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A teenage tragedy song is a style of sentimental ballad in popular music that peaked in popularity in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Lamenting teenage death scenarios in melodramatic fashion, these songs were variously sung from the viewpoint of the dead person's romantic interest, another witness to the tragedy, or the dead or dying person.[1][2] Examples of the style are also known as "tear jerkers", "death discs" or "splatter platters", among other names coined by DJs that passed into the vernacular.[1]

Notable examples of teenage tragedy songs include "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning (1959), "Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ray Peterson (1960), "Ebony Eyes" by the Everly Brothers (1961), "Last Kiss" by Wayne Cochran (1961), "Dead Man's Curve" by Jan and Dean (1964), and "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las (1964).[3] The genre's popularity faded around 1965 amid the British Invasion, but the form has inspired many similar songs and parodies since.[4]

Origins and format

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By the mid-1950s, postwar youth culture in the United States was embracing rock and roll, and the folk revival was also approaching its zenith—the narrative style of many teenage tragedy songs would have similarities to folk ballads.[5] Prison ballads (such as the Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley", based on a folk song about a real murder) and gunfighter ballads (such as Johnny Cash's "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" and Marty Robbins' "El Paso") were also popular during the teenage tragedy song's heyday; "El Paso" was followed at #1 by two consecutive teenage tragedy songs, "Running Bear" and "Teen Angel".

Wayne Cochran first performed the song "Last Kiss" which would later be recorded by J Frank Wilson, Wednesday, and Pearl Jam in 1964, 1974 and 1999 respectively).

The teenage tragedy genre's popular era began with "Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots" by the Cheers, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Released just before James Dean's death in an automobile accident in the fall of 1955, it climbed the charts immediately afterward.[6] Teenage tragedies featured specific thematic tropes such as star-crossed lovers, reckless youth, eternal devotion, suicide, and despair over lost love, along with lyrical elements that teens of the time could relate to their own lives[5] such as dating, motorcycles and automobiles, and disapproving parents or peers.[3][7][8] Contemporary girl groups borrowed the genre's melodramatic template and use of sound effects, orchestration, and echo for other story-songs.[4] Ethnomusicologist Kirsten Zemke considers these songs as forming a strictly musical genre that was bound by common themes, musical style, and production elements, and as being particularly of their time. As for their popularity, she writes:

They sold well in their time, and the style has persisted throughout the decades in various forms. And … they have an interesting history. The question some writers have asked is "why?". Some of the reasons suggested for this genre’s macabre popularity are:

These were the ultimate teen rebellion songs. The only way out of parents' (and/or societal) control and expectations was death.
They were a natural extension of the "unrequited love" song, facilitated by the obvious rhyming of: good bye, cry and die.

Zemke also speculates that the popularity of teenage tragedy songs may be due in part to the many publicized deaths of young musicians and actors during their period of prominence, including those of Sam Cooke, Johnny Ace, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.[9]

