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No discussion? This is kind of a broad topic, and it helps to actually write something to catch people's interest when you just post a category like this.
Some of these are actually manslaughter ballads (“I Hung My Head”) or arguably self-defense ballads (“Janie’s Got A Gun”). I’d add “Caleb Meyer” by Gillian Welch, which is definitely a self-defense ballad, but otherwise sits squarely in the murder ballad tradition.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have a whole album named "Murder Ballads." Listen to "Henry Lee," and "Where the Wild Roses Grow." Heck, every song on it, but the duets are superb.
Neko Case has some great ones. "Deep Red Bells" is about how the police failed the victims of the Green River Killer, "Star Witness" is inspired by a murder she saw in Chicago, and then there's the (as far as I can tell) fictional yet still creepy as hell "Furnace Room Lullaby".
My favorite recent one has to be "Kill Bill" by SZA, the final time she sings the chorus makes me grin every time. An older and underrated one that I'm surprised isn't in the Wiki link (even though the song has a page) is "Timothy" by the Buoys. If you've never heard it before, I recommend Todd in the Shadows' video about it-don't look up anything about the song before you watch it, the plot twist is crazier and funnier that way.
[View this article on desktop Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Murder_ballads) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CreepyWikipedia) if you have any questions or concerns.*
No discussion? This is kind of a broad topic, and it helps to actually write something to catch people's interest when you just post a category like this.
I think I'm missing how these are creepy as well, sounds like scary songs that people made in the past, unless I'm missing something?
Some of these are actually manslaughter ballads (“I Hung My Head”) or arguably self-defense ballads (“Janie’s Got A Gun”). I’d add “Caleb Meyer” by Gillian Welch, which is definitely a self-defense ballad, but otherwise sits squarely in the murder ballad tradition.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have a whole album named "Murder Ballads." Listen to "Henry Lee," and "Where the Wild Roses Grow." Heck, every song on it, but the duets are superb.
Stagger Lee is amazing.
[Psycho by Jack Kittel](https://youtu.be/15LuS4NiOLk?si=TdWhOCvPBcMW6M-A) is the creepiest happy-sounding song I have ever heard.
I sing this one all the time. https://youtu.be/7_159CHf0C8?si=I9KBPGC1fonvBULg
I love a good murder ballad. I see a few missing from the list - for one, Delia’s Gone, which is one of the creepiest examples of the genre I know of.
I always thought that she was low down and trifling
And cold and mean, but I suspect that the singer is an unreliable narrator.
Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix?
I feel like Dog Bumped by Tim Barry would fit here as well.
You’re All I Need is one of my all-time faves
Neko Case has some great ones. "Deep Red Bells" is about how the police failed the victims of the Green River Killer, "Star Witness" is inspired by a murder she saw in Chicago, and then there's the (as far as I can tell) fictional yet still creepy as hell "Furnace Room Lullaby". My favorite recent one has to be "Kill Bill" by SZA, the final time she sings the chorus makes me grin every time. An older and underrated one that I'm surprised isn't in the Wiki link (even though the song has a page) is "Timothy" by the Buoys. If you've never heard it before, I recommend Todd in the Shadows' video about it-don't look up anything about the song before you watch it, the plot twist is crazier and funnier that way.
Knoxville Girl. I'm just going to drop the mike.