Mental Health Themes in Popular Music

Lounge
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I want to make a thread about a variety of songs in popular music about mental illness, particularly schizophrenia.

I will post a video and brief analysis until I get tired of it.

The first video is Lying in Bed Like Brian Wilson Did by Barenaked Ladies

This is not a super popular song, but it sarcastically looks at psychiatry’s disciplinary nature with an incredulous advocacy of mental illness with a kind of critical song.

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The next song is Crazy Train by Ozzy Osborne

A song inspired by the seventies rock with lots of themes of mental disorder in that era of music. Song characterizes mental health problems in the style of rock and roll as being defiant of norms and rules for thought and behavior.

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Unwell by Matchbox 20

Song from the perspective of paranoid schizophrenic with a compassionate and understanding message of suffering.

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This is a classic haha:

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Paranoid Freak- The Trews

Upbeat song that characterizes paranoid person as suspicious of music and other people with other themes of schizophrenic symptoms with I think is a passive aggressive message against the mentally ill.

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Insane in the Membrane - Cyprus Hill

Characterizes mental illness as edgy and related to criminality and drug use as well as violence.

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paranoid - black sabbath

Song about struggling with paranoia

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I Think I’m Paranoid - Garbage

I guess this song is about being kind of an unstable hard to handle girl or crazy girl.

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I post this song as Madonna was clearly delusional when she wrote this song, as she has never been, and never shall be, anything “like a virgin”.

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Behind Blue Eyes - The Who

Sympathetic song for the mentally ill.

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Come on Bowens I know you were thinking of borderline by madonna

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Borderline - Madonna

I think Madonna was diagnosed with BPD at one point characterized with neurosis or anxiety bordering on psychosis or delusion and instability in relationships and self concept

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Brain Damage - Pink Floyd

@el_Jimbobbio refers likely to this song in particular which captures a negative hostility towarss the mentally ill.

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Down with the sickness- disturbed

Song about a person embracing mental illness without embracing treatment

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Jumper - third eye blind

Annoying song imo about appealing to suicidal person with mental illness and substance use issues to not commit suicide

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Anyway I’m bored of it now, theres hundreds of songs in many genre’s. Post your own or let the thread die idgaf

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Great thread! Thanks @broken !

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