Examples

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This is a dynamic list of songs and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
Title Original artist Year Songwriter(s) Synopsis Notes
"Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots" The Cheers 1955 Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller Protagonist collides with speeding train, presumed dead but never found. U.S. #6.
"Endless Sleep" Jody Reynolds 1958 Jody Reynolds, Dolores Nance Man believes his girlfriend has drowned, goes to the sea to do the same but finds and saves her. Precursor of the genre.[10] The song's original ending was to have the man's girlfriend die, but it was changed at the request of the record company to give the song a happy ending. U.S. #5.
"The Grave" Tony Casanova 1958 Tony Casanova Boyfriend laments the death of his girlfriend, cause of death unspecified.
"Running Bear" Johnny Preston 1959 J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) The couple drowns. The chart success followed Richardson's own death in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. U.S. #1.
"The Ballad of Angel" Bobby Swanson 1959 Bobby Swanson Narrator’s girlfriend has died, cause unspecified.
"Teen Angel" Mark Dinning 1959 Jean Dinning, Red Surrey Couple’s car stalls on railroad track; boyfriend pulled girl out in time but she ran back to get his ring and got killed. U.S. #1.
"Tell Laura I Love Her" Ray Peterson[11] 1960 Jeff Barry, Ben Raleigh Protagonist dies in an automobile racing accident while trying to win the $1,000 prize money to buy an engagement ring. Cover by Ricky Valance was #1 in the UK. U.S. #7.
"The Water Was Red" Johnny Cymbal 1960 Stanley Wagner Narrator meets girl on the beach, then she dies in a shark attack. Devastated, the narrator picks up a knife and sets off to kill the shark in retribution.
"Ebony Eyes" The Everly Brothers 1961 John D. Loudermilk Protagonist's fiancée dies in a plane crash on the way to the wedding. U.S. #8, UK #1, Can. #2
"The Prom" Del Shannon 1961 Del Shannon Narrator is on his way to the high school prom, sees his date fatally injured in a car accident.
"Moody River" Pat Boone 1961 Gary D. Bruce Singer's girlfriend commits suicide by drowning. U.S. #1.
"Johnny Remember Me" John Leyton 1961 Geoff Goddard Protagonist's girlfriend died a year ago, cause unspecified, he still misses her. Produced by Joe Meek; later covered by psychobilly band The Meteors. UK #1.
"Last Kiss"[2] Wayne Cochran & the C.C. Riders 1961 Wayne Cochran Narrator’s girlfriend dies in a traffic accident. The J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers cover was a 1964 U.S. #2
Cover by Pearl Jam was a 1999 U.S. #2.
"Jimmy Love" Cathy Carroll 1961 Jody Reynolds, Bert Carroll Narrator walks home with her fiance, lightning strikes a tree, a branch breaks off and kills him.
"Star Crossed Lovers" The Mystics 1961 T. Cooper & E. Zolas Young couple elope, die in car crash. B-side of "Goodbye Mr Blues".
"The Ballad of Billy Brown" Mort (Doc) Downey, Jr. 1961 Mort Downey Jr. Boyfriend has unexpectedly died, cause unspecified.
"A Thousand Feet Below" Terry Tyler 1961 C. Miller-Munn & J.W. Foster Girlfriend commits suicide, boyfriend blames himself but doesn’t specify why, decides to do it too.
"Leah" Roy Orbison 1962 Roy Orbison Protagonist thinks he's drowning while diving for pearls to give as love tokens, wakes and realises it's a dream about his dead girlfriend. U.S. #25, Can. #7
"Call Me Lonesome" Arthur Alexander 1962 Arthur Alexander At a party another man dances with protagonist's girlfriend; when challenged, he stabs protagonist to death. Unreleased until 1987; early version of "Lonely Just Like Me"
"Patches" Dickey Lee 1962 Barry Mann, Larry Kolber Patches commits suicide by drowning; her boyfriend follows suit. U.S. #6.
"Echo" The Emotions 1962 The Emotions, Henry Boye Narrator reminisces about the time he crashed a car and his girlfriend died.
"Chapel Bells Ringing" Gene Summers 1962 M. Torver Protagonist's fiancée has died, cause unspecified.
"Oh, Susie Forgive Me" Kenny Karen 1962 Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil Reckless boyfriend crashes car leaving girlfriend paraplegic; he robs a store to fund her surgery, gets shot by cops and lies dying at her feet as he realises she can walk after all.
"The Pickup" Mark Dinning 1962 Helen Carter Narrator on a first date feels overwhelmed by his strength of feeling for the girl, is embarrassed so says he doesn’t want to see her again; she swiftly kills herself and he is sad. B-side of "All of This for Sally".
"Tragic Honeymoon" Cody Brennan & the Temptations 1962 Tony Lindauer Narrator recalls his friends; newlyweds get distracted while driving, crash and die.
"Teenage Honeymoon" Kenny Ancel 1962 Buddy Mize Newlyweds killed in a car crash.
"A Tear for Jesse" Jody Reynolds 1963 George R Brown, Dennis Hardesty Couple try to elope but her parents catch them; she commits suicide.
"The Girl From King Marie" Jody Reynolds 1963 Jody Reynolds Singer's girlfriend dies after being struck by lightning.
