Most depressing Diana Ross/Supremes songs?

[Spreadinglove21]

The discussion on Ode to Billy Joe on the Heaven Must Have Sent you thread got me thinking about what are the most depressing songs Diana Ross and/or The Supremes [[with or without Diana) recorded.

Ode to Billy Joe
Sleepin'
Strange Fruit

What else would you all list?

[Ollie9]

The only Diana song I find truly depressing is “All The Before's”. Diana sounds wonderful, it’s the defeatist lyrics that i have a problem coping with.
Most depressing album has to be “Every Day Is A New Day”.

[carlo]

I'm Livin' In Shame
Little Miss Loser
One More Chance

[RanRan79]

Flo's "Yesterday". I think the mix drags for some reason. I have both the released version and the bootleg version but I can't recall if the bootleg sounds "draggy" the way the released version does. Anyway, Flo sounds like a drunk lady at the bar lamenting about her yesterdays. The sound, the lyrics and the knowledge of what her life would soon come to, makes for a very depressing musical experience.

The Supremes' "Where Is It I Belong". On the chorus Mary sounds so sad and confused. I have to wonder what kind of mental space was she in when she recorded it. Sounds like she isn't far away from making a terrible, terrible decision. I can't listen to it if I don't have to.

Diana's "My Baby, My Own". I love it, but it is depressing. Diana almost doesn't sound like herself.

[Ollie9]

The Supremes' "Where Is It I Belong". On the chorus Mary sounds so sad and confused. I have to wonder what kind of mental space was she in when she recorded it. Sounds like she isn't far away from making a terrible, terrible decision. I can't listen to it if I don't have to.

By contrast i find the song rather uplifting . The line “He was Capricorn and the love was born” never fails to bring a smile to my face.

[sup_fan]

Where is it I Belong - both depressing and hideous

Sleepin

shadows of society

[TNSUN]

"One More Chance" is the song the DJ plays for the last person on the dance floor, dancing alone.

[Spreadinglove21]

3 more to add to the list:

Don't Let My Teardrops bother you [[song of emotional devastation)
My World is Empty Without You
Chained to Yesterday [[Jean considering suicide--first time I heard that song and Jean sang that line, it was a "Yikes!" moment for me).

[reese]

I Thought That We Were Still in Love.

[RanRan79]

Though upbeat, "Bill When Are You Coming Back" is rather depressing. I love it though. I always feel a tug at my heart when Jean sings about getting the strangest look from a stranger's eyes and then the chorus about her crying in a stranger's arms. I still toy around with the idea that maybe "Bill" should have followed "Ladder". So many people were dealing with this storyline at the time. Another reason why it tugs at my heart because I know Jean was voicing what actual people were going through. War is hell.

[RanRan79]

3 more to add to the list:

Don't Let My Teardrops bother you [[song of emotional devastation)
My World is Empty Without You
Chained to Yesterday [[Jean considering suicide--first time I heard that song and Jean sang that line, it was a "Yikes!" moment for me).

Three of my favorites.

[RanRan79]

I'll follow SpreadingL and add three more also:

Play A Sad Song...Gordy wasn't playing when he wanted this song to embody the title. The lyrics are sad [["I'm slowly dying...). Diana conveys the sadness with her vocal, without sounding like a whiny little girl. Flo and Mary are kicking butt on the backing vocals and when they repeat the "slowly dying" lines, they sound as sad as Diana. And the band is killing it with a sound that could accompany different lyrics and played at someone's funeral. Another fav of mine.

Remove This Doubt is another one. Everything about it is just...sad. "It's hurting me...", she sounds like it's the truth. The track is dark and dramatic. And Flo and Mary add to the darkness, especially on the version where they sing "Remove this doubt, from my heaaaaart".

And who could forget "Always In My Heart". I know we've spoken at length about this in a thread about a year or so ago. My thing about it's sadness is that the song can be interpreted two ways. On one hand, the guy is just gone. The relationship is over and she's finding it hard to move on. The song is still sad. On the other hand, the interpretation could be that the guy is dead and if you hear the song that way- I tend to- the lyrics come across even sadder and depressing. And of course the hauntingness of the backing vocals and the musical track sets it all in place. But it's also another one of my favorites.

