30 Songs About Depression To Help You Feel Less Alone

Why Do People Listen to Songs About Depression When Depressed?

Something like music has the power to change how you feel. Many individuals adore music and use it to motivate or help them overcome challenging circumstances. Any mood you’re in can be easily matched by a song because there are so many different genres of music.

What about those who are struggling with depression? Is it a good idea to listen to depressing music when you’re already feeling melancholy? The solution is a little challenging. When they’re feeling down, some people find consolation in listening to sad music and lyrics. They can see and feel that other people have had similar experiences, which helps to normalize their own.

Simply put, many individuals find sad songs relatable and may wish to listen to them. They don’t do it to make themselves feel worse. Indeed, individuals with depression regularly participate in activities that could exacerbate or further complicate their condition.

It is merely a symptom of depression. Even though they are aware that social isolation worsens their condition, depressed people may choose to isolate themselves anyhow. For instance, listening to depressing music may or may not be a terrible choice when you’re depressed.

Depending on the individual, different factors may set off depressive reactions in some people. Music can jog your memory of significant moments in your life. Thinking about specific things that remind you of those moments might make some people depressed.

Depressed Sad Songs Might be A Coping Mechanism

According to recent studies, people may use sad music as a coping method. According to one study, listening to depressing music may help patients with depression feel better.

It’s crucial to remember that this is just one study, and only a limited number of people participated. It is necessary to conduct more thorough research to comprehend how sad music affects people’s minds properly.

It won’t always be easy to comprehend this and what it entails. Some people choose to avoid sad music because it can set off depressive episodes in some people. The study may indicate that depressing music doesn’t always exacerbate depression or sadness. It

It won’t always be easy to comprehend this and what it entails. Some people choose to avoid sad music because it can set off depressive episodes in some people. The study may indicate that depressing music doesn’t always exacerbate depression or sadness. It might capture people’s solace in realizing they’re not alone in their feelings.

When choosing music, it’s best to follow your intuition. You can choose to listen to anything different if lyrics with melancholy content, slower beats, or particular noises make you feel down in an undesirable way. If you find listening to anything in touch with your emotional state beneficial, go for it.

Depression Statistics

One of the most prevalent mental diseases in the US is significant depression. Some people who have severe depression may experience substantial impairments that impede or restrict their capacity to engage in meaningful life activities.

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21 million

An estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 8.4% of all U.S. adults.

Source: National Institute on Mental Health

10.5%

The prevalence of major depressive episodes was higher among adult females (10.5%) compared to males (6.2%).

Source: National Institute on Mental Health

17.0%

The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (17.0%).

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

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30 Sad Songs About Depression: Songs For Depression

1. Hurt – Johnny Cash

Depressing Sad Songs: Johnny Cash’s Hurt, arguably one of the most heartbreaking song covers ever, profoundly reflects depression. The opening line of the song, “I hurt myself today, to see if I still feel, I focus on the agony, the only thing that’s real,” perfectly captures the experience of depression.

It also emphasizes that our minds are drawn to suffering. The song might also resonate with folks experiencing sorrowful depression. The song’s lyrics describe how he ultimately loses everyone.

Those who have lost loved ones suddenly or due to illness may be able to relate to this song about depression. But the lines about depression can also be about a breakup. In the end, interpreting these sentimental lyrics is up to the listener.

2. Unsteady – X Ambassadors

A major life shift is frequently the subject of songs about depression. Unsteady is a song about the effects of a parent’s strained relationship on the family. Thoughts of home as a haven are common, but for some people, that is not the case.

Sometimes the instability of our home environment makes us feel unsteady, which contributes to our depression. This song’s refrain, “If you love me, don’t let go,” captures the desperation of wanting your parents to resolve their differences. However, on occasion, the separation will ultimately restore harmony and joy to the household.

3. Never Let Me Go – Florence and the Machine

Songs about depression, like Never Let Me Go, can be pretty effective. You experience a rollercoaster of unfavorable feelings when you listen to the song’s sentiments. Accepting the end of a sad relationship is what the song’s lines, “And it’s over, And I’m sinking under, But I’m not giving up, I’m just giving in,” are about.

It’s still tricky emotionally, even when you’ve finally permitted yourself to realize that a relationship is over. If you’ve recently gone through a breakup, this power ballad can make you cry a few real tears.

4. Depressing Rap Songs: Jay Z f/ Beanie Sigel and Scarface’s “This Can’t Be Life.”

In one of his most vulnerable moments, Jay Z talks about his stillborn child, and Beanie Sigel discusses how he self-medicated his inner agony. Of course, the history surrounding the song primarily stems from the verse by Scarface. As he prepared to record his line in the studio, the Houston star learned that his friend’s son had passed away.

“I could’ve rapped about my terrible times on this song / But heaven knows I woulda been wrong,” he says in a dedication to him. His performance is renowned for its profoundly moving blend of clarity and sadness.

