Wisdom Lost...

It has been an interesting five months or so, my first semester as a regular contributor to the blogosphere. I have had a great time writing about movies, sports, books and the drama of late night television. I would like to thank everyone who has been reading along. Without you, I am just an idiot with an opinion. With you, I am an idiot with an opinion that people read. For that, I am grateful. I will still be blogging from time to time, but there will be some changes in the coming weeks.

First off, I work at a Boy Scout camp in the summer and I will have sporadic internet access for a couple months. I may still post some entries, but not as frequently as I did during the school year.

Also, "The Wise Fool" will undergo a name change in the near future. I thought the blog name was a little cliche (and I only chose it because "The Idiotic Genius" was taken) from the beginning. "Wise fool" is the literal translation of the word "sophomore" which worked while I was still a college sophomore, but continuing to use it would seem like I am trapped in the past. It is important (especially on the Internet, where the future is arriving faster than in the real world) to not get caught up in the "good ole days". I will also getting my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow, and it will be hard to be a wise fool without my wisdom.

The new name for the blog will be "The Ironic Munchkin". This name comes from a conversation I had a few days ago when I was talking about the possibility of remaking The Wizard of Oz. I was wearing a ridiculous pair of brightly colored socks at the time and I did my Lillipop Guild impression and expressed my interest in being a munchkin if that movie were ever remade. The person I was talking to brought up the fact that I am 5'10'' so playing a munchkin would not be practical. To that, I replied that I wanted to be the one ironic munckin who is the size of a normal person (like Buddy from the movie Elf). Who is society to say that I can or cannot do something? As an individual, I have the right to follow my dreams, be they realistic or ridiculous. "The Ironic Munchkin" will be a platform for me to do the very thing I set up a blog to do: put my ideas out there, and hope people read them and think about them. My ideas may not always be practical or useful, but at least I have ideas. Someday, I hope to put my creativity to a constructive use, but until then, I will keep on blogging.

So long for a little while, Internet. I will write to you when I have the time.

Facebook Strives for Internet Domination

This is an article I wrote for my journalism class about the growth of Facebook. I have also used Facebook to my advantage and I expect most of the people who read this post saw it on my profile.

When Mark Zuckerberg created his social networking website in his Harvard University dorm room, nobody had any idea that Facebook would become a life changing social movement in the coming years. First limited to Harvard students, then Boston area colleges, the other Ivy League schools, then Stanford University, Facebook is now available to anyone at least 13 years of age with a working email account. With over 400 million users around the globe, the Facebook phenomenon is one of the most staggering movements in the history of civilization, but how big will it get? And when will it end?

Every time a major event occurs, people’s Facebook statuses spread the word. Facebook has revolutionized the concept of social networking, for better or for worse. In addition to connecting with “friends”, people can connect with bands, athletes, politicians, statements, and other public figures that they “like”. Some celebrities update their own public profiles to connect with their supporters. One good example is President Obama. With over 8 million people publicly supporting, this page provides updates on the president’s plans and agenda to keep people in touch with their government. Although the page is not run by Obama himself, it is run by people who work directly with him.

Before Facebook, people behaved differently. The way people interact on Facebook has perhaps subconsciously had an effect on the way people interact face to face. “Since I joined Facebook, I have felt the need to tell people what my plans are as I get up and walk away. I might only be gone for a few minutes, but I feel like I have to post a status so people do not get worried.” Said high school senior Andrea Bray. With all it does, Facebook impacts more than just the way people act online.

Facebook has had an impact on other modes of mass communication. In February, Facebook users launched a campaign to get Betty White to host an episode of Saturday Night Live, which the 88 year old Golden Girls star had never done in her long career. White’s SNL appearance was a hit, and since then, there has been a new campaign to get Carol Burnett to host the show next season. Another was launched to get Mary Tyler Moore on the show.

A recent change to Facebook was to change the act of “becoming a fan” of a public profile to “liking” it. There was already a “Like” button so people could express their appreciation for someone else’s status without writing out a comment. Now in addition to liking Facebook pages, outside websites have enabled the ability to like articles, links, and videos from all over the internet. By liking it, that web page becomes linked to your personal profile. It appears that Facebook is attempting to become the central site on the internet—the place one goes to navigate through everything else that is going on.