[Boogiedown]

Had to be SOMEDAY WE'LL BE TOGETHER , and the sadness of knowing it would be the last time we’d get to hear them as a group pretending to be singing together :[[

[Ollie9]

I'll follow SpreadingL and add three more also:

Play A Sad Song...Gordy wasn't playing when he wanted this song to embody the title. The lyrics are sad [["I'm slowly dying...). Diana conveys the sadness with her vocal, without sounding like a whiny little girl. Flo and Mary are kicking butt on the backing vocals and when they repeat the "slowly dying" lines, they sound as sad as Diana. And the band is killing it with a sound that could accompany different lyrics and played at someone's funeral. Another fav of mine.

Remove This Doubt is another one. Everything about it is just...sad. "It's hurting me...", she sounds like it's the truth. The track is dark and dramatic. And Flo and Mary add to the darkness, especially on the version where they sing "Remove this doubt, from my heaaaaart".

And who could forget "Always In My Heart". I know we've spoken at length about this in a thread about a year or so ago. My thing about it's sadness is that the song can be interpreted two ways. On one hand, the guy is just gone. The relationship is over and she's finding it hard to move on. The song is still sad. On the other hand, the interpretation could be that the guy is dead and if you hear the song that way- I tend to- the lyrics come across even sadder and depressing. And of course the hauntingness of the backing vocals and the musical track sets it all in place. But it's also another one of my favorites.

Forgot about “Always In My Heart”. Never the most uplifting of songs lol.
”We’re Always Saying Goodbye” is a beautiful song that specifically speaks of dying. Probably why it was never included on Ross 78.

[RanRan79]

Forgot about “Always In My Heart”. Never the most uplifting of songs lol.
”We’re Always Saying Goodbye” is a beautiful song that specifically speaks of dying. Probably why it was never included on Ross 78.

Hmmm...I'm going to have to pay closer attention. I rarely specifically play it. It usually just comes up in a 70s Ross shuffle and I'm never paying it close attention. So here's another one I get to listen to today, or tomorrow. Thanks Ollie.

[TNSUN]

"One More Chance" is the song the DJ plays for the last person on the dance floor, dancing alone.

Love the song! Just play it before "Last Dance" and call it a night!

[daviddh]

I always thought Forever Came Today, Something you never Get
Were depressing..
That's when I knew the supremes were over

[Spreadinglove21]

I always thought Forever Came Today, Something you never Get
Were depressing..
That's when I knew the supremes were over

What is about those songs as songs that are depressing? Some Things tells a sad story, but Forever Came today is actually a song where love is found so curious why you find that song depressing? Is it because the message conveyed is that one can only find happiness and fulfillment in a romantic relationship?

[daviddesper]

Seems like nobody has mentioned the obvious..............so Stop! Before you name all the wrong songs!!!

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

One Supremes song that knocked me for a loop was "But I Love You More." When I heard it, I honestly got my just a bit depressed even though the storyline isn't one that is so obviously awash in despair and tears. As I listened to it, I thought how very relatable, the thing of moving on from one relationship yet, still finding yourself hung up on that person. It isn't even a thing where you miss them with a passion, but there are these little, little things, snippets of memories of moments and habits that keep popping up at odd times. Yes, you love the new person you've found, but it's not the love of your life. I think that's the place where my parents are. They divorced some years ago, and yet as I get older, I'm seeing that there is still love there- they just can't live together and I don't think either will ever find another who is so RIGHT as they were for each other. That's really sad, and "But I Love You More" reflects that situation perfectly. It's the kind of song where you don't sit and cry, but your eyes do some pretty heavy-duty welling up.

[RanRan79]

Seems like nobody has mentioned the obvious..............so Stop! Before you name all the wrong songs!!!

