There are many songs out there that can provoke their fair share of emotional despair, but not many that can do so without any emphasis being on a lyrical story being told.
Song: Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Artist: Radiohead
To quote vocalist and principal songwriter Thom Yorke; "Street Spirit has no resolve. It is the dark tunnel without the light at the end. It represents all tragic emotion that is so hurtful that the sound of that melody is its only definition.... That's why its lyrics are just a bunch of mini-stories or visual images as opposed to a cohesive explanation of its meaning. I used images set to the music that I thought would convey the emotional entirety of the lyric and music working together."
The power behind this track lies in its sound, from its instrumentation to the style of the vocals. It gives off an almost muted, minimalistic, stripped down vibe that can really do a number on your emotions. Honestly it's beautiful is what it is. Hauntingly beautiful.
I've listened to this song upwards of a couple dozen times now, without actually knowing the lyrics, which should be testament enough that it's not a sorrowful lyrical tale that gives this song its desolate feel. In a way, it's almost the lack thereof that lends itself to creating something so emotionally taxing. The individual tales Yorke weaves without any explanation or connection leave the listener without any sense of resolve and thus a heavier heart because of it.
I don't mean it to come across as though you will mire in depression for listening to this, or that you'll break down in tears of sorrow at the melancholy chorus. It's a somber, comfortless song unlike any other I've heard, but it's not distressing in a particularly lasting way.
Really, it's very hard to describe the unique impact of this track with words, so I suggest you go give it a listen and find out for yourself what it can evoke.
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