"A Young Man Is Gone" The Beach Boys 1963 Bobby Troup, Mike Love Man dies in car crash. Though it doesn't mention him by name, it appears to refer to James Dean.
"B.J. the D.J." Stonewall Jackson 1963 Hugh X. Lewis Country music radio DJ gets little sleep and drives a poorly maintained car, with fatal results. U.S. Country #1
"Dead Man's Curve" Jan and Dean 1964 Jan Berry, Roger Christian, Brian Wilson, Artie Kornfeld The protagonist is severely injured; his racing opponent is killed. U.S. #8.
"Terry" Twinkle 1964 Lynn Ripley (Twinkle) Couple have an argument, boy leaves on his motorcycle and fatally injures himself; unclear if it was deliberate. UK #4[4]
"Leader of the Pack" The Shangri-Las 1964 George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich Jimmy, the titular motorcycle gang leader, is killed in a motorcycle crash. U.S. #1, Can. #3.
"The Hero" Bernadette Carroll 1964 B. Nosal, P. Maheu Protagonist's fiance is a high school football player, his team bus crashes and kills everyone aboard. A regional airplay hit in North Carolina (#1), Florida, West Virginia and elsewhere[12]
"Down Where the Woodbine Twineth" Jody Reynolds 1964 Jody Reynolds Singer breaks up with girlfriend; later changes his mind and returns only to find that she has hanged herself.
"Laurie (Strange Things Happen)"[13] Dickey Lee 1965 Milton Addington, Cathie Harmon Narrator recounts a tale similar to the story of Resurrection Mary. U.S. #14, Can. #6.
"Give Us Your Blessings" The Shangri-Las 1965 Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich A girl’s parents don’t approve of her boyfriend, the couple elope and both die in a car crash with an unspecified cause, vision impeded by tears is suggested. U.S. #29, Can. #11
"I Can Never Go Home Anymore" The Shangri-Las 1965 George "Shadow" Morton Following an argument with her mother, the narrator runs away only to regret it when her mother dies of a broken heart. U.S. #6, Can. #2.
"A Young Girl of Sixteen" Noel Harrison 1965 Charles Aznavour, Oscar Brown Jr., Robert Chauvigny Rich girl elopes with a man who eventually leaves her; she dies in an unspecified manner. From a French song recorded by Aznavour in 1959[14] and by Edith Piaf in 1951. U.S. #51, Can. #5.
"Nightmare"[15] Lori Burton/
The Whyte Boots		 1966 Pam Sawyer, Lori Burton Girl’s boyfriend goes off with another girl; goaded on by her friends, she attacks the other girl and accidentally kills her. "The Whyte Boots" were a fabricated girl group; Burton sang lead and the track is on her 1967 LP Breakout[4]
"Ode to Billie Joe" Bobbie Gentry 1967 Bobbie Gentry Local boy commits suicide, narrator’s family are somewhat indifferent. U.S. #1, Can. #1
"Condition Red" The Goodees 1968 Don Davis, Freddie Briggs Girl’s parents disapprove of her boyfriend; he leaves on his motorcycle and immediately fatally crashes into a car. U.S. #46, Can. #14[4]
"Sweet Rosie Jones" Buck Owens 1968 Buck Owens Protagonist’s girlfriend falls for another man; she says she’d ‘rather die than hurt you’, but it’s unclear if she actually does die; either way, he plans to drown himself in response. Title track from Owens’ album of the same name. #2 US Country, #4 CAN Country.
"D.O.A." Bloodrock 1971 Jim Rutledge, Lee Pickens, Ed Grundy, Chris Taylor, Stevie Hill, Rick Cobb Protagonist was in a plane crash, has lost both his arms and is now receiving medical attention but is about to die from his injuries. U.S. #36
"Seasons in the Sun" Terry Jacks 1974 Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen Man reflects on his life in light of his impending death. English-language adaptation of Brel's "Le Moribond".[16] CAN #1, US #1, UK #1
"Emma" Hot Chocolate 1974 Errol Brown, Tony Wilson Teen sweethearts get married, some time later the wife kills herself due to failure to be a film star. U.S. #8, U.K. #3
"Run Joey Run" David Geddes 1975 Paul Vance & Jack Perricone Protagonist gets his girlfriend pregnant; her father goes after him with a gun; girlfriend pleads with father for mercy; father accidentally shoots daughter; angels sing. US Billboard #4, Cash Box #1; Canada #12
"Hello, This Is Joanie" Paul Evans 1978 Paul Evans, Fred Tobias Protagonist had a drunken argument with titular girlfriend and she left in anger and died in a car crash; he consoles himself by listening to the outgoing message on her answering machine. UK #6
"Bat Out of Hell" Meat Loaf 1978 Jim Steinman Protagonist is a motorcyclist, riding "faster than any other boy has ever gone." He is so involved that he "never [sees] the sudden curve till it's way too late." Drums and a roaring guitar indicate the crash. The biker lies fatally injured, "torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike." He can see his "heart still beating." Throughout the song, the repeated line "I'll be gone when the morning comes" is a double entendre of leaving his lover and of his impending death.[17][18] The song was inspired by as "Leader of the Pack", "Terry" and "Tell Laura I Love Her"; Steinman wanted to write the "most extreme crash song of all time".[18] UK #8

