In the 80s, there were many songs which sounded happy but were sad, if you listened to the lyrics. Some that I can think of:

Do You Really Want To Hurt me?/Karma Chameleon/The Medal Song/The Dive/Move Away -Culture Club
In Between Days -The Cure
Dancing In The Dark -Bruce Springsteen
Take On Me -Aha

What others can y'all think of?

In the 80s, there were many songs which sounded happy but were sad, if you listened to the lyrics. Some that I can think of:

Do You Really Want To Hurt me?/Karma Chameleon/The Medal Song/The Dive/Move Away -Culture Club
In Between Days -The Cure
Dancing In The Dark -Bruce Springsteen
Take On Me -Aha

What others can y'all think of?


Something To Do by Depeche Mode
It's The End Of The World As We Know It And I Feel Fine - REM
Where The Story Ends by the Sundays

Take On Me was the first one I thought of when I read the title of the topic.  <grin>

Something To Do by Depeche Mode
It's The End Of The World As We Know It And I Feel Fine - REM
Where The Story Ends by the Sundays

Take On Me was the first one I thought of when I read the title of the topic.  <grin>



Oh yeah, I forgot "I Should Be So Lucky" by Kylie Minogue and similar poppy Stock, Aitken Waterman songs. 

Dancing With Tears in my Eyes...

"Dancing in the Dark" and "Take on Me" are great (already picked) choices.

Some others I can think off the top of my head:

King of Pain - Police (maybe not sad, but creepy lyrics, for sure)
Solitaire - Laura Branigan
Boys of Summer - Don Henley
Some Guys Have All the Luck - Rod Stewart
Missing You - John Waite

Then, of course, there's some that sound happy, but are lyrically about a scarier/darker subject (i.e. "Maniac") though not sad.

Howard Jones-What is love
OMD-If you leave
Everything count-Depeche mode

OMD-If you leave

You think, "If You Leave" sounds happy? I always thought it sounded quite plaintitive.
"Forever Live And Die" by OMD sounds happy to me, but it's  not.
And also:
"Comfortably Numb" -Pink Floyd
"Thorn In My Side" -Eurythmics

The only one I can think of off the top of my head is a French song that was a #15 hit in France in 1989 called A Quoi Je Sers by Mylene Farmer. Happy sounding, but the lyrics (title roughly translates to What Good Am I) definitely aren't.

And also There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths.

Janies Got A Gun - Aerosmith

I know it's not exactly in the 80's but hey, 1990, it's close enough.

And also There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths.


Speaking of The Moz, I nominate the catchy self-loathing ditty We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful

No One Is To Blame by Howard Jones
Forever Young by Alphaville
:(

Basicaly any of the smiths songs, 

The Cure - Why can't I be You?

I already mentioned a bunch of Culture Club songs and there are many more that fit the criteria. Boy George actually says in his autobiography -which is a thoughroughly good read, BTW and I should know having read it 5 times :D - that the songs he wrote sounded happy but were a testament to his toubled love affair with Culture Club drummer, Jon Moss.
Culture Club asside, some more songs:
Siouxsie & The Banshees -The Killing Jar
We Don't Talk Anymore -Cliff Richard
Bros -I O U Nothing

feels like heaven by Fiction Factory

"Sad Songs Say So Much" by Elton John.

Night ranger-Don`t tell me you love me
Bon jovi-You give love a bad name

REO Speedwagon -Time For Me To Fly

Howard Jones' "What is Love?"  I also think the song "Major Tom"  (I forget the artist that sang it) qualifies for this catagory.  It's about a spacecraft that has a crash landing.  Yeah, it's got a happy ending but it doesn't take away from the fact that it's about a space mission gone wrong.

Sweetness- The Smiths

Can't Stand Losing You -The Police

Howard Jones' "What is Love?"  I also think the song "Major Tom"  (I forget the artist that sang it) qualifies for this catagory.  It's about a spacecraft that has a crash landing.  Yeah, it's got a happy ending but it doesn't take away from the fact that it's about a space mission gone wrong.

I think Peter Schilling is the one you're looking for (although he used David Bowies Space Oddity). And the song doesn't have a happy ending - it's inconclusive.

If ever there was a song to fit the criteria, it's "I sometimes wish I was dead" by Depeche Mode.

Oh yeah, I forgot "I Should Be So Lucky" by Kylie Minogue and similar poppy Stock, Aitken Waterman songs.
Me looking for mentions of that song on this site brought me here. http://i.imgur.com/Bk7NoSX.gif

Sad Songs Say So Much - Elktin Jahn

Oh yeah, I forgot "I Should Be So Lucky" by Kylie Minogue and similar poppy Stock, Aitken Waterman songs.
One of which was this: xUmFD8_0q9U