Yeah, lyrically, I guess it is. But it's so upbeat and perky that I doubt I would have thought of it had you not mentioned it. Lol

I guess if we go on lyrics alone, "Nothing But Heartaches" makes sense, as does "Where Did Our Love Go".

[Spreadinglove21]

Ain't No Mountain High Enough, lyric wise, can be construed as a statement of someone who's been dumped and still clinging to some chance, any chance, that the other will come back. In fact one could view Diana's character in the song as a stalker who won't let go and can't accept it's over. That's a depressing place to be.

[Spreadinglove21]

Yeah, lyrically, I guess it is. But it's so upbeat and perky that I doubt I would have thought of it had you not mentioned it. Lol

I guess if we go on lyrics alone, "Nothing But Heartaches" makes sense, as does "Where Did Our Love Go".

I believe in an interview or Secrets of a Sparrow, Diana remarked she didn't often get or hold on to the guy on those Supremes hits. Most of those hits, lyric wise, are break up or heart ache songs.

[drlorne]

The whole album "Every Day is a New Day" I find depressing. It just exudes sadness and I rarely listen to it. Even the dance version was sad. In contrast to "Thank You". I think she really sings her feelings.

[copley]

'Missing You' one of her best - so beautiful but so sad! Was also her final big US Top 100 hit.

[Deepdishus2001]

Summertime-So my heart can take a holiday from breaking over him

Also-After You, Where Did We Go Wrong[Ross 78 version],

[rovereab]

I'm Still Waiting has a sad feel to it and for us in the UK it was her saddest number 1!

[Albator]

Depressing or painful or both. Even more because when it's so perfectly executed like the whole EDAND album.
On the top of my list are "Until we meet again" and "free [[I'm gone)"

[jim aka jtigre99]

To be honest, most of the songs that were hits for the Supremes and Diana Ross dealt with the sadness of a love lost but set to the uptempo Motown beat-starting with Where Did Our Love Go and Baby Love to My World is Empty, Reflections, Someday We'll Be Together to I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The walking all were about losing love or a love lost. If we talk about the songs sadness and tone then Diana's Billie Holiday songs like Good Morning Heartache,Strange Fruit are very sad as are Missing You and Sleepin. For the latter Supremes we have Where is it I Belong, A Heart Like Mine,I keep It Hid-all ballads. I wouldn't say any were depressing just sadder in tone and content but Strange Fruit and Sleepin were definitely bordering on depressing songs in tone, message and delivery.

[Albator]

"Now that you're gone" is quite depressing both the original or the Chic mix with a sadder tone for the very effective original one.


"To many nights", "gone" even so it's compensate by a sexy delivery and execution

[Bluebrock]

Where is it I Belong - both depressing and hideous

Sleepin

shadows of society

100% agree with you regarding the dreadful Where is it i belong. It has to be the dullest and most depressing song ever recorded by the group. It was such a dreary dirge. I disliked it when i bought the album back in 1975. Years later i finally heard the outtakes from the sessions and i was shocked as to why it was included when so many vastly superior cuts were left in the vault. Whoever had the final say on the tracklisting for the album needed a hearing test, not to mention a change of career!

[gman]

as far as outright depressing to hear....SLEEPIN'....
I love the funeral durge intro to Always In My Heart....it is what I consider to be the last "early" Supremes classic.
I don't consider these depressing...but I have a close somewhat "stinging" emotional attachment to some of the lyrics in the separation songs...I'm Giving You Your Freedom....The Beginning of The End.... Have I Lost You?...Then We Can Try Again...5.30 Plane...It's So Hard To Say Goodbye just always seems to kill me...."softly"...Someday We'll Be Together is my fav Supremes song...at least it is wistfully hopeful.

[Ollie9]

There’s a big difference between a song being thought sad as opposed to depressing. I think lines are blurring on this post.

[Ollie9]

The whole album "Every Day is a New Day" I find depressing. It just exudes sadness and I rarely listen to it. Even the dance version was sad. In contrast to "Thank You". I think she really sings her feelings.

