Anyone familiar with mental illness can verify — it’s a parasite, like a second voice that doesn’t care in the slightest for your dreams or relationships. Enter: music. These 55 songs do their best to encapsulate that loneliness that is the air-sucking, mind-warping claustrophobia of clinical depression and what feeling depressed really means.

The 55 Best Songs About Depression

1. “everything i wanted” by Billie Eilish

Mental illness is gruelingly individual, but accounts like this reaffirm that you’re never alone; even if you can’t truly sympathize, it’s tough to ignore the hurt baked into each weary line. “I tried to scream / But my head was underwater / They called me weak / Like I’m not just somebody’s daughter” RELATED: 100 Best Sad Songs Of All Time (With The Saddest Lyrics That Will Make You Cry)

2. “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones

When asked why he wrote this song, which is told from the perspective of someone who is depressed following the death of loved one, Mick Jagger said, “I don’t know. It’s been done before. It’s not an original thought by any means. It all depends on how you do it.” And the way The Rolling Stones did it was by contrasting upbeat rhythms with deeply dark lyrics, creating a masterful balance that captures the complexity of human emotions. “I see the girls walk by / Dressed in their summer clothes / I have to turn my head / Until my darkness goes”

3. “In Between” by Beartooth

This one strikes a balance between hope and recognition. Yes, with support — and a little luck — you can live with depression. No, it won’t be easy. Searing vocals lead the charge, ensuring you never forget the gravity imposed by mental illness. “Won’t let pain get in my way / I can’t have silence claiming me/We have strength in numbers, strength in numbers / To get us through the day”

4. “Black Dog” by Arlo Parks

This song is a testimony — not of someone living with depression, but of the friends, partners and family who desperately wish to help. You do what you can; you make suggestions, offer help, and provide emotional support. Often, it can feel like a losing battle. But the beauty of “Black Dog” lies in its refrain. No advice, just understanding. “Let’s go to the corner store and buy some fruit / I would do anything to get you out your room / Just take your medicine and eat some food / I would do anything to get you out your room”

5. “Space Oddity” by David Bowie

A mood unto itself, this track by David Bowie encapsulates helplessness, isolation and a fear of inevitable ruin. While the folks on Earth wonder which brand of shirt he wears in space, Major Tom just wants to go home. The panic of mental illness can present in a way that’s eerily similar — you’re in a crisis, but it feels like the folks around you care only for trivial things in life. “Sometimes I feel so happy / Sometimes I feel so sad / Sometimes I feel so happy / But mostly you just make me mad”

6. “Grey Street” by Dave Matthews Band

There are a number of fan theories meant to explain Matthews’ reasons for writing this song, and regardless of which is true, it remains one of most compelling descriptions of what it’s like to struggle with where one is in life. It can feel as though every time you capture a glimpse of all the glorious colors life has to offer, something inside melts them all back down into a puddle of grey. “There’s an emptiness inside her / And she’d do anything to fill it in / But all the colors mix together / To grey”

7. “A Better Son/Daughter” by Rilo Kiley

This one is a song of regret. Being a human means failing — at work, at school and at romance. When you fail those whom you love most, like your family or a partner, the weight of each mistake piles on. So long as you keep trying, however, there’s always room to grow. “Sometimes in the morning I am petrified and can’t move / Awake, but cannot open my eyes / And the weight is crushing down on my lungs / I know I can’t breathe / And hope someone will save me this time”

8. “Save Myself” by Ed Sheeran

“Save Myself” is an ode to anyone who has given too much of themselves and received little to nothing (to worse) in return. It serves as a reminder to anyone struggling with low self-worth that you are a person of value, and that prioritizing your needs and care isn’t selfish — it’s survival. “Life can get you down so I just numb the way it feels / I drown it with a drink and out of date prescription pills / And all the ones that love me they just left me on the shelf”

