What are some upbeat songs with seriously sad or depressing lyrics?

Man, eighteen answers an not a single mention of the Misfits?  Here:

Trudging slowly over wet sand Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen This is the coastal town That they forgot to close down Armageddon - come armageddon! Come, armageddon! come! Everyday is like sunday Everyday is silent and grey Hide on the promenade Etch a postcard : "how I dearly wish I was not here" In the seaside town ...that they forgot to bomb Come, come, come - nuclear bomb Everyday is like sunday Everyday is silent and grey Trudging back over pebbles and sand And a strange dust lands on your hands (and on your face...) (on your face ...) (on your face ...) (on your face ...) Everyday is like sunday "win yourself a cheap tray" Share some greased tea with me Everyday is silent and grey

I can't believe no one's mentioned The Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles! It's a stone cold hit, it's got great production, it sounds so upbeat and yet lyrically it's miserable! All about a man in who's been hiding his heartbreak after being ditched by his SO. And there's no catharsis! No relief! Just the refrain: "There's some sad things known to man, but ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown" :'(

Passion Pit's Little Secrets is one of the poppiest songs of this decade. It's about either coming out of the closet or drug addiction, probably. Opinions vary. Mother, I can tell what you've been thinking Staring at the stars on your ceiling Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding And now I've hit the mark, staring at the dark And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars

Saves The Day 'Ups and Downs.' Blind Melon 'Soup.' Pearl Jam 'Thumbing My Way.'

Love Fool - The Cardigans I didn't know that this is a song about someone's begging for the partner's love until i found out the lyrics :)) but sometimes, this song still can cheer up my day!

Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" I get up in the evening and I ain't got nothing to say I come home in the morning, I go to bed feelin' the same way I ain't nothing but tired, man I'm just tired and bored with myself Hey there baby, I could use just a little help You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark Message just keep getting clearer, radio's on and I'm moving 'round my place* I check my look in the mirror, I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face Man, I ain't getting nowhere, I'm just living in a dump like this There's something happening somewhere, baby I just know that there is You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark You sit around getting older, there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me I'll shake this world off my shoulders, come on baby this laugh's on me Stay on the streets of this town and they'll be carving you up alright They say you gotta stay hungry, hey baby, I'm just about starving tonight I'm dying for some action, I'm sick of sitting 'round here tryin' to write this book I need a love reaction, come on now baby gimme just one look You can't start a fire sitting 'round cryin' over a broken heart This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark You can't start a fire worryin' about your little world fallin' apart This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark Even if we're just dancing in the dark Even if we're just dancing in the dark Even if we're just dancing in the dark Hey baby!

Mad World by Tears for Fears has a pretty upbeat/carefeee feel, but at closer listen, we find the narrative to be quite dark and cynical. All around me are familiar faces Worn out places, worn out faces Bright and early for the daily races Going nowhere, going nowhere Their tears are filling up their glasses No expression, no expression Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow No tomorrow, no tomorrow And I find it kind of funny I find it kind of sad The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take When people run in circles it's a very, very Mad world, mad world Children waiting for the day they feel good Happy birthday, happy birthday And to feel the way that every child should Sit and listen, sit and listen Went to school and I was very nervous No one knew me, no one knew me Hello teacher tell me, what's my lesson? Look right through me, look right through me And I find it kind of funny I find it kind of sad The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take When people run in circles it's a very, very Mad world, mad world, enlarging your world, mad world

Dont know if these suit your description but here are two types i would suggest : 1) The softer ones, some of them would be Pink Floyd's Coming back to life Wish you were here 2) A bit into Alt rock : Until the day i die - Story of the year Give me a sign - Breaking Benjamin Chop Suey - System of a Down Hypnotize - System of a Down My Immortal - Evanescence