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Music Can Help You Defeat Despair
Six dark songs that offer hope
Although I’m a pessimist, I don’t believe that there’s no way out, just that the path is a difficult one. Fortunately, we can be blessed by music on our journey. But if any form of art is to guide us forward, it has to help us confront despair, not avoid it.
The problem with most pop music has always been that it promises good feelings and nothing more. The anesthesia of soulless pop doesn’t make me happier, just lonelier and more likely to give up.
This is not to say that simplistic depressing music is any more helpful. It’s just the flip side of cheerfulness. Either way you toss this bogus coin, you lose.
As a pessimist, I’m drawn to anything that offers a bit of hope. When I want to feel better, these are the songs I listen to, because they’re both honest about the despair that we all experience and hopeful for the future.
The artists below have graced us with models for overcoming our greatest obstacles. Don’t expect platitudes or warm fuzzies, though.
