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Do you have a song that helps you through the cloud? Drop a message and I will add it to the Spotify playlist.
depression comix #543
comics and illustrations by clay jonathan
Pretty much anything by VNV Nation, from the full-on bangers (e.g. Kingdom, Artifice, Invictus) to the tearjerkers (Illusion, Nothing More).
Which one do you recommend the most?
For the depression gremlins, probably Invictus.
Do the lanterns lead us on from afar?
Do our eyes belie the memory of the friends we’ve lost?
Take comfort, if you believe you’ll meet again
But until that day, as we mortals may, live to honour them
Let us not be weighed by what we can’t control
The past cannot be changed, the future calls us on
And should you try and fail, stand and start again
The deepest cuts all heal, leaving only what you’ve learned from them
So we change, so we change the world
Hiding, not among the thousands but with a voice that’s heard
And the ages turn, as the ages turned before
In the acts of our tenacity, long may we endure
Tempered by the forge, laden as the die are cast
Onwards we move, bearing all our wounds until the worst is past
In the aftermath, we’ll answer to ourselves
For our measure of our actions and for our victories
So we change, so we change the world
Hiding, not among the thousands but with a voice that’s heard
And the ages turn, as the ages turned before
In the acts of our tenacity, long may we endure
Electroshock Blues added by Laura on Bluesky.
Back in my darkest days, Metallica’s “Fade to Black” made me feel really understood. It’s tough stuff, handle with care.
Added.
Sometimes feeling better isn’t an option.
True. But an attempt should be made.
https://open.spotify.com/track/7urtwZEtOypb3r8HNi42dT
Added.
“Three Little Birds” — Bob Marley
“Hold Your Head Up” — Argent
“Three Little Birds” added.
“How It Is” by Rush
Added.
belated happy birthday, bear
Thank you mugi
What about adding “Fell on Black Days” by Soundgarden?
Added!
Check out “Better Days” by NEIKED, it’s one of my favorite “sounds like an upbeat pop song but the lyrics are actually depressing” songs. “Living in a haze, staying in the shade, all I do is sit around and wait for better days”
“Mine” by Alice Glass is another in that vein but darker and TW it’s about self harm. If you want to steer away from that, toss “Without Love” by Alice Glass on there instead.
Added “Better Days” by NEIKED
Vocaloid music helps for me. I particularly like the song “Rolling Girl”
(in a shocking turn of events, there’s a decent English version by Teto which is actually on Spotify)
Added
there’s a decent handful that have cycled out throughout the years, from both ends of this spectrum, but the first two that popped into my head as I read this were
understood: The Kill from 30 Seconds to Mars (I actually find some nice trans pain type vibes in this one)
pick-me-up: Aimai Chocolate from Tsunomaki Watame (愛昧ショコラーテ if the latin characters aren’t working, it has subtitles but I feel like knowing the lyrics isn’t needed for the energy that I get out of it)
The Kill from 30 Seconds to Mars added
Hi Clay, thank you so much for these comic strips.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Despair
Added
Let me try again. It was hard to pick just one out of three, but
Susumu Hirasawa – The Girl in Byakkoya – White Tiger Field
One more song. Maybe its just me, but if I want to just sink in the depression its Pink Floyd all the way, but I thought the point was songs that lift us and get us past the very bad spots?
Show me the way, Peter Frampton. I saw him finally sing this last year after waiting nearly 48 years. I cried so hard my glasses were crusted with salt. It may have been the single most cathartic thing to ever happen in in my life……….
Susumu Hirasawa’s music is not available on Spotify Japan so I added Peter Frampton
Lots of songs from Citizen Soldier, frankly. They have a decent variety of tones, too. My favourite ones tend to be the kind that are like battle cries to hold on (Afterlife, You’re Not Your Past, Hallelujah I’m Not Dead). But other favourites are gentler, they have tone of being understood and offering a hopeful hand to hold (Limit, Tattoos). And many more just song about the pain and the dark, without apology or toning anything down. Citizen Soldier really writes and sings about things they KNOW and have experienced, so I HIGHLY recommend them.
If you have one song I can add to the playlist, please let me know.
If I had to choose one, You Are Not Your Past. Was a great rallying cry for me at my worst times.
It really depends. Sometimes, I want to feel cheered up, in which case I listen to funny and witty stuff like Weird Al, The Arrogant Worms or anything that Tim Rice every wrote. Or musical sound tracks like Legally Blonde, or Hairspray which are pretty happy but also have a little grit to them. Or inspirational stuff like “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman”
Sometimes, I need to be in my feels, in which case I listen to really emo stuff like Linkin Park (really helped me through my issues when I was disowned by my narcMom) or sad songs like Bette Midler’s “I think It’s Gonna Rain Today”, any version of “Everything Happens to Me”, or Billie Holliday.
Sometimes, I wanna sit in my anger, in which case, it’s songs like The Chix’s “Not Ready To Make Nice” or AC/DC “Thunderstruck” or anything Death Metal-ly.
Added “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman”
“Fear” by “Blue October” helps me in my hardest days.
I’m so touched you’re collecting songs from readers. This is my first time commenting, but I’ve been following your work for decades. Thank you for all the laughs and for this beautiful comic as well. <3