Five Songs For Stalkers

If you follow the twitter account @discographies (which gives brief, humorous summaries of various bands), you may have seen their very apt assessment of The Police’s body of work. It said:

The Police: “Suspects were arraigned & charged with [1-3] attempted reggae, impersonating a punk, [4] aggravated pomposity & [5] stalking.”

I’ve known this band for decades, thanks to my older sister’s infatuation with them during my formative years. If there’s one thing I ever really got from “Every Breath You Take” (from their fifth album, Synchronicity) it’s “Stalker Anthem” and yet, I still love to sing along. It got me thinking about other ambiguous songs. Whether they were written with the best intentions or not, these songs might deserve a restraining order.

1. Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart

“I won’t let you let me down so easily” / With desperate pleas, window-watching, and a perturbing conviction that with time his beloved will realize their destiny, Ben Gibbard really pulled out all the stops in penning this obsessive track. Even the epic four minute instrumental introduction suggests the spiraling mental breakdown of the narrator.

Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart

2. Sarah McLachlan – Possession

“Nothing stands between us here and I won’t be denied” / Even McLachlan’s beautifully soft voice couldn’t fully mask the dark undertones of this haunting track. As a creepy bonus, she actually used letters from her own stalker as inspiration for this song.

Sarah McLachlan – Possession

3. Garbage – #1 Crush

“I would die for you; I’ve been dying just to feel you by my side, to know know that you’re mine” / Okay, there’s probably nothing ambiguous about this one. From Shirley Manson’s restrained vocals, the steady pulsating drum beat, and the chillingly discordant end, it’s a creepfest full stop.

Garbage – #1 Crush

4. Animotion – Obsession

“All my goodness has turned to badness, my need to possess you has consumed my soul” / There’s nothing like some good ol’ 80s new wave to get you in a carefree groove, right until you start to process the lyrics. The decade’s music seemed to excel in that regard. Every line of this synthpop gem is about delusion and love gone wrong, yet it manages to remain delightfully upbeat.

Animotion – Obsession

5. Tegan and Sara – Living Room

“My windows look into your bathroom, and I spend the evening watching you get yourself clean” / Despite its somewhat innocent inception (Tegan simply lived in a crowded apartment complex), the result comes off a little stalker-friendly. Covertly witnessing and contemplating someone’s heartbreak through their windows is probably not the healthiest habit.

Tegan And Sara – Living Room

I definitely had a bunch of runners-up, so I’m sure you guys have a few suggestions of your own. Let me know about some of your favorite stalker anthems. Maybe I’ll make a playlist for the next time I’m creeping in the bushes.