To Die For: 25 Flawless Songs About Death

The end of existence is one of music's most frequent themes. These records address it impeccably.

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Image via Complex Original
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Death: It's inevitable, and a subject that musicians always come back to, no matter how often they drift to places other than mortality. Whether it's about the artist's own eventual demise, or their experience with the passing of someone close (or distant), it's a theme that spans across all genres and eras of popular music (let alone unpopular music).

RELATED: The 25 Most Depressing Rap Songs

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The Notorious B.I.G. "Ready to Die" (1994)

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The title track from Biggie's debut is as ominous and doom-obsessed as anything ever put to wax before it (or after it). Rapping as if there were no sunlight in the studio—or in New York—the Brooklyn MC spews off a list of frustrations that have him so irate, he doesn't feel like life's worth being around foranymore. Making the track particularly sinister is Biggie's unflinching desire to take all of his enemies to the grave with him. An early death is coldy accepted as an inevitable outcome of Biggie's life: "I'm ready to die and nobody can save me." Puffy's ad-libbed prayers at the end seal the deal: Far from relief, they crystallize the track as the chilling document of a crime-ridden life that still resonates as sharply (and darkly) as it did the day it was released.

R. Kelly "I Wish" (2000)

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Although it's been "four long years" since Kelly's friend passed, he's still having a hard time coping with the loss. Reminiscing on everything from partying to playing basketball with his pal, R. Kelly's putting his pain and grief on full (and sometimes agonizing) display. It just takes one listen to "I Wish," and anyone who's ever lost someone they've been close to—especially a platonic friend, who's been around since the old days—will find R. Kelly's sentimental asides resonating particularly hard.  

The Smiths "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (1986)

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In the mod-rock band's mid-'80s classic, the narrator—Morrisey—has been kicked out of his home, and rather than go crawling back to his family, he'd prefer to continue riding shotgun in his comrade's car. Naturally, this comes with the risk of death—a fatal car accident—but none of that phases Moz, who's not too keen on an Earth-bound existence at the moment. In fact, he notes that getting hit by a "double decker" bus would be a "wonderful way to die," if he's with the right person. Perhaps that burning passion (for death) is, indeed, the light that never goes out.

Bob Dylan "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (1973)

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Nobody nails metaphors like Dylan. True, Clapton's version of this song ended up as the more popular (or at least: widely-regarded) version, but the stately organ and harmonies in Bob's original rendition call to mind a funeral dirge or a hymn sung at a funeral (and has indeed been used for many a funeral). A perfectly-balanced blend of despair with the violence of the world, and the desire for respite of heaven, the longing for peace and rest in this song ring with an air of desire that's unimpeachable for sheer emotional impact alone.

50 Cent "Many Men (Wish Death)" (2003)

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"Many Men": A great song for all the traditional reasons a rap song is great (the beat, the lyrics, etc), but what takes it over the top is how it blurs the distinction between art and life. This song mythologizes 50's past, sure, but the truth is many men really did in fact wish death upon 50, enough to have a gunman run up on him and start firing. And the people 50 talks about are real, too—in the line, "Slim switched sides on me" he's referring to his former manager Chaz "Slim" Williams, who was known as a real street dude. It's all good, however, since 50 had been talking up his shooting for months in the press. What isn't all good is how 50 openly implies that he in fact got revenge on his would-be assassin mere weeks after getting shot. Ironic, since just two tracks before, on "What Up Gangsta," 50 rhymed, "I try not to say nothing, the DA might want to play in court." Well, so much for that.

Funkadelic "Maggot Brain" (1971)

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There are no less than two urban legends circulating around the world attempting to explain the origin of "Maggot Brain," though probably more. One story has Funkadelic founder George Clinton finding his brother's dead, decomposed body in a Chicago apartment. The theory that's more popular—and likely—is that, while under the influence of LSD, Clinton told guitarist Eddie Hazel to play as if he'd been told that his mother was dead (and then, as she wasn't). What emerged is one of the greatest guitar solos in music history, and sparse verbiage, even for a record rife with ideas about death.

Queen "The Show Must Go On" (1991)

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As Queen recorded this 1990 track, lead singer Freddie Mercury was dying of AIDS. His bandmates were unsure that Mercury could physically pull of the vocal performance, but listening to "The Show Must Go On," you'd never be able to tell that Mercury was so ill, he could barely walk. His dramatic, soaring delivery is a testament to his dedication to the cause of recording music, and the song's lyrics take on powerful new meaning when you realize that Mercury was really inhabiting the exact circumstance he was singing about. Freddie Mercury died in 1991, but his contributions to music and unwavering commitment to showmanship cement his spot as one of the greatest lead singers of all time, and this track as pitch-perfect evidence of that.

