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Aug 24, 2021 · These are just a few of the songs that seem to best describe the experience of having a mental illness, because even the messy, difficult parts of being a human are worthy of the stage.
- Lady in the Dark (1941) Music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, book and direction by Moss Hart. This musical centers on Liza Elliot, an unhappy editor of a fictional fashion magazine called Allure.
- Anyone Can Whistle (1964) Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Arthur Laurents. One of Sondheim’s lesser known shows and one that has also not been performed recently, Anyone Can Whistle is a whimsical tale about a town with a fame-obsessed mayor and an asylum of mental patients running amok.
- The Light in the Piazza (2005) Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, book by Craig Lucas. The show is set in the 1950s when a mentally-disabled young woman named Clara falls in love with an Italian named Fabrizio during a family trip to Italy.
- Spring Awakening (2006) Music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater. This rock musical is set in 19th-century Germany and focuses on the lives of adolescents coming to terms with their burgeoning sexuality.
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- Dear Evan Hansen – is about an anxious teenager who carelessly lies to a mourning family out of fear and convenience. Psychotherapy, medication, depression, anxiety, and suicide are all directly confronted.
- Promises, Promises – With an exuberant score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David (originally produced on Broadway in 1968) and a 2010 revival starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth, this show does not sound like the venue for exploring mental health issues, which perhaps partially explains why this show does not work well as a coherent whole.
- Next to Normal is an intimate family drama about mental illness. Diana Goodman is experiencing serious mental health problems as she copes with the trauma of losing her son.
- Lady In The Dark is about Liza Elliot, a dissatisfied editor of a successful fashion magazine, seeking psychoanalysis to treat her mental illness. Most of the musical occurs within Liza’s psyche, a trifecta of dream sequences.
- “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen
- “Basket Case” by Green Day
- “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
- “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty
- “Anxiety” by Jason Isbell
- “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath
- “Disturbia” by Rihanna
- “Anxiety” by Blackbear
- “Heavy Balloon” by Fiona Apple
- “Happy & Sad” by Kacey Musgraves
This hit song by David Bowie and Queenhits the nail on the head when it comes to the experience of anxiety. Released in 1981, “Under Pressure” is a pop-rock tune that describes the experience of feeling pressed, squeezed, and pushed by stress on all sides. “Under Pressure” talks about the stresses that life brings. Can you imagine studying somethin...
If you are experiencing panic attacks, this song will resonate with you. Green Day‘s “Basket Case” chronicles the experience of losing it due to anxiety. Green Day waxes about self-doubt, seeking help, and ultimately “cracking up” because of mental stresses. The song says, “Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me.” This could be the working of an over...
When anxiety makes you feel you’re “close to the edge,” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Fiveknow what you mean. Music historians consider “The Message” one of the first hip-hop songs providing commentary on the cultural conditions that cause anxiety. In the lyrics, the singer tells us about the stress caused by living in an oppressive situation. ...
A lot of people will be able to relate to the song “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty. Lead vocalist Rob Thomas tells us what it’s like to struggle with anxiety, mental stress, and depression. According to the lyrics, others may not see your struggles. But they are real and can bring out a “different side” of you. It comes to the point that you are “feeli...
One of the few songs with “anxiety” in the title is Jason Isbell‘s “Anxiety.” He is a beautiful lyricist with such a poignant way of describing the everyday human struggles that can bring us down. Anxiety is no exception. In the song, the lyrics poetically detail the consequences of anxiety. These include sleeplessness, panic, and estrangement from...
When anxiety struggles go on for long periods, they can cause us to lose hope that things will ever get better. In “Paranoid,” Black Sabbathexpresses that sense of hopelessness perfectly. The band laments how one can lose relationships when the other person doesn’t understand what’s going on with you. There’s a lot on your mind, and people think yo...
This dance-pop song gives us an unfiltered peak inside the world of someone deeply troubled by anxiety. In “Disturbia,” Rihannafeels like she’s “going crazy” because she is so consumed with the “disease of the mind.” That is, anxiety. In the lyrics, Rihanna is saying that anyone can fall victim to this. It can “come and grab you” without you even r...
A song with “anxiety” in the lyrics, “Anxiety,” is one of Blackbear‘s catchy singles. This is a little different from all the other songs on this list. One, because it talks about anxiety when it comes to love and one’s significant other. Blackbear sings, “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I get anxiety.” These symptoms manifest when the lover is away fr...
American singer-songwriter Fiona Applehas never been shy about describing her struggles with anxiety and depression. Just listen to her song “Heavy Balloon,” and you’ll know what we mean. In the song, the heavy balloon is a metaphor for the weight that one carries when dealing with anxiety. Apple chronicles the struggles and the accompanying desire...
Anxiety can strike at the most inopportune time. Just when you’re having fun with friends or a lover, that’s when your mind goes overboard and overthinks. That’s what Kacey Musgraves‘ “Happy & Sad” says. In the song, she says she gets nervous “when I’m having the time of my life.” She can’t explain it better, but she feels happy and sad at the same...
Mar 31, 2024 · Vaudeville, while its time in the spotlight was short, laid the groundwork for many aspects of modern entertainment and had a profound impact on live theatre. Learn all about it here!
Jul 22, 2018 · Ragtime delivered such a shock to American ears, it became a powerful influence on musical theatre and popular music to this day. Many contemporary pop songs use the musical DNA of...
Back to all posts. VAUDEVILLE - SONGS OF THE GREAT LADIES OF THE MUSICAL STAGE. Nonesuch H-71330 (LP), N5-1330 (cassette) - 1976. Side One. 1. I Don’t Care (1906) - Harry O. Sutton. 2. I Just Can’t Make My Eyes Behave (1906) - Gus Edwards. 3. Shine On, Harvest Moon (1908) - Nora Bayes/ Jack Norworth. 4.
