Recent posts about mental illness got me wondering - what are my favorite songs about anxiety? Here are 5 standouts, and a longer playlist at the bottom.
Great post! What a list - most of which (save Pat Benetar) I wasn't aware of. So, some additions to future playlists!
My suggestion is an album - one of my favourites, back in the day: Orbus Terrarum by The Orb. Putting this CD on at around four in the morning when one reality needed to blend into another ... damn. On the surface there's an illusion of calm, but there's an underlying tension that inevitably leads to some serious nail biting.
this one’s not anxiety-specific, but I like to play this loudly when I need to self regulate: Please Remain Calm by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/D7rELtlc5Hb
And this one is about mental health in general: Room Full of People In Your Head by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/mbZl8JMc5Hb
Regarding the prompt you have given us, I immediately thought of "Place To Be" by Nick Drake. On an album full of devastating sadness yet beauty, it's hard to choose one song to share. But, this one came to mind.
"Glass Eyes" by Radiohead. The album is about divorce, the devastating breakdown of a relationship, and the pain, sorrow, anxiety, and depression that follows. "Glass Eyes" is possibly its most poetic and poignant track.
Thanks, Michael! If I added depression to this, it could be filled with Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. I'm sure there's a Jeff Buckley (or Tim Buckley) tune that would certainly make the list (and now I'm gonna add those to the playlist!). I didn't know this Radiohead song, so gorgeous!
Love this topic! I immediately thought of two: Anxiety by Pat Benatar and Terrible Thought by Poe. The latter is about OCD and really hits the nail on the head for those who suffer with it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYmKURhxHw
Thanks, Dan. I was unfamiliar with the Poe song. As someone with mild OCD, it’s totally relatable. I’ll add it to the playlist. Feel free to suggest others!
Thanks so much, Stygi! I didn't know any of these! I'll add them to the playlist. I don't know Ponytail Press so another music source to add to the list!
Backstory: the song was written in London after was exiled from Brazil. According to one site, "Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso were arrested without trial on December 27, 1968, and detained for 57 days. They were ordered to stay within the confines of their home state, Bahia, after release and were ‘invited’ to leave the country shortly thereafter. To this day it is unclear exactly why Gil and Veloso were targeted specifically, perhaps it was their popularity among the youth, or their eccentricity and general aversion to the establishment, or a combination of both. "
Yes, a great song. Homesickness is a topic worth exploring for a future post. I will mark that down. Thanks for the pick and the tip! And of course it made me think of Miles Davis' "A Kind of Blue."
Thinking about it, I agree, homesickness is a different emotion than anxiety. If you do follow up on that I'd be curious what other songs you think of. I can think of a number of songs about musicians feeling lonely/homesick on the road, but fewer related to general homesickness.
I enjoyed this, Steve, and I was amazed at how many anxiety-related songs there have been! Etymology fan that I am, I began to wonder if angst and anxiety might have a similar root. Apparently not, despite roughly similar definitions:
I figured I could count on you, Brad, for some off the beaten path picks! Keep 'em coming!
Angst in My Pants is the only Sparks album I still own -- it was a formative album in my early New Wave development. And this song might have been even more important to me.
It was fun to see them grow over the years! They were the perfect band for the MTV generation, and they seized on that opportunity! Where many bands were never photogenic, and were overcome with (!) anxiety in front of cameras, Ron'n'Russell were ready-made, not just with their looks (cute + odd.....looking at you, too, Cheap Trick!!), but with an eagerness to make the most of the makeup, wardrobe, and acting this new frontier offered...."I Predict," just one example!
I played "I Predict" for my wife, who hadn't heard it before, and now we are both singing out: "You're gonna eat a bowl of chow mein and be hungry real soon...I predict."
Squee for the Housemartins!! They were among my favorites in the mid-80s - had totally forgotten about this song! Had that album and their next one! I had my brother shave a cross on each side of my head after “Caravan of Love” hahahaha
Hahaha! Yeah, I still own both of the Housemartins albums and an EP (forget the name)...on vinyl! And Paul Heaton and Norman Cook did pretty well for themselves after the band split up!
Great post! What a list - most of which (save Pat Benetar) I wasn't aware of. So, some additions to future playlists!
