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The hungarian suicide song........Metal princess

  Author:  59418  Category:(Urban Legends) Created:(8/25/2003 10:32:00 AM)
This post has been Viewed (13196 times)

The internet is full of strange rumours. Pictures that come to life when the lights go out for sale on Ebay, Cursed Videotapes and "Was Ellen Feiss stoned when she did the 'Switch' commercial?".

But perhaps the most mysterious of all of these 21st century urban myths is that of the 'Hungarian Suicide Song'. What makes this one so unique is that, not only do it's origins pre-date the World Wide Web by some sixty years, but there is real evidence that there is at least some truth to this strange and sorry tale.

The first time I heard this story was back in May 2002. At the time I was living in Debrecen, which is located on the great plain of Hungary. I was sitting in a bar (The 'Jazz Bar' in Kalvin Ter, detail fans) when this strange old song came on. It was in Hungarian but I was immediatly startled by it's odd, dreamlike melody.

I asked a Hungarian friend who was drinking with me about the song and he related a truncated version of it's infamous history. After a heavy night of Palinka abuse I completely forgot about the song and my friend's story. Months later, and back in the UK, I attended a lecture at college as part of my 'Music & Society' module. I was amazed when, in a section on popular music and censorship, my lecturer mentioned a song that the BBC banned back in the 1940's when it was linked to several suicides.

Doing a little research I discovered, as I'd suspected, that it was an English version of the very same song I'd heard months before in that bar in Hungary. It seemed this curious little tune not only had a morbid reputation in it's homeland but it spread it's dark wings across the world. This is the story of Gloomy Sunday

Written in 1933 ,by a Budapest pianist named Rezs?Seress, Szomoru Vasarnap (Gloomy Sunday) became infamous throughout Hungary after a spate of suicides was linked to the song. The newspapers of the day began to report stories of lovelorn individuals who had taken their own lives directly after listening to it's haunting melody. Some had died clutching the lyric sheets or left suicide notes quoting lines from the song.

A few years later, as it's dark reputation had grown, the lyrics were re-written by the Poet Lászl?Jávor. His take on the song was less despairing and more melancholy, with a third - less pessamistic - stanza. But the suicides continued. Soon after an English version of the song was recorded, as 'Gloomy Sunday', by Sam Lewis.

This was followed by recordings in the early forties by, first, Artie Shaw and then most famously by Billie Holiday. Although it's reputation was unknown outside of Hungary soon reports of suicides in America and ,later, the UK began to circulate. The BBC actually banned the song from broadcast - although an orchestral version was a minor hit. The ban remains to this day. Rezs?Seress' girlfriend jumped from a Budapest bridge into the Duna (Danube). She left a suicide note which read simply 'Szomoru Vasarnap'.

Rezs? himself died by jumping from the window of his flat in 1968. Gloomy Sunday, that strange, haunting song of a broken heart longing to be with it's lost love had finally come for it's creator. More recently, artist such as Sarah MacClachlan, Bjork and The Bronski Quartet have all recorded interpretations of the song.

Pretty freaky eh? PLEASE do not listen to it, i don't want people dying lol! *hugs* - Metal princess