Facebook really has come a long way since the days of a college student trying to connect with his classmates. With the millions and millions of users, confusing and changing privacy settings, and the ability to link almost any web page to a person’s private profile, Facebook is trying to join the hierarchy of powerful and innovative technology companies like General Electric, IBM, Texas Instruments, Microsoft, Apple, and, most recently, Google.

In spite of its continued growth, many people are starting to grow tired of Facebook. Every few months, when Facebook changes the layout of the “news feed”, there is public outcry to change it back, yet most people refuse to deactivate their accounts is they are unhappy with the site. A lot of young people feel that the thrill of social networking is gone once their parents joined Facebook. The applications and the time wasting that Facebook creates are starting to get old for many. “I am just about done with it. If it wasn’t such an easy way to keep in touch with people, I would quit.” said FSC senior Sarah Hovagimian. That is a sentiment shared by a lot of people these days. Facebook will continue to change, and the changes will continue to frustrate the people who think they had it figured out, but they will stay with it until a better product is made available.

New Club Aims to Improve Communication

This is yet another article I wrote for my journalism class. It is about the new Communications Club on the Fitchburg State campus.

One of the largest departments on the FSC campus is the Communications/Media department. Ironically enough, some students have been frustrated with the lack of communication within the Communications department. In an effort to improve this situation, students are starting a club that will try to get everyone on the same page.

The Fitchburg Communications Club is in the process of being a club recognized by the school administration. Led by president Amy Johnson, vice president Laura Bird, and faculty advisor Rob Carr, the club aims to help students connect and make the communications department more available. The plan is to have representatives from all the different concentrations in the department—communication studies, film/video, graphic design, interactive media, photography, and professional communication—and also to make connections with groups like the Film Society and the Falcon Players. Other ideas for the club’s mission include hosting workshops in specific areas of the program with people from outside the school and possibly taking trips. The club is also open to members of the student body who are not majoring in communications.

“We would like to plan year long projects that can get a lot of people involved and help better the school.” Laura Bird said. “One thing we would like to do is get people together to work on improving and updating the Communications department section of the school website.” She added. Making improvements to the site would not only improve the school’s image, but provide practical experience in communications that can be put on a resume. The communications section of the FSC website has not been updated in years and it is ironic that a department which includes interactive media (such as web page design) does not have an up to date website. Communication could be better.

Bird also said that she would like the club to have a “casual but serious” atmosphere where people are involved, but not in high pressure situations. They also want it to be a place where creative people who are not communications majors can still get involved on campus. English majors, for example, could bring their script ideas to the club to connect themselves with film/video students, but anyone with any interest in any of the communications concentrations is welcome to join. “Once again, this club is open to everyone. Tell all your friends.” She said. For more information on the club, there is a Facebook group called “Fitchburg Communications Club” that will be providing updates throughout the summer. The group should be able to give people more information about the club and their plans for next fall when it is made available.

Live from New York, It’s Still Funny after 35 Years!

This is an article I wrote for my journalism class. Enjoy!

Betty White and Jay-Z during the most recent episode of SNL.

This Saturday night, Alec Baldwin will be hosting Saturday Night Live with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performing as the musical guest. In its 35^th season, SNL is still staying fresh and relevant while setting new records for itself.

This season has been one of many milestones on SNL. Celebrating 35 years on the air, the show has changed a lot since the days of Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd, and Al Franken has successfully made the transition from political satirist to U.S. Senator, but the current cast has kept up the tradition of edginess, political satire, absurd characters in zanier situations, and lack of readiness for primetime.

In recent years, the internet has become a medium that he people at SNL have really used to their advantage. Digital shorts like “I’m on a Boat” and “Lazy Sunday” became instant viral hits on the web, and Hulu.com has become a way for fans of the show to still catch up even if they go out on Saturday night or get tired and fall asleep. After a humorous Snicker commercial during the Super Bowl, a campaign on Facebook began to try and get former Golden Girls star Betty White to host the show. Knowing their fan base and understanding how to boost ratings, SNL listened to the internet and booked White to host.

