10 80s Songs With Tragic Backstories

10-80s-Songs-With-Tragic-Backstories

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at 1980s songs with dark backstories or themes.

Patience (1989)

Guns N Roses

Axl Rose was in a relationship with Erin Everly from 1986 to 1991. They were married in 1990, divorced in 1991. Included on Guns N Roses album Lies, the ballad style acoustic song Patience takes a break from shredding and screaming to ponder the realities of life. Everly began as the inspiration for Sweet Child O Mine, but things didnt go as planned in Axl Roses personal life, and thus Patience was born. Though exact details are scarce, Axl Rose has admitted that the relationship was unstable, claiming they treated each other like crap. In 1994, Erin Everly sued Rose for emotional and physical abuse, but the case was ultimately dismissed. Practicing patience isnt always the key, unfortunately, though it doesnt hurt to try.

Every Breath You Take (1983)

The Police

First released on The Polices album Synchronicity, Every Breath You Take has become a well-known staple in music. The thing is Its been misinterpreted. The tune is not a love song, and Sting himself has said so. When he composed it, he was thinking of themes of control and Orwells Big Brother - essentially, the song is about stalking. The line cant you see, you belong to me is a clue, as well as saying that everything she does, hell be watching. Oddly enough, its not the only Police song about creepy wounded lovers - Cant Stand Losing You is about an obsessive man trying desperately to get his girl back, but is blocked at every turn. She doesnt want you, Sting. Stop being a creep.

Hallelujah (1984)

Leonard Cohen

Sometimes the tragedy lies not within the song, but with its process. The writing of Hallelujah was an arduous journey for Leonard Cohen - it took him five years and around 150 drafts. Cohen claims to have, at one particularly desperate point, found himself on the floor wearing only his briefs, scribbling in notebooks, and repeatedly introducing his head to the floor. He himself couldnt explain the final product; he initially claimed it to be a reaffirmation of his faith, only later to call a Hallelujah a moment of embracing the mess that is life. Its widely considered his magnum opus, yet perhaps also his greatest struggle as a poet and artist. Either way, its equal parts melancholy and beautiful.

The Living Years (1988)

Mike + The Mechanics

This song came about after members of Mike + The Mechanics were discussing their fathers, and discovered that at least three of them had passed on. The Living Years is told from the point of view of a son having lost his father, and lamenting the conversations they could have had when he was alive. The songs anthemic chorus might sound positive, but the words speak differently: its too late when we die, to admit we dont see eye to eye. Its also an interesting take on how much is often left unresolved when someone passes away. It acts as a kind of call to action to make the most of connecting with loved ones while theyre still around.

Suffer Little Children (1984)

The Smiths

The Smiths had a wide library of sad songs, and Suffer Little Children borrows from true crime tragedy. In the early 1960s, five childrens lives were taken in the Saddleworth Moors, near Manchester, England. The perpetrators, Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, were found guilty of 3 of the 5 at the time Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr wrote the song - they were later convicted of the other two. The childrens remains were found buried in the moors - a solemn stretch of land filled with unstable soils and grasses. A haunting but respectful song about unconscionable acts, Suffer Little Children showed the Smiths were both immensely talented musicians and courageous in their willingness to address difficult subject matter.

Jump (1983)

Van Halen

Ah, the stadium-filling, anthemic tunes of Van Halen! The song Jump is ultimately a positive tune. David Lee Roth penned a song encouraging listeners to persevere, to roll with the punches. The thing is, the chorus was inspired by something not so uplifting. Roth said that he saw a news report on a jumper - an individual taking their own life by leaping from a height. He imagined that someone in the crowd below must have been shouting Go ahead and jump! The context was changed to an optimistic call to action - at the suggestion of one of Van Halens roadies: a positive tune with grim origins.

Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980)

Joy Division

Joy Division singer/songwriter Ian Curtis was a troubled man. At the time of writing Love Will Tear Us Apart, he had been recently diagnosed with epilepsy, had marital issues with his wife Deborah Woodruff, and was struggling with the mounting stresses of his career. The songs title has been interpreted as a response to Captain & Tennilles Love Will Keep Us Together; a melancholic response to a more positive perspective of love. Curtiss words are even more haunting when you consider he took his own life only one month before the singles release. Its an intimate and unsettling view into Curtiss mind at a particularly dark time.

Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

Bruce Springsteen

There are a number of songs considered patriotic which are actually the complete opposite. Born in the U.S.A. was originally titled Vietnam, which should be a good indication that its not a patriotic exclamation, but rather a lamentation of war. The chorus is supposed to be interpreted as a frustration, not a rally cry. Springsteen was inspired by the novel Born on the Fourth of July, which led him to meet with multiple veterans. He wrote numerous songs about the Vietnam War, but Born in the U.S.A is by far his most well-known, as well as the most misinterpreted.

Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983)

U2

Ireland has a history of violence brought upon by civil unrest. In 1972, a protest against the practice of internment without trial in Northern Ireland, took place in Derry, boasting around 15,000 participants. The march had been banned by authorities, who sent in the British Army to suppress it. Things soon escalated, and the soldiers opened fire on the crowd, ultimately taking 14 lives. The day was known as Bloody Sunday, which served as the inspiration for the U2 song. Evocative and devastating, both the visceral imagery and Bonos anguished and furious vocals paint a vibrant picture of a tragedy.

99 Luftballons (1983)

Nena

Things sometimes get lost in translation, which was the case with Nenas 99 Luftballons. The band itself wasnt quite on board with the English version, so lets stick to the original German one. The song was inspired by two things - guitarist Carlo Karges spotting red balloons during a performance in West Berlin, wondering what would happen if they drifted into East Berlin, and a news story about American students playing a prank to simulate a UFO with 99 balloons. The lyrics tell of the military being deployed to investigate possible UFOs, finding nothing, but proceeding to use the opportunity to display their force to bordering nations. Though undeniably catchy and well-crafted, knowing this Cold War-era context lends 99 Luftballons much further depth.

Did any of these surprise you? Let us know in the comments!