My Top 10 Songs About Bad Relationships

Everyone has a comfort song for bad relationships.  Sometimes it is a sad song that let you wallow.  Some help you get out the anger while yell along.  Some having nothing to do with you at all.  They just get your mind off of things.   We've all been through it.  Those special songs are the ones that relate with exactly how you feel.  The ones that let you know that someone else has been there before and survived or even triumphed.  Below are 10 of my favorite.

1. Come Pick Me Up / Ryan Adams - Ever want someone so bad that you know is no good for you?

"I wish you would

Come pick me up

Take me out

Fuck me up

Steal my records

Screw all my friends behind my back

With a smile on your face

And then do it again

I wish you would"

Apparently Ryan Adams  has.  This is hands down my favorite Ryan Adams song. It so eloquently asks for the pain to cure his pain.  Sad, sweet, and to the point.  You almost get the feeling you are sitting in that room with him late at night while he is making that decree.  Ryan Adams captures these moments perfectly.

2. Used to Love Her / Guns N' Roses - Who hasn't felt this way over a bad relationship?

"I used to love her
But I had to kill her
I used to love her, Mm, yeah
But I had to kill her
I had to put her six feet under
And I can still hear her complain"

Besides the catchy pop sensibility and the fact that people wanted more Guns N' Roses at the time the sentiment of this song made it what it was.  They took what we felt and put it in words.  Thank you!

3. I Don't Want Your Love / Duran Duran - Sometimes it's only the sex that is good.

"I don't want your love to bring me down
I don't want your love so turn it around

I won't turn you out if you've got someone else
Someone else you care about
Because you must realise
My obsessive fascination is in your imagination"

The primal urge is enough to keep that person around even if you can't stand them.  Especially if it is good.  Sometimes even if it's not...lol

4. Erase Me / Kid Cudi - Time does not magically heal bad relationships.

"A couple weeks no talking,
I seen my baby
I've missed you so damn much,
heyy
I wish we could start over,
I told my baby
This what this bitch tells me,
She said

 I keep on running, keep on running
and nothing works
I can't get away from you,
no
I keep on ducking, keep on ducking
and nothing helps
I can't stop missing you"

 The epitome of a Love/Hate relationship.  You want it over and you can't live without it.  Enough to have you keep coming back.  Eventually, you have to break the cycle.

5. '97 Bonnie & Clyde / Eminem - Let's take 'Used to Love Her'  one step further...

"See honey.. there's a place called heaven and a place called hell
A place called prison and a place called jail
And da-da's probably on his way to all of em except one
Cause mama's got a new husband and a stepson
And you don't want a brother do ya? (Nah)
Maybe when you're old enough to understand a little better
I'll explain it to ya
But for now we'll just say mama was real real bad
She was bein mean to dad and made him real real mad
But I still feel sad that I put her on time-out
Sit back in your chair honey, quit tryin to climb out"

Eminem burst into the scene not only talking about killing his ex, but describing how he did it and then explaining the repercussions of it to his young daughter as they go to dispose of the body.  Chilling imagery that is hard to shake. 

6. You Oughta Know / Alanis Morissette - Can you say Angry?

"'cause the joke that you laid on the bed that was me
And I'm not gonna fade
As soon as you close your eyes and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back
I hope you feel it...well can you feel it"

It is one thing to be used.  It's another thing to not take it.  Sometimes when things don't end well...well...you're not in a good place.  That anger helped launch not only herself but a whole women's movement in the 90's.  And scared a lot of men in the process.

7. I'm Not OK / My Chemical Romance - There are times when the hardest relationships are the ones that haven't even started yet.

"What will it take to show you that it's not the life it seems?
(I'm not okay)
I've told you time and time again you sing the words but don't know what it means
(I'm not okay)
To be a joke and look, another line without a hook
I held you close as we both shook for the last time take a good hard look!

I'm not okay
I'm not okay
I'm not okay
You wear me out"

You know that their relationship is bad but you can't make them see it.  Why doesn't she know that you are better for her than he is.  Why?  WHY?!?!?!?!?  So many songs have tackled this topic but not too many have achieved it with such anger and awkwardness.

8. Fuck You! / Cee Lo Green - Gold diggers need to be called on it every now and then.

"I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love
and I'm like,
"FUCK YOU!"
Ooo,ooo,oooo
I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough
I'm like,
"FUCK YOU!
And fuck her too."
I said,
"If I was richer, I'd still be with ya"
Ha, now ain't that some shit?
(Ain't that some shit?)
And although there's pain in my chest
I still wish you the best
With a...
"FUCK YOU!""

And sometimes it doesn't feel much better than this to get it off of your chest.

 9. Lithium / Kurt Cobain - Not everyone is mentally equipped to handle a bad relationship.

"I like it - I'm not gonna crack
I miss you - I'm not gonna crack
I love you - I'm not gonna crack
I killed you - I'm not gonna crack"

A bad relationship was part of Kurt's demise.  Apparently there were many more before that.  If you want some insight on how insecure a bad relationship can make you feel give another listen to this one.

10. Dammit / Blink 182 - A bad relationship can force you into adulthood.

"The steps that
I retrace
the sad look
on your face
The timing
and structure
did you hear
he fucked her?
A day late
a buck short
I'm writing
the report
On losing
and failing
when I move
I'm flailing now

And it's happened once again
I'll turn to a friend
Someone that understands
Sees through the master plan

But everybody's gone
And I've been here for too long
To face this on my own
Well I guess this is growing u"

Nobody wants to be 'The Friend".  That is a label that is hard to shake and makes you take a good hard look at yourself.  It's hard to see that it is not always you and it is not always right.

There are so many to choose from.  I want to hear from you.  What are your top Bad Relationship songs.  Maybe we will get enough to start a bad relationship playlist.

See you when the needle drops!

Fran

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