Can country music drive you to suicide?
BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7470.817-a (Published 07 October 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:817
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I am bemused by the article and response on the association of towns
with high suicide rates having radio stations which play more country
music. While it fits my musical prejudices I see so many other variables
that no causal link could ever be established.
I remember one of my early biostatistics lectures (more than 30 years ago)
reporting the association of radio ownership with admission to psychiatric
hospitals - it was claimed in the 1930's that radio was increasing mental
ill health.
The IgNobel's are for research which should never be repeated becuase of
its irrelevance or misleading conclusions.
Perhaps it would be better for the BMJ to emphasise the skewed logic of
the researchers and return to its focus on more likley social factors such
as unemployment and poverty.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Mmm - is it the music or is it the conditions which lead to the music
makers making the music?
Swamp music and the blues speaks to the experiences of the
population. Take ` Sweet Home Alabama` Lynrd Skynrd on poverty
" Curtis Lowe was a black man with white curly hair - Curtis Lowe was
the finest picker to ever play the blues - Play me a song Curtis Lowe,
Curtis Lowe - On the day old Curtis died nobody came to pray - the
preacher said some words and they chucked him in the clay. He lived a life
time living the blackman's blues - on the day he lost his life thats all
he had to lose."
Or "Mister Banker, Mister Please, How much does money mean ? Won't
you reconsider Mister - Won't you do this thing for me? Ain't got no
house. Ain't got no car. All I got Lord is my guitar - but you can have
it Mister Banker - won't you bail my Papa for me - Mister Banker please.
I would not be here - on my knees. Hey Mister Banker means so much to me -
wont you reconsider Mister - wont you do this thing for me. Aint got no
house. Aint got no car. I got me a 1950 Les Paul guitar - won't you take
it Mister Banker - won't you bail my Papa for me. Oh Mister Banker please.
"
Desperate people in desperate places under desperate conditions
produce their own music - and I guess it probably saves more from suicide
than it kills.
As long as systems are allowed to destroy people, long live the
freedom to express our pain in music and art.
Competing interests:
Expert in Autism
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In response to Andrew Tattersall, inevitably one must control for
gender in any such proposed study.
I'll see your Leonard Cohen and raise the stakes with my Dory
Previn.The results will speak most eloquently for themselves.
MCF
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Following the recent Ig Nobel Award to Steven Stack and James
Gundlach for their report, The Effect of Country Music on Suicide; perhaps
someone should take this interesting research and extend it onto other
forms of music with a more serious angle.
Most people recognise that a large part of county and western music along
with the blues has always been associated with depressing lyrics and tales
of woe which in turn can make the listener miserable.
Obviously their statistics would prove that African-American suicide rates
are not affected by the country music market as most African-Americans
listen to a staple diet of hip hop and R&B.
Rap and the culture surrounding it has a more direct and devastating
effect on the population with its promotion of guns, murder and the
derogatory image of women. Even in the UK, where gun crime is minimal
compared to the U.S, the effect of American gangsta rap is being
increasingly felt in several of our inner cities.
But it isn't just rap that kills, dance music since the late eighties and
the acid house scene has had a serious detrimental on our youth's mental
health.
There were countless documented ecstasy deaths reported in the press in
addition to all those who passed away by taking other drugs associated to
the rave scene. It could be years before we really see the true picture of
how many people die or are mentally affected by too much drug usage after
dancing in a field for 12 hours.
If proved successful, such research could move onto the effects of
Majijuana use on reggae lovers, depression in goths, and severe depression
in Leonard Cohen fans.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
I think incidence of suicide is more in rock singers as compared to
country ones. I can't remember any country singer commiting suicide but
certainly many rock singers
either dope to death or just commit plain suicide.
Why research always focusses on unknown parameters?
Johhny Cash "ring of fire" or "boy named sue" doesn't drive me or any one
I know to suicide, but Morrison's
"the end" certainly does.
Is it possible that country songs are played on those radiostations but
not listened by population as individuals
are too depressed to switch on radio?
" I've been walking on the streets so long, singing on the same old
song......"
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
country music and suicide
of course country music can cause suicides. i've been a paramedic 15
year and seen perhaps 50 suicides and county music is what was on the
radio in all cases where a radio was 'on' at the scene.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests