A while back, I was ridiculed, with good reason, for my rather bizarre and scattershot list of 15 all-time favorite movies. I’ve never seriously attempted to make a similar list of all-time favorite songs; I’ve liked such a wide variety of music over the years, going through genre “phases” like Paris Hilton goes through boyfriends, that it would be an exceedingly difficult project. I’m not even sure what exactly the criteria would be, since a list of my favorite songs at any given moment wouldn’t truly be an “all-time” list (because my tastes evolve and change), but a list of songs that were among my favorites at one time or another would include plenty of songs that I’ve gotten sick of, that don’t like as much as I used to, etc. (because, again, my tastes evolve and change). How would I balance the longevity factor with the “current opinion of the song” favor? Would I be required to include “The Island” by the Barra MacNeils just because it was my favorite song for years and years, even though I now realize that it’s a pleasant but unexceptional piece of music? Could I include “Stand Back Up” by Sugarland or “Captain Kidd” by Great Big Sea even though I’ve known them for a relatively short time, and who knows whether I’ll be sick of them a year from now? And on and on.
All that said, it occurred to me earlier tonight that if I were to single out one song as my absolute favorite of all-time, I think I might just know which one it would be. At the very least, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Bob Dylan would definitely be a leading contender. I can’t exactly explain why I love that song so much, but… I just do. It’s odd, I suppose, because I don’t have any breakups in my past about which to be bitter — and yet the song’s exquisitely dismissive, devil-may-care bitterness, delivered sublimely in Dylan’s warbling voice over the strains of that wonderful acoustic guitar, and of course the harmonica, appeals to me at some very intrinsic level. I could listen to (and sing along with) that song a dozen times in a row, and never get sick of it.
Anyway… in order to justify this entirely random bit of musical introspection, I must now ask my audience a question. :) What’s your favorite song of all-time? Inquiring minds (well, one inquiring mind anyway) want to know!
P.S. I just thought of a competitor for “Don’t Think Twice.” Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis” is another one of those songs that transcends my musical phases. I never get sick of hearing it. Ever.
P.P.S. Another possible contender would be Bruce Springsteen’s “My City of Ruin” — not the album version, but the live version that he recorded for “America: A Tribute to Heroes” right after 9/11. Another contender would be “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel. Hmm… why are all my absolute all-time favorite songs slow and/or sad? Am I depressed or something? Heh.
P.P.P.S. Wait, I just thought of an upbeat contender! “Jack and Diane” by John Cougar (now John Mellencamp), the song that produced my senior quote.
Maybe I should redefine the scope of the project. Instead of “my favorite songs of all-time,” perhaps what I’m really trying to think of here are “songs that transcend my musical mood swings.” As I said about “Walking in Memphis,” these are the songs that I simply never get sick of hearing, regardless of whether what I’m generally “into” at the moment is country, or rock, or Irish folk music, or filmscore, or… whatever.
I still think “Don’t Think Twice” has a leg up on all the others I’ve mentioned, though.
P.P.P.P.S. Another contender(s): “Confutatis” and “Lacrimosa” by Mozart — musical masterpiece(s) that I’ve had the privilege of singing in concert.
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Categories: TV, Movies & Entertainment
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August 14th, 2006 at 2:58:10 am
Usama bin Laden has been dead for 9 years.He was Killed by President Clinton when he order a U.S.battleship
to bomb his fortress.They want ever
find bin Laden not unless he has a twin
+ghost. “Saudi Arabia is our only link
to 911″
August 14th, 2006 at 3:08:58 am
“Boogie on a Reggae Woman” by Stevie Wonder
August 14th, 2006 at 3:28:28 am
“I Hope You Dance,” which probably wouldn’t have been a contender for me until after I had kids.
“Script For a Jester’s Tear,” Marillion.
“One Day More,” from Les Miserables, because I so admire the way the writers interwove the musical themes. Wow…
“Thunder Road”: Springsteen’s not done anything so iconic of exuberant youth since.
“Afterimage,” Rush.
“Come Back To Me,” Big Country, because it took guts then (probably still does now) for a bunch of guys to sing from the perspective of a pregnant woman.
And I second “Walking in Memphis”: I live for when the music cuts out and he sings, “Ma’am, I am tonight.”
In no particular order, because it depends on my mood.
August 14th, 2006 at 3:49:51 am
I don’t know several of those songs; may have to look for them on iTunes now. :) However, I second “One Day More.” I was actually thinking, before seeing your comment, of adding a “P.P.P.P.S.” with that one, in fact. :)
August 14th, 2006 at 4:41:30 am
As a teenager it was easily the title track to the incomparable “Astral Weeks” by Van Morrison. If you’re a teenager stricken with teen angst, do yourself a favor and find that CD.
More recently, and on a less melancholic level, probably the equally obscure “Living in China” by Men Without Hats. Contains possibly the most clever lyric of the rock/pop era:
‘Revolution’s out of hand/The Gang of Four, is trying to make it as a Western band’
Works on so many levels. Such a shame that most people remember MWH for their cheesy Safety Dance, song and video.
