Can’t take that song out of my mind… impact of psychiatry in music

Abstract

Introduction

As Aldoux Huxley said in his essay Music at Night (1931) ”After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”

Music has always played an important role in knowledge and communication among different cultures and it plays a very important role in young people culture, transmitting their worries and interests. The music world, especially rock, jazz and blues, has been related to drugs and alcohol. Themes related to drug and alcohol abuse and other mental disorders are frequent in the contents of songs, titles and even in the names of bands.

Objectives

The authors aim to show the relation between music and mental disorders.

Methods

The authors made a brief review of lyrics, song titles and names of popular bands of different music styles and times.

Conclusion

In many song lyrics and titles it is frequent to appear promotion of drugs and alcohol abuse as well as reference to psychiatric clinical terms as suicide, hallucination and depression.