My suggestion is an album - one of my favourites, back in the day: Orbus Terrarum by The Orb. Putting this CD on at around four in the morning when one reality needed to blend into another ... damn. On the surface there's an illusion of calm, but there's an underlying tension that inevitably leads to some serious nail biting.
Loved this post!
this one’s not anxiety-specific, but I like to play this loudly when I need to self regulate: Please Remain Calm by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/D7rELtlc5Hb
And this one is about mental health in general: Room Full of People In Your Head by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/mbZl8JMc5Hb
Some great tracks here Steve! I hadn’t heard any of them except for the Preoccupations song (excellent album btw).
I was wondering if you’d get Overkill in there and saw it near the bottom of the Spotify playlist.
Fear My Society by The Wants is another good one:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1nIrh2vUiuHkj2fMalZn9i
Because they are, you know….
https://youtu.be/7YvAYIJSSZY?si=U4x6ZXjZFJeJGa9z
You know I'm gonna go with a Rush tune :D "Freeze" would fit the bill!
Regarding the prompt you have given us, I immediately thought of "Place To Be" by Nick Drake. On an album full of devastating sadness yet beauty, it's hard to choose one song to share. But, this one came to mind.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5QUeSXjTMHbq1fW5da2waF?si=119269ce32824c9b
"Glass Eyes" by Radiohead. The album is about divorce, the devastating breakdown of a relationship, and the pain, sorrow, anxiety, and depression that follows. "Glass Eyes" is possibly its most poetic and poignant track.
https://open.spotify.com/track/0uOeAmfdyaekD2RIGwCDwq?si=c405441310a64a49
Thanks, Michael! If I added depression to this, it could be filled with Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. I'm sure there's a Jeff Buckley (or Tim Buckley) tune that would certainly make the list (and now I'm gonna add those to the playlist!). I didn't know this Radiohead song, so gorgeous!
Love this topic! I immediately thought of two: Anxiety by Pat Benatar and Terrible Thought by Poe. The latter is about OCD and really hits the nail on the head for those who suffer with it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYmKURhxHw
Thanks, Dan. I was unfamiliar with the Poe song. As someone with mild OCD, it’s totally relatable. I’ll add it to the playlist. Feel free to suggest others!
Thanks for this issue Steve! What a great selection of songs 🎶
You know, thanks to the newest issue of the Ponytail Press I’ve found a new favorite anxiety-themed song: „How R U” by DijahSB
https://open.spotify.com/track/4NgiFQiCDSK2kvRuZSnHPz?si=I7G6uRpmSJK7yQZVhGgxzg
These are also on point, I think:
• „Mirror” by The Drums
https://open.spotify.com/track/5vF4mZ79OmA8JHHqRjloQ4?si=MTeMYznyT1C3ZQ5f_b1nxQ
• „Still as the Night” by Rowan Drake
https://open.spotify.com/track/4DwSzfkzhnT6GF80xHVhQF?si=m7O3RrFRTje9NM_ediK_nA
• „Mind Games” by Verzache
https://open.spotify.com/track/5x28j84C6lbutAAeq2jxHX?si=AAM7FH01RKi3BlaHpSX1aw
Thanks so much, Stygi! I didn't know any of these! I'll add them to the playlist. I don't know Ponytail Press so another music source to add to the list!
Not exactly anxiety, but I think of "A Little More Blue" by Caetano Veloso, as one of the great songs about homesickness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYC7S1kEhVg
Backstory: the song was written in London after was exiled from Brazil. According to one site, "Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso were arrested without trial on December 27, 1968, and detained for 57 days. They were ordered to stay within the confines of their home state, Bahia, after release and were ‘invited’ to leave the country shortly thereafter. To this day it is unclear exactly why Gil and Veloso were targeted specifically, perhaps it was their popularity among the youth, or their eccentricity and general aversion to the establishment, or a combination of both. "
Yes, a great song. Homesickness is a topic worth exploring for a future post. I will mark that down. Thanks for the pick and the tip! And of course it made me think of Miles Davis' "A Kind of Blue."
Thinking about it, I agree, homesickness is a different emotion than anxiety. If you do follow up on that I'd be curious what other songs you think of. I can think of a number of songs about musicians feeling lonely/homesick on the road, but fewer related to general homesickness.
On the topic of anxiety, would you count Monty Python's "I'm So Worried?" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvzCuJUqqvw
Sure! I don't know how I had never heard this before. I guess it was on an album and not in any of their films?
