10 Songs About Domestic Violence & Abuse

Domestic abuse is an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behavior. The vast majority of victims of domestic violence and abuse are majority women. Here is a list of songs that touch onto this topic:

1. Carrie Underwood – Church Bells

The song is about a young woman who marries a rich man. The marriage ends up violent and she ends up poisoning him “mysteriously” in order to free herself.

 

2. Hozier – Cherry Wine

The track goes into details about an emotionally and physically abusive relationship that excused and loving described by the victim because of his attachment to his abuser.

 

3. Christina Aguilera – I’m OK

The track was inspired by the abusive household Christina grew up in with her mother and sister. Her father was beating them to the point that even coming home was something so scary because she never knew what she would find.

 

4. Eminem feat Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie

The hit track saw Eminem and Rihanna reflect on their abusive relationship with the respective ex-partners Kim & Chris Brown. The chorus was written by Skylar Grey inspired by a bad relationship she described her partner as a difficult person and also getting beat up by the music industry.

 

5. Rihanna feat Eminem – Love The Way You Lie Part 2

This was narrated primarily from Rihanna’s perspective. It was a sequel to the original collaboration.

 

6. Christina Aguilera – Oh Mother

Christina Aguilera describes her and her mother’s experiences with her abusive father. She dedicated the song to her mother and thanked her for getting them out of the abusive situation that they went through together.

 

7. Miranda Lambert – Gunpowder & Lead

The track is about a crazy ex-boyfriend who mistreated her physically and mentally so she ends up killing him.

 

8. Jennifer Nettles – His Hands

 

9. Nickelback  – Never Again

 

10. Rihanna – Russian Roulette

Rihanna goes ahead to compare a relationship with someone to playing Russian Roulette. Many claim it was inspired by the physically abusive relationship with Chris Brown.