Tragic Lyrics in Popular Culture

Music has a lot of influence on pop culture. For one music and pop culture both have the power to bring people closer together. I personally believe that songs have a lot of power, as they can comfort or inspire people. Whether the lyrics are catchy, cause you to think deeper, or you instantly relate to the lyrics, music continues to make people feel connected.  

Sellnow explains “Tragic lyrics focus on the protagonist’s self-consummation, sense of hopelessness, and attempt to cope with fate. Hence, tragic lyrics tend to represent release patterns.” 


A lot of people resonate with tragic lyrics, whether they are going through a breakup, grieving over a loved one, or struggling with their mental health. Those listening to the lyrics might relate to a similar past experience too. Lyrics can become a part of our personal identity because of how we relate to them. 


For example, Coldplay’s song “Fix You” (2005) portrays a sense of hopelessness and an attempt to cope with fate of no longer being with the person you love, ending it with “Could it be worse” as they are so hopeless, sad, and don’t have control of life or the events that unfold in front of us. 


“When you try your best, but you don’t succeed

When you get what you want, but not what you need

When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep

Stuck in Reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face

When you lose something you can’t replace

When you love someone, but it goes to waste

Could it be worse?”

Fix You - song and lyrics by Coldplay | Spotify


Another song that instantly clicked in my mind when learning about tragic lyrics was “How to Save a Life” by The Fray (2006). The lyrics are extremely heavy, tragic, emotional, and portray a sense of hopelessness as they aren’t able to intervene as their life is spiraling out of control, and are grieving. 

This song always reminds me of the TV Show "Grey's Anatomy" as they play it frequently in scenes where characters die and other tragic events.

“Where did I go wrong? 

I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life”

How To Save A Life - Album by The Fray | Spotify


Lastly, Florence & The Machine released “Never Let Me Go” in 2011, which was so beautifully written along with the vocals and melody. In my opinion, these are tragic lyrics as it focuses on a sense of hopelessness as she feels stuck and drowning in the chaos or emotions from her relationship. 

“And the arms of the ocean carrying me

All all this devotion was rushing out of me

And the crashes are heaven for a sinner like me

But the arms of the ocean delivered me

And it’s over and I’m going under 

But I’m not giving up, I’m just giving in

I’m slipping underneath

So, so cold and so sweet”

Never Let Me Go - song and lyrics by Florence + The Machine | Spotify


I fully believe that tragic lyrics have the power to make others feel more connected and heard. You may listen to a song and think “Oh wow, they went through what I am going through”, or that you aren’t alone. It may also provide a sense of emotional release which makes it so you can process your own feelings by listening to music that mirrors your emotional state. Tragic lyrics can help you feel validated by your own feelings and experiences, which helps them feel less alone like stated before. 


Tragic lyrics may impact pop culture due to having an effect of shaping the way people may experience and understand emotions. 


What are some of your favorite songs that you believe have impacted pop culture and the music industry that contain tragic lyrics?


Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2024 at 10:21 PM

    I agree with your points about why people resonate with tragic lyrics, and your examples are spot on. There is a singer songwriter I follow on instagram who identifies herself as “happy girl. sad songs.” on her instagram bio. I relate to that deeply. I enjoy listening to sad songs for many of the reasons you outlined. They do help us feel more connected and heard and help us understand our own, and others, emotions. I also think tragic lyrics influence the way we process difficult experiences or moments in our own lives. For example, as I was reading your post, I thought about Adele’s song “To Be Loved” from her album 30. Adele herself said that she cannot sing it live because of how emotional it makes her. The lyrics surround the aftermath of her divorce and the idea that she wanted to be loved, so much so that she lost herself. From her experience, she conveys to her audience the overarching human desire to be loved. “To be loved and love at the highest count, means to lose all the things I can’t live without...let it be known that I cried for you, even started lying to you. What a thing to do. All because I wanted to be loved...” While I have not had the experience of divorce, these tragic lyrics still resonate with me as they relate more broadly to the universal human experience of seeking for connection and love.

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