Best songs about bitterness, anger, and betrayal

[Guest Kinetic]

Inspired by the "Best Love Songs" thread, I present to you the other side of the coin:  the best songs about the indescribable misery that comes after a failed relationship.

 

I have a tie for first place, actually.  Dylan's "Idiot Wind" and Elvis Costello's "I Want You."  To place either of these songs below anything would be wrong.  When I'm feeling particularly venemous towards an ex, these are the songs that articulate it best for me.  Just fucking incredible.

 

Beyond that, the best bitter, angry, miserable line in the history of pop music comes from Wilco's "Via Chicago":

 

"I dreamed about killing you again last night/ And it felt all right to me."

 

Wonderful.  Just about any Elvis Costello or Bob Dylan song that's angry towards a woman works well.  Elliot Smith does a lot of this, too.  There are lot more.  I'm sure I'll think of some later.

[Guest Shaved Bear]

Pantera - This Love

"Once I'd kill myself for you, now I'd kill you for myself"

[Guest Kinetic]

Since I'm all hardcore post whore tonight, here are the lyrics to my two top songs in this category.

 

Bob Dylan "Idiot Wind"

Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press

Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.

They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,

She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.

I can't help it if I'm lucky.

 

People see me all the time and they just can't remember how to act

Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts.

Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at,

I couldn't believe after all these years, you didn't know me better than that

Sweet lady.

 

Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,

Blowing down the backroads headin' south.

Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,

You're an idiot, babe.

It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

 

I ran into the fortune-teller, who said beware of lightning that might strike

I haven't known peace and quiet for so long I can't remember what it's like.

There's a lone soldier on the cross, smoke pourin' out of a boxcar door,

You didn't know it, you didn't think it could be done, in the final end he won the wars

After losin' every battle.

 

I woke up on the roadside, daydreamin' 'bout the way things sometimes are

Visions of your chestnut mare shoot through my head and are makin' me see stars.

You hurt the ones that I love best and cover up the truth with lies.

One day you'll be in the ditch, flies buzzin' around your eyes,

Blood on your saddle.

 

Idiot wind, blowing through the flowers on your tomb,

Blowing through the curtains in your room.

Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,

You're an idiot, babe.

It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

 

It was gravity which pulled us down and destiny which broke us apart

You tamed the lion in my cage but it just wasn't enough to change my heart.

Now everything's a little upside down, as a matter of fact the wheels have stopped,

What's good is bad, what's bad is good, you'll find out when you reach the top

You're on the bottom.

 

I noticed at the ceremony, your corrupt ways had finally made you blind

I can't remember your face anymore, your mouth has changed, your eyes

don't look into mine.

The priest wore black on the seventh day and sat stone-faced while the building

burned.

I waited for you on the running boards, near the cypress trees, while the springtime

turned Slowly into autumn.

 

Idiot wind, blowing like a circle around my skull,

From the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol.

Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,

You're an idiot, babe.

It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

 

I can't feel you anymore, I can't even touch the books you've read

Every time I crawl past your door, I been wishin' I was somebody else instead.

Down the highway, down the tracks, down the road to ecstasy,

I followed you beneath the stars, hounded by your memory

And all your ragin' glory.

 

I been double-crossed now for the very last time and now I'm finally free,

I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me.

You'll never know the hurt I suffered nor the pain I rise above,

And I'll never know the same about you, your holiness or your kind of love,

And it makes me feel so sorry.

 

Idiot wind, blowing through the buttons of our coats,

Blowing through the letters that we wrote.

Idiot wind, blowing through the dust upon our shelves,

We're idiots, babe.

It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves.

 

Elvis Costello "I Want You"

Oh my baby baby I love you more than I can tell

I don't think I can live without you

And I know that I never will

Oh my baby baby I want you so it scares me to death

I can't say anymore than "I love you"

Everything else is a waste of breath

I want you

You've had your fun you don't get well no more

I want you

Your fingernails go dragging down the wall

Be careful darling you might fall

I want you

I woke up and one of us was crying

I want you

You said "Young man I do believe you're dying"

I want you

If you need a second opinion as you seem to do these days

I want you

You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways

I want you

Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget

I want you

Since when were you so generous and inarticulate

I want you

It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for

It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for

it's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing

I want you

It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing

I want you

He tossed some tattered compliment your way

I want you

And you were fool enough to love it when he said

"I want you"