Deathless themes

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As popular music and the society it mirrored changed from the late 1960s onward, the themes of teenage tragedy songs carried on in different forms and styles. Songs and spoken-word productions about the dangers of drug abuse ranged from three-minute morality plays to lamentations on the generation gap. These include "Once You Understand" by Think (U.S. #23, 1971) and radio and TV host Art Linkletter's Grammy-winning single "We Love You, Call Collect" (U.S. #42, 1969). Recorded before his daughter Diane's apparent suicide in 1969, the record also included Diane speaking the reply, "Dear Mom and Dad".[19] Into the 1970s, as the Vietnam War continued, hit ballads of youth and death included Terry Jacks' No. 1 hit "Seasons in the Sun" (1974), their protagonists of indeterminate age, or slightly older than teens. A song that was thought to have referenced the Civil War was Paper Lace's 1974 hit "Billy Don't Be a Hero", made a bigger hit in the U.S. by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. Hard-rock acts recorded vehicular death scenarios such as "D.O.A." (Bloodrock, 1971), "Detroit Rock City" (Kiss, 1976), and "Bat Out of Hell" (Meat Loaf, 1977).

Teenage tragedy themes would continue to chart through the 1970s. In 1979, the Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays",[20] inspired by the Grover Cleveland school shooting in San Diego earlier that year,[21] reached No. 1 in the U.K., and No. 4 in Canada.[22] The Smiths' 1987 song "Girlfriend in a Coma" also took inspiration from teenage tragedy songs. Some songs merely updated the sound of the previous era, such as "Racing Car" by Dutch group Air Bubble (1976), while others used the melodic and stylistic tropes of teen tragedy in tougher, grittier settings, as in the Ramones' "You're Gonna Kill That Girl" (1977) and "7-11" (1981), and the Misfits' "Saturday Night" (1999). "Teen Idle" by Marina and the Diamonds (2012), evoking an archetype of disenfranchised youth, is a thematic heir to the original teen tragedy oeuvre.[23]

Parodies

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Notable parodies of teenage tragedy songs over the decades have included:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Alternative Love Songs from the Teenage Tragedy Vault". NPR. February 14, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Last Kiss: The Incredible, Convoluted Story Behind This Classic #1 Hit". Forgotten Hits. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Luan Lawrenson-Woods (July 2, 2013). "Leader of the Pack". The Popular Romance Project. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e Sheila Burgel (2005), One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Song by Song, Rhino Entertainment
  5. ^ a b Todd Leopold (March 30, 2006). "The teenager's death song". CNN. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Splatter Platters: A Look at Teenage Tragedy Songs". Go Retro. July 9, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  7. ^ "Genre Rules with Dr. Kirsten Zemke: 'Teenage Coffin Songs'". 95bFM, Auckland, New Zealand. November 18, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  8. ^ Rife, Katie (September 14, 2016). "Screeching tires and busting glass: Defining the teen-tragedy song in 60 minutes". AV Club.
  9. ^ Zemke, Kirsten (September 22, 2015). "What the Genre? Teenage Coffin Songs". APRA/AMCOS. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  10. ^ R. Serge Denisoff (1989). "'Teen Angel': Resistance, Rebellion and Death – Revisited". In Timothy E. Scheurer (ed.). American Popular Music: The age of rock. Popular Press. p. 96.
  11. ^ "Ray Peterson, balladeer of teenage tragedy". Boston Globe. January 29, 2005. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  12. ^ "Ask 'Mr. Music'". Jerryosborne.com. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  13. ^ "More Music Madness: Teen death songs will never die". NBC News. September 14, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  14. ^ "A Young Girl of 16". Lyricsplayground.com. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  15. ^ "Lori Burton::Nightmare (Mono Single Version)". Aquarium Drunkard. October 3, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  16. ^ "30 years since the death of Jacques Brel: his life, his art, his legacy - World Socialist Web Site". Wsws.org. 15 December 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  17. ^ Meat Loaf (commentary) (2004). Meat Loaf Live with the Melbourne Symphone Orchestra (DVD). Melbourne: Warner Music Vision.
  18. ^ a b Jim Steinman (1999). Classic Albums: Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (DVD). Image Entertainment.
  19. ^ "TV Show Host Art Linkletter Dies at 97". Foxnews.com. May 26, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  20. ^ Aine McMahon (January 26, 2019). "Geldof and Fingers reach settlement over 'I Don't Like Mondays'". The Irish Times. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  21. ^ Staff (27 March 2002). "I Don't Like Mondays". Snopes.com. Snopes. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  22. ^ Clarke, Steve (October 18–31, 1979). The Fastest Lip on Vinyl. EMAP National Publications Ltd. pp. 6–7. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  23. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Electra Heart – Marina and the Diamonds". AllMusic. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  24. ^ "Man/Valerie 45". 45cat. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  25. ^ Richie Unterberger. "The Detergents | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  26. ^ Daryl W. Bullock (2015). Jimmy Cross: I Want My Baby Back. Bristol Green Publishing. ISBN 9781482624465. Retrieved April 10, 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  27. ^ Courrier, Kevin (March 22, 2019). Randy Newman's American Dreams. ECW Press. p. 104. ISBN 9781550226904. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via Google Books.
  28. ^ "10 Cc - Johnny Don't Do It Lyrics". MetroLyrics.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved July 20, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  29. ^ "1972–1973 Obie Awards". infoplease.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  30. ^ "The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun - Julie Brown". The Demented Music Database. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  31. ^ "The Jesus and Mary Chain – The Living End". Genius.com. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
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