9. “A Horse With No Name” by America

Without specifically describing mental illness, we’re shown its grip on nearly every aspect of life. This is a deeply melancholic tune — one of isolation, cynicism, and almost folklorish beauty. “After three days in the desert fun / I was looking at a river bed / And the story it told of a river that flowed / Made me sad to think it was dead”

10. “Dominoes” by Paul McCartney

How often do we fret and groan over missed opportunities or arguments with loved ones? Anger, grudges — all loosen with time. The sooner we accept that we’re in this together and that life marches on despite our goals, the sturdier and more lasting will be our shared peace. “We can start to begin / Living in the world we live / This is it, here and now / We can find our way / Somehow” RELATED: 10 Best Songs For Anxiety (& 10 Songs That Perfectly Describe What It Feels Like)

11. “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails

This song is so powerful even the great icon Johnny Cash covered it. While the lyrics reference self-harm and heroin addiction, some believe it is meant as a “suicide note written by the song’s protagonist,” while others see it as the more hopeful opposite — finding a reason to live in spite of life’s pains. “Beneath the stains of time / The feelings disappear / You are someone else / I am still right here / What have I become? / My sweetest friend / Everyone I know / Goes away in the end”

12. “I Can Change” by Lake Street Dive

What happens when you succumb (over and over) to your worst impulses? In this ballad by Lake Street Dive, we’re confronted by that which we’d rather gloss over. We’re reminded that emotional growth derives not from success, but dedication. You have to believe you can change. “Hate casts a long shadow / I know that I lie in it / And let it rule my mind from time to time”

13. “Hello in There” by Brandi Carlile

Another emotional scorcher by John Prine, “Hello in There” catalogs the suffocating isolation of old age. Above all, it implores us to love the elderly — or anyone plagued by loneliness. Sung by Brandi Carlile in remembrance of the late, great songwriter, you internalize the hurt of lost family, lost time. This song is a testament to the unifying power of art. “You know that old trees just grow stronger / And old rivers grow wilder every day / Old people just grow lonesome / Waiting for someone to say, ‘Hello in there / Hello’”

14. “Anxiety” by Julia Michaels feat. Selena Gomez

For anyone who knows what it’s like to live with both depression and anxiety, this one’s for you. The lyrics capture the challenges of doubting yourself at (pretty much) all times, leaving you feeling alone and misunderstood. When the song was released, Gomez said pretty much that to her fans. “This song is extremely close to my heart as I’ve experienced anxiety and know a lot of my friends do too,” she wrote at the time. “You’re never alone if you feel this way. “But all my friends, they don’t know what it’s like, what it’s like / They don’t understand why I can’t sleep through the night / I’ve been told that I could take something to fix it / Damn, I wish it, I wish it was that simple, ah”

15. “Have All the Songs Been Written” by The Killers

This is a song for when you hurt those you love, reconcile, try your darndest to grow, and then fail again anyway. No, you “can’t take back what [you’ve] done wrong,” but maybe, just maybe, if you get the words right — if you can describe how you feel, or ace the apology — your nearest and dearest will stick around. “Oh, I just need one, to get through to you / Oh, I just need one more, to get through to you / I can’t take back, what I’ve done wrong / And I just need one more”

16. “Cold Little Heart” by Michael Kiwanuka

This song is seeped in longing — not for love, but for acknowledgment. All is not well, but when you lay bare all that weighs you down, when you share your grief (however painful) with those who would help, the journey toward peace becomes a bit smoother. “Maybe this time I can be strong / But since I know who I am / I’m probably wrong”

17. “Otherside” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Depression is a life-long trek. You suffer, grow, lapse and adjust. “Otherside” draws the loneliness associated with mental illness to the forefront. So long as you push forward, striving for growth and connection, you’re on the right track. “Turn me on, take me for a hard ride / Burn me out, leave me on the other side / I yell and tell it that it’s not my friend / I tear it down, I tear it down / And then it’s born again”