5. Boosie Badazz “Smile to Keep From Crying”

Thanks to his distinctively southern drawl and bluesy voice, Boosie Badazz rarely has difficulties conveying the emotion at the heart of his songs. The sad song “Smile to Keep From Crying” is a noteworthy recent example. The song’s title may be cliche, but when you consider how much agony he is in—losing a friend to gun murder, being angry at a girl who wouldn’t write him while he was in jail, and losing three aunts in a year—you can understand why.

6. Chance the Rapper “Acid Rain”

Chance’s music has recently shifted almost entirely toward uplifting themes and Christian connotations. Although part of that spirituality can be seen in his groundbreaking Acid Rap, it is mingled in with drug stories and some of his catalog’s darkest periods. He is depicted in “Acid Rain” as feeling hopeless and still suffering from the stress of witnessing his friend Rodney Kyles Jr. die.

He repeatedly repeats in pain, “I saw it happen, I saw it happen.” I always see him yelling, and I can see his demons in deserted hallways. Chance’s faith has undoubtedly been tested, which may explain why “Acid Rain” is so powerful.

7. Meek Mill f/ Young Thug “We Ball”

Meek Mill, one of the most electrifying rappers of the decade, lowers the volume a little to show Young Thug his scars. The song “We Ball” serves as a reminder that Meek Mill’s story also involves loss. Meek Mill mentions Dex Osama, Lil Snupe, and Lor Scoota—all of whom perished as a result of gun violence—in the first few seconds of the song. Only 18, Snupe.

Both Meek and Thugger managed to flee after being near that kind of violence. That incredibly haunted sensation of freedom is explained in “We Ball.” Thugger sobs at the end of his verse, encapsulating the sorrow of the song: “You can’t question God, oh yeah, or any of these obstacles / Sipping on this Actavis, I swear I gotta manage it.”

8. Earl Sweatshirt f/ Na’kel “DNA”

Although rapping is not Na’kel’s primary emphasis, he managed to contribute to Earl Sweatshirt’s record I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside and come away with one of his best tracks. Earl revealed to NPR that Na’kel wrote his poem immediately following the death of a close buddy.

He didn’t require much technical expertise to express a freshly opened wound. The end product is a heartbreaking pair of bars that combines sweetness with anguish in progress. Na’kel yells to the heavens, “I’m going to London on the first, and I’m bringing you something back.”

9. Company Flow “Last Good Sleep”

Company Flow starts to bring Funcrusher Plus to a close with an El-P cut about his experiences with domestic abuse after spending the album unwinding tangly lyrics over septic sounds. Even for an album this grim, it’s a gloomy turn, but El-P holds listeners’ attention with his in-depth account of a child witnessing an abusive stepfather.

The song’s lingering consequences, which he closes with, are what hurt the most: I see him every night, wiping away tears as I watch him beat his filthy wife. El-P himself was surprised by how powerful that track sounded. El-P told Rolling Stone, “I didn’t think anyone wanted to hear that shit—like, ‘Boohoo.'” But after that song, people began approaching me sobbing.”

10. Depressed Rap Songs: Lil Wayne “I Feel Like Dying”

Even Lil Wayne, at the height of his career at the end of the previous decade, was forced to be candid about his troubles. Wayne switches from his smooth flow to an impressionistic and bluesy performance in “I Feel Like Dying.” The song’s hook, “Only once the drugs are done / Do I feel like dying,” makes it abundantly clear that this is a dark type of escape, despite the magical imagery he uses to paint the verses (“I can play basketball with the moon / I had the whole world at my feet”).

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11. Breathe Me – Sia

Songs About Overcoming Depression: Breathe Me, one of Sia’s first hits, is a song about overcoming depression. Frequently, what we want in difficult times is a buddy. As we battle awful feelings and irrational, destructive thoughts, there is an almost desperate yearning for anyone in the world to be by our side.

Trauma’s emotional condition can also be characterized by the lines, “I think I might shatter, lose myself again, and I feel unsafe.” Trauma can occasionally cause depressive symptoms that are difficult to deal with. Sia’s remarks could provide you some solace by letting you know that you’re not traveling alone.

12. How to Save A Life – The Fray

Songs About Suicide And Depression: Not all songs about depression feature the viewpoint of the person’s buddy who is also struggling with their troubles. The poignant song is about doing your best to support a friend who is contemplating suicide. Most of us lack the training necessary to manage patients who are experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts. This song on depression discusses the difficulty of connecting with someone who is struggling. The lyrics, “And pray to God he hears you,” express the despair of a person whose thoughts are spiraling out of control.

13. Lose You To Love Me – Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez sings upbeat songs about the hurt she experiences after a breakup. “You replaced us like it was easy, made me think I deserved it, in the thick of mending,” the song’s words made me believe. Being replaced by someone else and then treated as though that is how you should be treated can be emotionally draining.

