Some days ago I had a conversation with a friend during which we talked about certain songs whose melody did not fit with their lyrics.
By not fitting we meant songs which, by their melody, would create an at least predomintantly positive mood (e.g. by the use of certain major keys, specific instrumentation, speed etc.) while their lyrics would express the exact opposite (or overall positive melody with negative lyrics).
An example of this situation could be Rage Against The Machine's Killing in the Name of
or Slayer's Relentless
with the lyrics of a song such as Greenday's Wake Me Up When September Ends
.
Are there any known songs featuring a discrepancy like that mentioned above, and, if so, which effect does this high contrast between lyrics and melody create for the listener?