18. “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey

You’re driving along and light begins to wane. The wind goes cold. Suddenly, you’re engulfed in memories — dragged back to a ghostly time, person, or place. “Summertime Sadness” captures a feeling of dread that cannot be ignored or swallowed up. But just like summer turns to fall, eventually that sadness fades. “Think I’ll miss you forever / Like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky / Later’s better than never / Even if you’re gone, I’m gonna drive (drive), drive”

19. “Pennyroyal Tea” by Nirvana

This song was released six months after Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s tragic death. The lyrics seem to speak to heroin addiction, as well as to “making a tough decision, the difficult choices around it, and the guilt following it.” “I’m so tired I can’t sleep / I’m a liar and a thief / Sit and drink Pennyroyal Tea / I’m anemic royalty”

20. “Right Before My Eyes” by Cage The Elephant

When it rains, it storms. You’re having issues at work or with family. Then you check the news, and you’re reminded — no, it isn’t just you, but rather, “The whole world lost control.” The tonality, music and message seem to clash; there’s darkness to each lyric, but the manner in which it’s delivered is achingly tender. In the end, tenderness reigns. “An empty ocean lost our way with no direction home / Golden needles names we take in vain / Find it harder to remain” RELATED: 50 Best Songs About Loneliness & Being Alone For When You’re Feeling Lonely

21. “Trees” by Twenty One Pilots

Loneliness and depression go hand-in-hand. You’re surrounded by caring, attentive folks who strive for your happiness, but you feel like an island. Unlike other entries, the answer here is connection — to be known, to see and be seen. Sing along and you’ll experience catharsis. By the song’s end, your belting might even make you a few new friends. “I can feel your breath / I can feel my death / I want to know you / I want to see / I want to say, hello”

22. “Self Care” by Mac Miller

There’s little shame in finding respite outside your own mind. Danger only arises when the source of that respite becomes a crutch, when you can’t curb your depression without a drink or hit. You may escape your troubles briefly, but at what cost? “Yeah, I been reading them signs/ I been losin’ my, I been losin’ my / I been losin’ my mind, yeah”

Possibly the best song about depression that’s also a reference to a comedy TV show, “Adam’s Song” got its name from a “Mr. Show” sketch, but the laughs stop at its titular inspiration. Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus wrote the song about the loneliness he experienced while the band was on tour, but the feelings of emptiness and longing it hits are universal to anyone. “I took my time, I hurried up / The choice was mine, I didn’t think enough / I’m too depressed to go on / You’ll be sorry when I’m gone”

24. “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles

People with depression know all too well the fear and anxiety that come with looming depressive episodes. You feel like you’re on the run. Though likely depicting the struggles of toxic romance, “Sign of the Times” captures the awful weight of this repetition. “Just stop your crying / It’s a sign of the times / Welcome to the final show / Hope you’re wearing your best clothes / You can’t bribe the door on your way to the sky / You look pretty good down here / But you ain’t really good”

25. “I Guess I Just Feel Like” by John Mayer

Written to cope with mental anguish regarding his own life (and the world at large), “I Guess I Just Feel Like” is a reflection on youthful optimism, insincerity and the dreariness of modern life. The end strikes a more hopeful tone, as the artist declares their intent to nurture goodness — wherever it might be found. “I think I remember / The dream that I had / That love’s gonna save us / From a world that’s gone mad / I guess I just feel like / What happened to that?”

26. “Mad World” by Gary Jules

Gary Jules’ cover of this Tears for Fears classic took an already heartbreaking song and made it devastating. There’s a line smack-dab in the middle of “Mad World” that hits a bit close to home: “Children waiting for the day they feel good / Happy birthday, happy birthday.” You think, “Once I’m older, or have a partner, or land that job, I won’t be so alone. An entry unconcerned with solutions that resonates all the same. When you engage with songs like this, you don’t walk away joyful. You might, however, feel lighter, because you aren’t alone. You never were. “And I find it kind of funny / I find it kind of sad / The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had / I find it hard to tell you ‘cause I find it hard to take / When people run in circles it’s a very, very / Mad world”

