File Under Sad Bastard Music

I think we all know what sad bastard music is, but, for the sake of codification, we can trace the term to the film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel High Fidelity.  And, for the sake of context (and those who haven’t seen the movie or read the book), H.F. follows record store owner and devoted sad bastard, Rob Fleming, through an unabashedly vulnerable and introspective quest to find the meaning of love and heartbreak. In the off moments, he too codifies, making highly suspect top-five lists and wearing Cosby Sweaters.

I’m not here to spend too much time on context or codification though. After all, this information can be found with Wikipedia and a keen sense of things few – if any – people truly care about. I think we all know what a Sad Bastard is too, simply because we all have a little bit of a Sad Bastard inside. Or maybe a lotta bit.  We know it. It’s the little part of us that puzzles, as Rob does: Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?

He’s talking about Love, of course, and the misery thereof, and that’s supposed to be thorny and profound…somehow.  But, in short, the Sad Bastard is the quixotic emotional type, really, just morose about a bunch of mediocre bullshit.  The S.B. is the part of your emotional state that really just needs to shut the fuck up for a minute, watch some Simpsons, and call it an early night because File Under Mediocre Bullshit Music doesn’t really have the same kind of ring to it.

Despite that, I still believe Sad Bastard music is a viable genre of it own.  So, in honor of the Sad Bastard within, I present my own sketchy top-five list of sad bastard music.

1. Twothirtyeight – Modern Day Prayer

2. Benji Hughes – Waiting For An Invitation

3. Radiohead – House of Cards

4. Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart

5. Tom Waits – Take It With Me