Large Fierce Mammal

“Dark Song”

The sense of smell has power to instantly bring memories to the forefront of consciousness, with all the mood altering effects that come with recalled experience. The response can be positive or negative depending on the nature of the memory. Music can and does have a similar effect. Lovers have “our song”. Tears well up when a song is played that reminds the listener of loss or other personal tragedy. Sadness changes to laughter, laughter to introspection.

Today we’ll be listening to songs of dark sentiment. Sentiments ranging from the acts of tortured souls, the anguish that can sometimes be born of love, hate, wounds that will never heal, and doors that were better left unopened. I enjoyed the able assistance of my very own Mistress of the Dark in compiling the list of selections presented here. Mrs. LFM couldn’t be with me if she, herself, weren’t completely conversant with dark sentiments.

Songs like these remind me of why the back door to Hell is locked from the inside.

To get you in the mood, let’s start with an uplifting little ditty performed by Nancy Sinatra that was featured most recently in the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino’s homage to vengeance, Kill Bill.

Next up is Where the Wild Roses Grow. This is the official video featuring Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave.

Taking a supernatural turn, here’s Jim Stafford’s classic, with a delightful selection of eye candy.

Still on the witchy side of things, here are three more. First, Queens of the Stone Age with this delightful video for their song, Burn the Witch.

Followed by the immortal Witchy Woman by the Eagles, complete with lyrics for your next singalong.

And last but not least, here’s Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca, still among my top ten video favourites for wall to wall hotness.

Now let’s get a little spiritual with Alice Cooper’s This House is Haunted.

Here’s Haunted by Evanscence, one of Mrs. LFM’s personal favourites.

Darkness has many flavours and complexions, particularly when events conspire to suck the colour out of life. Here are a few examples, beginning with Whisky Lullaby by Brad Paisley.

Next, there’s Melissa Etheridge performing Similar Features. The first time I actually listened to this song it was used in a CBC radio segment on female music artists of such power and talent that, when one of them bared her soul to you, you almost felt like a shitheel voyeur for not averting your eyes and plugging your ears while politely excusing yourself. The divine Ms. Etheridge is such a woman.

The Stone Temple Pilots did a song called Sour Girl. The YouTube user who posted it won’t permit embedment, but you can watch and listen to the video by clicking here. Come right back though, because there’s plenty more darkness left in our seasonal sound track!

Let’s move along now to Shakespeare’s Sister with Stay, from their Hormonally Yours album.

The seemingly upbeat tone of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Bad Moon on the Rise causes a lot of casual listeners to miss the darkness it contains. The same phenomenon that made Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On a favourite first waltz selection at knucklehead weddings.

Television shows have brought a dark association to music that may not, on its own, be seen in that lack of light. Let’s roll around in a few.

Charmed …

Angel …

True Blood …

While it isn’t actually theme music, we have Supernatural to thank for bringing to our notice this Jen Titus performance of Oh Death.

What’s darker than the devil himself? Here’s Spanish Train by Chris de Burgh.

The Charlie Daniels Band with The Devil Went Down to Georgia.

Rob Zombie with House of 1000 Corpses.

How about a recent effort by one of our favourite princes of darkness, Eminem, teamed up with the ever so easy on the ears and eyes, Rihanna in Love the Way You Lie.

The Boomtown Rats with I Don’t Like Mondays.

And how about Aerosmith’s Janie’s Got a Gun?

We’ll revisit dark sentiments, musically expressed, before the season is out, but we’ll cap off today with Oingo Boingo’s Dead Man’s Party.