Gloomy Sunday

The Song of Suicide

The history of this song was created by a Hungarian pianist and composer from the Rezső Seress that he gave the title Szomorú Vasárnap which also means Gloomy Sunday in 1933. The song was written based on a poem written by László Jávor which tells of a singer who is depressed due to the death of his girlfriend and wanted to commit suicide. And in fact, shortly after the song was released, László Jávor end his life by suicide.

Since the beginning of the creation of the song, many of the suicides occurred for those who listen to and sing the song. And at its peak at around 1941, a British musician is Billie Holiday singing the song and became hits on the turn in radio. But that occur due to many hundreds of suicides occurred after the song was played at radio UK, USA and Hungary. This causes anxiety and the radio station when they were depressed to go back on air after the incident. Then start banning the song to the play again on the radio. And the British radio station BBC also include the song as the song banned for playing on their radio. From Britain and the United States for banning the song as well as in Hungary itself as the birthplace of the song.

Rezsoe Seres

The song is starting to become a legend, which the listener must take the initiative to end his life. Including its creator himself, Rezső Seress who ended his life by jumping from his apartment window in 1968. At the same time well-known newspapers in America with the New York Times wrote an article about it, and the following excerpts:

“ Budapest, January 13. Rezsoe Seres, whose dirge-like song hit, "Gloomy Sunday" was blamed for touching off a wave of suicides during the nineteen-thirties, has ended his own life as a suicide it was learned today.

Authorities disclosed today that Mr. Seres jumped from a window of his small apartment here last Sunday, shortly after his 69th birthday.

The decade of the nineteen-thirties was marked by severe economic depression and the political upheaval that was to lead to World War II. The melancholy song written by Mr. Seres, with words by his friend, Ladislas Javor, a poet, declares at its climax, "My heart and I have decided to end it all." It was blamed for a sharp increase in suicides, and Hungarian officials finally prohibited it. In America, where Paul Robeson introduced an English version, some radio stations and nightclubs forbade its performance.

Mr. Seres complained that the success of "Gloomy Sunday" actually increased his unhappiness, because he knew he would never be able to write a second hit. "

Hit song Gloomy Sunday also ended his life, because after creating the song he could not make more songs that could be a hit because of the song adds to the despair he was about life. There are also cases of suicide committed by Biliy Mackenzie, vocalist of The Associates in 1997 that covers the song Gloomy Sunday Billie Holiday version in 1982. He ended his life in his father's home in Dundee.

The Lyric:

Gloomy Sunday

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 thought 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 sad I know
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

Download Mp3 : Here

Musician list who ever sings ”Gloomy Sunday”:

1935: Pal Kalmar (this is by many considered the original and "the granddaddy of them all")
1935: (UK): Paul Robeson (released in the US in 1936; Desmond Carter lyrics)
1935: Pyotr Leschenko (in Russian, under title "Mratschnoje Woskresenje")
1936: Damia (in French, under the title "Sombre Dimanche", recorded on February 28, lyrics by Jean Marèze and François-Eugène Gonda, music by Rezső Seress)
1936: Hal Kemp
1936: Paul Whiteman
1936: Noriko Awaya (in Japanese, under title "Kurai Nichiyōbi")
1936: Taro Shoji (in Japanese, under title "Kurai Nichiyōbi")
1940: Artie Shaw, 3 March. Pauline Byrne vocal.
1941: Billie Holiday
1957: Josh White
1958: Mel Tormé
1958: Ricky Nelson (released posthumously)
1959: Eila Pellinen (in Finnish as "Surullinen sunnuntai")
1961: Sarah Vaughan
1962: Lou Rawls
1967: Carmen McRae
1968: Genesis (U.S. band unrelated to the well-known British band)
1969: Ray Charles
1979: Lydia Lunch
1981: Elvis Costello & the Attractions (Trust)
1982: Associates (Sulk)
1983: Marc and the Mambas
1983: Swans Way
1983: Jacques Calonne (Ténor Mondain) (in French, under the title "Sombre Dimanche", lyrics credited to László Jávor, but probably the ones by Jean Marèze and François-Eugène Gonda)
1984: Peter Wolf (Lights Out)
1985: Harri Marstio (in Finnish under title "Surullinen sunnuntai")
1986: Christian Death
1988: Serge Gainsbourg (Le Zénith de Gainsbourg) (in French)
1991: Vlado Kreslin (Bela nedelja, in Slovene)
1991: The Singing Loins (Songs For The Organ)
1992: Diamanda Galás (The Singer) (Desmond Carter lyrics)
1992: Sinéad O'Connor (Am I Not Your Girl?)
1995: Gitane Demone
1996: Sarah McLachlan (Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff)
1996: Mystic (The Funeral soundtrack)
1998: Marianne Faithfull
1998: Satan's Sadists (On the compilation Their Sympathetic Majesties Request)
1999: The Smithereens (God Save the Smithereens)
1999: Björk
2000: Kronos Quartet
2000: Sarah Brightman
2001: Iva Bittová (The Man Who Cried)
2001: Heather Nova (South)
2002: Rob Coffinshaker (Live at the Cemetery) 7" EP
2003: Edvin Marton
2003: Hot Jazz Band
2003: Priscilla Chan (with changed lyrics, pop, Cantonese, titled "Gloomy Sunday")
2004: Branford Marsalis (Eternal)
2005: Yellow Spots (Psychobilly)
2005: Eminemmylou featuring Legs MC (raps added, turned into anti-suicide anthem)
2005: Venetian Snares (Rossz csillag alatt született - a remix of Billie Holiday's version)
2006: Emilie Autumn
2006: Tsukimono (on Famousfor15mb.com)
2006: Angéla Póka (live) (performing Szomorú Vasárnap live during Megasztár)
2006: Red Sky Mourning
2006: Lucía Jiménez (for the movie the Kovak Box inspired by the song)
2006: Zaorany kytky (band from Czech republic)
2007: Candie Payne
2007: The Unbending Trees (live)
2008: Ivana Wong
2008: The Unbending Trees UK only bonus track on their album.
2008: Paris Jones Canadian Singer
2008: Saori Yano Tokyo saxophonist, Billie Holiday tribute CD.
2009: Aliyah Hussain

Sources : www.Wikipedia.com
               http://www.index-of-mp3.com
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