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.
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