Top 20 MORE Happy Sounding Songs That Are Actually Depressing

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  • čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
  • Never judge a book by its cover or a song by its sound. For this list, we’ll be looking at noteworthy tracks that seem light until you take a closer look at the lyrics. Our countdown of happy-sounding songs that are actually depressing includes “Time Will Crawl”, “Walkin’ on the Sun”, “Buddy Holly”, “This Is America”, "Paper Planes", and more! Did we forget another song that’s much darker under the surface? Let us know in the comments below.
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    #Music
    #Songs
    #Happy
    #Depressing
    #Pop
    #PopMusic
    #Rock
    #Rap
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Komentáře • 674

  • @WatchMojo
    @WatchMojo  Před 10 měsíci +35

    Did we forget another song that’s much darker under the surface? Let us know in the comments below.
    For more content like this, click here: czcams.com/video/0mFBGESuuF8/video.html
    Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm and 8pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

    • @danielsantiagourtado3430
      @danielsantiagourtado3430 Před 10 měsíci +3

      Always prefer happy music

    • @redjed100
      @redjed100 Před 10 měsíci +3

      I know you mentioned “Blinding Lights,” but The Weeknd’s catalog is full of tracks that fit this topic. I personally think that “Gasoline” is one of the darker ones from him that I’ve heard, given its clear allusions to outright hedonistic nihilism, as well as the notion that he’s just hanging on for the next night to the extent that if he dies, it won’t mean much to him. Heck, the whole album it’s on is supposed to sound like the radio station you hear when you’re in purgatory.

    • @zoelindwall637
      @zoelindwall637 Před 10 měsíci +3

      Abcdef vampire viva la vida I see fire castaway runway cruel summer Taylor swift Version shooting in the stars from sonic 2 Beverly Hills I’ll try what I was made for

    • @mlpartclub412
      @mlpartclub412 Před 10 měsíci +5

      Top 20 sad sounding songs that are actually happy, please?
      Example:
      What a wonderful world by Loui Armstrong.

    • @Mrmjr80
      @Mrmjr80 Před 10 měsíci +7

      Pumped up kicks should’ve made top 5 on the list.

  • @evanglotzer2987
    @evanglotzer2987 Před 10 měsíci +24

    You mean to tell me a song called "Rehab" is actually depressing? I'm stunned.

  • @brianswanigan9891
    @brianswanigan9891 Před 10 měsíci +72

    R.E.M’s “The one I love“ is sometimes played at weddings but the meaning is the exact opposite of what weddings stand for, abandoning someone.

    • @baarni
      @baarni Před 10 měsíci +15

      I had Time of your life by Green Day playing at my wedding only to find out some time later that the actual name of the song is Good Riddance 😬 Suffice it to say we are no longer married 🤦

    • @fnjesusfreak
      @fnjesusfreak Před 10 měsíci +6

      "A simple prop to occupy my time"

    • @laurabeane8862
      @laurabeane8862 Před 10 měsíci +12

      Back in the day, it was "Run to You", by Bryan Adams. "She's got a heart of gold that could never die. That would change if she ever found about You and I" Nothing says "Wedding Song"more than how much you yearn for your Side Piece😮

    • @brianswanigan9891
      @brianswanigan9891 Před 10 měsíci +1

      @@laurabeane8862 yeah, I love that song but it has bad recent memories for me.

    • @ajblaze7028
      @ajblaze7028 Před 9 měsíci +2

      @@baarniI’m sorry for that but why’d I think that was the funniest thing ever😅

  • @MacHamish
    @MacHamish Před 10 měsíci +35

    ABBA members mentioned in an interview years ago that much of their music was a product of seasonal depression that many from their Northern country face during the long winters.

    • @TR-sk8hf
      @TR-sk8hf Před 3 měsíci

      Hence Swedish Death Metal,do love me some ABBA.

  • @kendra.1
    @kendra.1 Před 10 měsíci +39

    Bitter Sweet Symphony is such a great song. The strings, the message in it. Just wonderful.

  • @ShadowSora8491
    @ShadowSora8491 Před 10 měsíci +48

    I can't remember if this was on a previous list, but Who Knew by P!nk. It has an upbeat melody, and sounds like a love song on the surface, but it's actually about a friend of hers who lost his life to addiction.
    Another song that comes to mind is Together Again by Janet Jackson, which has an upbeat dance pop sound, with the lyrics being inspired by her losing a friend to AIDS, and some fan mail from a boy who lost his dad.

    • @JENNIFAFAA
      @JENNIFAFAA Před 9 měsíci +1

      I thought it was about her divorce not her friends addiction.. also, it’s a fairly sad song

  • @Riza1890
    @Riza1890 Před 10 měsíci +34

    99 Luft Balloons by Nena (1984): an upbeat song about an accidental nuclear war.

    • @d4r7h3b3r
      @d4r7h3b3r Před 5 měsíci +6

      Which was covered near the end of the first video.

    • @gloria88246
      @gloria88246 Před 3 měsíci +2

      that was on part 1 video, luv that song

    • @weegie18
      @weegie18 Před 3 měsíci +2

      It was on thier first list,

  • @trinaq
    @trinaq Před 10 měsíci +85

    What, so MMMBOP isn't about being young and having fun, but is instead about how most relationships are fleeting, and growing older?! 🤯

    • @miquebts
      @miquebts Před 10 měsíci +15

      Mmmbop = how fast life goes away, how it changes in a blink of an eye

    • @wendyodell356
      @wendyodell356 Před 10 měsíci +5

      It doesn't matter what it's about. It's one damn catchy song! I love it and it's way after my time. This was my eldest child's era.
      P.S. Have you heard it sung by them lately? It's one of those songs that gets better with age or with more mature voices 🎶❤️‍🔥🎤👏☺️💐

    • @katiejiles4764
      @katiejiles4764 Před 10 měsíci +3

      Do you remember their song, "Where Did Johnny Go?" Now THAT one was dark/sad... but it was honestly my favorite of theirs.