I tend to agree, and hardly ever listen to it these days. It’s kind of a shame that Diana let her emotions at the time set the tone for virtually the entire album.

[lucky2012]

There’s a big difference between a song being thought sad as opposed to depressing. I think lines are blurring on this post.

This thread is depressing, lol. I agree, most love songs are inherently sad. For me, the truly depressing ones mentioned here are All The Befores, After You and I Thought That We Were Still In Love. Yet they are among my favorite Ross performances.

There are probably more that I can think of, but I don't want to.

[[I agree that Where Is It I Belong? is hideous. I listened to it once or twice and never again).

[Boogiedown]

did I hear a request ??:



he haw



Hey I'm thinking there's a bankable CD possibility here :

THE MOST DEPRESSING SONGS OF THE SUPREMES MEMBERS [solos and otherwise]

[Ollie9]

This thread is depressing, lol. I agree, most love songs are inherently sad. For me, the truly depressing ones mentioned here are All The Befores, After You and I Thought That We Were Still In Love. Yet they are among my favorite Ross performances.

There are probably more that I can think of, but I don't want to.

[[I agree that Where Is It I Belong? is hideous. I listened to it once or twice and never again).

It’s such a shame with “All The Before's” as Diana sings it so beautifully. It’s just those defeatist lyrics that make you want to scream NO!.
What’s your take on “We’re Always Saying Goodbye” lucky. Probably the only Diana song that speaks directly of dying. Depressing or though provoking do you think?.

[Boogiedown]

did I hear a request??



he haw!

[rovereab]

Looks like we have a new compilation album in the making here:

Diana Ross' Collective Misery

[sup_fan]

did I hear a request ??:



he haw



Hey I'm thinking there's a bankable CD possibility here :

THE MOST DEPRESSING SONGS OF THE SUPREMES MEMBERS [solos and otherwise]

good lord! don't make us listen to this tripe again! lol this is just ghastly and IMO one of the worst things the group recorded. at least things like I Want A Guy can be excused to the early stages of the girls' and motown's careers.

and even more criminal is that someone thought it was a good idea to perform this drivel on Soul Train. meanwhile Color My World, you Turn Me Around, Give out, Can't stop a girl were all ignored with their live appearances.

[sup_fan]

It’s such a shame with “All The Before's” as Diana sings it so beautifully. It’s just those defeatist lyrics that make you want to scream NO!.
What’s your take on “We’re Always Saying Goodbye” lucky. Probably the only Diana song that speaks directly of dying. Depressing or though provoking do you think?.

i think ATB is a beautiful song and the melancholy lyrics. although i don't think they're defeatist. i think they're apologetic. the singer is saying she was foolish to leave and has realized her mistake. and fortunately knows that her man will stand by her and accept her back. to me it's like in a movie, at the very end after the couple has broken up and you think "that's too bad, they should be together but probably too late." then in the early morning light, the wayward one knocks back on the door and without even having to say it, says she was wrong and is sorry. camera pulls back to show them embracing, then the door slowly closes as they move inside, fade. roll credits.

i think you like about "though provoking" is perfect. WASG is another good example, just like ATB

Do You Know Where You're Going To is another one.

there's a difference in the songs being sad or melancholy or thought provoking. versus just being depressing

[Boogiedown]

good lord! don't make us listen to this tripe again! lol this is just ghastly and IMO one of the worst things the group recorded. at least things like I Want A Guy can be excused to the early stages of the girls' and motown's careers.

and even more criminal is that someone thought it was a good idea to perform this drivel on Soul Train. meanwhile Color My World, you Turn Me Around, Give out, Can't stop a girl were all ignored with their live appearances.

where is it I belong ....oh I don't know, ..... somewhere with someone who's not married


I wonder if Mary is trying to channel Karen Carpenter on this

[sup_fan]

where is it I belong ....oh I don't know, ..... somewhere with someone who's not married