Oh yeah, I love preoccupations- and the band! But really, I think they are amazing, Here's one of my favorites of theirs: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nYFmuGwt3flHsA4W3QBWbW42h-xdz5yAk
Is there a particular song on the album I should be listening to, or the whole thing? that was a link to the whole album.
Whole album! But meant to link to the first song: Espionage.
Pat Benetar - Get Nervous
That's my song #1! Gotta read past the headline....😀 It's actually called "Anxiety (Get Nervous)."
Anxiety by Julia Michaels and Selena Gomez
Breathe Me by Sia
And one of my favorites not about anxiety, but other mental health issues js Sail by AWOLNATION.
Nice, I'm looking for all mental health related songs so keep 'em coming! I'll add to the playlist.
By the way, I posted a playlist all about songs on breathing last year; the Sia song was on that. Here's the link if you missed it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/earworm/p/the-breathbreathing-playlist-is-now?r=1046qe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Cool! I’ll check that out!
Literally the second I scheduled this post, Chase Roper posted an amazing piece and poem about anxiety that I want to share with you all.
https://open.substack.com/pub/chaseroper/p/riding-the-waves-of-anxiety?r=1046qe&utm_medium=ios
I enjoyed this, Steve, and I was amazed at how many anxiety-related songs there have been! Etymology fan that I am, I began to wonder if angst and anxiety might have a similar root. Apparently not, despite roughly similar definitions:
"Angst and anxiety have often been used interchangeably, and while they present similar characteristics in how they manifest, they stem from different sources. While both angst and anxiety relate to the unease of unforetold suffering, angst is usually associated with a deep philosophical dread of dissatisfaction."--from Privatetherapy.com: https://www.privatetherapy.com/blog/anxiety-angst/#:~:text=Angst%20and%20anxiety%20have%20often,deep%20philosophical%20dread%20of%20dissatisfaction.
Despite all that (and never one to leave well enough alone), I offer "Angst in My Pants" by Sparks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUViOpzm6I
I figured I could count on you, Brad, for some off the beaten path picks! Keep 'em coming!
Angst in My Pants is the only Sparks album I still own -- it was a formative album in my early New Wave development. And this song might have been even more important to me.
https://youtu.be/TH5USLpPa_0?si=ts2ZYNTtH1WhqX6c
It was fun to see them grow over the years! They were the perfect band for the MTV generation, and they seized on that opportunity! Where many bands were never photogenic, and were overcome with (!) anxiety in front of cameras, Ron'n'Russell were ready-made, not just with their looks (cute + odd.....looking at you, too, Cheap Trick!!), but with an eagerness to make the most of the makeup, wardrobe, and acting this new frontier offered...."I Predict," just one example!
I played "I Predict" for my wife, who hadn't heard it before, and now we are both singing out: "You're gonna eat a bowl of chow mein and be hungry real soon...I predict."
love it! one of my favorites!
But…but…but…https://youtu.be/_GICtWmX754?si=EorNxPBI7KPdyI5P
I loved this then, and now! Mel doing his best Sinatra, right down to his phrasing and mannerisms! "Oooh-xiety!"
(But I guess this has more of a “Can’t Explain” feel to it. So maybe it doesn’t really count? Just because it has the word “anxiety in the title…”
I had a couple of comedy skits in the playlist but i took them out. maybe ill add Mel back in….
These blokes seem like an anxious lot 😂 https://youtu.be/sFnIMGoxXt0?si=wNyiknBoZm3c7TJU
Housemartins are in my honorable mentions list at the end of the piece! Guess you didn’t make it to the end….😎
Squee for the Housemartins!! They were among my favorites in the mid-80s - had totally forgotten about this song! Had that album and their next one! I had my brother shave a cross on each side of my head after “Caravan of Love” hahahaha
Hahaha! Yeah, I still own both of the Housemartins albums and an EP (forget the name)...on vinyl! And Paul Heaton and Norman Cook did pretty well for themselves after the band split up!
Stan Cullimore’s Substack is pretty good too.
I was having such a peaceful Friday morning, sipping coffee and reading some of my fellow Substack mates.
Now I'm full of anxiety! ;-)
at least you have some songs and a playlist to help with that!😀