I agree with Jenny, murder ballads, etc. are not "depressing." They are often very moving. They are about people who make wrong choices (as we all do, although I imagine most of us here at Mudcat are not murderers). When we sing them, we can see their errors, but also the tragedy that results. Ballads let us work with dark and sad material without overwhelming our psyches or causing us to buy guns or razors. They are a good addition in a culture that requires far too much false cheer and denial. They also have long spoken about things that we do not like to speak about -- incest, for example.