Modest Mouse "Ocean Breathes Salty" (2004)

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Modest Mouse are notoriously unafraid to excavate the darker side of humanity and the transient nature of our time on earth—"Ocean Breathes Salty" addresses all of these themes, simultaneously and seamlessly, resulting in one of the most memorably tracks from their most memorable album, Good News For People Who Love Bad News. Facing death head on, the lyrics depict ephemeral imagery of sea mist, or the line between the sky and the ocean, to evoke spiritual imagery concerning existence. It's not just a song that grapples with notions of reincarnation, the afterlife and how those we love live on in our memories long after we are physically separated by death, but it's an incredibly catchy one, too.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony "Tha Crossroads" (1995)

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"Tha Crossroads" is a perfect example of what the right remake can do for a song. Originally, Bone had a song called "Crossroads," which was dedicated to their friend Wallace Laird III and was featured on Bone's debut E. 1999. Although it carried the same sentiment as "Tha Crossroads," it simply didn't pack the same punch. After the release of the album, Bone's producer DJ U-Neek wanted to remake the song, and this time, it was dedicated to the group's mentor Eazy-E. The song went on to become a huge hit and Bone's signature track. Years after the fact, we still tear up hearing Wishbone croon about missing his Uncle Charles.

The Clash "Somebody Got Murdered" (1980)

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"Somebody Got Murdered" isn't about murder itself so much as it is a quest to find out what happens when someone's life is taken from them. In a true-to-life story, Joe Strummer witnessed the parking attendant at his apartment complex get murdered in cold blood, with a gun wound to the head. Here one moment, gone the next. The Clash managed to make it an upbeat little number, but past the sheen, it's a wildly dark, unique story that ponders the mortality of complete strangers.

Kanye West "Coldest Winter" (2008)

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Reportedly written about the untimely death of Kanye's mother Donda—who died while in surgery, in November 2007—"Coldest Winter" finds Kanye updating a Tears for Fears classic, pouring his heart into a reworked message via new vocals addressing her passing at the end of the already painful album (and undoubtedly Kanye's most vulnrable work to date), 808s & Heartbreak. The loss of his closest love has Kanye wondering if he'll "ever love again." Hearing "Coldest Winter," you can't help feel like it might be a very, very valid concern.

Aerosmith "Dream On" (1973)

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Possibly the greatest power ballad that Steven Tyler ever penned, "Dream On" was the second single of Aerosmith's 1973 self-titled debut. Reminiscing over the parts of his life that have passed already—and the power of what else he dreams of accomplishing—Tyler's throaty falsetto at the end of this track helped catapult the band to rock 'n' roll stardom. While acknowledging that death could be only a day away, the song encourages a "live for the moment" attitude that feels inspirational on every listen. Unfortunately, that mentality ended up inspiring Aerosmith to do Olympic amounts of Lebanese cocaine. But, you know, c'est la vie.

2Pac "Life Goes On" (1996)

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Tupac Shakur was only 25 years-old when he died, but his lyrics in "Life Goes On" reflect the thoughtfulness of a man who's lived a far longer life. 'Pac's reflections on the passing of a friend and his own mortality reveal a peaceful, almost uplifting outlook on death, and while reminiscing on a fast life once lived, his words and delivery manage to take on the rare tone of comfort and empathy that rappers don't always find so intuitive a direction to take their music. Part poet, part thug, Tupac wasn't afraid to show his sensitive side, and it makes this—a song about dying—so much more powerful than so many of his other songs about killing.

Blue Oyster Cult "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (1976)

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You can't escape death, and Blue Oyster Cult's classic—the sheer quantity and volume of cowbell in it not withstanding—is, ideally, a helpful reminder to be brave when the end of your life approaches. Whether or not it's an effective reminder remains to be seen. That said: An essential asset to overcoming an apprehension about mortality is to have someone by your side, and members of the band have commented that "Reaper" is ultimately about "eternal love" on multiple occasions. Still: Anyone who tells you not to be afraid of something is probably telling you not to be afraid of something generally considered to be terrifying. Like the manifestation of death as a hooded skeleton and ambassador of death who rolls around with a scythe. 

Scarface "I Seen a Man Die" (1994)

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One of the darkest meditations on death in music history, Scarface recites a track that begins like a morality tale, but becomes something deeper, more transcendent. The first verse introduces a character, freed from jail and optimistic, but unable to shake "that attitude that who he was was worth it." Stuck in the same lifestyle he'd been in before his incarceration, he kills another man, and recognizes that this is necessary part of the world he's entered. He "never saw a man cry" until he killed one; in the second, verse, the narrator becomes omniscient, watching the main character's decisions damn him: "You took his life, but your memory you'll never take." But ultimately, it is his willingness to live and die with the consequences of his actions that is valued: "There lies a man not scared to die, may he rest in peace."

