起初,作者试图出版这首歌曲时遇到了些许麻烦。一位出版商曾说:“拒绝出版并非因为它是一个忧伤的调子,而是因为该曲之中流露出的那种魄人心魂的绝望情绪,我以为这对任何听者均无益处。” (It is not that the song is sad, there is a sort of terrible compelling despair about it. I don't think it would do anyone any good to hear a song like that.) 不过几经周折后《Gloomy Sunday》终于在布达佩斯得到了发行,并在两三年内变成最为畅销的歌曲。
《Gloomy Sunday》在1936年左右流传到了美国。它的第一个英语版本是由爵士艺术家 Paul Robeson 于1940年录制的。1941年8月7日,黑人女歌手 Billie Holiday 用她自己独到和精湛的方式重新演绎了该曲,使其成为全美家喻户晓的热门歌曲。
1947-1950间在布达佩斯指挥了一系列音乐会和歌剧的 Perharps Otto Klemperer 曾经访问过 Kispipa 酒店,并在 Seress 的访客记录册上留下了这样的句子:“Er ist kein Musiker - er ist nur em Genie” (He is no musician - he is just a genius) ,说Seress够不上一个音乐家的称号,他仅仅是个天才。关于 Seress 自杀的原因,一种说法是他感到再也作不出象《Gloomy Sunday》那样的好曲子了,因此在长期的绝望之中选择了死亡。另传作者在临终前内疚的忏悔道:“没想到,这首乐曲给人类带来了如此多的灾难,让上帝在另一个世界来惩罚我的灵魂吧!”
Music by Rezso Seress
Original Text by Laszlo Javor
English Text by Sam M. Lewis
Sunday is Gloomy,
My hours are slumberless,
Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless
Little white flowers will never awaken you
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you
Angels have no thought of ever returning you
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you
Gloomy Sunday
Sunday is gloomy with shadows I spend it all
My heart and I have decided to end it all
Soon there'll be flowers and prayers that are sad,
I know, let them not weep,
Let them know that I'm glad to go
Death is no dream,
For in death I'm caressing you
With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you
Gloomy Sunday
Dreaming
I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you
Asleep in the deep of My heart
Dear darling I hope that my dream never haunted you
My heart is telling you how much I wanted you
Gloomy Sunday