In October, Drew Barrymore set the record for most hosting appearances by a woman with 6 (she still holds the record for youngest host for when she hosted at the age of 7 to promote E.T.). In January, Charles Barkley became the first NBA player to host more than once. The week after that, Sigourney Weaver set the record for the longest gap between hosting appearances when she hosted for the first time since 1986. Just last week, in her first-ever hosting appearance, Betty White became the oldest host in the history of the show at the age of 88. White, paired up with musical guest Jay-Z, hosted a very entertaining, very complete show that featured former SNL cast members Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, and Molly Shannon appearing in nearly every sketch to make it feel like it was 2001 again. They reprised several sketches from earlier in the decade, and the writers wrote so many good ones that several more sketches that were cut after the dress rehearsal were still posted on Hulu the next day, including Rachel Dratch’s famous “Debbie Downer” character.

With Alec Baldwin this week, the show is reaching yet another milestone this season. Baldwin will have hosted 15 times, tying Steve Martin for most hosting appearances by anyone in the history of the show. The 30 Rock star is just as much associated with the show as any famous cast member especially since 30 Rock is loosely based on Tina Fey’s experience as head writer for the show and he plays her NBC executive boss.

In the past, when Baldwin has come close to Martin’s hosting record, they have incorporated sketches involving Martin and Baldwin plotting against each other so one cannot surpass the other. More of the same should be expected. Just because they shared Oscar hosting duties in March, does not mean they will be as willing to share the same page in the SNL history books.

The impact of Saturday Night Live on America is profound. From Chevy Chase’s Gerald Ford impersonations in the 70s to Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin impression, the show has always been at the forefront of political humor. Numerous cast members have gone on to successful gigs in movies or their own TV shows. In the past decade alone, SNL created a bona fide movie star in Will Ferrell, a late night talk show host in Jimmy Fallon, an internet video superstar in Andy Samberg, and Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Amy Poehler, and Molly Shannon all went on to star in primetime sitcoms on NBC after leaving the show. Every couple years, when important cast members leave the show, people wonder how it can possibly go on, but executive producer Lorne Michaels and Co. always manage to keep it going.

Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 PM ET on NBC.

Fallon Hits His Stride

This is a TV review I wrote for my journalism class. Enjoy!

In the midst of the biggest controversy in the world of late night television in nearly two decades, many jokes were made and many fingers were pointed. As Jay Leno left The Tonght Show, the Conan O’Brien took over, then Leno’s new prime time show bombed, then O’Brien was asked to delay the start of The Tonight Show until after midnight, then O’Brien quit, then Leno returned to his original time slot, then O’Brien left NBC and the network suffered bad public relations, talk show hosts from every other channel were providing some commentary of their own. Throughout all this changing of the networks and personalities of late night, one new guy has quietly gained confidence and respect within the community. And now, he is being rewarded for his recent success by getting the opportunity to host the biggest annual event in celebration of television.

Jimmy Fallon’s talk show career began last year when Conan O’Brien left his Late Night show to head west and take the reins at Tonight. Since then, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has become a very entertaining hour of TV. The charming, humorous former Saturday Night Live cast member has a great ability to connect with the guests he interviews and the audience members that participate in his games and sketches. Late Night’s new in-house band, The Roots, are an exciting and energetic hip-hop act that is refreshing and completely different from any other late night TV band out there. Fallon keeps the show loose by playing games with contestants like “Battle of the Instant Bands”, where two teams of musicians who have never met have ten minutes back stage to create a band name, an album cover and then perform their new hit song. He also keeps things loose with his celebrity guests by playing games with them. On several occasions, he has challenged guests to a game of beer pong and he has played against people like Kelly Ripa, Sigourney Weaver, and Betty White.

Another quality of Fallon’s that is valuable as an entertainer is his extensive knowledge of TV shows, movies, and music. Whether he is imitating Kate Gosselin’s “Paparazzi” dance from Dancing with the Stars or filming a parody of Glee with rival glee clubs formed by the casts of the different shows at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, or giving a fascinating interview with iconic Pink Floyd singer, bass player, and songwriter Roger Waters, his perceptive view of pop-culture and the entertainment makes the show as interesting as it is hilarious.

