More often than not, artists use song writing as a way of channelling their emotions and feelings. This is why songs can be so relatable and universally appreciated. This list is made up of some prime examples of songs written by those who have experience or understanding of mental health and who aren’t afraid to share some deeper emotions and bad days with their listeners. Of course there are hundreds – if not thousands – of songs written about mental health, but the 10 songs on this totally subjective list are some personal favourites!
People are Strange – The Doors
This 1967 single provided a different sound for The Doors second album and gave people the opportunity to see a different, vulnerable side to singer Jim Morrison. Morrison apparently wrote the lyrics to this song while sitting on a ridge in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. It was written while Jim Morrison was dealing with depression and gives an insight into feelings of alienation and being an outsider. There can be no confusion about how he was feeling, repeating the key phrase “when you’re strange” to an eerie melody and lonely western guitar.
Smile – Lily Allen
This breakthrough single isn’t exactly what you imagine when you think of songs about mental health, its happy upbeat melody masks the singer’s true emotions. Inspired by a horrible breakup, Allen wrote this song after visiting The Priory in London for her mental health. Allen herself said that this was a particularly tough time where she felt like an “emotional mess”. Never one to mince her words, the lyrics don’t hold back and the singer did later admit she regretted her approach.
Soundtrack 2 My Life – Kid Cudi
Cudi’s 2009 track looked at some issues he dealt with when he was growing up, including losing his father to cancer when he was 11 and his experiences with depression. This song feels like a personal diary entry as Cudi reveals how he kept this sadness hidden from his mother and his friends instead of reaching out for support. “This album was a way of finally letting out a lot of feelings that I’ve yet to even mention to my mother” Cudi explained. Altogether the song has a positive message – no matter how long these feelings are kept hidden, there is still a benefit in sharing them.
Before You Go – Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi is one of the biggest breakthrough acts of the last few years, who is renowned for his sense of humour, but this song unveils a completely different side to him. Written about losing his aunt to suicide when he was 5 years old, Capaldi wrote this song to try and make sense of loss and the effect it had on his family. This song looks at feelings of guilt and blame as well as searching to understand the reasons behind such negative intrusive thoughts. Like other songs on this list, Capaldi urges more people to “reach out” and “open up a bit more”.
I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times – The Beach Boys
The Pet Sounds album is one of the all-time greats and this song definitely deserves its place on the track listing. This classic Beach Boys formula of layered harmonies and intricate melodies make its lyrics even more prominent. Here, Brian Wilson takes the lead and opens up about his sadness and his ups and downs with depression. Wilson is a musical genius who is known for his long time struggles with depression and psychosis and this song is even more poignant as it sadly preceded his own mental breakdown.
Stan – Eminem
With this song Eminem paints an amazingly detailed portrait of Stan, an obsessive fan who fails to differentiate between the real Marshall Mathers and the provocative Slim Shady. The song allows Stan to tell his story for the first three verses, before Eminem voices his reply. Here, Eminem draws a line between what he says to be controversial in his music and how he truly feels about mental health, advising Stan to get professional counselling. This song was so influential it led to the term ‘stan’ being added to the Oxford Dictionary as a noun to describe “an overzealous or obsessed fan”.
Mad World – Tears for Fears
Band leader Roland Orzabal claimed this song was his “teenage menopause” as he used the depression he had experienced in childhood as inspiration, claiming he “poured all this into the song”. Lyrically, the song paints various ambiguous images of the world, giving it an ominous melody and atmosphere. Perhaps more infamous than the original, Gary Jules’ cover from 2003 intensified this melancholy melody.
Death with Dignity – Sufjan Stevens
This incredibly beautiful song is the opening track for the album ‘Carrie & Lowell’, a complete work inspired by Stevens’ family. The album was written from two years of grieving, after Stevens’ estranged mother died of cancer in 2012. Stevens’ mother left their family when he was one and battled with depression and alcoholism. The song looks at how Stevens reached a level of acceptance and forgiveness after his mother’s death, “I forgive you mother / I can hear you / and I love to be near you / but every road leads to an end”.
Help! – The Beatles
In the height of Beatlemania, Help! was not originally written to be the cheery pop song we now know it to be. John Lennon wrote this song about the depression he was experiencing in the midst of the Beatles’ cultural phenomenon. Lennon later remarked “that was me, really crying out for help”. With vulnerability being so out of character for Lennon many people, including Mick Jagger, wondered “what could prompted them to write such a song?”. The honesty behind this song has only become more evident with time.
I Thought About Killing You – Kanye West
This song was the first track on West’s 2018 album ‘Ye’. This album was released after West opened up about his bipolar diagnosis. The first half of the song is spoken word, which only adds to its impact and shock value. As gruesome as the title may be, it was designed to provoke and dismantle the taboo of mental illness and intrusive thoughts. In this song, West confronts his negative thoughts around harming both himself and someone close to him, urging others to “just say it out loud to see how it feels / People say “don’t say this, don’t say that”. West declared that the “breakthrough was to have a song called ‘I Thought About Killing You’, seeing as so many people don’t want to face issues which may be considered controversial. West’s spoken word passage is intended to shock those who do not want to confront his dark inner monologue and support those who may understand or relate to it.
If you, or someone close to you, needs support for their mental health please go to our services page for helpful contact numbers.
