English Version
Some songs are said to be too disturbing to hear. One of the most infamous is “Gloomy Sunday,” a piece surrounded by rumors that it drove listeners to suicide—and was even banned from being performed or sold.
What Is “Gloomy Sunday”?
“Gloomy Sunday” was released in Hungary in 1933. The lyrics were written by László Jávor, and the music was composed by Rezső Seress.
The song has long carried a dark rumor: that people who listen to it may be driven to take their own lives.
According to the story, Seress wrote the song after a painful breakup. He reportedly had no original intention of releasing it to the public, but people in the music industry at the time praised the piece, and it was eventually published.
Seress is said to have described the song in unusually bleak terms: it was not merely sad, but possessed a power that seemed to force bottomless despair onto the listener. He reportedly said it would bring no joy to anyone.
Despite that, the song became a much bigger hit than expected.
Pleased by its success, Seress is said to have contacted the former lover who inspired the song, hoping they might reconcile. The next day, she was reportedly found dead. Her cause of death was said to be suicide by poison, and a note was found beside her.
According to the legend, the note contained only one phrase: “Gloomy Sunday.”
Did Suicides Really Follow the Song?
After “Gloomy Sunday” was released, stories began spreading that people who heard it were taking their own lives one after another. The true cause of these incidents, and how many of them can be verified, remains unclear.
The following examples are often repeated as part of the legend.
In one bar, a band performed the song. Suddenly, two men in the room reportedly shot themselves.
A young girl was said to have drowned herself in the Danube River while holding a record of “Gloomy Sunday.”
An elderly gentleman drinking in a bar allegedly requested “Gloomy Sunday” from the band, then walked outside and shot himself in the head.
In Berlin, a young woman was said to have hanged herself. A record of “Gloomy Sunday” was reportedly found at her feet.
In New York, a woman who died by gas suicide allegedly left a note requesting that “Gloomy Sunday” be played at her funeral.
In Rome, a boy riding a bicycle reportedly stopped in front of a homeless man, handed over all the money he had in his pockets, then staggered to a river and jumped in. Later, the homeless man allegedly said he had been humming “Gloomy Sunday.”
A Ban Was Not Enough
At first, the Budapest police reportedly dismissed the incidents as a string of coincidences. But as the number of alleged suicides increased, officials began to feel a growing sense of danger and could no longer ignore the seriousness of the situation.
Before long, the authorities banned the sale and performance of “Gloomy Sunday.”
Even so, the chain of stories did not stop. By the time the ban was introduced in Hungary, the song had already begun to be exported overseas.
The Composer and Japanese Cover Artists
Rezső Seress, the composer of “Gloomy Sunday,” also died by suicide.
The article’s legend also connects the song to Japan: Kaoru Abe, who performed a Japanese-language cover, and his wife, writer Izumi Suzuki, both died by suicide as well.
As for Seress, one commonly suggested explanation is that the success of “Gloomy Sunday” brought intense criticism and blame, which may have contributed to his death.
Possible Explanations
Several theories have been suggested to explain why “Gloomy Sunday” became associated with so many deaths.
One theory focuses on sound frequency. Different frequencies can affect the human body and mind in unpleasant ways, and some have speculated that this song may contain qualities that create anxiety or emotional distress.
Another theory points to the era itself. The world at the time was full of economic hardship, fear, and uncertainty. Many people were already living with deep anxiety. According to this view, the song may have appeared at the worst possible moment, intensifying an already depressed mood and becoming linked to a series of tragic deaths.
Final Thoughts
“Gloomy Sunday” can still be found on platforms such as YouTube today. Listening to it now, many people still describe it as eerie and unsettling.
If you choose to seek it out, remember that the stories around it are rumors and legends, not proof of a supernatural curse. And if themes of suicide feel personal or overwhelming, step away from the material and reach out to someone you trust or a local crisis support service.