I wonder if Mary is trying to channel Karen Carpenter on this

hahaha

look - it might not be a popular opinion and it's not intended as Mary bashing. but clearly she and pedro made the foolish decision to overly push mary's # of leads on the Sup 75 album. and they did this at the expense of the group. mary's voice is too heavy and thick for songs like This is why, early morning and HMM. her vocals weigh those songs down like a wet blanket. and then songs like Where Is It I Belong are such poor tunes but, hey, mary's doing the lead so we're going to use it

this isn't to say i dislike mary's voice or mary doing leads - You Turn Me Around is a wonderful tune with a gorgeous lead by Mary. Can We Love Again, while maybe not the strongest song ever, is very good and offers an excellent contrast for her, allowing her to do something more uptempo yet appropriate. and while Mr Boogie is hardly a classic, her ability to sing something more funky shows another whole angle they could have used with her on lead.

but instead we got the patchwork album that they released. meanwhile Sha La, Can we love again, bend a little, seed of love, i can never recover were all left in the can.

[jobucats]

"Who Could Ever Doubt My Love"

[RanRan79]

But it's not like Mary had the majority of leads. Scherrie sang lead or partial lead on seven cuts on the album to Mary's five full and partial leads.

In her second book, she writes about her confidence struggles with lead singing were still on going at this time, so it would seem weird to me that she would push for her leads to outweigh Scherrie's. Plus, when do the artists choose the tracks for their albums at Motown when they aren't the producer? Isn't that the producers' job? I haven't even heard stories of Diana having final say on any of her Motown albums, so surely Mary Wilson didn't. The producers liked the work and Motown compiled it and released it.

I'm going to always disagree on "Early Morning Love". I think Mary did a great job with it, really showing that she was capable of singing more uptempo songs. Rumor had it that Scherrie recorded a lead for it and if it does exist and is discovered and released, it will be interesting to hear the difference. No doubt Scherrie would have tore it up, but I do love it as is.

I also disagree on "He's My Man", but not as adamantly as I do "Early Morning Love". I think Mary on the toned down verses fits just fine, while Scherrie is perfect on the chorus. I do think Scherrie would have done just as fine a job if she had sung it all, but I really don't think it would have made much difference, certainly not with the public. To my ears it doesn't sound like a surefire hit no matter who was singing it.

Absolutely agree on "This Is Why". Mary had no business singing that one. It should have been Scherrie, no question. I also agree that "Mr. Boogieman" showed off Mary's chops very well. I think it should have made the album over "This Is Why".

[sup_fan]

But it's not like Mary had the majority of leads. Scherrie sang lead or partial lead on seven cuts on the album to Mary's five full and partial leads.

In her second book, she writes about her confidence struggles with lead singing were still on going at this time, so it would seem weird to me that she would push for her leads to outweigh Scherrie's. Plus, when do the artists choose the tracks for their albums at Motown when they aren't the producer? Isn't that the producers' job? I haven't even heard stories of Diana having final say on any of her Motown albums, so surely Mary Wilson didn't. The producers liked the work and Motown compiled it and released it.

I'm going to always disagree on "Early Morning Love". I think Mary did a great job with it, really showing that she was capable of singing more uptempo songs. Rumor had it that Scherrie recorded a lead for it and if it does exist and is discovered and released, it will be interesting to hear the difference. No doubt Scherrie would have tore it up, but I do love it as is.

I also disagree on "He's My Man", but not as adamantly as I do "Early Morning Love". I think Mary on the toned down verses fits just fine, while Scherrie is perfect on the chorus. I do think Scherrie would have done just as fine a job if she had sung it all, but I really don't think it would have made much difference, certainly not with the public. To my ears it doesn't sound like a surefire hit no matter who was singing it.