    • @cryingbananajo
      @cryingbananajo Před 10 měsíci

      It was three girls singing? 😱

    • @fnjesusfreak
      @fnjesusfreak Před 10 měsíci +4

      "in an mmmbop they're gone"

  • @davidpumpkinsjr.5108
    @davidpumpkinsjr.5108 Před 10 měsíci +30

    For more than 40 years now, fratboys and Parrotheads have been holding up "Margaritaville" as the ultimate party anthem, a celebration of the hard-drinking, hard-partying beach life. If you listen to the lyrics (while sober), it's from the perspective of a man whose hard-drinking, hard-partying beach life has left him old, drunk and alone and slowly realizing that it is his own fault. To his credit, Jimmy Buffett has tried to set the record straight here, but no one has been listening to him. I guess it's just too catchy.

    • @dicksonfranssen
      @dicksonfranssen Před 10 měsíci +5

      It's only catchy until you need a new liver.

    • @patrickn8355
      @patrickn8355 Před 9 měsíci

      I mean "wasted away again in margaritaville....but I know, it's only my fault" seems pretty self explanatory 😂

    • @BarryHart-xo1oy
      @BarryHart-xo1oy Před 9 měsíci

      Thank you for pointing this out.

  • @andrewmcnamara6305
    @andrewmcnamara6305 Před 10 měsíci +21

    According to TV Tropes this list would be an example of 'Lyrical Dissonance."

    • @trinaq
      @trinaq Před 10 měsíci +6

      Haha, that's true. Great to meet a fellow troper!

    • @your_local_questerian
      @your_local_questerian Před 10 měsíci +2

      ​@trinaq I don't go on there often but I browse there a lot!

  • @RoShaSam
    @RoShaSam Před 10 měsíci +29

    'Luka' by Suzanne Vega should be added. It's actually a song about a child being abused. 'Just Feel Better' by Santana is also another one. It pulled me through some rough days.

    • @FeernChan
      @FeernChan Před 9 měsíci +3

      disagree, Luka had a very sad, nostalgic melody that makes the song sound pretty obvious it isn't about something happy. (amazing song tho)

    • @helvetico18
      @helvetico18 Před 8 měsíci +3

      Well, there's nothing "happy sounding" on Luka... Actually on none of Suzanne Vega songs lol

  • @The_Obvious_Solution
    @The_Obvious_Solution Před 10 měsíci +29

    Really surprised to not see Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life". That's poppy as hell, but kinda dark.

    • @Tazza81
      @Tazza81 Před 9 měsíci +3

      It was in the first list they did

    • @BLVCKSEA
      @BLVCKSEA Před 9 měsíci +1

      That song was low key about meth addiction

    • @SnarfSnarf2
      @SnarfSnarf2 Před 9 měsíci +3

      The cover of that song by Dance Gavin Dance is even better

    • @nirmalsuki
      @nirmalsuki Před 9 měsíci +2

      @@BLVCKSEA Not low key... It was explicitly about Meth Addiction.

  • @kelleyk28
    @kelleyk28 Před 10 měsíci +17

    The sad part is that after No Rain came out, the lead singer committed suicide. It was very sad to hear about.

  • @joshuamohlman
    @joshuamohlman Před 10 měsíci +23

    When I first heard Copacabana, I was shocked that such a dark story was being sung by such an fun and catchy beat

    • @familyoftacticaldroids309
      @familyoftacticaldroids309 Před 10 měsíci +2

      Same. I honestly never really paid attention to lyrics much as a kid (still tend to not to as an adult, but also nowadays listen to songs that aren't in English, LOL) but after listening to the words somewhere, I was like "Wait". xD

  • @shepshape2585
    @shepshape2585 Před 10 měsíci +53

    The first song I think of when I think of songs that most people think is a happy song but is really and truly dark is Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People. Very catchy, happy sounding song...all about the mass shooting at Columbine High School.

    • @TheTrumpReaper
      @TheTrumpReaper Před 10 měsíci +6

      Pumped Up Kicks is a beautiful song with horrifying lyrics.

    • @bjk3054
      @bjk3054 Před 9 měsíci +5

      First one that came ro mind for me.

    • @RabblesTheBinx
      @RabblesTheBinx Před 9 měsíci +4

      It wasn't specifically about Columbine, just about a violent, isolated, psychotic kid.

    • @AliceBowie
      @AliceBowie Před 9 měsíci

      Really? Thanks for cracking the case, Kojak!

    • @AngeliqueStP
      @AngeliqueStP Před 9 měsíci +4

      It think it really holds the same place as 'I Don't Like Mondays' did 'back in the day'... both dealing with school shooters. (IMO)

  • @mayleeneyarbough-noel5859
    @mayleeneyarbough-noel5859 Před 10 měsíci +15

    Selena Quintanilla’s “Cómo La Flor” is super upbeat in terms of music, but is about a breakup that leaves the singer devastated and very hurt

  • @kittykathy9532
    @kittykathy9532 Před 10 měsíci +14

    Amy Winehouse was so talented and left us too early. So many talented people left us due to addiction.😢

  • @Sueberry20101
    @Sueberry20101 Před 9 měsíci +11

    I'm not sure if you mentioned this song in another video, but one song that comes to my mind is " Cats In The Cradle" - having lyrics like " when you coming home dad" "I don't know when but we'll get together then, you know we'll have a good time then."