August 14th, 2006 at 6:23:31 am
I have trouble with most favorite song, just like most favorite movie.
My current most favorite song is 10,000 Days (Wings for Marie Pt. 2) By Tool.
My sentimental and equal favorite is Johnny Cash’s cover of NiN’s Hurt (which is also an incredible video too).
I know there are better songs, but unlike movies, I’m very fickle with my music tastes.
August 14th, 2006 at 6:39:21 am
“Always look on the bright side of life” Monty Python.
Or perhaps, one of Eric Idle’s new show stoppers like:
“The Song that Goes Like This” (Not up to the level of “One Day more” Perhaps, but certainly will give “On my Own” a run for its money.)
And of course there is also the incomparable, “What Ever Happened To My Part?”
On second thought, those are both songs that are asymptoticly funnier with the number of Broadway shows you have seen.
August 14th, 2006 at 6:43:02 am
Jeez, Brendan. I figured “Rocked You Like A Hurricane” by The Scorpions would have to be your all-time fav!
August 14th, 2006 at 6:55:02 am
I’m not sure I have an all time fave, but Rodney Atkins’ “When You’re Going Through Hell” applies well to my life right now.
August 14th, 2006 at 9:00:18 am
“I Melt with You,” by that 80’s group; “It Don’t Come Easy,” Ringo Starr; “The End of the World As We KNow It,” REM; “Fade Into You,” Mazzy Starr; “The Chain,” Fleetwood Mac; “Cheek to Cheek,” Irving Berlin; “Under My Skin,” Cole Porter; “Legal Tender,” B-52’s; “Close to You,” The Cure; “Beyond Belief,” Elvis Costello.
And let’s not forget “Fight On!”
August 14th, 2006 at 9:25:47 am
“Thunder Road�: Springsteen’s not done anything so iconic of exuberant youth since.
Thunder Road is, in this guy’s opinion, quite unique.
The opening lines are magnificent. (”The screen door slams. Mary your dress waves…you ain’t a beauty but hey you’re alright”)
The musical accompaniment, particularly the saxophone, is evocative of a lazy summer evening, which is just amazing.
The end is magnificent. (”It’s a town full of losers
And I’m pulling out of here to win”).
The music at the end is also perfect for that part of the song.
Oddly, the rest of the song is not so good, in my opinion anyway.
August 14th, 2006 at 9:51:23 am
TUSK!
August 14th, 2006 at 10:06:50 am
The fact that you chose “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan makes up for any scattershot movie list that might be lurking in your past! What do you think of “Tangled Up in Blue” also by Bob Dylan?
August 14th, 2006 at 10:41:36 am
Vinny, I love “Tangled Up in Blue.” Both the original version and the Indigo Girls version.
August 14th, 2006 at 10:54:13 am
My favorite Dylan song is “Hurricane.”
FYI - The best use of that song in a movie is in “Dazed ‘n Confused”, when Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey), Pink et. al. walk slow-motion into The Emporium. Classic.
August 14th, 2006 at 11:03:22 am
“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd
Other faves, in no particular order:
Nirvana’s live cover of David Bowie’s song “The Man Who Sold the World”
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police
“All Along the Watchtower”, the Jimi Hendrix version
“Penny Lane” by The Beatles
“The Day I Tried to Live” by Soundgarden
“Unchained Melody” by the The Righteous Brothers
“Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth” by The Dandy Warhols
“Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones
And there’s a place in my heart for Kool and the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” and “Get it On” by T. Rex.
August 14th, 2006 at 11:03:39 am
Did Rubin Carter do it or not?
August 14th, 2006 at 11:29:43 am
Question, does it need be a song with vocals, or would songs like Wipeout and Classical Gas, not to mention countless symphonies etc count?
August 14th, 2006 at 11:42:41 am
1. “As Time Goes By”
2. “Do Right Woman/Do Right Man” Aretha Franklin
3. “Voir un ami pleurer” Jacques Brel
4. “Sweet Baby James” James Taylor
5. “The Man That Got Away” Judy Garland
6. “Imagine” John Lennon
7. “You Are So Beautiful” Joe Cocker
8. “The Leaving of Liverpool” Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem
9. “Long Time Gone” The Everly Brothers
10. “Mazel” Adrienne Cooper
August 14th, 2006 at 11:44:59 am
Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty.
August 14th, 2006 at 11:50:00 am
David, there is no lyrics requirement.
Mom, was “Sweet Baby James” always #4, or did it move up a few notches at the wedding? :)
August 14th, 2006 at 11:51:50 am
P.S. Come to think of it, if we’re on the topic of classical music… “Confutatis” and “Lachrymosa” would have to be contenders for me. Also the “Hallelujah Chorus.”
August 14th, 2006 at 11:54:18 am
Silly boi. That locked it in. But they are in no particular order.
