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I was watching QI last night and they were talking about the Hungarian suicide song, (Gloomy Sunday) a song so miserable that that since the 1930's has driven hundreds to commit suicide. They said the BBC had banned it until 2000. It is fucking depressing and I had to turn it off after 20 seconds or so. Anyway here's the background and below is the song, but play with caution, preferably on a ground floor and far away from any railway tracks!!wink!



Gloomy Sunday, play at your own risk!



Personally I think this song is MUCH worse!

Beautiful rendition by one of the all time great voices, Billy Holliday. Its the sort of song she did so well. Have a listen to 'Solitude'.

Totally agree Andy. I am not a big lover of blues but Billie Holliday was
divine. I cannot speak for other versions, Jim, maybe its particularly
depressing in hungarian, but Ms Holliday`s superb voice makes the song
seem no more "down" or dispiriting than most blues songs (and I like the
slightly jaunty little orchestrals between each verse).
The other song you give us is so appallingly fake bonhomie that its vomit
inducing ! By the end I wanted to machine gun the singers.
Far worse than "Gloomy Sunday" , I would have thought, are a large
number of country `n western songs which seem to have death, failed
romances and suicide as their themes....and that western-style catawailing
is a far cry from Ms Holliday`s smooth-as-chocolate harmonies.

This is the actual Hungarian version, which is REALLY gloomy, Frank I think you'd agree that the song could be adopted by the CBA chain of supermarkets in Hungary to uplift the mood of their staff?!wink!

Didn't the lead singer of the associates top himself??

've never gone for any of that stuff, yes i know it is a fact people have commited suicide whilst listening to this, but i've never found any song depressing. I know some people say things like "Radiohead, Leonard Cohen etc etc that Slit your wrist music". But i don't think so, i don't think any song or piece of music is in fact depressing. Its just how you are feeling or the state of mind you are in whilst listening to a piece. Obviously if you are low or depressed then that is going to make you even more low listening to a sombre or reflective piece of music. But i doubt the actual song could be described as depressing!