4 Superstitious Songs About Bad Luck for Your Friday the 13th—and No, Stevie Wonder Is Not on the List

While Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” is the obvious choice for a Friday the 13th playlist, we’ve come up with a handful of other bad luck songs that may not grace the usual lists. Here are songs about bad luck, superstitions, and even the movie Friday the 13th. Why not take a listen while you dodge black cats today?

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Songs About Superstitions and Bad Luck for Friday the 13th

“Friday the 13th” – Atomic Rooster

“Friday the 13th” by Atomic Rooster is a groovy 1970 rock track that touches on a sense of impending doom. Wake up in the night, stare into the dark / You can feel your fear tearing at your heart / Trying to lock your door, there is no escape / I’ll be watching you, every move you make, the first verse intones, and it only gets more ominous from there. However, the inclusion of a keyboard solo takes some of the sting out of the lyrics in a way that slaps you in the face. Mostly when you hear Someone please, please save me / No one will save you, they won’t try … Everyone’s lonely when they die.

“Thank God It’s Friday” – Ice Nine Kills

This theatrical track by Ice Nine Kills pulls dialogue from the movie Friday the 13th as it elaborates on the film’s plot. The song opens with, He drowned in all our sins / He drowned in our mistakes / Fueled by the flood, we pay in blood / The curse of Crystal Lake, describing the plight of Jason Voorhees. The flamboyant yet hardcore style of Ice Nine Kills fits well with the imagery of the film. It makes this track a true Friday the 13th experience.

“Bad Luck” – Social Distortion

“Bad Luck” by Social Distortion takes the concept of Friday the 13th and turns it on its head. This song describes someone with bad luck, but the actual speaker enjoys the superstitons. Thirteen’s my lucky number / To you it means stay inside / Black cat done crossed my path / No reason to run and hide. “Bad Luck” is more of a cautionary tale. It’s for those who choose to believe in superstitions and bad luck, and who let that make them mean and nasty.

“Hard Time Losin’ Man” – Jim Croce

On “Hard Time Losin’ Man,” Jim Croce describes a man who has the ultimate bad luck. And you think you’ve seen trouble / Well, you’re lookin’ at the man, ah ha / Oh, the world’s own original hard luck story / And a hard time losin’ man, he sings in the chorus. Later, the speaker buys a car that falls apart on the highway. After that, he buys weed from someone that turns out to be oregano. Another cautionary tale, as Croce states, Sometimes they say that you eat the bear / But sometimes the bear eats you.

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