Jamie of Duward Discussion has a brand new meme called Take This Tune. When I read her post the song that I'm going to post about jumped into my thoughts. I don't know why...
Gloomy Sunday has an unusual background. It's been called the Hungarian Suicide Song because legend says that after one has heard it he/she will commit suicide. Remember only legend!
To me it's a beautiful, heartfelt, very sad song that gives me chills. Just like the song Jamie posted about, "Sull'aria" - A Little Song On The breeze.
"Gloomy Sunday" is a song composed by Hungarian pianist and composer Rezső Seress in 1933 to a Hungarian poem written by László Jávor (original Hungarian title of both song and poem "Szomorú vasárnap" (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈsomoruː ˈvɒʃaːrnɒp]), in which the singer mourns the untimely death of a lover and contemplates suicide.
Though recorded and performed by many singers, "Gloomy Sunday" is closely associated with Billie Holiday, who scored a hit version of the song in 1941. Due to unsubstantiated urban legends about its inspiring hundreds of suicides, "Gloomy Sunday" was dubbed the "Hungarian suicide song" in the United States. Seress did commit suicide in 1968, but most other rumors of the song being banned from radio, or sparking suicides, are unsubstantiated, and were partly propagated as a deliberate marketing campaign. Possibly due to the context of the Second World War, Billie Holiday's version was, however, banned by the BBC.
Here are the lyrics:
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 coaches Sorrow has taken you Angels have no thoughts Of ever returning you Wouldnt they be angry If I thought of joining you?
Gloomy sunday
Gloomy is sunday, With shadows I spend it all My heart and i Have decided to end it all Soon therell be candles And prayers that are said I know But let them not weep Let them know that Im glad to go Death is no dream For in death Im caressin you With the last breath of my soul Ill be blessin you
Gloomy sunday
Dreaming, I was only dreaming I wake and I find you asleep In the deep of my heart here Darling I hope That my dream never haunted you My heart is tellin you How much I wanted you Gloomy sunday