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Obsession Song: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|''"This is one of those love songs that crosses that narrow divide between 'romantic' and 'deeply disturbing.' You know, the difference between 'I always want to be with you' and 'I want to wear your skin like a sweater."''|''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]''}}
The Obsession Song is like a love song written by a [[Stalker With a Crush]] or a [[Yandere]]. Most examples simply involve [[Mad Love|obsessive love]] with heavy overtones of [[Stalking Is Love|stalking]] and possessiveness, but some take it to such extreme lengths that it sounds like the singer is planning on [[I Have You Now, My Pretty|raping you]], killing you, and [[Mummies At the Dinner Table|keeping your corpse under their bed]].
The Obsession Song falls into two basic varieties, although many have elements of both:
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Particularly pathetic [[Unrequited Love]] songs often fall into the passive category, while the aggressive variety sometimes overlaps with the [[Murder Ballad]] or [[Villain Love Song]].
Many Obsession Songs are [[Misaimed Fandom|mistaken for love songs]], especially when they have [[Lyrical Dissonance]], and sometimes [[Isn't It Ironic?|even end up being played at weddings]]. Conversely, some love songs with nothing but innocent intentions can [[Stalking Is Love|unintentionally]] end up as [[Obsession Song|Obsession Songs]].
Needless to say, this trope can be a potent source of [[Paranoia Fuel]].
{{examples
=== Passive Type ===
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** "Lithium" (Darling come to bed, anything is better then to be alone)
* [[Radiohead]]'s "All I Need."
** Also "Creep". According to Thom Yorke, it's about a drunk guy following around a woman he's attracted to, lacking the self-confidence to actually approach her. However, many listeners think it's a straightforward unrequited-love song from the perspective of a guy with self-esteem issues... [[Death of the Author|which is perfectly reasonable from the lyrics themselves]], ''except'' that it provides no explanation for the line "she's running out the door", making it a bit of a [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick]]. In fairness, that's the least intelligible part of the song, so a lot of people probably didn't even know that's what he was saying.
*** Going by the "unrequited love song from the POV of a guy with self-esteem issues" interpretation, "she's running out the door" could mean that said guy attempted to admit his feelings but only succeeded in scaring her.
** "You", also off of Pablo Honey, is another example.
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**** Arguably kicked up a creepy notch by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAFbYN_8e7g "Diamanda Galas]
* [[The Police]]'s "Every Breath You Take" is one of the most famous [[Obsession Song|Obsession Songs]], if not ''the'' most famous.
** Probably the most famous one you'll ever [[Isn't It Ironic?|dance to at homecoming]].
** "Can't Stand Losing You" is another. A classic case of [[Lyrical Dissonance]].
* Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "From Her To Eternity", "Hard On For Love", and several others. Nick Cave really likes this trope, specifically the aggressive [[Murder Ballad]] variety.
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