These artists had a rare chance to say goodbye through their music, and they didn't disappoint. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the songs that were created in the face of an artist’s impending death.
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00:00I hurt myself today
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the songs that were created
00:10in the face of an artist's impending death.
00:14Oh, I'll be free
00:22Number 10.
00:23Last Donut of the Night, J Dilla
00:27While most would choose to say goodbye with lyrics, renowned producer J Dilla did so through
00:32production alone.
00:34After experiencing difficulties with lupus and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, he
00:40was eventually hospitalized.
00:43Ladies and gentlemen, stop.
00:46Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen.
00:50Knowing the end was near, he worked on his last album from his medical ward.
00:55Last Donut of the Night is the penultimate track, serving as the emotional climax.
01:02I give to you
01:07While there are no words, he conveyed his thoughts on mortality through complex beats
01:12and melodies.
01:14It sparked discussion within his fandom, with some even finding symbolism pertaining to
01:18death in the official fan-made video.
01:22It was a fitting conclusion to his respected career, one that ensured he won't be forgotten
01:28anytime soon.
01:36Number 9.
01:37I'm Not Gonna Miss You, Glen Campbell
01:41You may think that most songs about one's end would be bleak and gloomy, but some have
01:46a wildly different tone.
01:49Glen Campbell was a beloved figure, and his final contribution cemented his legacy.
02:01After learning he had Alzheimer's disease, he knew that the clock was ticking.
02:06This led to him recording one more tune, I'm Not Gonna Miss You.
02:10The message is irreverent and blunt, referencing his illness and the memories it took from
02:16him.
02:23His outlook was realistic, even stating that while people would be sad, he wouldn't be
02:28able to care due to his disorder.
02:31The dark humor was the perfect way of approaching the unfortunate situation, closing out his
02:36life and vocation with acclaim.
02:46Number 8.
02:47Don't Worry About Me, Joey Ramone
02:50Even if a piece isn't necessarily about the creator's impending fate, some can be
02:56recontextualized to have that meaning post-death.
03:00Joey Ramone, the lead singer of the eponymous band The Ramones, had only just started his
03:05solo venture when complications with lymphoma began to arise.
03:16He kept the diagnosis secret until just before he died, shocking people across the nation.
03:22This led them to look at his posthumous debut in a new light, particularly the titular track,
03:28Don't Worry About Me.
03:37While it could have been interpreted to be about a failing relationship, some read between
03:41the lines and saw it as his farewell to his supporters.
03:45The result was haunting, making listeners wonder what could have been had he had more
03:50time.
03:58Number 7.
03:59When The Sky Comes Looking For You, Motorhead
04:02Sometimes the inclusion of despondent themes can seem purely coincidental, but end up carrying
04:09new weight after a tragedy.
04:11Motorhead, and more specifically its frontman Lemmy, were widely beloved in the rock scene.
04:23Their last project was created and published just before Lemmy died in 2015, with none
04:29of the members even being aware that their time with their bandmate was coming to a close.
04:34His passing gave new meaning to When The Sky Comes Looking For You.
04:45The deceptively upbeat number wasn't about Lemmy in particular, but the lines questioning
04:50what would one do when faced with their own undoing were suddenly much more pertinent
04:55than they originally had been.
04:58The newly derived meaning helped provide some closure for his grieving fanbase.
05:10Number 6.
05:11Keep Me In Your Hearts, Warren Zeevon
05:14For some musicians, an unwelcome medical discovery is all the motivation they need to get their
05:19parting words out.
05:22Warren Zeevon was an accomplished singer who recorded his end-most work after learning
05:27he had an inoperable form of mesothelioma.
05:37The saxophone-backed Please Stay was his plea for his family to support him as he fearfully
05:43faced oblivion.
05:52Things became even clearer once Keep Me In Your Heart began.
06:04It's even more somber this time asking people to think of him as they continued living,
06:10even during simpler moments.