After Conan O’Brien left Tonight, Fallon made it very clear that he understands his place in the late night hierarchy. He did not want to take sides in the Jay-Conan controversy or the Jay-Dave (Letterman) rivalry because all of them are comedians that he looks up to. He also said that O’Brien and Letterman, the two previous Late Night hosts, made him realize that hosting that show “is a one-way ticket to not hosting The Tonight Show.” Even if he never gets the 11:30 time slot, he is developing quite a legacy for himself as it is. He is already recognized as one of the great performers to come out of SNL in recent years and it was recently announced that he will be hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards this fall. In 2010, the biggest celebration of TV will be hosted by America’s newest talk show star.

Best Drummers of All Time

Keeping with my music list theme, I have decided to make a top ten list of my favorite drummers of all time. I think I did an okay job of being diverse and having a variety of musical styles included. In most cases, a drummer is only as good as the band in front of them, but some drummers do a great job of enhancing the sound as a whole. I am not sure The Who, for example, would have ever been as big as they were without Keith Moon. Please comment and tell me who I missed or where I messed up the order.

10. Meg White

As the drummer for The White Stripes, Meg has been keeping the steady beat for over a decade now. Their sound is simplistic by nature and her drumming suits the guitar/piano/marimba riffs that front man Jack White plays very well.

9. Max Weinberg

Max Weinberg is the drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and also served as the band leader for The Max Weinberg 7 (briefly renamed Max Weinberg and the Tonight Show Band). When not touring with Springsteen, Weinberg had been seen backing up Conan O'Brien in his two NBC talk shows. Although his future with O'Brien is uncertain, he will always be remembered as the leader of one of the coolest bands in the history of late night television.

8. Ringo Starr

No matter what people say about how good of a drummer he was, Ringo makes this list because he was the drummer for the greatest band ever when they were the greatest band ever. Considered the best actor out of the four Beatles, I remember seeing him as the conductor on Thomas the Tank Engine back in the day.

7. Phil Collins

Singing and drumming at the same time is difficult to say the least, but Phil Collins made it work.

6. Dave Grohl

Before Grohl was the lead singer of The Foo Fighters, he was the drummer for Nirvana. He has been part of two of the most successful bands of the last two decades.

5. Mick Fleetwood

He is the namesake and only member of Fleetwood Mac to be a member for the band's entire existence. He has been the mainstay for decades as the dynamic band wnt through different phases and changes.

4. Questlove

With The Max Weinberg 7 currently off the air, this guy currently keeps the beat for the coolest band in late night television. The Roots have been around for since the 90s, but their gig as the in-house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has given them a whole new level of exposure, performing on national television five nights a week. Questlove is funny and makes a worthy sidekick for Fallon and the music is tight and different from any other band on TV.

3. Neil Peart

The top three are the hardest. Neil Peart is absolutely amazing as the drummer for Rush. It was really tough trying to decide between these three, but I put him at three because I did not listen to Rush in middle school and the early part of high school as much as I listened to The Who and Led Zeppelin.

2. John Bonham

Bonzo was phenomenal. He was part of a band that was firing on all cylinders with Robert Plant on vocals, Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass. Bonham's drumming was icing on the cake for Led Zeppelin, but he was awesome.

1. Keith Moon

Keith Moon was the best. Ever. The Who may still be doing concerts today, but it is not the same without him. The Super Bowl halftime show made me upset because they were one of my all time favorite bands, but that was painful to watch. He was replaced by Ringo's kid and it was just never the same.

The Greatest Sad Songs of All Time

The other day, I was listening to music and I started thinking about great sad songs. I decided making a list of some of my favorites would be a pretty cool thing to do. At first, it was going to be a top ten kind of thing, but I had a really hard time narrowing it down. My apologies also go out to Broadway and church music. There are a lot of great downers in those musical traditions, but it was hard enough just narrowing down rock songs. So here is my top twenty. I am not a great music critic, but I am trying. Usually my best descriptions are "it's awesome!" or "it's lame!" and this is a "twenty best" list so they are all, for the most part, songs I like. I also tried to be diverse in my music selections. I believe Eddie Vedder is the only person to appear twice (once as a solo artist and once with Pearl Jam). Please comment to tell me what you think of my list, what songs I missed. Enjoy!

