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Cursed Songs (Gloomy Sunday, Etc.)

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Anonymous

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Anyone have any observations on the legend of 'Gloomy Sunday'?
And furthermore, should I elaborate, or just leave people who've never heard of it wondering?

Don't go pointing me to no websites neither. I might hear it accidentally and do meself an injury.

...now you're really puzzled, huh?

No, seriously, anyone? Bueller? Anyone?
 
I remember seeing Elvis Costello performing it on TV and he seems OK. I know lots of others aren't, though. More details anyone?

Stu
 
Not really sure what you're on about, but I hate Sundays too.

Mind you, they're not a bad as they were - there are shops and pubs open in UK, unlike in the years of of my youth.
 
I guess your talking about the suicide song, didn't Billy Holliday record it, IIRC, it was banned by most radio stations.
 
Getting away from the song, I often find Sunday afternoons and evenings rather depressing - probably the thought of the approaching Monday morning accounts for that feeling.

Carole
 
Judge for yourself.

s a m m l e w i s l y r i c s

Sunday is gloomy
My hours are slumberless
Dearest the shadows
I live with are numberless
Little white flowers
Will never awaken you
Not where the black coach
Of sorrow has taken you
Angels have no thoughts
Of ever returning you
Would they be angry
If I thought of joining you?
Gloomy Sunday

Gloomy is Sunday
With shadows I spend it all
My heart and I
Have decided to end it all
Soon there'll be candles
And prayers that are said I know
But let them not weep
Let them know that I'm glad to go
Death is no dream
For in death I'm caressing you
With the last breath of my soul
I'll be blessing you

Gloomy Sunday

Dreaming, I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you asleep
In the deep of my heart here
Darling I hope
That my dream never haunted you
My heart is telling you
How much I wanted you

Gloomy Sunday

Sorry Dan.




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I've listened to Marc Almond's rendition many times and I'm just fine. I think.
I thought the stories were all just publicity, anyway.
 
Oh cheers Younger. I've just slammed my head in the cupboard door one hundred and fifteen times, as a result of reading those lyrics.

Anyway, feeling more charitable: for those unaware, GS is a legendary tune which apparently induces violently self destructive acts on those who hear it (or, in one alleged case, simply reading the sheet music). Is there any truth in the story that the BBC banned it?

Didn't Norman Wisdom do a version?
 
composer

I seem to recall reading, more years ago than I care to remember,
that the composer enjoyed brief [ie. a matter of days] success before
deep-throating a gun-barrel. I think he might have been Hungarian. Any
elaboration?
 
DanHigginbottom said:
Didn't Norman Wisdom do a version?
Click to expand...

Wish he had:

"Mr Grimsdaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh"

OK, back OT: yes, I believe he did, in another of his ill-advised "oh look, such pathos, the clown can cry too" attempts.

"Don't laugh at me..." - alright then.

Back OT again: yes, I remember the sheet music thing, and that it was even banned from being aired on the radio in the States.

Stu
 
Re: composer

Rob M said:
I seem to recall reading, more years ago than I care to remember,
that the composer enjoyed brief [ie. a matter of days] success before
deep-throating a gun-barrel. I think he might have been Hungarian. Any
elaboration?
Click to expand...


Gloomy Sunday - the notorious 'suicide song' - was written in 1933. Its melody and original lyrics were created by Rezsô Seress, a self-taught pianist and composer born in Hungary in 1899.
The crushing hopelessness and bitter despair which characterised the two stanza penned by Seress were superseded by the more mournful, melancholic verses of Hungarian poet László Jávor.

When the song came to public attention it soon earned a reputation as the 'suicide song'. Several reports from Hungary alleged individuals had taken their lives after listening to the haunting melody or that the lyrics had been left with their last letters.

A third stanza with a dreamy twist was added in an attempt to alleviate the pessemistic tone. The suicide reputation remained.

The three stanza were translated into English by Sam M. Lewis. It was his version of the song which was to become the most widely recorded.

As the popularity of the song grew, courtesy of releases by Artie Shaw (1940) and Billie Holiday (1941), so grew concerns about its effect. The song was banned from the playlists of major radio broadcasters around the world. The B.B.C. deemed it too depressing for the airwaves.

Despite the bans, Gloomy Sunday continued to be recorded and sold.