06:13Zeevon celebrated the little things that made living great, while acknowledging he wouldn't
06:17be able to enjoy them much longer.
06:19It was the last thing he ever created, bidding adieu to those who loved him.
06:32Number 5.
06:34Stuck Inside A Cloud, George Harrison
06:37Whether with The Beatles or on his own, his dedication to his art was unparalleled.
06:43In the early aughts, it was revealed that George Harrison's cancer had returned.
06:49This caused him to dedicate his remaining energy to Brainwashed, his first full-length
06:54solo output since 1987.
07:03His escalating sickness led to him teaming up with his son to finally finish it.
07:08While Stuck Inside A Cloud doesn't mention his ailment, it does allude to his own contemplations
07:14about his existence.
07:21Some lyrics even point to him potentially losing sleep and not eating due to his thoughts,
07:27which could be construed to be about his prognosis.
07:31Although the meaning isn't certain, it ended up being a touching way to end his career.
07:45Number 4.
07:46You Want It Darker, Leonard Cohen He's one of the poster children of melancholic
07:51music, making it no surprise when his conclusive composition referenced his own demise.
07:58It was released just before he fell and passed away in his home, after several months of
08:03physical deterioration.
08:13His declining health encouraged him to finish his final record.
08:17Some tunes, like Leaving The Table, acknowledged his condition and the feelings that came with
08:23accepting death.
08:31The true piece de resistance was the opener, You Want It Darker, where he references his
08:37religious roots by questioning God.
08:40It's particularly accusatory, with Cohen interrogating the deity while admitting he was ready to
08:46join it.
08:47It closed out his body of work perfectly, committing to the gloomy lyricism that defined
08:53him.
09:00Number 3.
09:02Mother Love, Queen Freddie Mercury defined the word icon.
09:07Known for his extraordinary voice, Mercury helped lead Queen to its great heights.
09:13After contracting HIV, he knew that his time would run out, motivating him to take to the
09:19studio.
09:20His work included anthems that showcased his unwavering dedication, such as The Show Must
09:26Go On.
09:33Others, like These Are The Days Of Our Lives, recalled simpler moments that were lost to
09:38time.
09:46The most gut-wrenching was Mother Love, which he never got to finish.
09:56Besides the lyrics longing for peace and references to the pain he was experiencing, the instrumentals
10:02bits of every piece they made, creating a heartbreaking tribute to one of music's
10:08most beloved performers.
10:18Number 2.
10:20Hurt, Johnny Cash Although he didn't write it himself, Johnny
10:25Cash gave the song an entirely new meaning.
10:28After a long, successful career, Johnny Cash saw the end approaching.
10:40After a litany of issues with his well-being, the writing was on the wall, resulting in
10:46his decision to cover Nine Inch Nails, Hurts.
10:49He took the already bleak premise and transformed it into a tortured self-reflection of a man
10:54looking back on his complicated life and the choices he made.
11:07The accompanying video added to the vision, showing Cash surrounded by things in different
11:12phases of deterioration.
11:14Using his wife's memory as inspiration, he was able to take his remaining days and use
11:19them to create one of the most respected covers in the modern era.
11:45Number 1.
11:46Lazarus, David Bowie Having the chance to say goodbye is a privilege
11:51that not all artists get to enjoy.
11:54David Bowie seemed to know that, and therefore constructed a song that put both his creativity
11:59and emotional intelligence on display.
12:10After being diagnosed with liver cancer, he kept the news under wraps, while quietly working
12:16on his last release.
12:18The crowning achievement of his final days was Lazarus, the last single he ever created.
12:30It's a direct reference to his own expiration, while also serving as a personal elegy.
12:36With it, Bowie forced the world to reckon with the fact that it would soon be losing
12:40a star.
12:41And while it softened the blow, people still weren't prepared for his demise less than
12:46a month afterwards.
12:55Which of these songs' deeper meanings resonated with you the most?
13:00Let us know in the comments below.