10 Anti-Valentine's Day Songs

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An alternative playlist for the day of love

As the world celebrates this day of love, Kerrang! Radio takes a look at 10 songs that are the exact antithesis of Valentine’s Day. Break-ups, murders, hatred, suicide, expletives and divine intervention, it’s not for the feint hearted!! (Warning: Some songs are NSFW)

1. Joy Division: ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’
The heart-wrenching ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ was penned by Ian Curtis in the lead-up to his suicide in May 1980. An insight into his troubled mind, the song delves into his marital problems with his spouse Deborah in devastating detail: “Why is the bedroom so cold? Turned away on your side. Is my timing that flawed? Our respect run so dry?” A beautiful yet bleak musical masterpiece.

2. Nirvana: ‘Heart-Shaped Box’
In 1993 Kurt Cobain claimed that ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ was inspired by TV documentaries about kids with cancer, however it’s widely perceived that it’s about his fragile and turbulent relationship with Courtney Love. Like much of Nirvana’s output lyrically the track is packed with ambiguity, however there’s no chance of misinterpreting lines like “I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap.” Heavy stuff.

3. Puddle of Mudd: ‘She F***ing Hates Me’
Starkly contrasting to the upbeat music, ‘She F***ing Hates Me’ is an anthem of loathing that former PoM guitarist Jimmy Allen wrote in the wake of his break-up with an unnamed girlfriend. The lyrics sum up the sentiment perfectly: “She f***ing hates me / trust / she f***ing hates me / la la la love / I tried too hard / and she tore my feelings like I had none / and ripped them away.” Puddle of Mudd’s other big tune ‘Blurry’ also tackles the break-up issue.

4. Shellac: ‘Prayer To God’
One of the angriest tracks ever recorded, ‘Prayer To God’ is sung from the perspective of a man who has just discovered his partner has cheated on him. Looking for bitter revenge, the severely disgruntled man calls on God to callously smite the unfaithful pair: “There are two people here, and I want you to kill them. Her - she can go quietly, by disease or a blow… Him - just f***ing kill him, I don't care if it hurts. Yes I do, I want it to, f***ing kill him but first make him cry like a woman." Coupled with the raw, caustic music, it makes for a delightful listen!

5. The Smiths: ‘I Know It’s Over’
Few songwriters can perfectly sum up themes of loneliness and isolation more agonisingly than Morrissey. The sparsely constructed ‘I Know It’s Over’ is indicative of his art with the Mozfather equating the feeling of lost love with dying and suicide. “Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head / And as I climb into an empty bed / Oh well, enough said.” Morrissey miserablism at its finest.

6. Slayer: ‘I Hate You’
Originally recorded by hardcore forefathers Verbal Abuse, like a certain brand of wood varnish, Slayer’s 1996 bile-churning ode of loathing does exactly what it says on the tin. Amidst trademark thrash metal clamour, Tom Araya spits: "You're so stupid, There's nothing in your head, God how I wish that you were dead… I hate you, Ain't it true, I hate you, And everything you do." Bliss!

7. Steel Panther: ‘Community Property’
Typically hilarious tongue-in-cheek fodder from the Los Angeles mock-rockers, ‘Community Property’ starts out as a heartfelt ode to a loved one before a bombshell is dropped: “Cos my heart belongs to you / My love is pure and true / My heart belongs to you / But my cock is community property.”

8. Dead Kennedys: ‘Too Drunk To F***’
One of the Dead Kennedys’ best-known tracks (amazingly it cracked into the UK top 40 despite limited airplay), ‘Too Drunk To F***’ sees frontman Jello Biafra narrate a tale of inebriation and impotence: "Went to a party / I danced all night / I drank 16 beers / And I started up a fight… But now I am jaded / You're out of luck / I'm rolling down the stairs / Too drunk to f***" The track ends with a glorious cacophony of Biafra spewing into a toilet bowl.

9. Rammstein: ‘Pussy’
A satirical swipe at German sex tourism, ‘Pussy’ is brim-full of overtly sexual lyrics that would be certain to make a Valentine blush. Choice lyrics include: “So take me now before it’s too late / Life’s too short so I can’t wait / Take me now, oh, don’t you see / I can’t get laid in Germany.” If you think the song’s shocking, make sure you check out the video… (at home preferably)

10. Misfits: ‘Die, Die My Darling’
The horror-punk legends have never been ones to shirk on their lyrics and ‘Die, Die My Darling’ is no exception to the rule. Nothing quite says Valentine’s Day like these moving words: “Just shut your pretty mouth / I’ll be seeing you again / I’ll be seeing you in hell… Don’t cry to me oh baby / Your future’s in an oblong box, yeah.” Grim.