Loads of folks have accused songs of spurring family members to commit suicide: Bands like Judas Priest and Marilyn Manson can attest to that. However there’s one track in a category of its personal. Written in 1933 and lined greater than 70 occasions, Rezső Seress and László Jávor’s "Gloomy Sunday" has allegedly been linked to greater than 100 suicides because it hit the gramophones in 1935. Impressed by this superb city legend, Stuff They Do not Need You to Know’s very personal Ben Bowlin wrote a radio play, initially for the Atlanta Fringe Audio Pageant, known as "See You Subsequent Time." This eerie and unsettling story explores what the world would possibly appear to be if "Gloomy Sunday" actually did encourage one thing darkish inside each particular person.
For a bit of background, Rezső Seress was a Hungarian composer who was dwelling in Paris in 1933 attempting to make it as a songwriter. Not each model of the official story is in settlement: Some say Seress’s fiancée left him for being a deadbeat musician, and he wrote the track for her. Different tales say that lyricist and poet László Jávor was the heartbroken one, and requested Seress to compose the rating for a poem he wrote about his ex.
Nevertheless it occurred, collectively the 2 created "Gloomy Sunday" and tried to promote it. It wasn’t simple. One potential writer responded that "there’s a horrible compelling despair about it … I do not suppose it could do anybody any good to listen to a track like that." However ultimately it was recorded by Hungarian pop singer Pál Kalmár and was well-received. It seemed like Seress and Jávor had lastly had a success track, melancholy because it was.
However then, in 1935, a shoemaker killed himself in Budapest, and supposedly quoted the lyrics to "Gloomy Sunday" in his suicide be aware. One other story claims that both Jávor or Seress’s estranged fiancée killed herself with poison, leaving solely two phrases in her suicide be aware: "Gloomy Sunday." Two males additionally supposedly shot themselves after listening to a band play it.
Hungary supposedly banned the track from being performed, however the suicides did not cease. In Vienna, a lady drowned herself clutching the sheet music. In London, one other girl overdosed on barbiturates whereas listening to the track on repeat. As soon as, a person requested the track at a membership, then walked exterior whereas the track performed and shot himself within the head. A lot later, in 1968, Seress himself dedicated suicide by leaping out a window, additional proof — to some — of the track’s unusual energy.
It is potential that the occasions, fairly than the tune, impressed many of those suicides: Through the Nice Melancholy, suicide charges have been at an all-time excessive, and it could possibly be that "Gloomy Sunday" merely appeared like the correct be aware, so to talk, to exit on. Hungary specifically has at all times had one of many highest suicide charges on this planet. However the sheer variety of deaths linked to the "Hungarian suicide track" retains the city delusion alive, even sparking scientific investigation. And regardless of its status, the track continues to be widespread; Billie Vacation’s model stays probably the most definitive, with different covers from Sarah Vaughn, Bjork, Elvis Costello and Sinead O’Connor.
And now, the Hungarian suicide track has impressed this ominous audio play from Ben Bowlin, that includes the voice abilities of a number of others at HowStuffWorks, together with Noel Brown, Matt Frederick and FoodStuff’s Lauren Vogelbaum. So take a take heed to one thing totally different from Stuff They Do not Need You To Know: See You Subsequent Time. Do not contact that dial: It simply would possibly contact again.