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Replies:      
Date: 8/25/2003 10:39:00 AM  From Authorid: 60052    I've already listened to the song, yes it was sad, but it didn't make me want to commit suicide.  
Date: 8/25/2003 10:47:00 AM  From Authorid: 62310    The song is really creepy sounding but I didn't want to die. Princess Rhiannon  
Date: 8/25/2003 10:48:00 AM  From Authorid: 58078    I think I heard Sarah MacClachlans version, I'm going to check my truck and see if I do have it...hmmm interesting...If I don't return..you'll know why....baahhaaaaa. hee hee j/k  
Date: 8/25/2003 10:51:00 AM  ( From Author ) From Authorid: 59418    i dont want to listen to it lol. freaks me out!  
Date: 8/25/2003 1:14:00 PM  From Authorid: 35720    I already listened to it.. it gave me a headache.  
Date: 8/25/2003 1:54:00 PM  From Authorid: 62171    WHO SINGS IT AND WHERE CAN I GET THESE LYRICS TO THE SONG! i WANNA HEAR IT!  
Date: 8/25/2003 2:05:00 PM  From Authorid: 47618    A cover of it appears on the soundtrack for the first Blair Witch film.  
Date: 8/25/2003 2:56:00 PM  From Authorid: 49710    scary...i never heard the song though....an people were crazy enough to translate it into english? Sheesh.....  
Date: 8/25/2003 5:18:00 PM  From Authorid: 62289    where can i download it?!?!?!  
Date: 8/25/2003 6:03:00 PM  From Authorid: 59266    gave me a headache  
Date: 8/25/2003 6:33:00 PM  From Authorid: 62249    Try to download it on Kazaa, Or WinMX, or something. Ive tried but never found results  
Date: 8/25/2003 7:26:00 PM  From Authorid: 42703    I have the song! I have the Billie Hoiliday version,I've listen to it over and over before,didn't feel any different..But the song was very sad.  
Date: 8/25/2003 8:08:00 PM  From Authorid: 16916    LOL I dont beleive a song could want you to commit suicide unless you really beleiveit. They must have had premeditated thoughts...thanks for the post :) *HUGE HUGS*  
Date: 8/25/2003 8:55:00 PM  From Authorid: 55386    I just read the lyrics. It sounds so very sad. It is a song about suicide though, that's why many people died from it. They killed themselves because they could relate. I don't find it scary, I just find it so sad  
Date: 8/26/2003 4:34:00 AM  ( From Author ) From Authorid: 59418    yeh it is sad - but still freaks me out! lol!  
Date: 8/26/2003 6:14:00 AM  From Authorid: 62333    When I first heard this story, I decided to listen to it for myself, so I started collecting the song. I've now got 23 versions of it, including one in Hungarian. It's actually a pretty nice song. I wouldn't kill myself over it, but I could see where if someone was going to kill themself, they might like to listen to this song when doing it. I doubt it causes it, but just happens to be something people pick. Sort of like how Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" feels to some people. My favorite version is actually from a group called The Smithereens. He's got a nice voice. But, there's this odd version from Diamanda Galas where she re-wrote the lyrics from the perspective of the dead girlfriend.
Date: 8/26/2003 2:15:00 PM  From Authorid: 53158    Heh. I'm going to download it. But, don't worry. I'm in a happy mood. So, I'm not going to kill myself over it. I read the lyrics...and I liked them. They appealed to me.  
Date: 8/26/2003 3:01:00 PM  From Authorid: 47618    Ah..."Comfortably Numb" - great song - but it does give off a strange vibe to some people. "There is no pain you are receeding...."  
Date: 9/12/2003 6:27:00 PM  From Authorid: 62066    I got it and it ain't that bad. It's still pretty freaky though!  
Date: 9/12/2003 11:55:00 PM  ( From Author ) From Authorid: 59418    i dont wanna listen to it :S lol  
Date: 10/12/2003 11:03:00 AM  From Authorid: 55789    I read the lyrics after i heard this story an di dont see how it would make somebody want to commit suicide?? hmm.. ~XiNgOveR07~  
Date: 10/12/2003 12:00:00 PM  ( From Author ) From Authorid: 59418    they are quite sad..  
Date: 12/12/2003 8:14:00 AM  From Authorid: 48527    I wanna read the lyrics.. where can I get them??  
Date: 12/12/2003 1:06:00 PM  ( From Author ) From Authorid: 59418    try searching on google.  
Date: 1/11/2004 3:42:00 AM  From Authorid: 48527    ok, in order to search this song can n e one tell me the title?  
Date: 3/24/2004 9:04:00 PM  From Authorid: 62606    Does anyone know what Sarah McLaughlan's version of the song is? I love a lot of her songs and I'm surprised she'd have one like that.  
Date: 3/24/2004 9:09:00 PM  From Authorid: 62606    Hey guys... I found the lyrics for "Gloomy Sunday" through ask.com GLOOMY SUNDAY (original 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 coach Of sorrow has taken you Angels have no thoughts Of ever returning you Would 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 there'll be candles And prayers that are said I know But let them not weep Let them know that I'm glad to go Death is no dream For in death I'm caressing you With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing 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 telling you How much I wanted you Gloomy Sunday GLOOMY SUNDAY (Diamanda Galas' version) Sadly one Sunday I waited and waited With flowers in my arms All the dream has created I waited 'til dreams, Like my heart, were all broken The flowers were all dead And the words were unspoken The grief that I know Was beyond all consoling The beat of my heart Was a bell that was tolling Saddest of Sundays Then came a Sunday When you came to find me They bore me to church And I left you behind me My eyes could not see What I wanted to love me The earth and the flowers Are forever above me The bell tolled for me And the wind whispered, "Never!" But you I have loved And I'll bless you forever Last of all Sundays   
Date: 3/24/2004 11:51:00 PM  ( From Author ) From Authorid: 59418    Cool Dina! Thanks for posting the lyrics *Big hugs*  
Date: 11/9/2004 9:04:00 AM  From Authorid: 62693    Sarah McLachlan does a great version of this song and it is a very depressing song. ~Let them not weep, let them know that I'm glad to go~  
Date: 11/9/2004 9:10:00 AM  From Authorid: 62693    When my best friend was killed in a car wreck, this was my favorite song. It was comforting along with ~I Will Remember You~  
Date: 3/19/2005 9:53:00 AM  From Authorid: 62693    Sarah McLaughlan's version of this song is called Gloomy Sunday and it's on her cd Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff and it's a really good song  
Date: 4/26/2005 3:36:00 PM  From Authorid: 13979    i dunno much about this song, but stories like this makes it very popular all over again -Diana aka  
Date: 6/4/2005 7:06:00 PM  From Authorid: 63118    must,find,lyrics!i think i'll search the web for it :D  
Date: 7/10/2005 7:22:00 AM  From Authorid: 57452    I haven't heard this before..lol I may not listen to it..superstious. :P  
Date: 7/1/2007 5:04:00 PM  From Authorid: 64501    now this is creepy.  

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