"Szomorú Vasárnap" AKA Gloomy Sunday

While browsing through all the "could've, would've" Urban Legends in Wikipedia for research (and admittedly inhumane leisure), there's one that kinda stands out. Probably better known as the "Hungarian Suicide Song", "Gloomy Sunday" (Szomorú Vasárnap) is a song written by Rezső Seress (3rd November 1899 - 11th January 1968), a Hungarian pianist and composer in 1933. There have been several urban legends regarding the song over the years, mostly involving it being allegedly connected with various numbers of suicides, and radio networks reacting by purportedly banning the song. Sources propagating the legend fail to provide substantiation for claims of suicides or radio bans. The legend may have inspired Spider Robinson's short story "The Law of Conservation of Pain", part of the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon series. It is also rumored the music played without lyrics will put the listener into a deep sleep and induce vivid dreams and nightmares. The nightmares usually consist of falling or flying sensations. Certainly adding more unnecessary intrigue to the tale's already notorious reputation, Rezső Seress jumped to his death from his apartment in 1968. Cause of suicide, from the mighty wikipedia; Budapest, January 13. Rezsoe Seres, whose dirge-like song hit, "Gloomy Sunday" was blamed for touching off a wave of suicides during the nineteen-thirties, has ended his own life as a suicide it was learned today. Authorities disclosed today that Mr. Seres jumped from a window of his small apartment here last Sunday, shortly after his 69th birthday. The decade of the nineteen-thirties was marked by severe economic depression and the political upheaval that was to lead to World War II. The melancholy song written by Mr. Seres, with words by his friend, Ladislas Javor, a poet, declares at its climax, "My heart and I have decided to end it all." It was blamed for a sharp increase in suicides, and Hungarian officials finally prohibited it. In America, where Paul Robeson introduced an English version, some radio stations and nightclubs forbade its performance. Mr. Seres complained that the success of "Gloomy Sunday" actually increased his unhappiness, because he knew he would never be able to write a second hit. - New York Times, 1968 Given the notoriety of the song, it's no surprise that it has been covered by artist of various distinctively different music genre from Billie Holiday, Christian Death, Sarah McLachlan to Anton Szandor LaVey. Yeah, you read that right. And of course, one can't end an entry on this without providing the killer (literally!) lyrics. Here goes... It is autumn and the leaves are falling All love has died on earth The wind is weeping with sorrowful tears My heart will never hope for a new spring again My tears and my sorrows are all in vain People are heartless, greedy and wicked... Love has died! The world has come to its end, hope has ceased to have a meaning Cities are being wiped out Meadows are coloured red with human blood There are dead people on the streets everywhere I will say another quiet prayer: People are sinners, Lord, they make mistakes... The world has ended There's a comprehensive website out there on this song available, provided you're fluent with Mandarin. Oh, it happens to be Rezső Seress's fifty death anniversary today.