Metallica "Fade to Black" (1984)

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James Hetfield was in a dark place when he wrote "Fade To Black." For what he openly refers to as a "suicide song," Hetfield picked up an acoustic guitar and wrote a hopeless ballad unlike anything Metallica had ever recorded before. Basically begging for life to end, the song's lyrics are almost unsettling in how bluntly they deal with (and desire) death, but it was a message that resonated deeply with (freaked-out, but nonetheless awestruck) fans, and it remains one of Metallica's standout tracks.

Eric Clapton "Tears in Heaven" (1992)

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March 20, 1991: Eric Clapton's four-year-old son Conor died accidentally when he fell from the window of a 53rd-floor apartment in New York City. Clapton was devestated; he dealt with the pain by writing "Tears in Heaven" with songwriter Will Jennings. The song dealt explicitly with the death of his son, and he credited it with enabling him to deal with his tragic passing. By the mid-2000s, he had stopped playing it in performances, saying that he could no longer connect with the same feelings he had when the song was initially written.

Jay-Z "Lost One" (2006)

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The first two verses of this track don't address death. Instead, Hov opts to take his time and discuss the matter of partnerships gone sour (he might be referring to Jaz-O, but our money is on Dame Dash) and the second verse is about the brief period Jay-Z and Beyonce broke up (say it ain't so, Hov!). But then he gets to the emotional third verse, where Jigga recounts giving a car to his nephew, who then later died in a car crash. Easily one of the most somber songs of Jay's catalog, some things—like this track—are worth losing a little sleep over.

Elton John "Candle in the Wind" (1973)

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Written in honor of Marilyn Monroe, this track has been used to euologize countless others as well, including Elton's 1997 rewritten version dedicated to Princess Diana. It's the rare occurance of a song that manages to be entirely specific and subjective—referencing Monroe by her given name Norma Jean—and yet, resonating a sense of universal compassion. Leave it to Elton to venerate two of our culture's most beautiful and important female icons with a magnificent ballad that encompasses the pressures of society and celebrity, while still recognizing and dignifying their humanity.

Puff Daddy f/ Faith Evans & 112 "I'll Be Missing You" (1997)

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It may borrow liberally from a Sting's stalker anthem (and spiritual "I'll Fly Away"), but Puffy's "I'll Be Missing You" manages to touch on something a little less unnerving and a little more mournful. The late Notorious was more than just an act to Puff, at once a business partner, friend and source of artistic motivation. Puff's lyrics are plaintive and straightforward, an honest tribute to the departed that seems at once hopeful as it is therapeutic, both for himself and Faith Evans—the wife who Big was estranged from around the time of his death—who also sings on the track.

Elliott Smith "King's Crossing" (2004)

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Death: A common topic in Elliott Smith's gut-wrenching lyrics, but he wasn't often explicit about it. His tortured stories of depression and addiction were usually hidden in layers of symbolism and personal references, but every now and then, his songs made things painfully clear. "King's Crossing" is one of those songs. Thinly-veiled references to drugs and suicide paint a dreary picture, and lines like, "I can't prepare for death any more than I already have" hit especially hard, since we already know the ending to Elliott Smith's tragic story: a death in 2003, at age 34, from two stab wounds to the chest. His death was never ruled a suicide, but Elliott's long battle with depression and heroin addiction led many to believe that his fatal injuries were self-inflicted.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" (1992)

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This song—dedicated to the memory of the group's friend Troy Dixon a.k.a. "Trouble" T. Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz—is probably best remembered for the beat, one built on an incredible Tom Scott sample. But the verses don't slack either. CL Smooth vividly recalls growing up with his family, and touches on all the right details about his family history (like his mother giving birth at a young age and his Uncle Doc's issues with alcohol).

Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men "One Sweet Day" (1995)

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Even after a lover passes away, the romantic spark of the relationship with them remains. At this point, though, what drives the situation forward is a determination to see them again "one sweet day," and thus, the conceit and circumstances behind this big-ticket '90s R&B collaboration that Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men sang, paving the way for a massive hit, and tearing up anyone with a remote connection to the feeling of mortality disrupting a romance in progress.

Kendrick Lamar "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" (2012)

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Each verse on this deep cut from one of 2012's most critically-acclaimed album is told with its own narrative, and none of them end happily. During the first one, nu-Compton hometown-hero Kendrick raps: "And if I die before your album drop--" before he's abruptly cut off by gunfire, with only a beat in his wake. It's a shocking moment of realism, adequately demonstrating the stark fragility of life and unpredictably of death, especially where he's from. Oddly enough, Kendrick is none too concerned, as long as you sing about him.

Pink Floyd "The Great Gig in the Sky" (1973)

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