    • @Jah_LEASE_yah
      @Jah_LEASE_yah Před 3 měsíci

      Cats in the Cradle doesn’t really sound happy though.

    • @Sueberry20101
      @Sueberry20101 Před 3 měsíci

      Before I really listened to the lyrics I didn't exactly feel happy or sad, I just remember that the references to nursery rhymes got my attention. That's why I mentioned it. @@Jah_LEASE_yah

  • @mellinda81
    @mellinda81 Před 9 měsíci +10

    Us Hanson fans knew the true meaning of Mmmbop while we were teenagers but now that we’re in our later 30s-early 40s it takes on a new meaning. Glad I’ve stuck with Hanson even though the record industry didn’t know what to do with them. They are amazing musicians with profound lyrics that they have continued to make as independent artists.

  • @hannahlowe794
    @hannahlowe794 Před 10 měsíci +68

    Hearing Rebecca sing at the end in a carefree, funny manner is just…a phenomenal and enjoyable surprise. I was all for it. Thanks for the laughs at the end, Rebecca. You’re the best.

    • @matthewvorwald7169
      @matthewvorwald7169 Před 10 měsíci +7

      Absolutely. I wanna see Watchmojo do a video where we see Rebecca and the Watchmojo team sing songs. That would be amazing.

    • @hannahlowe794
      @hannahlowe794 Před 10 měsíci +3

      @@matthewvorwald7169 Yeah, that's genius!!

    • @TheTonyahawk
      @TheTonyahawk Před 10 měsíci +3

      Agreed nice ending

    • @WatchMojo
      @WatchMojo  Před 10 měsíci +3

    • @Friendship1nmillion
      @Friendship1nmillion Před 9 měsíci

      ​@@WatchMojoIt's SO IRONIC about Born in the USA as it was used on inmates as torture on loop at Guantanamo Bay . ♑️✍️🇳🇴🇦🇺

  • @Heather_no_numbers
    @Heather_no_numbers Před 10 měsíci +59

    The first song that comes to mind when i think happy but sad is Paint It, Black by the Rolling Stones. The melody and instruments make it sound beachy/surfy but it is about a man who lost his wife or girlfriend in a car accident and he cant take the sight of happiness or the color red so he feels everything has to be painted black. It could be argued that maybe he is upset and bothered by the sight of people going around like being happy so again, he wants everything painted black.

    • @CandyCadet777
      @CandyCadet777 Před 10 měsíci +5

      How? The lyrics scream sad song and the rythm is slower and more grim

    • @babyfaceaviator7862
      @babyfaceaviator7862 Před 10 měsíci +6

      how in the hell is that a happy song?

    • @IamGenoBlack
      @IamGenoBlack Před 10 měsíci +2

      That's not at all happy sounding lol

    • @Heather_no_numbers
      @Heather_no_numbers Před 10 měsíci +2

      Oh, i guess i got distracted with the melody too much then.@@IamGenoBlack

    • @IamGenoBlack
      @IamGenoBlack Před 10 měsíci +4

      @@Heather_no_numbers I am not attacking you by any means. Music is subjective and up to individual interpolation. My take is Paint it Black is downright sinister. More morbid than happy. It is fast but not necessarily upbeat. Happy sounding would be like Canned Heat, Goin up the Country or similar? Again subjective.

  • @larryk731
    @larryk731 Před 10 měsíci +12

    Springsteen performed Born in the USA at MSG in a properly depressing slow way in 2000 - one of the best performances of this song ever.

  • @LMacNeill
    @LMacNeill Před 9 měsíci +6

    Glad y'all got Copa Cabana in here -- I was a kid when that song came out, and I always wondered why people loved that song so much when it told such a depressing story. It was like no one else could hear it but me.

  • @trinaq
    @trinaq Před 10 měsíci +37

    Wow, I remember happily singing along with "Walkin on the Sun", completely oblivious to the subtext of the Rodney King race riots. Talk about mind blowing! 🤯

    • @esteemedmortal5917
      @esteemedmortal5917 Před 10 měsíci +4

      I mostly associate it with the trailer for the movie ‘Wag the Dog’ about politicians creating a fake war to distract from domestic issues. So perhaps not the right source of cynicism but it got the flavor across.

  • @martyfarrell392
    @martyfarrell392 Před 10 měsíci +10

    "Wonderful" by Everclear always comes to mind when this subject comes up

    • @miquebts
      @miquebts Před 10 měsíci

      Isn't life wonderful?

    • @bethbattjes6223
      @bethbattjes6223 Před 10 měsíci

      Love that song. I know deep down the song is about Divorce.

  • @AutumnGemKitty
    @AutumnGemKitty Před 10 měsíci +27

    I used to think "Hoilday" was a fun track because of the feature of the song on the Surf's Up soundtrack along with Welcome to Paradise. That was my introduction to Green Day's music, and now looking back at it,
    I was like "How can a song be so dark, yet have good beats?"

    • @mzspargo
      @mzspargo Před 10 měsíci +2

      I think the juxtaposition of holiday going directly into boulevard of broken dreams is magical. Both songs are dark, but one is uptempo and one is not.

