Songs like Radiohead‘s “Creep,” about experiencing significantly low self-esteem moments, can be upbeat—or at least catchy—while also validating and supportive of serious issues.
In addition to “Creep,” below are several songs (with their original release date) that fit this bill.
I. “Creep” (1992)
Genius.com reports that “’Creep’ tells the tale of an inebriated man who tries to get the attention of a woman to whom he is attracted by following her around. In the end, he lacks the self-confidence to face her and feels he subconsciously is her.” Radiohead’s Thom Yorke reportedly wrote this about something he experienced as a college student.
Another member of the band, Jonny Greenwood, actually described it as “a happy song” despite such repeated chorus lyrics as:
But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
Tons of singers have covered it, and “Creep” is popular with all kinds of audiences. As Radiohead rarely performs it, I’ve chosen a version by Danielle Ponder, who broke into music a few years ago after a career as a public defender. As one YouTube commenter says about this live performance, “She made it beautiful, uplifting and powerful.”
II. Perfect by Alanis Morissette (1995)
Where does low self-esteem originate? The lyrics of “Perfect” indicate the kind of parental expectations a child might have had to digest:
Morissette’s acoustic version—lyrics only:
III. At Seventeen by Janis Ian (1975)
And then there’s teenaged angst. In the live clip below Ian says she wrote this at a time when, in her own perception, she stood out as “really weird-looking” among her peers. The opening:
I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired
The valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen I learned the truth…
As with “Creep,” the writer of these lyrics was feeling down on himself. From the middle:
Although I laugh and I act like a clownBeneath this mask I am wearing a frown….
And yet, try listening or singing along without feeling a bit jaunty:
It’s a mood—but also a metaphor for self-dislike.
What I’ve got they used to call the bluesNothin’ is really wrongFeelin’ like I don’t belongWalkin’ aroundSome kind of lonely clownRainy days and Mondays always get me down…