20. Creep by Radiohead

From Radiohead's 1993 album, Pablo Honey, "Creep" is one of their most popular songs. In the song, the singer is expressing his anguish with his life and wishing he was different than he is. "You're so (expletive) special. I wish I was special, but I'm a creep....I don't belong here." is the line that best expresses the mood of the song.

19. Candle in the Wind by Elton John

Elton John made two versions of this song, one about Marilyn Monroe, the other about Princess Diana. The image of living your life like a candle in the wind is an interesting one. It makes people realize how vulnerable we all are, no matter how rich and famous. Regardless of how glamorous your life may seem, you will still encounter problems like other people, but fame puts more pressure on the individual.

18. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) by The White Stripes

This song comes from The White Stripes' 2007 album Icky Thump. In this song, the singer is explaining to someone else, that they are to naive to understand the meaning of love. He says that there is still hope that you can learn, but for now, they are too old to be having these immature perceptions of love.

17. Runaway by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

This song is from their 2009 album It's Blitz! The song begins with a simple, one note at a time, plinking on the piano and builds more and more adding drums, strings and synthesizer as the song progresses. The lyrics are about being depressed and trying to run away from it all. This album as a whole is, in my opinion, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs best work so far.

16. Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver

This is a great song for when you are sad or traveling. It expresses both the anticipation of an exciting trip, but also the sadness and uncertainty of leaving loved ones. It also expresses regret of not making the most of the time they had together before he is about to leave. The song also has a sad undertone because Denver died in a plane crash long after the song was written.

15. Society by Eddie Vedder

This song comes from the soundtrack of 2007 film Into the Wild. The movie tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a man who stopped talking to his family, gave away his life away to charity and hitchhiked across the country after graduating from college. He was found dead after trying to live off the land through an Alaskan winter. Vedder's song is about the greed and selfishness of today's society and how people do not always fit in. He says directly to Society, "I hope you're not lonely without me." It is a sad song on its own, but knowing the story for which it was written only adds to it.

14. In the Aeroplane over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

This is the title track from Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 album. I am not sure if this one counts as a sad song, but I always listen to it when I am feeling down. The line "And one day we will die and our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea, but for now we are young. Let us lay n the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see." brings up both positive and morbid images. It reflects the tragic idealistic innocence of The Diary of Anne Frank, which inspired the album.

13. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

One of my favorite Pink Floyd songs, "Wish You Were Here" pretty much explains itself and sets the mood in the title. It reflects the loneliness people feel in the line "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl."

12. Samson by Regina Spektor

This song comes from Regina Spektor's 2006 album Begin to Hope. This song has a different take on the Biblical story of Samson. The song is sung from point of view of Samson's lover, Delilah. Delilah, according to the Bible, betrayed Samson by cutting his hair (the origin of his strength) allowing him to be captured by the Philistines. In the song, she tries to plead with people that she truly loved Samson. She says that she had no choice but to cut his hair, and the history books and the Bible never mentioned her true love. This song is about the depressing concept that people are not remembered by the love they had for others but instead by their mistakes and shortcomings.

11. Old College Try by The Mountain Goats

I had a hard time deciding on this one because The Mountain Goats have a very impressive collection of sad songs in their repertoire, but I settled on "Old College Try" because a lot of their other sad songs, while depressing and morbid in lyrics, are more upbeat than this one. This song is from their 2002 album Tallahassee. It is about a relationship that is falling apart, but the singer wants to keep trying to patch things up. He realized that there is little hope and that nobody had ever really given them a chance to succeed, but he is willing to stay with her to the end, if she will stay with him.

10. Sad Songs and Waltzes by Willie Nelson

If I were more of a country music fan, there would probably be more than one country song in this list. When the songs are not about tractors or conservative politics, country singers do have a good grip on the human emotions and love and loss. To represent the genre of country, I chose arguably the best country singer (sorry Johnny Cash) ever in Willie Nelson. This song, which was also covered by the band Cake, is about a guy who want to write a song about how is ex cheated on him and broke his heart, but she has "no need to fear it, 'cause no one will hear it. 'Cause sad songs and waltzes aren't selling this year." That is a sad situation. She treats you poorly, and she breaks your heart, but you can't get back at her because nobody want to hear you sing about it.

