Who hasn’t sat in the dark with a big cheap bottle of booze dressed in old ratty clothes smoking cigars and listening over and over to the same song? After playing it over a long period of time, the song seemed to make more sense as it boomed through the speakers and filled the emotionally filled room.

Let’s face it. There have been so many songs written about depression. It is almost a given that any musician and artist has been afflicted with mental health problems such as depression, addiction, alcoholism just to name a few. Some of the greatest songs ever written were penned by an artist that was struggling with some sort of mental illness. It could be suggested that having depressive traits are part of the territory of being creative.

Being a musician, I have come up with my own collection of nine favorite songs that relate to the way I feel. These don’t always deal with the normal doom and gloom feelings (although it does help), such as “ I’m all out of love”, by air supply.

Although these types of songs serve their purpose, I am talking about a little heavier interpretation. For example, some of the early blues songs by artists like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. You could also use the term cerebral to describe the type of song crafting that I am relating to.

This can be a very personal preference. Everybody takes something different from different types of music. The songs that I relate to the most, concerning my afflictions are in the vein of rock and roll.

I have compiled a list of the top nine best rock and roll songs about mental illness.

The reason there are only nine songs is to prove to myself that I can never finish anything that I have started.

Maybe you can come up with a few of your favorites?

The top nine are, and not in any particular order:

Manic Depression: Jimi Hendrix- This song was written in 1967. The classic line of “I know what I want but I just don’t know how to go about getting it” still makes sense. It really paints an abstract picture of what mania feels like. These days, manic depression is much more commonly referred to as Bipolar. The word bipolar would not fit as well in the song.

People are strange: The doors- When we are depressed, we do not always get along with other people. Part of the illness isolates us from others and can cause conflict. We feel less than and nothing seems to make any sense. “Women seem wicked when you are unwanted. Streets are uneven when you are down”. But then again, sometimes women can seem wicked no matter what!

Comfortably numb: Pink Floyd-I know, this is the ultimate drug song. But the album “The Wall” is filled with all kinds of dysfunction that anyone that grew up in a dysfunctional family could relate to.

I’m one: The Who-This masterpiece from Quadrophenia really sums it all up for me!

I’m a loser: The Beatles -Big ego. Low self esteem. Great song!

Hero in me:-Jeffrey Gaines-I think it’s cool how he mentions codependency.

Walk away Renee: The four tops- Very sad break up song. Gotta have at least one love song in here!

The needle and the damage done: Neil Young-This song talks more about addiction but in a very creative way.

Fell on black days: Soundgarden- “Whatsoever I’ve fought off became my life”. Very powerful.