27. “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty

Lead singer Rob Thomas explained that this song is about people who are “Fed up and feel alone like that… We all feel a little fed up sometimes… you’re not alone.” “But I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell / I know, right now you can’t tell / But stay a while and maybe then you’ll see / A different side of me”

28. “Blues Run the Game” by Simon and Garfunkel

Quintessentially Simon and Garfunkel, this song blends soft guitar and quiet harmony to evoke isolation, longing for companionship, and fear of self-medication. “Send out for whiskey, mama / Send out for gin / Me and room service, babe / Me and room service, honey / Me and room service / Well, we’re living a life of sin”

29. “Rocket Man” by Elton John

Those with depression know painfully well that sense of removal — an air of distance from loved ones; a feeling that, if they knew who you really were, they wouldn’t stick around. Even if you can push forward in daily life, you aren’t always present. As Elton John laments at the start, “It’s lonely out in space.” “And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time / ‘Til touchdown brings me ‘round again to find / I’m not the man they think I am at home / Oh, no, no, no”

30. “Breaking Down” by Florence + The Machine

Singer Florence Welch wrote much of the album “Lungs” about her first breakup with a long-time boyfriend. Welch has said of the song, “I really did feel like I was breaking down several times, it’s true. Felt totally mad.” “My old familiar friend / Comes and lies down next to me / And I can see you coming from the edge of the room / Smiling in the streetlight / Even with my eyes shut tight / I still see you coming now / Oh, I think I’m breaking down again” RELATED: 50 Songs About Death & Losing Someone To Help You Cope With Grief

31. “Lemon Boy” by Cavetown

This one is a welcomed respite, packed with cheery resignation. There is misery in this world, sure. Searching for joy in minutiae, in the unplanned (or even unwanted) is a necessary antidote. “The whales start to beach themselves / Tortoise shells tear away from their spines / It happens all the time, it happens all the time”

32. “Breathe Me” by Sia

For many of us, this is the song that put Sia on the map thanks to the “Six Feet Under” finale, but its lyrics are as powerful as the series-ending montage it’s most associated with. Depression can make you feel completely lost, but “Breathe Me” reminds us the necessity of reaching out for help. “Ouch I have lost myself again / Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found / Yeah I think that I might break / Lost myself again and I feel unsafe.”

33. “Anthem” by Greta Van Fleet

This song is about acceptance through difference. The singer begs you to seek perspective, to understand that your concerns are not necessarily the concerns of your neighbor. In doing so, you realize the community is not (and never was) a bunch of people feeling exactly the same way. When you recognize that the folks around you spend just as much time in their heads, worrying, pining and regretting, you love them more. In the process, you just might grow to love yourself. “With the news, there’s something every day / So many people thinking different ways, you say / Where is the music? / A tune to free the soul”

34. “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young

Lost love. Painful memories. Sometimes you need to revel in them, holding grief close. It can be therapeutic and even freeing. Just lie back and let the quiet chords, the crooning chorus, melt your sorrows. “When we were strangers / I watched you from afar / When we were lovers / I loved you with all my heart / But now it’s gettin’ late / And the moon is climbin’ high / I want to celebrate / See it shinin’ in your eye”

35. “Angel from Montgomery” by Bonnie Raitt

Few artists captured the deep, aching melancholy of existence like the late John Prine. You go to work, you come home; is that life? You’re drenched in longing, in dreams so big you can hardly move. Days turn into weeks. Weeks become years. Singer Bonnie Raitt elevates the tune with near-ghostly vocals. “There’s flies in the kitchen / I can hear ’em there buzzin’ / And I ain’t done nothing / Since I woke up today.”

