[identity profile] skyecaptain.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] poptimists
I've decided on the cheery theme of reaction to trauma. What I'm looking for are songs that detail the ways in which a person copes (or fails to cope) with traumas that originate in childhood or adolescence. There's a lot of this stuff in teenpop, but I'd like to broaden the scope as well.

Some examples:

Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" -- her mother never stood up to her abusive father, and now Kelly blames mom for her inability to trust others in meaningful relationships.

P!nk's "Family Portrait" -- Basically, "my parents got a divorce and now I am effed up." (Note: bonus points for nuance in the general argument of the song -- not sure how many I'd give to this one, say).

Fefe Dobson's "Unforgiven" -- I'll never forgive you for leaving us, dad, but I won't let you forget about me, either. (As I said during revenge week, Fefe's revenge here is refusing to abandon him.)

This would also be the thread to keep talking about Ashlee Simpson's "Shadow," I suppose.

There are lots of song about pain following a break-up, say, but what I'm looking for are lasting wounds, perhaps from childhood, that have healed over, opened up, healed over again. And the most points will go to the most unexpected expression of how this trauma has manifested itself. As I said once of Margaret Berger's "Robot Song," I'd like to be blindsided by pathos if possible.

You have NO limitations on the number of nominations.

Date: 2010-04-25 07:53 pm (UTC)
koganbot: (Default)
From: [personal profile] koganbot
Gene Watson "Flowers," except so far I've not been able to find it streamed anywhere online. [EDIT: Have now; here it is.] Anyhow, it starts out with the reaction to the loved one's departure like so:

Oh I should have took you dancin'
A little candlelight romancin'
With roses
But I was high upon the barstool
I was such a blind fool
Now I know it
You won't believe how much I've changed since you've left
It took losin' you for me to find myself

Oh I wish that you could see me
Steady hands without the whiskey
You'd be so proud
Got that job down at the factory
A brand new suit for Sunday
I'm in church now
It's been one year since I sat behind the bar
I went by the junkyard...


And if I quote it further I will SPOILERATE it, since it'd got a twist, so I'll hold off for a while and keep looking for a stream.
Edited Date: 2022-03-20 04:48 pm (UTC)

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