Japanese Language
演奏も販売も禁止される。そんな恐ろしい曲「暗い日曜日」に迫ります。暗い日曜日とは 。暗い日曜日は、 1933 年にハンガリーで発表された「ヤーヴォル・ラースロー作詞」「シェレッシュ・レジェー作曲」による歌です 。この歌には 『聞くと自殺してしまう』 という噂があります。。この曲を作った背景は、シェレッシュが失恋した後に書かれた歌だったそうです。。もともと世間に発表する気などはなかったが、当時の音楽関係者がこの曲を評価したため発表したのでした。
。このことに関してシェレッシュは「この曲は悲しいなんて言うものじゃない、そこには何か、底なしの絶望を強いるような力がある。この曲はいかなる人に、いかなる喜びも与えることはないだろう・・・」 。予想以上にこの曲は大ヒットをしたのでした。。それを喜び、この曲を作る要因となった元恋人によりを戻そうと連絡を取ったが、翌日に彼女は遺体として発見されたのでした。。死因は服毒自殺で、彼女の手元には一枚の遺書が残されていました。。その遺書には「・・・・暗い・・・・日曜日」と一言書かれていたのでした。
。暗い日曜日で自殺が相次いだ？！。暗い日曜日の発表後に、この作品を聞いた人々が相次いで自殺したといわれていますが、その原因はいまだに解明されていません。実際に起きた自殺例をご紹介します。バーで、バンドがこの曲を演奏したところ、突然男二人がその場で拳銃自殺した。少女が「暗い日曜日」のレコードを抱きしめたままドナウ河で入水自殺した。バーで飲んでいた初老の紳士が、バンドに「暗い日曜日」をリクエストするなり、店の外に歩き出して頭を銃で打ち抜いた。
ベルリンで若い女性が首つりで命を絶った。足下には「暗い日曜日」のレコード盤が置かれていた。ニューヨークでガス自殺した女性が、遺書に葬式で「暗い日曜日」を流すようリクエストしていた。ローマで自転車に乗っていた少年が、ふと浮浪者の前で立ち止まった。少年はポケットの有り金を全て手渡し、フラフラと河へ飛び込み死亡した。後の調査で、浮浪者は「暗い日曜日」を口ずさんでいたと発言した。放送禁止になり、安心かと思いきや・・・ 。ブタベスト市警は最初は単なる偶然が重なっただけだと思っていたが、次第に自殺者が増えることに危機感を覚え、次第に事の重大さを認めざる負えなくなった。
そして、まもなく当局は 「暗い日曜日」の販売と演奏の禁止 に踏み切った。しかし、それだけでは市の連鎖は止まることがなかった。ハンガリー国内で禁止される前に「暗い日曜日」の輸出が開始されてしまっていたからである。作曲者や日本語カバーをした人も自殺を遂げている 。暗い日曜日の作曲を担当した「シェレッシュ・レジェー」も自殺しています。さらには、日本語カバーした阿部薫や妻である鈴木いづみもそれぞれ自殺によって命を落としているのです。暗い日曜日を作曲した「シェレッシュ・レジェー」の自殺の原因はこの曲がヒットし、批判や非難が殺到したことが自殺の原因として一番有力です。
自殺の原因は？。周波数。音には周波数というものが存在しますよね。周波数の種類によっては人を不快感を与える作用があります。この曲には人を不安にさせ、自殺まで追い込んでいるのではないかという説が上がっています。不景気だったから。当時戦争真っ只中で誰しもが日々に不安と恐怖を感じていました。そのため気分的にうつ状態になってしまい、精神的に病んでしまった方が多くてもおかしくはないと思います。そんな時偶然が重なり暗い日曜日が発表され、さらに人々の気持ちを憂鬱な気持ちにさせてしまい自殺者が多発したのではないかということが囁かれています。
まとめ 。この曲は YouTube などで配信されています。。実際に聞いてみるとどこか不気味な感じがして恐怖を覚えました。もし聞いてみるという方は 自己責任 で聞いてみてください
