History TearJerker / Gorillaz

** [[FreezeFrameBonus If you listen closely around the 4:06 to 4:10 mark,]] [[MicDrop you can hear the sound of 2-D]] [[DramaticDrop dropping his microphone,]] [[TryingNotToCry then letting out a small sniffle.]] [[TheWoobie Poor guy.]]

** It's even more depressing because the motorcycle ride was an attempt by 2-D to ''make up'' for leaving behind Murdoc during the "Désolé" music video. He wanted to do something nice for Murdoc because he knew that he upset him (and you can tell that he did it without alerting the other band members, judging by their panicked reactions when they realize that the two are gone, likely because he figured they wouldn't approve), and this is how he gets repaid for it...

** It's even more depressing because the motorcycle ride was an attempt by 2-D to ''make up'' for leaving behind Murdoc during the "Désolé" music video. He wanted to do something nice for Murdoc because he knew that he upset him (and you can tell that he did it without alerting the other band members, likely because he figured they wouldn't approve), and this is how he gets repaid for it...

** [[FreezeFrameBonus If you listen closely around the 4:06 to 4:10 mark,]] [[MicDrop you can hear the sound of 2-D dropping his microphone,]] then letting out a small sniffle. [[TheWoobie Poor guy.]]

** If you listen closely around the 4:06 to 4:10 mark, you can hear the sound of 2-D dropping his microphone, then letting out a small sniffle. [[TheWoobie Poor guy.]]

* The music video for "Aries," which seems initially like a heartwarming motorcycle ride with Murdoc and 2-D actually getting along and bonding for once... until Murdoc takes out a syringe full of truth serum and prepares to inject 2-D with it. It's so rare to actually have a nice, peaceful moment between the two, and rewatching it with the full knowledge that Murdoc is going to ruin it at the end is very saddening.

* The music video for "Aries," which seems initially like a heartwarming motorcycle ride with Murdoc and 2-D actually getting along and bonding for once, until Murdoc takes out a syringe full of truth serum and prepares to inject 2-D with it. It's so rare to actually have a nice, peaceful moment between the two, and rewatching it with the full knowledge that Murdoc is going to ruin it at the end is very saddening.

** It's even more depressing because the motorcycle ride was an attempt by 2-D to ''make up'' for leaving behind Murdoc during the "Désolé" music video. He wanted to do something nice for Murdoc because he knew that he upset him, and this is how he got repaid for it...

** It's even more depressing because the motorcycle ride was an attempt by 2-D to ''make up'' for leaving behind Murdoc during the "Désolé" music video. He wanted to do something nice for Murdoc because he knew that he upset him, and this is how he gets repaid for it...

* The video for "The Lost Chord" has the band explore the abandoned Plastic Beach, which clearly brings up some uncomfortable memories. Noodle is visibly affected when she finds the mask she wore throughout Phase 3, and Murdoc outright [[NotSoStoic starts crying]] when they find the submarine with [[TheBusCameBack Cyborg Noodle]] still inside (notably, Noodle is also [[CryForTheDevil visibly taken aback]] by this). It reaches its peak when, after [[ItMakesSenseInContext the giant sea monster blows up the island]] with its {{Eye Beams}}, the band climbs to the top of the sinking lighthouse and manage to jump back through the portal they came from...but not before it briefly closes before Murdoc can jump in, causing him to nearly have a panic attack over being left alone.

** The demise of Plastic Beach itself can bring a tear to a longtime fan's eye. Despite being a symbol of environmental corruption and Murdoc's monstrous arrogance, it's persisted as one of the of the band's most iconic locations and ''ideas'', period, and beloved to the point of being a character in and of itself (one which due to outside forces [[CutShort was never given proper closure for a decade]]). Despite how much the band has evolved past it, its sinking into the ocean for good is a sobering image.

** The demise of Plastic Beach itself can bring a tear to a longtime fan's eye. Despite being a symbol of environmental corruption and Murdoc's monstrous arrogance, it's persisted as one of the of the band's most iconic locations and ''ideas'', period, and beloved to the point of being a character in and of itself (one which due to outside forces [[CutShort was never given proper closure for a decade]]). Despite how much the band has evolved past it, seeing the place finally sink into the ocean for good is a sobering image.

** The demise of Plastic Beach itself can bring a tear to a longtime fan's eye. Despite being a symbol of environmental corruption and Murdoc's monstrous arrogance, it's persisted as one of the of the band's most iconic locations and ''ideas'', period (one which due to outside forces [[CutShort was never given proper closure for a decade]]). Despite how much the band has evolved past it, seeing the place finally sink into the ocean for good is a sobering image.

