Ah yes, we are continuing to branch out on this blog. First writing, then baby elephant videos, now…….
Music!
It’s ever the steady evolution.
Ahem. So. If you had to pick one. Just one. Just one song to listen to the rest of your life, your favorite song of all time, the one that speaks to you, the one that practically IS you, the one that you hold above all others.
Just one!!!
Which one is it?
I would have to go with……
“Little Eyes” by Yo La Tengo. No! “Star Witness” by Neko Case. No! “Non Je Regrette Rien” by Edith Piaf. No! “Oh Yoko” by John Lennon. No! “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles.
As you can see the rules are a bit loose on this one. Let’s go with songS.
"Laundry Room" by the Avett Brothers
And if I could have a runner up: "Us" by Regina Spektor.
T. Anne,
FYI, Conway Twitty recorded a country version of "The Rose"…
Some classic favorites of mine would be "Whiter Shade of Pale" by Van Morrison "Ice Cream Man" by Van Halen and my current fad is "Glitter in the Air" by Pink… though after I put it in writing I feel my third should include a Van as well…. I will have to think about this now!
Watcher 55, remember the Desperado episode of Seinfeld? One of my favorites.
Mine: Stand by Me by Ben E. King, Explain It to Me by Liz Phair, Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac, Coming Up Close by Til Tuesday, and Book of Love by Magnetic Fields.
I cannot whittle it down more than that.
Since
lora96
mentioned sampling blackwater,
reminds me
"Black Water" by The Doobie Brothers — would need that one, too
Suzy Vitello Soulé,
Very interesting news: Dylan, 6-book deal with Simon & Schuster — I'm off to look that up!
Love this question! My choice is "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears.
This is easy.
Heroes by David Bowie
It is pure perfection. I thank him daily for this song, and never grow tired of hearing it.
Kudos to Huntress for mentioning In a Gadda da Vida. Talk about an instant time warp…!
If I had to have just one, it would probably be Swallow by Emilie Autumn. Every time I get a different meaning out of it.
"ode to joy" by beethoven. no! "maybe sparrow" by neko case. no! "does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?" by …..? no! "mercy street" by peter gabriel. no! "hillfarmer's blues" by mark knopfler.
I can't answer that! It's so personal! I'd rather you asked me when I lost my virginity! :~D
(come on, you know that made you laugh. Mission accomplished.)
Happy Wednesday, Jedi Master.
~bru
Red Cave, by Yeasayer (for now: it'll change, but right now, I love that song)
"No Cars Go" Arcade Fire
"Rebellion (Lies)" Arcade Fire
"Thank You" Led Zeppelin
"Baby Blue" Badfinger
Shawn Mullins' "Shimmer." Its the song I want playing during a tribute of my life.
And if that tribute needs to be shorter due to time constraints, then MxPx's "Doing Time."
"Here Comes The Sun" – w/700+ songs on iPod, obviously not easy. But I do feel better every time I happen to hear it on the radio, etc. So that's the one.
(I see other people cannot stick to the "one" – shape up peeps! Be ruthless. What do you do when revising a ms? I shudder to think.)
"Piano Man" by Billy Joel. Even though Billy was before my time, I absolutely cannot get enough of this song. If my alarm plays this song to wake me up, I'm in for one of me best days!
It doesn't speak to me personally I guess, considering I'm a little young to be "making love to my tonic and gin" or be a waitress "practicing politics," but there is something about the color of this song that says "YOU ARE AWESOME!…even if you're boring!"
-Julia
I'm hosting a Top 10 Countdown Music Blogfest next week, and everyone's commented that selecting ten is difficult – and now I've realized I'm struggling to pick songs for my own blogfest!
Still not sure on #1 – probably something by Rush or Dream Theater.
"Ariel" by October Project. Obscure, but so beautiful!
It has to be Don't Cry for me Argentina, it was sang by Madonna as Eva Peron
This week… "Prodigal Man" by Peder Eide
Next week I'll have a new answer. (It would be before then if I had to listen to the same song forever).
<>< Katie
"Come Away with Me," by Norah Jones
Mexican Blackbird by ZZ Top
Forevermore by Katie Herzig.
"Climb up my Apple tree . . ."
🙂
BrownEyed
"Feelin' Groovey" and "I loved them all".Not sure if that's the name of the second but those are the main words. They can play those at my funeral!! (Not soon, I hope!)
Absolutely no contest…
"Lay Lady Lay"… by Bob Dylan
Sigh…..
WTH, better late than never (my email notifications seem to be coming in VERY late)…
Down by the River Neil Young – those guitar riffs just make my soul soar and sore. But actually the whole Decade album is the one I'd want with me should I be deserted somewhere with but one album and a turntable (& power to operate it).