But in the chorus, Gomez constantly sings, “I needed to lose you to love me.” In this way, a song about depression is transformed into one about viewing the hurt, misery, and pain you experience through an optimistic lens. Sometimes things break apart so that you can rebuild yourself and learn to love yourself once more.

14. Skyscraper – Demi Lovato

As this song about sadness is all about rising like a skyscraper, even if you “take everything I have” and “destroy everything I am,” it’s probable that Selena Gomez borrowed some ideas from Demi Lovato. The song’s first line, “Skies are sobbing,” refers to how, when we’re melancholy, it sometimes seems the entire world is also suffering. We always seem to have bad days when it is pouring. As you gradually get back up, these inspiring lyrics about depression will give you more reason to believe. Remember, you’re a skyscraper.

15. Mad World – Gary Jules Michael Andrews

One of the most melancholy tunes available is Mad World. Ultimately, it all comes down to how lifeless a 9 to 5 job makes us. We rush to work but never truly accomplish anything. As kids, we enjoy these small celebrations of our birthdays. Apart from those pleasant childhood recollections, none of us are progressing. People make circular motions and miss out on life’s experiences and wonders. Additionally, it discusses how our educational system falls short. We are encouraged to be employees rather than people from an early age.

16.  The Night We Met – Lord Huron

The Night We Met by Lord Huron is a song about depression that emphasizes revisiting the past. When we’re struggling with depression, we frequently reflect on brighter times in the past. Take Me Back To The Night We Met’s lyrics are about the last time you were truly happy before losing the love of your life. The phrase “I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you” refers to how a relationship steadily dissolves. However, there is a desperate want to return to the beginning when everything is perfect.

17. Fix You – Coldplay

When you’re depressed, it’s impossible to listen to Coldplay’s Fix without crying. Following the guitar solo, the line “tears stream down your face when you lose something you cannot replace” can cause a tremendous emotional release. As it’s about someone trying to repair you or your pain, this song about sadness tends to be upbeat.

18. All We Are – One Republic

Beautiful lyrics from One Republic’s song on despair include, “We won’t break, we won’t die, it’s just a moment of change.” When you’re struggling with your demons, these words could encourage you. We can eventually recover from the pain if we remember that life may change and the sorrow is momentary. The song is about a couple who doesn’t mesh well together. “I walked in your shoes for a minute; they would never have fit.” This song about despair has the kind of honesty you occasionally need to hear to recover from your suffering fully.

19. Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi

The opening line of this song on despair, “I’m sinking under and this time I worry there’s no one to save me,” is a very realistic description of how depression feels. The feeling of hopelessness is something that a depressed person frequently feels. The song’s phrase, “I guess I kinda enjoyed the way you dulled all the agony,” describes how we occasionally rely on others to help us face our issues. We must confront our demons alone, even though doing so may be briefly reassuring.

20. Chandelier – Sia

In her gloomy song Chandelier, Sia effectively depicts the feeling of depression. The phrase “I push it down” emphasizes how our unfavorable feelings and ideas inevitably resurface despite our best efforts. The song’s famous line, “But I’m Holding On for Dear Life, Won’t Look Down, Won’t Open My Eyes, Keep My Glass Full Until Morning Light,” frequently refers to how people who are going through challenging emotions like depression frequently turn to alcohol as a form of self-medication to dull the pain they are feeling.

However, it doesn’t address the problem and frequently hampers recovery. But you can still sing along to Sia’s songs if you’re feeling gloomy.

21. Depressing Country Songs: Patsy Cline, “I Fall to Pieces”

Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard were confident that their brand-new song, “I Fall to Pieces,” would be a hit, but before it got to Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee and Roy Drusky both declined because they were “too country” and “too feminine,” respectively. But Cline ensured it wouldn’t get to anyone else when the latter left the studio.

She observed, “Drusky, that’s a hit song you just let go, and I’m going to persuade Owen [Bradley, the producer for Decca] to let me have it.” At least, that is how Drusky describes it. Howard’s wife, Jan claims that Cline detested the song and would not record it. In any case, “I Fall to Pieces” was recorded in the latter part of 1960, and the following year it was the largest country hit.

While the song’s subdued honky-tonk tempo exudes calm, Cline tries to maintain her cool while in the company of an ex-lover who wants to be just his buddy.

22. Depression Country Songs: Alan Jackson, “Monday Morning Church”

English teacher Brent Baxter’s mother once described poetry to her students as “as empty as a Monday morning church.” Baxter used that image to describe the heart of a desolate widower who was furious with God, set to a straightforward yet timeless Erin Enderlin melody. Before Alan Jackson, a melodrama-averse performer who conveys a calm desperation that suggests Patty Loveless’ backup vocal is all that stands between him and the abyss, the song was examined by Lee Ann Womack and Terri Clark.

