Daniel J. Willis is blue, just like Thom Yorke at this Radiohead show at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2016.

I am depressed for reasons I’d rather not speak of ever again. That is not a subtle plea to talk about it; leave me alone.

Anyway, for reasons we are not speaking of, I’m wallowing in my own misery. Like with every other emotion, I deal with it through music, so here are five songs that reflect the darkness within my soul.

Soundgarden — “Fell On Black Days”

Did you know that, as far as I can tell, I’ve never included a Soundgarden song in a column? I’ve done around 300 columns with around 1,500 songs in them, and somehow, unless Google’s increasing uselessness foiled me again, not a single one was Soundgarden! Just a few honorable mentions in the original 2018 run!

Well, now that I’ve fallen on black days, I’m remedying that. Justice has prevailed. The world is right again.

Bruce Springsteen — “This Depression”

This is not the first Bruce Springsteen song, which, if you’ve ever heard me talk about music in any capacity, is a bit odd. It’s not that I don’t like Springsteen; I like him quite a lot, but I really like the ’90s. And Soundgarden is extremely ’90s.

Anyway, this is “new” Springsteen, from 2012’s Wrecking Ball. I honestly don’t know what Springsteen Fans—both words capitalized as a proper noun—think of more recent stuff. There are lots of diehard fans of bands that just absolutely loathe anything from the most recent chunk of their career, and I’m not sure if that extends to The Boss’ fans, as they’re more passionate than most.

I would ask one, but then I’d just get an hours-long monologue. Who has that kind of time?

Radiohead — “Creep”

You know what, 2012 is too recent. The important thing when we’re profoundly upset about things we are not discussing is retreating into comfortable nostalgia.

What is it with people? I’ve insisted many times to many people that I do not want to talk about the very depressing thing that happened last Sunday, and yet they take that as an invitation to make me relive my pain! I don’t want analysis! I don’t want a recap! I want Spring Training from 2013 to start, when the A’s were good and still insisting they were committed to Oakland!

Anyway, “Creep” is a good Radiohead song.

Natalie Imbruglia — “Torn”

Have I told you my favorite fun fact about this song? I’m too depressed to check. If I have, you’re hearing it again.

Natalie Imbruglia’s version, while being by far the most famous, is the fourth version. It was first written and performed by Ednaswap, but first recorded and released in Danish by Lis Sørensen, which you better appreciate because I had to look up how to type the ø. Then it was released by Ednaswap, the original writers. Then it was released in Norway by Trine Rein in 1996, then finally by Imbruglia in 1997.

Since then, it’s been released by Rouge, a Brazilian girl group, in Portuguese; by Neck Deep, a Welsh punk band; by a country singer named MacKenzie Porter; and it was the first song One Direction sang as a band when they were still on “The X Factor.” It’s practically a modern standard. Radiohead hasn’t done it, though.

REM — “Everybody Hurts”

You know what’s most depressing? I need to learn about soccer now! Football is depressing for unspoken reasons you will not speak of, baseball is depressing because John Fisher is terrible even by the standards of a billionaire or a sports owner, basketball is depressing because the Warriors dynasty is finally collapsing and I’m dreading another few decades of unwavering futility, and hockey is still Canadian.

What’s left? The Oakland Roots. I actually love how they’re run so much I bought into the crowdfunded ownership sale—I want to have a vote to prevent them from moving to Barstow or something—but I still don’t understand soccer. And now I have to, because it’s the only sport left that hasn’t failed me.

Follow publisher Daniel J. Willis and send column ideas to him at @bayareadata.press on BlueSky.