    • @pattierotondo1108
      @pattierotondo1108 Před 9 měsíci

      Holiday is WAY more accurate today than when it was written.

  • @thealextrifier
    @thealextrifier Před 10 měsíci +18

    i kinda figured Blinding Lights, my favorite song of all time, would be on this list after hearing the words 'i can't sleep until i feel your touch.'

    • @Nimrodgreenday
      @Nimrodgreenday Před 10 měsíci +2

      My Least Favorite Abel song

    • @zoelindwall637
      @zoelindwall637 Před 10 měsíci +1

      @@Nimrodgreenday blinding lights and the the song from the creepy spider movie song made me stop listening to Abel- the weekend music for ever because of too much repetitive notes and uncomfortable lyrics

  • @patrickadams7120
    @patrickadams7120 Před 10 měsíci +16

    Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
    ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
    Guns n Roses - Welcome To The Jungle
    Pink - Just Like A Pill
    Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood

    • @JamesDavy2009
      @JamesDavy2009 Před 10 měsíci

      Choirboys - Run to Paradise

    • @naeemjamil3267
      @naeemjamil3267 Před 9 měsíci

      Dont Worry Be Happy - Bobby Mcferrin

    • @user-bm5jx2ye2p
      @user-bm5jx2ye2p Před 4 měsíci

      What is the meaning behind go your own way and welcome to the jungle

  • @DryBones271
    @DryBones271 Před 10 měsíci +14

    Mamma Mia is what Mario says when he screws up.

  • @Asher0208
    @Asher0208 Před 10 měsíci +83

    Abba (the best pop group ever) sang a lot of songs that sound bright and cheerful but are actually sad if you listen to the words.

    • @trinaq
      @trinaq Před 10 měsíci +8

      Agreed, Ring Ring is very cheery, but implies that the person on the other end won't call the narrator back, for whatever reason or another.

    • @mackdee911h3
      @mackdee911h3 Před 10 měsíci +6

      Fernando, though

    • @julianaylor4351
      @julianaylor4351 Před 10 měsíci +12

      Particularly when Bjorn wrote The Winner Take It All on about his divorce to Agnetha.

    • @Asher0208
      @Asher0208 Před 10 měsíci +6

      @@julianaylor4351 I totally agree with you

    • @jessicademumbrum2386
      @jessicademumbrum2386 Před 10 měsíci +9

      Frida wrote about her divorce, and splits the kids: it was Knowing Me, Knowing You.

  • @Tysonator1000
    @Tysonator1000 Před 10 měsíci +23

    If the song names Rehab or Bittersweet Symphony didn't clue you into their depressing lyrics, I don't know what to say to you. Most of these were pretty obvious.

    • @katiejiles4764
      @katiejiles4764 Před 10 měsíci +4

      I will always think of Cruel Intentions and the sad ending when I hear, Bittersweet Symphony. I LOVE that song.

    • @Tysonator1000
      @Tysonator1000 Před 10 měsíci +3

      @@katiejiles4764 Same.

    • @NYChica23
      @NYChica23 Před 10 měsíci +2

      For real...you'd think the fact that a song is called Rehab would already be a big giveaway that this won't be a sunshine and rainbows song

    • @1891kmk
      @1891kmk Před 9 měsíci

      @@katiejiles4764yes a forgotten gem

  • @joermnyc
    @joermnyc Před 10 měsíci +129

    I think Ronald Regan was the first to try to use Born in the USA and Bruce had to give him a hard NO. Someone should make politicians read the lyrics of the songs they want to use at campaign events.

    • @caronstout354
      @caronstout354 Před 10 měsíci +7

      "45" just found this out when someone used "Only In America" at an political appearance...

    • @momtammy3563
      @momtammy3563 Před 10 měsíci +8

      I have always been amused by the attempt Ed Koch made to adopt Born To Run as NYC 's theme song.
      Because "Baby this town rips the bones from your back" is at least as inspiring as "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere ", right?

    • @mholtebeck
      @mholtebeck Před 10 měsíci

      I can't see how that would be considered a Patriotic Song. There is no nuance about it. It's- we f-ed up by ignoring those who risked their lives for BS war.

    • @kenhawkins1033
      @kenhawkins1033 Před 10 měsíci +21

      Someone should make the politicians read the bills that they pass into law as well! In their entirety!

    • @ryanironheart4154
      @ryanironheart4154 Před 10 měsíci

      But then we wouldn't have seen Trump and MAGA followers dancing to YMCA. Clearly they have no clue (or don't care) about the song's history and undertone message...otherwise they are being Woke for attempting to be inclusive.

  • @matthewstone5310
    @matthewstone5310 Před 10 měsíci +9

    On an episode of "Roseanne," she and her sister Jackie (played by Laurie Metcalfe) are talking about the song "Run For Your Life" by The Beatles. In particular, the lyric about he "would rather see her dead than with another man." To which Roseanne replied: "That's all them wife-beaters need is an anthem!" I was a teenager when that first aired in the '90's. It was probably the first negative thing I ever heard anyone say about The Beatles. Well, someone who was a fan of them first, that is.

    • @julianaylor4351
      @julianaylor4351 Před 10 měsíci +4

      It's the nasty side of John Lennon.

    • @jban4457
      @jban4457 Před 10 měsíci +3

      Here's a piece of Roseanne trivia: In season one episode 10 titled Saturday, Roseanne's real life husband Bill Pentland plays Dan's friend. What painful moment from that episode was a nod to a real life habit Bill Pentland often encountered?