** Even more poignant is that the pac-man suddenly becoming the hunter is seemingly meant to represent 2D, in his own mind, "turning the tables on his friends". Murloc's symbol is always the one that's closest behind 2D, while Russel and Noodles' are either far off or around the corners, and the first one to be devoured; but following that 2D starts moving on to the other band-members. Each time he does they suddenly stop what they are doing and look up towards his room with a disturbed expression. Murdoc actually looks terrified for a moment and moves back into his coffin as if hiding. It has really bad implications in general.

* The band breaking up prior to Demon Days as described in ''Rise of the Ogre''. The whole thing was caused by Murdoc trying to ''strangle 2D to death'' for [[DisproportionateRetribution a single inane comment]], then storming out like a petulant child after Russel clobbered him, [[NeverMyFault refusing to acknowledge what he'd done]] and dismissing the others as "ungrateful muppets". It's distressing to think that the band could have died this way, so early on in their career, and even worse when you think that bands in real life [[TruthInTelevision have broken up over similar creative differences, if not worse]].

** HarsherInHindsight when you consider that a creative spat between Damon and Jamie caused Gorillaz to go on hiatus for years.

** YMMV on how upsetting the [[spoiler:chloroform]] in the iTunes interview is (I found it kinda funny...), but when it happens again on Pirate Radio 4 it's pretty horrible, especially as before that [[spoiler:2D was yelling for help]]. This was the first time I genuinely disliked Murdoc, because most of the time the awful things he does is put across in a way that makes it hilarious so he's still likeable; this just made him look like a messed up, abusive bastard with no redeeming traits.

-->"All mixed in the pot for momma's homemade from scratch, but not quite, toasted over flames, they be tasting quite right" *shudder*

* "PAC-MAN" seems to be from the perspective of someone struggling with depression or some other mental illness, feeling lost and abandoned as they feel they cannot get out of "the maze" themselves, but are denied help from other people when they ask for it. The people around them instead give up before trying and excuse themselves by claiming the person is [[{{Gaslighting pretending for the sake of attention, dwelling on things too much or having too high standards of the world around it}}]]. The POV (who might actually be 2D himself), laments this; explaining it would really be enough to just take their hand and pull them along, for them to just have someone to anchor themself to and keep them from getting lost. But in the direction things are going, the only way out of their circle of bad habits and pointless efforts that the person will find is to give-up and [[DrivenToSuicide "lose the game"]].

* "PAC-MAN" seems to be from the perspective of someone struggling with depression or some other mental illness, feeling lost and abandoned as they feel they cannot get out of "the maze" themselves but are denied help from other people when they ask for it. The people around him instead give up before trying and excuse themselves by hounding the person by claiming it is pretending for the sake of attention, dwelling on things too much or having too high standards of the world around it. The POV (who might actually be 2D himself), laments this; explaining it would really be enough to just take his hand and pull him along, to just have someone to anchor him and keep him from getting lost. But the way things are going the only way out of their circle of bad habits and pointless efforts that the person will find is to give-up and [[DrivenToSuicide "lose the game"]].

* "PAC-MAN" seems to be from the perspective of someone struggling with depression or some other mental illness, feeling lost and abandoned as they feel they cannot get out of "the maze" themselves but are denied help from other people when they ask for it. The people around him instead give up before trying and excuse themselves by hounding the person by claiming it is pretending for the sake of attention, dwelling on things too much or having too high standards of the world around it. The POV (who might actually be 2D himself), laments this; explaining it would really be enough to just take his hand and pull him along, to just have someone to anchor him and keep him from getting lost.

* "PAC-MAN" seems to be from the perspective of a StepfordSmiler; ignoring or outright denying his own mental issues, even when confronted with them by other people. It could also be interpreted as the person declaring that "you claim you know me, but how could you when even I don't know myself".

** The ''no stressing out chant'' devolves into a MadnessMantra in the second chorus alongside his pupils, now looking like ghost-versions of the other band-members, rolling into his skull one after the other like the slots of a casino machine; reinforcing that he is about to fall into a FreakOut.

** The ''no stressing out chant'' devolves into a MadnessMantra in the second chorus alongside his pupils, now looking like ghost-versions of his friends, rolling into his skull one after the other like the slots of a casino machine; reinforcing that he is about to fall into a FreakOut.

** The entire rap portion of the song (which some fans inexplicably seem to like to edit out) is absolutely heartrending, describing the experiences of a soldier suffering from [[ShellShockedVeteran post-traumatic stress disorder]] from the UsefulNotes/IraqWar. The lyrics that closes out the rap section is by far the most gut-wrenching.