I want you

The truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark

It scares you witless

But in time you see things clear and stark

I want you

Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop

I want you

I'm afraid I won't know where to stop

I want you

I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you

I want you

I want to know the things you did that we do too

I want you

I want to hear he pleases you more than I do

I want you

I might as well be useless for all it means to you

I want you

Did you call his name out as he held you down

I want you

Oh no my darling not with that clown

I want you

You've had your fun you don't get well no more

I want you

No-one who wants you could want you more

I want you

Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up

I want you

I want you

I'm going to say it again 'til I instill it

I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it

I want you

I want you

[Guest starvenger]

I guess about half of Alanis Morissette's third album, "Jagged Little Pill", is about bitterness, anger and betrayal...  hell, it's what made her big in the first place...

[Guest]

"Pretty Lush" by Glassjaw.  Here's the lyrics:

 

I draw them on wreckless,

Etched in,

Scratched in like resurrection.

Your sins are killing you, you bet they'll get me too.

I've got to give some to get some.

 

Mining in the river standing in the rain.

Down on your knees while you heave that through your brain.

 

You can lead a whore to water and you can bet she'll drink and follow orders.

And I said, "Is this what you wanted?"

"Is this what you needed?"

Give it some more time.

 

Tonight I'm going to a party, but it's already started without me.

I aced philosophy and mastered the art of spiritual phase.

I've got to give some to get some.

 

The disco ball spins away another year.

I wish you a broken heart and a happy new year.

 

You can lead a whore to water and you can bet she'll drink and follow orders.

And I said, "Is this what you wanted?"

Huh?

"Is this what you needed?"

Give it some more time.

Some more time.

Yugh.

 

Ooh.. Restrain.

Where would you fear would you be?

How the fuck can I please and then clean?

 

Only three words come to mind [true till death].

Pray when you did what you said.

Death makes you kneel at the great.

All I had to say I did say.

When all you do is scream at the drain.

You F- ugh.

 

You can lead a whore to water and you can bet she'll drink and follow orders.

And I said, "Is this what you wanted?"

Cunt,"Is this what you needed?"

Give it some more time.

[Guest Ripper]

I just go with Staind and you will get some bitterness about love in every other song.

[Guest swan]

I guess about half of Alanis Morissette's third album, "Jagged Little Pill", is about bitterness, anger and betrayal...  hell, it's what made her big in the first place...

Too bad she didn't write it.

[Guest muzanisa]

The Painted From Memory thing Costello did with Bacharach was nasty. I think every song is about a break up. Really pretty music though.

 

I'll be Watching you by the Police deerves a mention.

The One I love by REM (depends what way you read it though)

Sweet Surrender by Tim Buckley for the other side of deal. I'm going to dump you and I don't give a shit.

In a Flash by Ron Sexsmith.

Grevious Angel by Gram Parsons has two in $1000 Wedding anf Love Hurts with Emmylou Harris who has the best song of all time about relationship break ups in Goodbye more sad and reflective than bitter though.

[Guest Eric the Eagle]

"Hey Joe" by Hendrix (and Type O Negative's cover "Pey Pete")

 

Type O Negative's "Jackhammer Rape"

 

Guns N Roses' "Locomotive"

 

Pain's "Just Hate Me"

[Guest Kinetic]

I'll be Watching you by the Police deerves a mention.

Yeah.  "Can't Stand Losing You" deserves one, as well.  "I Used To Be Kind of Cool Once" is my favorite Onion article ever, by the way.  It's strange to hear all of these bad-ass old Police songs nowadays, knowing what a complete wuss Sting turned out to be.

[Guest JerryDrake]

Foolish - Ashanti

[Guest Zack Malibu]

2 personal favorites are "Shame" and "What Do I Have To Do", both by Stabbing Westward.

 

Shame is an especially good "venting" song after a breakup.  I should know .

[Guest redbaron51]

I just go with Staind and you will get some bitterness about love in every other song.

Agreed. Staind talks about anger or depression, and break ups. The main target towards 14 year old boys

[Guest Kinetic]

Agreed. Staind talks about anger or depression, and break ups. The main target towards 14 year old boys

A lot of great art is about anger, frustration, and depression.  Staind sucks, I'll grant you that.  But don't group in everything characterized by that as being "targeted towards 14 year old boys."  If that's not what you were doing, I apologize.  Probably.

