The Hungarian Suicide Song

[Ed]

I was aware that 'Everybody Hurts' by REM is credited with saving quite a few lives.  People have told of being suicidal and on the verge of committing the act when they heard the song and changed their mind.

'Gloomy Sunday' is apparently the antithesis.  Written by Hungarian musician, Rezső Seress, in 1933, and since this time it has reportedly been responsible for literally hundreds of suicides.  The stats took a lemming leap when Billie Holiday recorded it.  Here, have a listen (but think happy thoughts) - http://www.granjaloca.com/wp-content/archivos/Billie%20Holiday%20-%20Gloomy%20Sunday.mp3

After Seress had finished with the song, the 'crushing hopelessness and bitter despair' which characterised the original lyrics were superceded by the even more miserable, melancholic verses of Hungarian poet László Jávor.  Yippee

People are said to have killed themselves after listening to the song, and some have also written verses from it in their suicide notes.  So many people topped themselves because of this song that it was banned by most major broadcasters around the world, including the BBC, who called it 'too depressing'.  Billie Holiday's version adds a third stanza, which gives the song a dreamy quality, but it's still considered to be bloody miserable and has retained its reputation as 'the suicide song' to this day.

Seress threw himself to his death from the balcony of his flat in 1968.  It's not recorded whether he was listening to music at the time

[SharonBell]

Good heavens! The way things are going these days, I dare NOT listen!