10 Most Haunting Songs In Rock

10. Heron Blue - Sun Kill Moon (2008)

In 2008 Sun Kill Moon, headed by Mark Kozelek, released the sombre ballad Heron Blue, nestled within the record April. On an album full of masterfully written compositions this was a stand out piece of music.

The seven and a half minute song Heron Blue is a repetitive but driving reflection on what it's like to watch somebody you care about slowly drift away to the other side.

The central character of the track is a recurring figure in much of Mark Kozelek's music. An ex-girlfriend of the singer, Katy died of cancer in 2003 but her willingness to keep fighting her illness was a point of inspiration according to Kozelek.

The song centres around a repeated arpeggio pattern, its melancholic, sombre and unwavering, creating a morbid and yet beautiful melody for the lyrics to explore the struggle of terminal illness. The monophonic delivery of the vocal performance symbolises the morbid reassignment to bearing witness to a loved one during their final stages of life.

The lyrics are a vivid descriptions of the final stages of Katy's life, leaving the listener with a striking and haunting image of a women in her death bed.