[Guest pinkslut]

I was rally trying to think of a manics song but couldent really find a love angst one so iv gone for soma by smashing pumpkinsNothing left to say

And all I've left to do

Is run away

From you

And she led me on, down

With secrets I can't keep

 

Close your eyes and sleep

Don't wait up for me

Hush now don't you speak

To me

 

Wrapped my hurt in you

And took my shelter in that pain

The opiate of blame

Is your broken heart, your heart

 

So now I'm all by myself

As I've always felt

I'll betray my tears

To anyone caught in our ruse of fools

 

One last kiss from me...yeah

One last kiss good night

 

Didn't want to lose you once again

Didn't want to be your friend

Fulfilled a promise made of tin

And crawled back to you

 

I'm all by myself

As I've always felt

I'll betray myself

To anyone, lost, anyone but you

 

So let the sadness come again

On that you can depend on me, yeah

Until the bitter, bitter end of the world, yeah

When god sleeps in bliss

 

And I'm all by myself

As I've always felt

And I'll betray myself

To anyone

[Guest hobu0]

When my heart got totally destroyed back in High School, there was one song that helped see me through. Not a lyrical masterpiece by any means, but it got to the point. Another Love Song by ICP.

 

I could buy you a lexus truck with a white leather interior

I could kill off some dogs and bears and sh*t, just to make you a fur coat.

I could love you and treat you with class and have babies falling all out your ass...

But thinking about that, I feel I'd rather kill you.

I'd rather cut that neck in half

I'd rather choke out that b*tch ass

I'd rather chop and never stop

because you f*cked my homie...

 

ahhh, a literary masterpiece:)

[Guest goodhelmet]

Promises Broken -Soul Asylum

Rearview Mirror -Pearl Jam

[Guest redbaron51]

A lot of great art is about anger, frustration, and depression.  Staind sucks, I'll grant you that.  But don't group in everything characterized by that as being "targeted towards 14 year old boys."  If that's not what you were doing, I apologize.  Probably.

I agree with what you said, but most of the new rock and nu-metal is targeted at 14 year ol guys.

 

See if it was Elvis Costello and other people that mention bands then those are excellent messages.

[Guest]

"I Want to Break Free" -- Queen

"Step on Me" -- Smile

[Guest goodhelmet]

Man, that was the first time ever I have heard "Mad the Swine" mentioned EVER in any discussion. Best name ever on the Smarkboard. And probably my favorite Queen Song (Don't ever fail me!!! )

[Guest muzanisa]

Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley.

 

I really prefer breakup songs where the singer is glad to see the back of the ex.

 

I've always hated Queen since I was cornered at a party and had some idiot raving in my face saying

"you name me one band better than Queen go on you faggot name one."

[Guest goodhelmet]

"I've always hated Queen since I was cornered at a party and had some idiot raving in my face saying

"you name me one band better than Queen go on you faggot name one.""

 

Don't sweat the haters. Listen to the music because you enjoy it not because some asshole at a party made the band less desirable. That's like hating Kurt Angle as a wrestler because Anglesault is so irrational.

 

As for Jeff Buckley's 'Last Goodbye' the song is a mini-masterpiece.

[Guest muzanisa]

Actually AS has turned me against Angle.

 

Psychologically if you have to argue the point that the fucking proclaimers are a better band than Queen; you half have to believe it yourself and on top of that I've always found them overrated.

[Guest Ripper]

Actually, I like Staind...they are one dimensional but I like their one dimension.

[Guest Madmartigan21]

There's that one by Stabbing Westward.  Which one is it again?  I can never remember.  Oh yeah, I got it now.  It's almost EVERY song they've ever written.  I'm not knocking them, because I DO like them.  It's just that they have a lot of songs that would fit this thread.

 

Also Black Lodge by Anthrax would fit nicely.  

 

Almost Honest and Trust by Megadeth.

 

I Don't Believe in Love by Queensryche.

 

 

And in no way can Queen ever be overrated.  If anything they've become underrated over the past decade or so.  If I was trying to explain what Rock and Roll was to someone who had never heard it and I could only play one band for them, it would be Queen.  They mastered every part of the eclectic rock spectrum.  They were what Rock could be.  They were what Rock SHOULD be.  

 

I'll modify the question one apparent psychotic Queen fan made to muzanisa.  You name me one singer in the history of not only Rock, but all of recorded music, better than Freddie Mercury, go on you faggot name one.