Gloomy Sunday inspires people to commit suicide… fact or fiction?

@HorrorBible delves into Gloomy Sunday. A little ditty from 1933 that has reportedly caused people to commit suicide. Is this fact or fiction?

“Angels have no thought of ever returning you.” – Laszlo Javor

What’s in a Title?

According to Snopes, in 1933 two Hungarians, Reszo Seress and Laszlo Javor wrote the music and lyrics to the most depressing song in the history of the world. Apparently, Javor was inspired to write the tune after breaking up with his fiancé.

The story behind the recording is a man who is mourning the death of his lover and he is asking her if she would join him at his planned funeral. Well, already this is headed in the wrong direction! One of the chanteuses that sang this little number was none other than the wonderfully talented Billie Holiday.

Lady Day’s plaintive voice and her ability to evoke incredibly dark emotions from her listeners is her signature. The BBC banned this piece of music for sixty-six years. In 2002, the injunction was lifted.

According to @HorrorBible, this song has been “linked to over one hundred suicides to date including Javor. Here is a recording of Gloomy Sunday. Listen to it if you are brave enough. I can tell you I listened to it twice and am not experiencing any adverse feelings.

Look, I have survived Morrissey. I can tell you if you are going through a break up maybe you want to avoid Lady Day’s In My Solitude. This song is guaranteed to make you sob and it will stick in your head on a consistent loop.

Here are some of the lyrics to Gloomy Sunday:

Sunday is gloomy, my hours are slumberless.
Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless.
Little white flowers will never awaken you,
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you.
Angels have no thought of ever returning you.
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?
Gloomy Sunday.

Cole Porter, Anyone?

Granted those lyrics are very depressing but then again, Cole Porter’s Night and Day is filled with mournful longing that even U2’s remake couldn’t shake.

One victim was clutching sheet music in her hands after her death. A shopkeeper quoted lyrics on a note after taking his own life. Here are more facts about the song.

When determining if this is fact or fiction consider this tidbit. Hungary is a country with a high suicide rate. Snopes states that 45.9 per 100,000 people in 1984 took their own lives. This wouldn’t have been unusual even in 1936.

Maybe this is just another urban legend. Then again, maybe it isn’t.

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Did you listen to the Gloomy Sunday? What do you think, fact or fiction? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. We want to hear from you.