36. “Stressed Out” by A Tribe Called Quest

Pain is individual. Even so, hearing others describe their own suffering brings with it a guilty solace. Confidence tinged with desperation — that’s how we interpret the ending, which seems to repeat as a way to convince the artist himself: “We’ve gotta make it… we’ve gotta make it.” “Yo I know the feeling, when you feeling like a villain / You be having good thoughts but the evils be revealin’ / And the stresses of life can take you off the right path (no doubt) / Jealousy and envy tends to infiltrate your staff”

37. “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” by My Chemical Romance

“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” may not be the heaviest song, but it still packs an emotional wallop. For the used, the betrayed, the overlooked — this one’s for you. It’s an irreverent tune that reminds us to never take another person’s humanity for granted, to look twice at those who claim to be alright. “What will it take to show you / That it’s not the life it seems? (I’m not okay) / I’ve told you time and time again / You sing the words but don’t know what it means (I’m not okay)”

38. “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” by John Lennon

This is a song gripped not by depression but joy. We are, each of us, a miracle — of biology, sure, but it’s more than that. You are unequivocally yourself. You are grand. Like the moon and stars shine above, so do you glow with individuality. “Why in the world are we here? / Surely not to live in pain and fear / Why on earth are you there / When you’re everywhere? / Come and get your share”

39. “Anyone” by Demi Lovato

In your darkest moments, to whom do you turn? Maybe you pray. Maybe you sing. Real darkness sets in when those outlets fail, when your cries seem to fall on deaf ears. With “Anyone,” Demi Lovato pleads for connection. It isn’t that she wants a friend; she needs you to share in her pain, because it isn’t just hers — she sings for all the lonely. “I talk to shooting stars / But they always get it wrong / I feel stupid when I pray / So, why am I praying anyway? / If nobody’s listening”

40. “Crawling” by Linkin Park

Chester Bennington’s tragic death makes his lyrics all the more heartbreaking. But there is solace to be had in still having them and knowing they make us feel less alone. “Crawling,” in particular, perfectly captures the physical nature of depression, how it overwhelms the senses as well as the mind. “Discomfort endlessly has pulled itself upon me / Distracting, reacting / Against my will I stand beside my own reflection / It’s haunting / How I can’t seem / To find myself again” RELATED: 50 Songs About Lost Love To Get You Through The Pain

41. “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors

This song speaks on a troubled relationship between parents that affects an entire family. This can bring about depression within a family because when there is strife and tension, a house doesn’t feel like home. “Mama, come here / Approach, appear / And Daddy, I’m alone / ‘Cause this house don’t feel like home”

42. “Never Let Me Go” by Florence + The Machine

“Never Let Me Go” explains the emotions and dark thoughts one goes through after a breakup. But, with an air of reprieve, it discusses not giving up and accepting when a relationship has reached its end. “Now I am under all / And it’s breaking over me / A thousand miles down to the sea bed / Found the place to rest my head”

43. “Fade To Black” By Metallica

Metallica’s “Fade To Black” discusses some incredibly tough topics including depression, suicide, and the dark place one’s mind goes when one succumbs to it. According to lead singer Jamed Hetfield, “I wrote the song at a friend’s house in New Jersey. I was pretty depressed at the time… It’s a suicide song, and we got a lot of flak for it, as if kids were killing themselves because of the song. But we also got hundreds of letters from kids telling us how they related to the song and that it made them feel better.” “I have lost the will to live / Simply nothing more to give / There is nothing more for me / Need the end to set me free”

44. “Fell on Black Days” by Soundgarden

Soundgarden’s alternative rock song conveys the feeling of waking up one day and realizing that you aren’t happy. Said frontman Chris Cornell, “‘Fell on Black Days’ was like this ongoing fear I’ve had for years… It’s a feeling that everyone gets. You’re happy with your life, everything’s going well, things are exciting — when all of a sudden you realize you’re unhappy in the extreme, to the point of being really, really scared.” “Just when every day seemed to greet me with a smile / Sunspots have faded, now I’m doing time / Now I’m doing time / ‘Cause I fell on black days”

45. “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.

