[Pain of Salvation, ASHES]
There’s something soothing, comforting, about sad music when you’re feeling down. Safe, even.
Some people I know will listen to upbeat and happy music when they’re sad. It’s a way of countering the darkness, of pushing back against whatever bothers them.
I sometimes will do the same, or instead listen to something heavy and angry, convert the depression to a rage instead, something that will burn brighter and faster and extinguish itself more quickly. It’s a strange light to shine into the dark corners, but the shadows are chased away nonetheless.
Mostly, though, I turn to sad songs. Maybe it’s the familiarity, or knowing that I’m not alone with the thoughts that race through my head. If these songs are out there, then someone, somewhere, felt these things enough to commit them to tape, and that’s enough to carry me through another cold night.
It’s not a common thing, I think, judging from what others have told me. But it’s the way that works for me, sometimes. Whether I’m missing someone who has passed from my life, or life has thrown me too many curveballs for one day, or I’m just having one of those days, I try to keep a few darker pieces at my listening ready. In the cold rain, even a blanket of sorrow can provide warmth and protection from the elements.