Nihilistic Music

[dr_mabeuse]

If you want to go back a ways, try anything by Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground.

Heroin, despair, and nihilism.

Leonard Cohen. I think it was called "Suzanne". Leonard Cohen had a vocal range of three notes and he uses them all here to a most depressing effect.

And how about the Beatles' "Helter Skelter"? It worked for Charles Manson.

Can't forget the Lizard King either. Try the Doors' "The End".

I might also put on a little Tom Waits if you can stand to hear him sing. Nails on a blackboard ain't half of it.

--Zoot

 

[Guest]

For a change of pace, (less metal)

My Parties - Dire Straits

Must Not Be Drinkin' Enough - Don Henly

 

[fogbank]

I've actually got a nihilist playlist on my computer. It includes:

Sweet Nothing -- Velvet Underground
Early Morning Rain -- Gordon Lightfoot
East Hastings -- Godspeed You Black Emporer
18 Dogs -- Hank Dogs
Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation -- Joe Henry

 

[Huckleman2000]

Okay, here's a really strange bunch of songs, but they're all really different styles, so something just might fit:

D.O.A., Bloodrock (the sirens really spooked us out in high school, but I can't remember the tune)

A Simple Desultory Philipic, Simon and Garfunkel (hehehe - includes the spoken line "And when you're talkin' 'bout Dylan, he thinks you're talkin' 'bout Dylan Thomas, whoever he was...the man ain't got no culture!")

Alison, Elvis Costello ("Oh Alison, my aim is true." sounds nihilistic to me.)

Several songs from Jesus Christ, Superstar, though they may be a bit overwrought: Heaven on Their Minds (Judas), Herod's song (the ragtime number, "So, you are the Christ, yes, the great Jesus Christ? Prove to me that you're no fool, walk across my swimming pool....")

When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin

Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd ( I once sent a woman an email during a particularly boring afternoon at work. the subject line was "Ahhhhhhhhhhh-iiiiiiiii have become" and the message was "comfortably numb." I thought it was hilarious! she didn't....) Welcome to the Machine, too.

Locomotive Breath, Jethro Tull (also Aqualung)

Hey hey, My my; Neil Young

Can't Find My Way Home, Blind Faith (and many others - Traffic might have done it first)

If I Had a Rocket Launcher, Bruce Cockburn

Godless, The Dandy Warhols

The Last Time I Saw Richard, Joni Mitchell

Geez, I think I'm going to go curl up under the covers for awhile...