    • @fnjesusfreak
      @fnjesusfreak Před 10 měsíci +3

      @@julianaylor4351 On the plus side, at least he owned up to it later.

    • @kenhawkins1033
      @kenhawkins1033 Před 10 měsíci +6

      ​@julianaylor4351 In the epic Rolling Stone interview, John openly stated he'd always hated that song. If memory serves, he said he had written in response to, or with the influence of, something Bob Dylan had done at that time. Too many years have passed to recall the details. The song Help could have been included on this list as well.

  • @claressalucas8922
    @claressalucas8922 Před 10 měsíci +4

    Any list including Barry Manilow gets my thumbs up!!

  • @dinocub1
    @dinocub1 Před 10 měsíci +6

    Surprised a few exceptional songs were left off this list
    1. Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls - TLC should have been near the top.
    2. Lily Allen's - F you. (brilliant commentary on G W Bush)
    3. Goodbye Earl - The Chicks. Seriously...such an upbeat song with such a dark message.
    Funny how many (not all) on your list were "one hit wonders". Seems the flame burned too brightly with creativity for them to last. Good memories tho.

  • @waittillfamewtf2385
    @waittillfamewtf2385 Před 10 měsíci +12

    "If It Makes You Happy" (1996)
    🗿 Sheryl Crow

  • @CowboyVII
    @CowboyVII Před 10 měsíci +3

    Being from the "More Than A Feeling" era, thanks for this "Darker Meaning soundtrack!

  • @HDitzzDH
    @HDitzzDH Před 9 měsíci +7

    Interesting how OutKasts ”Hey Ya” didn’t make the list, it’s probably the most known example of a very happy-sounding song that has depressing lyrics.

  • @heidifedor
    @heidifedor Před 10 měsíci +5

    The Monkees, “Last Train to Clarksville” is a peppy song about a guy going off to Vietnam.

  • @janellekent7081
    @janellekent7081 Před 10 měsíci +4

    What about "BAD BAD LEROY BROWN" By Jim Croce? it's got the same vibe as "Copacabana" By Barry Manilow. It's about a mean man who falls in love with a gangsters wife, & is murdered. (Well the line is, "He looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone")

  • @marissamay8527
    @marissamay8527 Před 10 měsíci +10

    Honorable Mentions:
    * "Big Leage" (1988) Tom Cochrane
    * "Wonderful" (2000) Everclear
    * "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) Rupert Everett
    * "Kings Of The Weekend" (2016) Blink-182
    * "London Calling" (1979) The Clash

    • @dicksonfranssen
      @dicksonfranssen Před 10 měsíci +3

      Escape had to be the dumbest. You're both cheating on each other?

    • @marissamay8527
      @marissamay8527 Před 10 měsíci +5

      @@dicksonfranssen It's stupid yes, but it does have catchy hook.

    • @NYChica23
      @NYChica23 Před 10 měsíci +2

      The Clash could fill up about half this list on their own, because Rock the Casbah is also in that same category of happy sounding songs with pretty depressing lyrics

    • @JamesDavy2009
      @JamesDavy2009 Před 10 měsíci +2

      "Run To Paradise" (1988) The Choirboys

    • @megg1854
      @megg1854 Před 10 měsíci +2

      They are both looking elsewhere only to find each other. “I never knew that you liked piña coladas…” Maybe talk to each other? But, people love the song. Not me! 👎🏻

  • @alexloche4166
    @alexloche4166 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days. Looking at the lyrics on this song with its lovely beat.....they are very dark

  • @derpycow3916
    @derpycow3916 Před 10 měsíci +3

    Idk if it’s on here but “come dancing” by the kinks is about the singers sister who died on his birthday

  • @diligentsun1154
    @diligentsun1154 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Let me stop you, right here, for a second.
    That 'more than a feeling' song, by Boston, Rocks SO Hard!!!
    I've been In Love with it, since the late 80s!
    Ok.
    You may proceed...

  • @lp-xl9ld
    @lp-xl9ld Před 10 měsíci +4

    With "Copacabana", "Big Yellow Taxi", and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", I got what was really going on the first time I heard them. "More Than a Feeling" took a while.

  • @reginasuangco8563
    @reginasuangco8563 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Any list including Hanson gets my thumbs up!!

  • @glennstarkey7087
    @glennstarkey7087 Před 10 měsíci +8

    Still say margaritaville belongs here a breezy beach ballad....about an alcoholic in a downward spiral who comes to realize he has no one to blame but himself...and still keeps drinking
    Good times!!!!

  • @theraptorus
    @theraptorus Před 10 měsíci +3

    Can’t believe that they didn’t include Timbuk3’s “Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”

  • @EsmeAmelia
    @EsmeAmelia Před 9 měsíci +2

    There's also "Independence Day" by Martina McBride. It sounds like a cheery holiday tune, but it's about an alcoholic mother who burns her house down.

  • @familyoftacticaldroids309
    @familyoftacticaldroids309 Před 10 měsíci +13

    At least "Star Wars Cantina" doesn't end on a sad note, right? ;)
    For those who don't know, it's Weird Al's version of Coca Cabana. :P
    (also now wondering if my dad knows about some of his fave songs, such as Holiday, being actually rather jacked up emotion wise. :P He also likes the Beatles so I wonder if he knows about this one, LOL)
    Also for those asking about Pumped Up Kicks, it was used in Mojo's previous list regarding this same theme. This is a continued list, so it will not be mentioned again here.

