It’s been a tough couple of weeks in Purple land. We’ve had a death in the family, my Father In Law and brilliant Grandpa to the Purple Children. On top of this there’s been illness, three out of five of us got a sickness bug and Wonder Girl got a nasty cold. Finally Katsu, the purple cat, has learned to hunt and has been bringing in a steady stream of dead baby rats for our approval, and I’m not a huge fan so it’s kinda had me on edge.
So this weeks musical selection, following on from tunes to smile and tunes to rage, is tunes for moping. Music for when, for whatever reason, you want to indulge in sadness. When the world has you down and you’re not ready to slap on a smile and move on.
Top six tunes for moping;
Beth Orton ‘I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine’
Beth sings about lost love, and explores the question is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all. Her conclusion isn’t cheery.
‘Every day is just like the day before. All alone a million miles from shore’
Gillian Welch ‘The Way It Goes’
Mr Purple introduced me to Gillian Welch. He played me a live version of this tune that he had seen on Later With Jules. I loved it instantly. A bleak look at life with some damn fine guitar flat picking from David Rawlings.
‘Becky Johnson bought the farm put a needle in her arm. That’s the way that it goes. That’s the way.’
REM ‘Everyone Hurts’
Yes I know, totally predictable, but this really is the ultimate feel your pain song.
‘Life cuts so deep, feels like you’re dying’
Gary Jules ‘Mad World’
Another fairly obvious one. This song is all about the daily struggle.
‘When people run in circles its a very very mad world’
Sinead O Connor ‘Nothing Compares To You’
Sinead O Connor’s classic lost love song, whether you can directly relate or whether your pain is from a different dagger this one will still help get those tears flowing.
‘It’s been so lonely without you here. Like a bird without a song.’
A Great Big World and Christine Aguilera ‘Say Something’
I know this is a pretty cheesy choice but it touched me deeply the first time I heard it. Another love lost song, but mopey enough for any kind of sadness.
‘And I am feeling so small. It was over my head. I knew nothing at all.’