HPR’s Songspiel: Gloomy Sunday

By James Osborne
HPR Contributor

Gloomy Sunday/The Hungarian Suicide Song. Written in 1933, Gloomy Sunday’s lyrics speak of the death of a lover and entertains thoughts of suicide. The song’s melancholia is believed to have set off wave of suicides which included the song’s composer and his lover. Banned by the nation of Hungary and the BBC for 60 years the Gloomy Sunday and the “Gloomy Sunday Suicides” incited hysteria in Europe and fascination in the US. Kung Fu Jimmy tells the story of a song so good that it can kill you. Find this week’s Songspiel online at hpr1.com or Facebook Songspiel here: http://tiny.cc/SongSpiel

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