Gloomy Sunday: did the “Hungarian Suicide Song” Really Create a Suicide Epidemic (IN: Suicide and the Creative Arts, edited by S Stack & D Lester)

The lyrics of “Gloomy Sunday” relates the story of someone whose lover has recently died & who is now thinking about suicide in order to be reunified with their lost one. Ever since the song first was performed, there have been rumours about it inducing people to suicide & it being banned. This chapter explores these rumours & whether there are any facts to support them. Finally, the suicide phenomena surrounding the song are placed in context. (25 refs.)