    • @familyoftacticaldroids309
      @familyoftacticaldroids309 Před 10 měsíci +2

      Also, I've a suggestion if you've not done it yet, Mojo: Top music genres that may sound wholesome or easy to listen to but actually contain dark/depressing songs. Or can just be "contain more dark/depressing songs than you think".
      At my job site, I found that country music - when not singing about nature or a truck or some vehicle - tends to have more stuff about going to prison, a runaway girl, breakups, death, addiction, etc.
      I personally hate country, so I never engage with it (aside from Cotton Eyed Joe), and didn't even realize that most of the songs played are about something that may not be expected of the genre (I admit it, I expected horses, nature, and farmer stuff, lol).

    • @esteemedmortal5917
      @esteemedmortal5917 Před 10 měsíci

      Honestly, those are the lyrics that come to mind when I hear that tune 😂

  • @mistermattmoose
    @mistermattmoose Před 10 měsíci +3

    i remember watching sesame street with my son when he was about 4 (he's 31 now) and they did a song about life on a farm. the singing muppet had scraggly hair, jeans, a white t shirt and a hanky sticking out out his back pocket. the song? "barn in the u.s.a."

  • @B-Mag
    @B-Mag Před 10 měsíci +8

    Abba pretty much cornered the market on songs like this. You could probably fill a whole list with their music

  • @dannyaraya8017
    @dannyaraya8017 Před 10 měsíci +14

    Rehab never sounded like a happy song -_-

    • @eldrindavidson6899
      @eldrindavidson6899 Před 9 měsíci

      We definitely sing it in celebration of hearing it. Maybe that's why people resonate it that way.

  • @Margann1987
    @Margann1987 Před 10 měsíci +4

    "Super Trouper" by ABBA can also be on this list. It tells the story of a disillusioned singer who seems as though life is not worth living and the only thing keeping her going is her lover.
    I would also include "Smoke from a Distant Fire" by Sanford & Townsend. It tells about a man confronting a cheating lover and essentially telling her off but with a great beat.

    • @danmccarthy4700
      @danmccarthy4700 Před 9 měsíci +1

      OMG I totally agree with Smoke from a Distant Fire. Such a good song, too.

    • @Margann1987
      @Margann1987 Před 9 měsíci

      @@danmccarthy4700 Absolutely! 😊

  • @DBCDude01
    @DBCDude01 Před 10 měsíci +4

    What about Spin Doctors' "Two Princes?"

  • @IrinaRGuerrera
    @IrinaRGuerrera Před 10 měsíci +12

    There is not a single Sublime or Linkin Park song that is not depressing, and that is why I love them to death.

    • @hprotz6600
      @hprotz6600 Před 9 měsíci

      The Messenger by LP is actually very uplifting. "When life leaves us blind, love keeps us kind." But in general, yeah their stuff is very heavy.

    • @rcdune7132
      @rcdune7132 Před 9 měsíci

      Damn near every Sublime song is about heroin haha

  • @michelecollin6150
    @michelecollin6150 Před 10 měsíci +39

    I would have included Hallelujah - it's actually about the breakdown of a relationship, but people keep playing it at weddings.

    • @familyoftacticaldroids309
      @familyoftacticaldroids309 Před 10 měsíci +10

      That song doesn't even sound happy to me at all, if it's the same one I'm thinking of. It makes me cry, no matter who sings it!

    • @Heather_no_numbers
      @Heather_no_numbers Před 10 měsíci +8

      And with that, im convinced that people just dont listen to the lyrics, they just love the melody and think it is a great song. That song by the Police, Every Step You Take, for instance, is a terrifying song about a stalker, and yet people think it is a love song. My neighbor sometimes plays it in memory of her deceased daughter.

    • @joermnyc
      @joermnyc Před 10 měsíci +4

      I think Leonard Cohen wrote like dozens of verses to that song, and couldn’t stop. Someone finally made him sit down and pick the ones he ultimately recorded.

    • @Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl
      @Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl Před 10 měsíci +3

      Agree

    • @marikothecheetah9342
      @marikothecheetah9342 Před 10 měsíci +1

      @@Heather_no_numbers luckily, dog people remade it to the song of dogs. It's much more cheerful in this context. :)

  • @danmccarthy4700
    @danmccarthy4700 Před 9 měsíci +1

    One song that wasn't on either of your lists is "Vamos a la Playa" by Righeira, which was a massive worldwide hit pretty much everywhere except North America in 1983. It's a synth-pop dance song about taking a trip to the beach as nuclear bombs explode.
    Edit: OMG and "Digging Your Scene" by the Blow Monkeys. Its breezy production belies lyrics dealing with watching a friend die of AIDS.

  • @netropolis
    @netropolis Před 10 měsíci +7

    ...and Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People? Dark, Depressing, Happy Sounding and VERY VERY TOPICAL despite being a 2010ish song.
    Kid takes his fathers gun to school and...
    🎶All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
    You better run, better run outrun my gun
    All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
    You better run, better run faster than my bullet🎶
    Should have been #1

    • @Mrmjr80
      @Mrmjr80 Před 10 měsíci +2

      I was waiting for it to be in the top 5. Not sure how that one missed the list.

    • @netropolis
      @netropolis Před 10 měsíci +1

      @@Mrmjr80 RIGHT!?

    • @familyoftacticaldroids309
      @familyoftacticaldroids309 Před 10 měsíci +4

      I'm sure it made their first list of this same type. This is one those "20 More" lists, meaning that they did previous list/s before this and those may be up already.

