Ha! You got that song from Psycho stuck in your head now, don’t you?
Valentine’s Day is upon us, a time to celebrate relationships or hate those celebrating. But for those relationships that don’t end well, here are the six best songs about murdering a significant other. Let us know your favorites in the comments, but we suggest using a public computer with an untraceable IP address.
6. Wilco – “Via Chicago”
Jeff Tweedy can make a line like “I dreamed about killing you again last night and it felt alright to me” sound tender. The opening lines of “Via Chicago” outline a murder fantasy, complete with a plan to dispose the body (“Buried you alive in a fireworks display”). This song would probably top this list if it song stayed in premeditation for its entire running time. But as is, it morphs into an ode to homesickness, and that feels alright to me.
5. The Paper Chase – “A Little Place Called Trust”
In 2002, The Paper Chase released an album of menacing indie rock entitled Hide The Kitchen Knives, which sounds like the interior monologue of a serial killer. I can’t pick an exact line from “A Little Place Called Trust” that speaks of killing a ladyfriend, but there is plenty of implication from the introductory beat made from knife sharpening sounds and the threatening lyrics (examples: “What do you take me for you motherfucker?” and “You deserve whatever you get because you are not the innocent”). The Paper Chase’s frontman John Congleton is a masterful producer whose credits include Strange Mercy by St. Vincent and Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions In The Sky, and you can hear his hyperfocusing attention to detail come to the forefront on his own band’s record.