Nate – Edith Piaf's La Vie en Rose, of course, but La Piano est Mort is right up there
Coltrane – A Love Supreme
Oh…there are just too many!!
Climb Every Mountain: "…a dream that will need all the love you can give, all the days of your life for as long as you live…" (Sound of Music)
Lonnie's Lament, John Coltrane
Lonely Woman, Ornette Coleman
As you can see, I'm an old school jazz man, showing my hips. My knowledge of pop music doesn't exist. That doesn't mean I don't like it. I LOVE it. There's just so much.. I revert to the music that accompanied me through high school. We all remember those songs, don't we?
Hmm hard, because I love music so much! xD I'm thinking… "faraway" by Apocalyptica. It's just gorgeous and fits every bit of me. But I also kinda wanna see "Hum Hallelujah" by Fall Out Boy, because it's so full of emotion.
I'm glad this isn't a real choice, haha!
I'm going with one of my own songs, Bewitching Green (Bring Your Magic On Home). I love the melody, harmonies and the lyrics. It moves me. It was a song written for children, or to accompany a children's story, and the last song I wrote before I stopped – for awhile,anyway.
My Way, by Elvis or Frank Sinatrra.
It's a beautiful day by Freddie Mercury.
A Little Ray of Sunshine.
Finally! A question I know the answer to! The Boxer, by Simon and Garfunkel!
Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra. I like, love even, many others but this is my favorite.
When I was a wee little girl, it was "Bimbo"
Of all the songs I thought of while reading this blog….there is only one…because of its catchy tune that sticks in my head for hours, because of its meaning…
American Pie
tnx Nathan…now I have it stuck in my head while trying to edit…
La Villa Strangiato, Live version from 1994.
U2- With or Without You
Radiohead – Let Down
The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby
Death Cab for Cutie – Pity and Fear
The Cure – Love Song
This is just tonight's list. I love music too much to pick an all time top favorite. 😀
Bridges And Balloons – Joanna Newsom
I have no idea what these lyrics mean. When I close my eyes and visualize, I feel like I’m on an acid trip. But it reminds me—via feathery harp and peculiar lyrics—that there are no rules to rhythm; that you can create your own beat. Joanna Newsom makes me want to give up routine, order and convention, and live an impulsive existence with childlike whimsy. She’s a damn talented human being.
I just blogged on this exact topic.
Without a doubt it would be "Alive with the Glory of Love" by Say Anything. To me, it's just that one song that when I'm asked a question such as this keeps playing in my mind again and again, no matter how hard I try to think of another song.
The odd thing is, Say Anything is not my favorite band! But that song will continue to be the one that I would listen to to the ends of the ages.
Rainbow by Jack johnson is what popped into my head when pondering this.
I asked my son what his favorite song is…
"Let it Be" by the Beatles
wow…hmmm…learn something new every day.
wonderwall – oasis 🙂
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Enlightening post, Nathan. You said you wanted to discover new music this year,this gives you lots of opportunities.
After reading nearly 130 posts thruout the day, I'm really amused to find that as old as I am, I don't recognize half the artists. I've already loaded about 10 in my Pandora program to check them out.
My favorite song ever?? That decision is truly as hard to make as if a wicked witch had asked me which of my two children I would choose if only one could live and one could die.
The answer is impossible.
Someday I hope you experience parenthood so you'll know how true that analogy is.
Nice to read your blogging now that you're a real person like the rest of us.
May the force be with you…
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Such a variety of favorites. I love that! I've found myself nodding to many of the same songs that I like.
My favorites (today at least) are
This Woman's Work – Kate Bush
In My Life – The Beatles
Maybe I'm Amazed – Paul McCartney
Drowning Man – U2
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
South Central Rain – REM
Garth Brooks… The Dance
I'm going with artist of songs which will shorten my list:
Keith Urban
Blackmore's Night
Evanescence
Within Temptation
Albannach
Ceredwen
Steve McDonald
Plus some Classical and Jazz/Blues.
Happy writing, y'all!
Tambra
http://www.tambrakendall.com
you can also find me on facebook
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
and
Amazing – By Aerosmith!
Who reasonably cares what another person's favorite song is? Why is it necessary to have a favorite song in the first place? If Nathan Bransford doesn't have one, why should I?
Bach Cello No.1 by Yo Yo Ma.
Different songs are favourites at different times in life, but I realised for me it had to be Bring Me Sunshine, performed by British comedians Morecombe and Wise. Ok, it's retro, and Americans might hate it, but when I listened to it this morning on youtube, it really cheered up the January blues – so thanks for this post, Nathan, I really needed it!