    • @blackphilipalvarez1305
      @blackphilipalvarez1305 Před 10 měsíci +1

      It’s on their other list

  • @1958PonyBoy
    @1958PonyBoy Před 10 měsíci +5

    Two songs that come to mind that I didn't see on this list is "Goodbye to Love" by the Carpenters and the one that I'm surprised didn't make it to #1, "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland.

    • @dicksonfranssen
      @dicksonfranssen Před 10 měsíci +2

      Seeing videos of Karen Carpenter when she's obviously sick is disturbing.

  • @glennstarkey7087
    @glennstarkey7087 Před 10 měsíci +5

    Buddy Holly is so defending of relationships it is "our song" we played it during our wedding cake presentation we wanted it as our official wedding song but the parents wanted a ballad so we used at my most beautiful by REM

  • @marigold3208
    @marigold3208 Před 9 měsíci +1

    I don’t know how many people will have mentioned it, but Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees, about the utter state of NYC (bankrupt, out of control crime, including Son of Sam) that’s perfect for the film, and the time.

  • @itreallybelikethatdoe829
    @itreallybelikethatdoe829 Před 10 měsíci +3

    wow u ur singing is incredible rebecca great job

  • @henrikharbin5521
    @henrikharbin5521 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Some of mine:
    1. KISS - Shandi
    2. Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays
    3. David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things
    4. Concrete Blonde - Roses Grow
    5. Tori Amos - Cornflakes Girl
    6. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
    7. Melissa Etheridge - You Can Sleep While I Drive
    8. Queensryche - Best I Can
    9. Motley Crue - Too Young to Fall in Love
    10. Alcatrazz - Island in the Sun
    11. Chris's Cornell - Can't Change Me
    12. Heart - Barracuda
    13. Loudness - Ashes in the Sky
    14. Within Temptation - Angels
    15. The Sweet - Ballroom Blitz

    • @katiejiles4764
      @katiejiles4764 Před 10 měsíci +1

      #2 was inspired by a school sho*ter that was quoted as saying, "I don't like Mondays" when asked why she did what she did.

    • @NYChica23
      @NYChica23 Před 10 měsíci

      Is Can't Change Me even happy sounding to start with?

    • @JamesDavy2009
      @JamesDavy2009 Před 10 měsíci +1

      The Choirboys - Run To Paradise

  • @ReeseDavidson
    @ReeseDavidson Před 10 měsíci +10

    Random topic: top 10 songs that don’t have the title in the lyrics. Ex: Viva La Vida

  • @BladeStar-uq6xe
    @BladeStar-uq6xe Před 10 měsíci +4

    Her name was Lola, she was a Showgirl, She loved Tony, He got his face shot off! At the Copa, Copacabana!

  • @LouJNT
    @LouJNT Před 10 měsíci +6

    "Habits" is definitely a song that people tend to not listen to the lyrics much and just the upbeat dancy sound

    • @AutumnGemKitty
      @AutumnGemKitty Před 10 měsíci

      If you're talking about the Hippie Sabotage remix of the song, then yes.
      The original version is not as upbeat as the remix though

  • @BrianHartman
    @BrianHartman Před 10 měsíci +4

    "A Murder of One" is an energetic song by Counting Crows that has some really dark lyrics.

    • @nathansack3284
      @nathansack3284 Před 10 měsíci

      Great song and often overlooked. That is one of my favorite albums

  • @b.t.356
    @b.t.356 Před 5 měsíci +1

    "Your Love" by The Outfield belongs here. Fans of the Colorado Rockies professional sports team sing along to it at the tops of their lungs, and it's one of the most beloved songs by the group. However, Tony Lewis is describing cheating on his significant other, Josie, while she's on a vacation far away.
    On that note, "I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull belongs here, too. Very club-like dance beat, with lyrics describing two people cheating on their vacationing significant others with one another.

  • @thomaswilliams2780
    @thomaswilliams2780 Před 10 měsíci +2

    I'd have put Mr Brightside by The Killers (not sure if it's in the 1st one of these). Upbeat song, but with really deep lyrics

  • @JDoors
    @JDoors Před 10 měsíci +3

    Another catchy tune with a dark message: "Nothing But Flowers" by The Talking Heads. Who wouldn't like a world full of flowers? Uh, everybody.

  • @danielleeveritt9323
    @danielleeveritt9323 Před 8 měsíci +1

    I love Manilow. That's not his only sad song but its probably the saddest.

  • @jennifercourtemanche9793
    @jennifercourtemanche9793 Před 4 měsíci +1

    I would add Sunshine Highway by Dropkick Murphys. Upbeat tune that I have heard so many people reference as a roadtrip song but it's lyrics are clearly about drugs and rehab.

  • @GlennB9876
    @GlennB9876 Před 10 měsíci

    The Nolans - I’m in the mood for dancing… also always a Happy/Sad vibe to it.

  • @Eyes-Scream0213
    @Eyes-Scream0213 Před 10 měsíci +2

    No songs from the Cure?
    In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, Push etc. are so depressing despite having a happy tune.

  • @lissascales6769
    @lissascales6769 Před 9 měsíci +1

    I’ve always put Time for Me to Fly by REO Speedwagon in this same category.

  • @sjduges67
    @sjduges67 Před 10 měsíci +3

    You can also add Fortunate Son by CCR.

  • @benrager429
    @benrager429 Před 9 měsíci +2

    RIP Steve Harwell. You will be missed by many.