9. Things Ain't Like They Used To Be by The Black Keys

This song is from The Black Keys' 2008 album Attack & Release. It is a great blues tune that laments on how things have changed and its about time you realize that. The song also features blues singer Jessica Lea Mayfield, who according to her Wikipedia page, specializes in sad songs. The lyrics are not overly sad or depressing without the blues notes and rhythm added, but the complete ensemble is very worthy of this list.

8. Blame it on the Tetons by Modest Mouse

This track comes from Modest Mouse's 2004 album Good News for People Who Love Bad News. "Blame It on the Tetons" contrast from the other tracks on the album because it is slower and quieter. While lead singer Isaac Brock shouts in other tracks, he sings softly in this one. Other tracks contain brass and louder electric guitars, while this one has a violin, an acoustic guitar, piano and bass and the drummer uses brushes instead of sticks. The change in instrumentation helps set the mood. The defining line for me in this song is "Everyone's a building burning with no one to put the fire out." This song is the biggest downer in a mostly negative album.

7. Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin

This song scared Harry Chapin. This song scares me. From his 1974 album Verities & Balderdash, this song is about being a parent, but working to hard to get to enjoy it. In all of the major events in his son's life, the father always has "planes to catch and bills to pay". By the end, his son is grown up and he is retired. He wants to spend time with his son, but his son is too busy with work. All his life the son said he wanted to be just like the father, and in the end he did. If I ever become a parent, this song will be stuck in my head for the rest of my life and I will be terrified of ending up like the guy in the song.

6. Crown of Love by Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is one of my favorite bands and I have been listening to them almost nonstop for about five months now. This track, from the 2004 album Funeral is their saddest sounding song. The singer repeatedly says "if you still want me, please forgive me" and he is trying to retrieve his crown of love while fighting through the pain of loss. If you have not listened to this band, I highly suggest that you give them a chance because they are awesome.

5. Everybody Hurts by REM

This is one of the great songs that recognizes that we all feel bad sometimes. Everybody cries. Everybody hurts, sometimes. Things will not always be right but keep holding on. This is a great song to listen to when you are in a bad mood and need reassurance. No matter the situation, it seems like R.E.M. is always empathetic and ready to listen to your problems when you hear this song. There is another song very similar to this one later in the countdown, so keep reading.

4. Yesterday by The Beatles

When Paul McCartney wrote "Yesterday", the tune and lyrics came so easily to him that he thought it had already been written. He thought he was copying the Rolling Stones because it was so easy to write. As simple as this song may seem, the feeling in it is profound and nearly fifty years later, it still seems relevant. "Why she had to go, I don't know. She wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday." We all have those days when you feel like you could have done better to make things less painful, but it is too late to change anything now.

3. Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

This song is the one that I think is similar to the above mentioned "Everybody Hurts". We all go through tough times, but with friends, we can get through it. When you are weary, feeling small, when tears are in your eyes, Art Garfunkel will help you out like a bridge over troubled water. This is a great song by one of the best duets in the history of music. When nobody else is there for you, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel will always be there. Also, "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers should be an honorable mention for this list.

2. Last Kiss by Pearl Jam

Number one and number two could be flipped and I would be okay with it. They are both very sad ballads. Pearl Jam comes in at number two with "Last Kiss". This is a song about a guy who lost the love of his life in a car crash. He feels like it was his fault for swerving to avoid a stalled out car. His girlfriend gets the full impact of the crash and she dies in his arms. It is an incredibly tragic turn of events. His only hope for the rest of his life is that he behaves himself well enough to be able to see her again in heaven.

1. Lost Cause by Beck

Like I said before, these last two are very close and about equally brilliantly sad, in my opinion. The number one greatest sad song goes to Beck for his song "Lost Cause". This track is from his 2002 album Sea Change. I cannot effectively describe how great this song is, but I will try. The lines about seeing people he used to know who just pass him by and are indifferent to one another frightens and depresses me. Growing up in a small town, I know what it is like to see people around that you used to know but have not talked to in years. "This town is crazy. Nobody cares." This song hits terribly close to home but is way off at the same time. The other depressing theme of this song is being tired of fighting for a lost cause. I personally know how depressing it is when you work hard at something that nobody else seems to care about. You keep pressing on, but it can be demoralizing to keep trying with no return. You do not always want to accept that it is a futile effort, but eventually it seems that it is a lost cause.