Absolutely agree on "This Is Why". Mary had no business singing that one. It should have been Scherrie, no question. I also agree that "Mr. Boogieman" showed off Mary's chops very well. I think it should have made the album over "This Is Why".

that's what's so fun with all of this - hearing different ideas on these songs

for HMM - I do really like the idea of each girl getting some spotlight now and then throughout. Maybe Scherrie sings the first half of opening verse and then she and Mary are dueting on the "when i need cheering up..." On Verse 2 maybe each girl does a line.
Mary starts with "all i need is that he shines his smile..." Cindy does "when i'm all alone" and then Scherrie does "and he's the only man" and then the group in unison does "that his love is honest, that his love is real"

the Mr Boogie song brings up the discussion of if they might have done some others in this vein. again this song isn't the strongest but Mary's lead is intriguing. maybe the funk sound could have worked. especially with their very strong 3 part harmonies as a group. the polish of their vocals alongside the grittier funk sound might have really been unique.

[sup_fan]

In her second book, she writes about her confidence struggles with lead singing were still on going at this time, so it would seem weird to me that she would push for her leads to outweigh Scherrie's. Plus, when do the artists choose the tracks for their albums at Motown when they aren't the producer? Isn't that the producers' job? I haven't even heard stories of Diana having final say on any of her Motown albums, so surely Mary Wilson didn't. The producers liked the work and Motown compiled it and released it.

the Mary of the 60s and the Mary of the 70s, it's my belief, were very different. in the 60s none of the girls were heavily involved with their lps. i think even Diana wasn't as she was hugely interested in the idea of a children's album and both she and Flo apparently lobbied for Manhattan to be on the R&H lp. seems like Berry would at least placate her by allowing her to record whatever but he kept a firm control on the releases.

in the 70s, by the time of the MSC lineup, mary was exclusively leading the group. alongside Pedro. Scherrie Cindy and later Susaye, it's my understanding, had little input. not saying they were totally without any voice in things but there have been discussions on here, years ago, where people have confirmed this. in a discussion on the gowns when Susaye was still on here, i asked her if they all picked the outfits and she said No mary did all of that. the stage act was clearly built around her, she handled all of the monologues, the majority of the leads, etc. She and Pedro pushed back on motown regarding It's All Been Said as the lead single. It's my belief that she and Pedro were working with the producers too on the album itself. As manager of the group, Pedro would have had input into that

[144man]

Sleepin' [nothing's more depressing than death]

Always In My Heart [sounds like being sung at a funeral]

Never Again [a commitment to a life without love]

[Ollie9]

i think ATB is a beautiful song and the melancholy lyrics. although i don't think they're defeatist. i think they're apologetic. the singer is saying she was foolish to leave and has realized her mistake. and fortunately knows that her man will stand by her and accept her back. to me it's like in a movie, at the very end after the couple has broken up and you think "that's too bad, they should be together but probably too late." then in the early morning light, the wayward one knocks back on the door and without even having to say it, says she was wrong and is sorry. camera pulls back to show them embracing, then the door slowly closes as they move inside, fade. roll credits.

i think you like about "though provoking" is perfect. WASG is another good example, just like ATB

Do You Know Where You're Going To is another one.

there's a difference in the songs being sad or melancholy or thought provoking. versus just being depressing

A nice romantic notion sup, but smacks more of emotional or even physical abuse to me. “Thought i had the secret to stop these eyes from crying”!!. I mean what the hell was he doing to make her feel so despondent?.
“Promising to be better” and “Waiting for your forgiveness” . I mean Pleeeze!!.
Not the healthiest sounding relationship methinks lol.

[sup_fan]

A nice romantic notion sup, but smacks more of emotional or even physical abuse to me. “Thought i had the secret to stop these eyes from crying”!!. I mean what the hell was he doing to make her feel so despondent?.
“Promising to be better” and “Waiting for your forgiveness” . I mean Pleeeze!!.
Not the healthiest sounding relationship methinks lol.

your making the assumption that Diana [[the woman in the relationship) isn't the source of the problems with the relationship. maybe she is the one that cheated, maybe she is the one that wouldn't commit and broke HIS heart. maybe she's done this multiple times and yet he's still faithful and waiting for her, willing to forgive. her crying could be because each time she leaves to find someone new or better, she comes to realization that what she had before was what she really needed. and she's crying because, once again, she's made the mistake. this time she thought "who the hell needs or wants him? this other guy is way too fine" only to later realize what she did, once again.