  • @marikothecheetah9342
    @marikothecheetah9342 Před 10 měsíci +2

    "Cry Just a Little Bit" by Shakin' Stevens. The clip says it all but it is still quite cheerfully sung song.
    "Ue o nuite arukou" (widely known as Sukiyaki), the only Japanese song to top no #1 in the U.S. Sung by a legendary enka singer Kyuu Sakamoto, it is a cheerful melody with a story of a guy who tries to look up to the sky, so his tears won't fall on the ground after a break-up.
    "Time Will Tell" by Saga. quite an upbeat melody with nostalgic lyrics.
    And many more that I forgot about. XD

  • @ksmith1728
    @ksmith1728 Před 10 měsíci +6

    This list is missing “semi charmed kind of life” …..i can never listen to this again

    • @blackphilipalvarez1305
      @blackphilipalvarez1305 Před 10 měsíci +2

      I am pretty sure it’s on the other video they did about this subject.

  • @user-iy1vw5hi2s
    @user-iy1vw5hi2s Před 10 měsíci

    This really makes you think. I never knew that drops of Jupiter was about cancer it's such a beautiful song and now I find it heartbreaking

  • @CourtneyPielok
    @CourtneyPielok Před 9 měsíci +2

    yes Copacabana is surprisingly depressing when you actually listen to the lyrics tbh

  • @MosEisleySpacePort1138
    @MosEisleySpacePort1138 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Every Breath You Take (The Police): it’s actually about a stalker
    Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People)
    Time to Pretend (MGMT)

  • @rcdune7132
    @rcdune7132 Před 9 měsíci +2

    El Paso by Marty Robbins... About a man who falls in love with a lovely seniorita while in a Cantina in El Paso. He never really gets jealous over someone sharing a drink with and challenges this man, eventually killing him.. the man must go on the run but his love for the seniorita is too powerful and he foolishly goes back to El Paso with a bounty on his head... The song eventually ends with the lovely seniorita putting a bullet in him

  • @SWLinPHX
    @SWLinPHX Před 10 měsíci +2

    There are songs that are more upbeat than the lyrics and title suggest, such as "Alone Again (Naturally)", and then those that are mistaken for romantic love songs like R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" and "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.

  • @julianaylor4351
    @julianaylor4351 Před 10 měsíci +7

    I never thought Copacabana was a happy song, because I listen to lyrics properly. Likewise a lot of Abba's song are about their relationships, including the divorce of Bjorn and Agnetha, plus relationships in general, not unlike some of Fleetwood Mac's songs.

  • @windymar
    @windymar Před 2 měsíci +2

    22 by Lily Allen should've been on this list. This song talks about how women are called useless and fracassed if they don't make it to 30 with a successful man. The music video is very sad and reflective too.

  • @timmianders2911
    @timmianders2911 Před 10 měsíci +3

    I was a little surprised not to see Semi Charmed Life and Hey ya! in there, both are super upbeat and happy, with seriously depressing lyrics 🤷🏼‍♂ Good list though

    • @Margann1987
      @Margann1987 Před 10 měsíci

      They are on the original list.

    • @mysteriousman9119
      @mysteriousman9119 Před 9 měsíci

      This is MORE list of Top 20 not an original. You must better read the title

  • @Belgarion2601
    @Belgarion2601 Před 10 měsíci +4

    If you think Bitter Sweet Symphony sounds happy then there's something wrong with your ears

    • @NYChica23
      @NYChica23 Před 10 měsíci +1

      Same with anyone who thinks a song called Rehab is going to be anything but depressing

  • @BassPlayerSusan
    @BassPlayerSusan Před 9 měsíci +1

    I thin Van Halen's "Jump" was covered in an earlier list. Listen to Aztec Camera's version of it and you'll get its true meaning. Also, not sure if the Turtle's "Happy Together" was covered. It is not a love song, but a song about unrequited love. "IMAGINE me and you, I do". He imagines he's in love with her. she likely doesn't even know he exists.

  • @baarni
    @baarni Před 10 měsíci +4

    Another song that has a catchy sound but has a horrific storyline is I don’t like Mondays by The Boomtown Rats…

  • @BlenderStudy
    @BlenderStudy Před 10 měsíci +1

    Thank you for the update, WatchMojo..!! That Windows 95 CD embedded song Buddy Holly indeed had weird lyrics. 🤣

  • @ZOSO900
    @ZOSO900 Před 9 měsíci +1

    The first song that came to mind from that title was "I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man" by Prince.

  • @hestushenchman
    @hestushenchman Před 10 měsíci +2

    I've never considered Bittersweet Symphony to be happy sounding.

  • @networkerfan
    @networkerfan Před 2 měsíci

    another example that you need to include in a future one of these videos is about to crash by dream Theatre where the lead synth melody is fast, upbeat, energetic and very lively but the song is actually about a girl who thinks that she can fly but when she falls out sky she is facing depression and anxiety due to being too hyper

  • @SWLinPHX
    @SWLinPHX Před 10 měsíci

    If this video was just posted two days ago as it stated as of this comment, then it has to be a re-post. Definitely seen this before some time ago.

  • @Tere999
    @Tere999 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Nick Glider- Hot Child in the City should be on here.

  • @djtsuks863
    @djtsuks863 Před 24 dny

    You finally got around to Springsteen and "Born in thr USA" How about a list of depressing Springsteen songs? Born to run-The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive- "Nebraska" is just devastating. Most of his early work,including Blinded by the Light" is pretty depressing.

  • @Flo7Mo
    @Flo7Mo Před 10 měsíci +2

    Bad Moon Rising by CCR

  • @elfaulkner84
    @elfaulkner84 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Maxwell's Silver Hammer would make a great horror movie.