People continued to buy the recordings; some committed suicide.

Rezsô Seress jumped to his death from his flat in 1968.




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So which version does everyone recommend ? I have a list on kazaa but there are several artists . Mostly women singers .
 
I downloaded a Bjork version that was nice, all strings and a trumpet
 
I got the Billie Holliday version . brilliant , all old and crackly . Moving but not actually depressing IMO .
 
I've got the Artie Shaw version somewhere. I recall thinking it rather too upbeat.
 
Sarah McLachlan has a version which is quite nice. I've Billie's version of the song too, and it has this haunting quality to it, but it's not going to induce suicide in anyone who isn't already chronically depressed, has hit rock bottom and has started to dig. I think it's all hype, Dan. As far as I can tell, yes, the original Hungarian writer of the song committed suicide some time after penning the song, and several Hungarians allegedly committed suicide whilst leaving the lyrics in their final goodbye notes (no pun intended). The rest was hype and sensation. I think if you're in a pretty decent, healthy fram of mind, go ahead and listen to the song and make up your own mind about it.

Sorry to do this to you, Dan (since you so expressly asked me not to!) but here's the Snopeserization on the story.
 
Versions of Gloomy Sunday

There's a version by "The Associates" and one by Marianne Faithful also.
 
The poster accepts no liabilty for mental or physical injury

Hmm...

this half-remembered story was what struck chords of recognition when I watched "The Ring".

Anyway this page has downloadable MP3's of at least 30 modern artists' versions of the song.

Whereas
this site (written by a hungarian but available in english as well) documents the history of the song including the original hungarian lyrics, sheetmusic and many newspaper clippings.

Enjoy (or not as the case may be).
 
DanHigginbottom said:
Anyway, feeling more charitable: for those unaware, GS is a legendary tune which apparently induces violently self destructive acts on those who hear it
Click to expand...
No, that would be 'Keep on Moving' by S Club Seven
 
I found the Lydia Lunch version to be quite beautiful. I haven’t heard the other versions so I can’t really compare. Her soft American tone kind of gives it a bitter sweet feeling… It’s still a very sad song. No wonder people who have “decided to end it all” choose to go out with this song echoing in their minds.

If you’re going to do it you might as well be enjoying some fitting music.

MX
 
Billie Holliday, without a doubt the best and most haunting version. I absolutely love that song.
 
'Strange Fruit' by Billie Holliday was a song I always found very unnverving, even before I knew what it meant.

Aren't there a whole bunch of ULs about goth/heavy metal/etc songs inspiring teen suicides? Marilyn Manson often gets a mention.
 
Wastrel said:
'Strange Fruit' by Billie Holliday was a song I always found very unnverving, even before I knew what it meant.
Click to expand...

Ooh yes, shivers down the spine jobby!

Sinead O'Connor does a good cover of Gloomy Sunday as well.
 
dead flag said:
I've listened to Marc Almond's rendition many times and I'm just fine. I think.
Click to expand...

What album has the Marc Almond version?
 
Gloomy sunday

Gloomy Sunday is the title of a movie with the song and its theme intact. It is currently playing in a movie theatre in New Zealand for over a year without being replaced by another movie because it is 'popular' it is made by a european company and it is set in Hungary.

Lazlo (as a character) is one of the three main actors in the movie.
See it.
 
Not really relevant to this song (which I've never heard), but its a pet hate of mine when people refer to the BBC (usually, but any other organisation I guess) 'banning' something simply because they choose not to play it.

Its just tabloid terminology, and very misleading.

There's a hell of a lot of music out there, and as most big radio stations work on a 'play list' system, they have to choose a very limited sub set of 'all music' which they are going to play. Everything outside of this sub set is not neccessarily 'banned'. I very much doubt that many records are ever banned by the BBC, but plenty don't make it onto the current playlists, and the publicists for those records like to say they are banned in order to generate publicity and record sales.
 
Gloomy Sunday

It does have the song in it idiot!

Lazll comes up with the song, gets it published while working in the restaurant. The suicides in Hungary start with the invasion by Germany (world war two).

He is overcome by the song and kills himself. the restranteur is killed in the genocide, and the lady survives to finally kill the german soldier. Thte song is played in the movie, featured in the movie and is written about by the movie.
 
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