“Everybody Hurts” is an encouraging and pleading song for people with suicidal thoughts. It acknowledges the depths people with depression go to, and almost begs its listeners to hold on. “When your day is long / And the night, the night is yours alone / When you’re sure you’ve had enough / Of this life, well hang on / Don’t let yourself go / ‘Cause everybody cries / Everybody hurts sometimes”

46. “Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage

Garbage discusses how some depressed people chase misery because it’s all they have ever known. But according to the band, “It’s really just us poking fun at ourselves. “We’re poking fun at the alternarock angst, wearing your heart on your sleeve thing and at ourselves for writing such dark songs.” “I’m only happy when it rains / You wanna hear about my new obsession? / I’m riding high upon a deep depression / I’m only happy when it rains”

47. “Lose You To Love Me” by Selena Gomez

This song by Selena Gomez relays just how hard it can be to go through a painful breakup. Sometimes you lose yourself in a deep depression and it will be a tough battle before you can end up loving yourself again. “I gave my all and they all know it / Then you tore me down and now it’s showing / In two months, you replaced us / Like it was easy / Made me think I deserved it”

48. “Just A Dream” by Carrie Underwood

“Just A Dream” tugs at the hearts of those who have lost family and friends in the military service. The song conveys panic, pain, and depression that can come from grief. " It’s like I’m looking from a distance / Standing in the background / Everybody’s saying, he’s not coming home now / This can’t be happening to me / This is just a dream”

49. “1-800-273-8255” By Logic feat. Alessia Cara and Khalid

This powerful song sound by rapper Logic is named after the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The song is about how many people turn to suicide as a solution to their problems in life. Logic wrote the song to show people that suicide is never the answer. In fact, the song was has helped save many lives and was even made into a 7-minute short film as the music video. “I’ve been on the low / I been taking my time / I feel like I’m out of my mind / It feel like my life ain’t mine”

50. “Already Gone” by Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson created a song for people who lost a relationship they thought they would have forever. But this particular song takes on the point of view of one person leaving so the other can move on. “Now all our memories, they’re haunted / We were always meant to say goodbye / Even with our fists held high / It never would have worked out right, yeah / We were never meant for do or die”

51. “Little Talks” by Of Monsters And Men

“Little Talks” is about a woman who has lost the one she loves. It conveys her depression and how she is coping with his absence. It speaks of not being able to sleep, eat, or even dress due to the pain. “It’s keeping me awake / It’s the house telling you to close your eyes / And some days I can’t even dress myself / It’s killing me to see you this way”

52. “Welcome To The Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance

Upbeat and catchy, “Welcome to the Black Parade” is more of an encouraging anthem to the depressed to continue to fight back and get their life on track. “Your misery and hate will kill us all / So paint it black and take it back / Let’s shout it loud and clear / Defiant to the end, we hear the call / To carry on / We’ll carry on”

53. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day

“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” was said to be about the time frontman Billie Joe Armstrong spent in New York City. He was alone in a crowded city and needed to turn that loneliness into power, so he wrote a song to express just that, encouraging others to do the same. “I walk this empty street / On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams / Where the city sleeps / And I’m the only one, and I walk alone”

54. “Fix You” by Coldplay

Have you ever wanted to help “fix” someone who was depressed? “Fix You” is a haunting song about someone trying to help their loved one through the pain of depression. “When you get what you want, but not what you need / When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep / Stuck in reverse/ And the tears come streaming down your face / When you lose something you can’t replace”

55. “Alone In a Room Full of People” by blackbear.

This song by blackbear. shows how depression can truly make you feel alone. Even when you’re in a crowded room, you feel isolated and alone. And no one can help you. “‘Cause I’m alone / In a room full of people / On a street full of broken homes / And we only hurt each other / And I’m alone” RELATED: 50 Depression Quotes That Capture What Being Depressed Really Feels Like Joseph Heiland is a writer and graphic designer whose fiction has appeared in Lumina Journal and Eastern Iowa Review. He holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College.