Bruce Springsteen – “Streets Of Philadelphia” (1993)
The title song of Jonathan Demme’s AIDS drama “Philadelphia” is certainly one of the best-known songs about the deadly virus. Lines like “Ain’t no angel gonna greet me/It’s just you and I my friend/And my clothes don’t fit me no more/I walked a thousand miles/Just to slip this skin” weigh heavier than lead and are still moving to tears.
Paula Cole and Peter Gabriel – “Hush, Hush, Hush” (1996)
In the beautifully sung duet between Paula Cole and Peter Gabriel, a young man dies in his father’s arms. And Gabriel knows: “Oh, maybe next time you’ll be Henry the Eighth!”
Elton John – “The Last Song” (1992)
This sad song is also about the relationship between a father and a son. The strong lyrics come from Bernie Taupin, who has lines like “Yesterday you came to lift me up/As light as straw and brittle as a bird/Today I weigh less than a shadow on the wall/Just one more whisper of a voice unheard ” noted just a few days after Freddie Mercury’s death.
Cyndi Lauper – “Boy Blue” (1987)
The song is based on a children’s story and was inspired by the untimely death of a friend who died as a result of the disease. Even though the track wasn’t a hit, it later encouraged the singer to stand up for gay rights.
Wu-Tang Clan – “America” (1996)
“AIDS kills, word up respect this, yo/Coming from the Wu, it’s real/AIDS kills, word up respect this, yo/Coming from my crew, it’s real” – the song by the hip-hop group from New York is busy not only deals with all sorts of conspiracy theories surrounding the virus, but also focuses clearly on the political dimension of the disease.
Neil Young – “Philadelphia” (1993)
Also featured on the soundtrack to the film of the same name, Neil Young’s poignant song never achieved the same level of notoriety as Springsteen’s Oscar-winning song “Streets Of Philadelphia.” However, he was also nominated for Golden Boy. The lyrics are about a man who, shortly before death, thinks about friendship, love and the city of Philadelphia in the face of the light that comes towards him.
Michael Jackson – “Gone Too Soon” (1993)
Dionne Warwick first sang “Gone Too Soon” in 1983 – in memory of Janis Joplin and Karen Carpenter. Michael Jackson’s version is dedicated to his friend Ryan White, a teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who gained national attention after being suspended from school for contracting HIV. White stimulated a needed debate in the United States about how to deal with AIDS and died in 1990, five years later than doctors had predicted.
Lou Reed – “Halloween Parade” (1989)
Released on his New York album, Reed’s song describes an annual gay pride parade in Greenwich Village. “There ain’t no Harry, no Virgin Mary/You won’t hear those voices again/And Johnny Rio and Rotten Rita/You’ll never see those faces again,” the musician sings laconically. A memory of the deceased and a tender nod to Reed’s hometown.
Pet Shop Boys – “Dreaming Of The Queen” (1993)
Singer Neil Tennant once called the song a “fear dream”. And who would want to meet the Queen completely naked? But “Dreaming Of The Queen” is also a swan song to love that has become impossible, oscillating between mild comedy and openly displayed tragedy. Lady Di of all people puts it in Tennant’s mouth: “There are no more lovers left alive/No one has survived/So there are no more lovers left alive/And that’s why love has died/Yes, it’s true/Look, it’s happened to me and you.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86hrNjZVbw8
Sarah MacLachlan – “Hold On” (1993)
With great sensitivity (and completely free of kitsch), the singer describes the story of a woman who discovers that her fiancé has been infected with HIV. “I lie awake and pray/That you’ll be strong tomorrow/And we’ll see another day,” sings the Canadian. “And we will praise it/And love the light that brings a smile”.