While "Sad" is from his earlier work, its themes laid the groundwork for his 2021 special, Inside . Tracks like "All Eyes on Me" (which won a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media ) explore similar territory—the intersection of mental health, performance, and the commodification of "sadness" in the internet age.
The core joke of "Sad" is the subversion of empathy. Bo presents a series of tragic images—from "a depressed onion cutting itself" to "a homeless man named Rich"—and uses them as punchlines. By the end, he reveals himself as a "genius" not for feeling empathy, but for successfully turning suffering into a catchy song for profit. Key: C Major (the "simplest" and most common key in pop). Bo Burnham Sad
The song shifts when Bo describes watching an old man get hit by a train because he didn't warn him; he admits he just thought, "Oooh, this is gonna be sad," and then enjoyed the spectacle. The "Inside" Connection While "Sad" is from his earlier work, its
"I saw a flyer for a lost dog and the dog didn't have any legs" or "a giraffe with a short neck". Bo presents a series of tragic images—from "a
The and a tutorial on how to play the main riff.
Fans often use sites like MuseScore to find piano arrangements. If you'd like to dive deeper, I can provide: A line-by-line breakdown of the specific jokes.
The track is part of the album what. on Spotify and other major platforms.