises of release and relief? Whatever the
interpretation here, this is a song about death which certainly has an
impact. Maybe it’s all of the cowbell?
The Bir Will Still Be Singing – Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet
For some, the idea of an afterlife is very comforting; the
chance to see their loved ones who have passed on, and to possibly
discover what lies beyond our seemingly random existence on earth. Yet,
for others, the hope of oblivion is just as comforting, to know that
life is ultimately meaningful and valuable, because this is the only
shot we have of defining that meaning for ourselves. It is this latter
idea which collaborators Elvis
Costello and the Brodsky Quartet are exploring here in the final
song of their 1993 album The
Juliet Letters.
In this song, “eternity stinks”. Taking the time to notice the things
in this life, to celebrate it in the present, not to build monuments to
it after loved ones die is what is most important. The funereal
accouterments spoken of in this song – the lillies, the ‘pretty words to
say’, are mingled with the idea that even these are subject to the
ravages of time, the ‘perfume of decay’.
The comfort here, the banishment of “all dismay/extinguish every
sorrow” is that the world will continue as it has done, with all the
beauty to be found in it. In this sense, the sentiment in this tune is
the same as that in Laura Nyro’s “And When I Die” although in this case,
humanity is not a given. In this song, with sweetly arranged cello,
violin, and viola shrouding Costello’s low voice that carries its
hymn-like melody, it’s the singing of the birds which is the constant,
not the birth of children. Maybe this singing is the music of an
otherwise silent world which has seen humanity come and go – strengths,
foibles, and all.
Death is Not The End – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Interpretation is everything, kids.
And in this song, written by Bob Dylan and recorded for his 1988 Down in the Groove album is given a
tweaking-by-delivery on this 1996 version by Nick Cave & the Bad
Seeds, with guest vocalists Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey, and Shane
MacGowan. The song was the closer for Cave’s Murder Ballads album, which was a series
of covers of traditional songs within that tradition.
In many ways, this song which might have been
looked upon as somewhat incongruous on an album with songs of such
violence to them. But, because of the company this song keeps, it ceases
to be about the abiding peace to be gained in the afterlife, which is
what Dylan intended it to be. The escape from the sufferings in this
life – cities on fire/with the burning flesh of men – with the hope of
moving on to another plane is removed by implication. Instead, Cave’s
take on the song promises that death is no escape at all, that the lack
of an end also extends to the suffering which is described – that death
will not be the end to that suffering. So, Cave turns the song on its
head without changing a single line, just by putting it on an album
which deals with death’s cruelty and menace rather than its role as a
transition to a removed afterlife where suffering is ended.
P.S You Rock My World – Eels
1998′s Electro-Shock Blues by Eels is a
chronicle of loss from songwriter E, otherwise known as Mark Everett,
after the deaths of several of his friends and family members in a short
span of time. In his loss, E turned to writing a concept album about
death and mourning, and this song “P.S You Rock My World” was the album
closer, and an effective conclusion of the process of getting over the
loss of loved ones and moving on.
This song is about a change in perspective with
regard to the details of one’s existence in the light of the finality of
death, that when faced with the small moments, even the unpleasant or
annoying ones, moments are a gift no matter what their nature happens to
be.
The tune represents an acknowledgment of loss, yet
also feels like light at the end of the tunnel. The deaths of those
around one in this song is not a reason to fold, but proves to be a
reason to enjoy life to its fullest, even to the point where a sense of
thankfulness is felt even when short changed at the till of a
convenience store, or while being honked at by an impatient old lady who
wants you to fix her car. The musings here are about moving forward
regardless, “taking a walk” instead of “dodging bullets”. It is one of
the most insightful, and respectful songs about the subject ever
written.
Keep Me In Your Heart – Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon knew he was dying. As a result, he was
in the position that many are not in as a songwriter in these
circumstances; he could say goodbye through song. On his final album The Wind released in 2003, Zevon does
just that. This could easily have been a “My Way”, a song of regret, or
possibly one of self-pity too.
But, this is not about the man himself. It’s about
his living friends, family, and fans; it’s a song for those left behind,
a message of love from a dying man to the people he loves and who love
him. The understanding of immortality here is one which relies on such
love, the memories and remembrence of the man as the best way to soothe
them in times of grief.
This song is not only touching because it shows
just how ready Zevon appeared to be by the end, but because we’re
reminded how connected he was to those in his life, like all of us are
to some degree. It reminds us that when someone dies, there is a hole in
our lives which we have to look to, to face in order to make sure that
the person who once filled that hole doesn’t become defined by it.
That’s the whole point of mourning. And Warren Zevon had the chance to remind
us of that in the face of his own death, making this more than just a
song to those who knew him and loved him.
***
Death; the real final frontier. Or,
maybe just a gateway to some other frontier. We really don’t know. But
what can be determined fairly well is that having to face death is
something everyone has to experience. A lot of the time, it makes no
sense at all. Sometimes, one gains a new perspective on what each
moment, each breath, is worth. Others make a fantasy out of the
possibilities of life after death.
And once again, popular song has
allowed the expression of all of these, adding dimension, meaning, and
sometimes even comfort in times of loss. A good tune often gives
substance to the old saying that it’s better to light a candle than to
curse the darkness, even if a lot of the time, we’re fumbling around in
the dark trying to find the matches.