23. George Jones, “The Grand Tour”

It’s difficult to choose between midnight on a moonless night or coal when comparing the sadness of one of Jones’ melancholy songs to the next. “The Grand Tour,” a husband’s tour of his empty home shortly after his wife has left permanently, represents the point at which Jones and Epic Records producer Billy Sherrill discovered creative chemistry.

Billy Sherrill’s downtown violins were initially perceived as opposing Jones’ honky-tonk roots but ultimately served as the castle that separates the king from the outside world. The song is sometimes interpreted as a narrative about Jones’ traumatic divorce from fellow country music icon Tammy Wynette, which was formalized the year the song was released. One of the authors of it? George Richey, who had a brief marriage to Wynette.

24. Pirates of the Mississippi, “Feed Jake”

The poignant image of a man bending down to say the “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” bedtime prayer—pleading for someone to look after his best friend, a dog named Jake, if his owner should pass away before he wakes up—is at the center of this song by early Nineties band Pirates of the Mississippi.

25. Rock Songs About Depression: Everybody Hurts By R.E.M

Songs About Depression And Suicide: In some way or another, we’re all hurt. That was the point made by R.E.M in their popular 1992 song “Everybody Hurts.” The song that is included in the album Automatic for the People was written to prevent suicide.

R.E.M.’s song has taken on the status of something of an anthem for the depressed by using their prominence to raise awareness. When you’re down, listen to “Everybody Hurts” and simply remember that it’s acceptable not to be okay.

26. Creep By Radiohead

The band Radiohead released their single “Creep” in 1992. The song, which is still a favorite of many people today, is about trying to fit in a world where you don’t belong. Although numerous artists have covered this famous song, none can compare to Radiohead.

Give “Creep” a listen and add it to your playlist if you want a song to belt out when you feel down and out, and it feels like there is no way out of your situation.

27. Just A Dream – Carrie Underwood

Just A Dream by Carrie Underwood is a depressive song that emphasizes the pain of losing a loved one while serving in the military. For military spouses or wives who lose their companions too soon, this song might be painful to listen to. The emotional state of terror and the blur of the funeral—where your brain is unable to grasp everything that is going so quickly—are eloquently described. This song is heartfelt and melancholy, especially for people mourning a loss.

28. Let It All Go – Birdy

Let It All Go by Birdy, and Rhode is a sorrowful song about a breakup. Even if you are not currently going through a breakup, the song may feel relatable. The phrase “I’ve been waiting on you, simply to say something real” can convey the emotional condition of feeling as though the entire world has lost all meaning. Depression frequently causes us to lose our sense of purpose, have trouble falling asleep, and feel a little numb. This song discusses how we can continue even though we sometimes experience severe emotional breakdowns. By that, we mean the discomfort.

29. Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson

Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson is a sorrowful song about a breakup with additional meanings. The phrase “we were never meant to say goodbye” refers to how difficult it is to lose a loved one and how occasionally our minds find it difficult to move on.

They place a great deal of weight on the love shown to them throughout the relationship, as the remark “You couldn’t have loved me better” demonstrates. This romance does end, but it does so on a happy note.

30. Whataya Want From Me – P!nk

When composing songs about depression, P!nk is unbeatable. She expresses the necessity of a strong support network when dealing with depression bluntly in her song, “Just don’t give up, I’m working it out, please don’t give up, I won’t let you down, it messed me up, need a second to breathe, just keep coming around.”

Sometimes all you need to say to your partner is that you’re doing your best and you’re working through some things, but you still need them to stick by you while you navigate the obstacles of your mental health.

What You Can Do To Deal With Depression

Psychotherapy and antidepressants are frequently recommended by medical practitioners to treat depression. Depending on your symptoms and treatment objectives, you can use either one of these methods alone or with dietary changes.

Increasing your vitamin D intake could assist with symptoms of depression if a vitamin D deficiency is the cause. Consult a medical expert to learn more about your treatment options and what might be most effective. Here are some other actions you may take if you’re depressed that might help lessen your symptoms:

• Sign up for a support group. You can find others going through the same symptoms online, over the phone, or in your local area by joining a support group. They can encourage and show sympathy.
• Regular exercise. Regular exercise releases “feel-good” chemicals like endorphins into the brain, which helps to lessen the symptoms of depression. Cardio should be done for around 30 minutes a day, three times per week, and more days and minutes can be added as needed.
• Maintain a consistent sleep routine. Maintain a regular sleep schedule to manage depression-related sleep problems. A sleep and wake alarm might be set. You could also keep a journal to track your development, noting your sleep duration and caliber.
• Contact your loved ones. You might find support from your friends or family while you manage your symptoms. Your network of reliable, encouraging friends and family may be able to assist your treatment efforts if you can talk to them about your depression.

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