Mom
oxo
August 14th, 2006 at 12:00:44 pm
(For the uninitiated: “Sweet Baby James” was my mom’s and my “mother-son dance” song.)
August 14th, 2006 at 12:07:25 pm
Pride - In the Name of Love - U2
August 14th, 2006 at 12:54:45 pm
Plus: “Ring of Fire,” Johnny Cash; “Learning to Fly,” Pink Floyd; “Baba O’Riley” and “Behind Blue Eyes,” The Who.
Completes my 15. And if lyrics are not a requirement, I’d add “Conquest” and the coda to “Leyla.”
My 16 1/2 favorite songs.
August 14th, 2006 at 3:41:28 pm
just spitten in the wind
August 14th, 2006 at 4:03:04 pm
Hey they found another tape with Bin
Laden and ZZ Top in concert.
August 14th, 2006 at 4:44:53 pm
Really fun post!
1. Dreamline - Rush (live version, not recorded version)
2. Let It Be - Beatles
3. One Day More (I wouldn’t have thought of this if someone else hadn’t posted, but it makes me cry every time I hear it!)
4. 2nd movement, Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
5. The Way You Look Tonight - Sinatra
6. Closer to You - Brandi Carlile
August 14th, 2006 at 5:48:11 pm
Brendan-
I agree with everything except the Marc Cohn song. I’m probably the only person who has never cared for it. I totally agree on the live version of “My City of Ruin.” The immediacy and emotion of that version simply doesn’t come through in the studio version.
As for my favorite song of all time, despite what you may be thinking, it is not Tina Turner’s “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Candidates could be:
Nothingman - Pearl Jam (story-telling lyrics hardly get better than, “He caught a bolt of lightning; cursed the day he let it go.”)
If I Should Lose You - Charlie Parker (Parker’s solo in the middle of the tune is like a sweet little biography of a tortured genius’s lost quest for love.)
Analog Kid - Rush (The antithesis of “Subdivisions.” Youthful angst in a positive and hopeful light.)
Dancing Queen - ABBA (She’s young and sweet, only 17. Who can hate that?)
Take Five - Dave Brubeck (The top tune from a King of Cool).
Everlong - The Foo Fighters (The best song from one of the few commercially successful bands today that is actually honest).
August 14th, 2006 at 6:26:31 pm
Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin
You Can’t Always Get What You Want - Rolling Stones
A Day in the Life - The Beatles
Hide Your Love Away - The Beatles
Blue Sky - Allman Bros. Band
Can’t You See - Marshall Tucker Band
Southern Cross - CSN&Y
August 14th, 2006 at 6:38:29 pm
When I was a little boy I had this
cute big toy.Everywhere I would go
I love to play with my d_______
sing alone everybody d______ d_____
d______I love to plAY with my d______
I love this song some old hill billie
made probably somewhere on broke back
mountain doing a threesome right now.
August 14th, 2006 at 6:44:22 pm
Lojo, that’s a great album, but how did distinguish that particular song over, say, “Jambi”, “The Pot”, “Rosetta Stoned”, or “Right in Two”?
Brendan, I don’t know how I could possibly choose a favorite song or even ten favorite songs. I’d have just as hard a time figuring out ten of my favorite songs by many of the bands I like. Heck, I could even break down and identify cool parts of songs, like for instance the opening part of “Fade to Black” by Metallica, or the guitar solo in “Unforgiven” by Metallica (first two examples that popped in my head). Or maybe a favorite riff, like the opening riff to “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Ozbourne. Or how about the drums in Zao’s “Repressed”. For vocals, sign me up for just about anything from Bono or Chris Cornell. For cruising with the top down and the bass thumpin’, make sure you have Sublime (self-titled) available.
Anyway, you get my point. And I have barely strayed from one single genre. I could go into classic rock, punk, blues, raggae, ska, electronic/dance/thematic, and even some rap and pick some unforgettable, classic stuff that will stick in your head all day if you’re not careful. For instance, Moby’s Play is etched into my living memory of rolling through the Swiss Alps on a train, and I don’t know if I will ever experience a more intense closing song at a club-venue concert than “When Darkness Reigns” by Project 86.
In my CD player at the moment: Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Man they brought the funk with this album!
August 14th, 2006 at 7:01:19 pm
For vocals, sign me up for just about anything from Bono
From the ‘Best of Bono lyrics’:
1) “Night hangs like a prisoner”
(Mothers of the Disappeared)
2) “Gonna blow right through you like a breeze”
(Even Better than the Real Thing)
and perhaps the alltime classic:
3) “The night is bleeding like a cut”
(So Cruel)
(I have trememdous respect for Bono’s efforts to change the world. His lyrics, however, are ridiculous).
August 14th, 2006 at 7:09:58 pm
Jazz, I didn’t say anything about his lyrics, I was talking about his vocal performance.
August 14th, 2006 at 7:13:50 pm
I am in either full agreement with or do not recognize all of the songs mentioned thus far. I apparently think the top 10 should have about 50 songs in it. Several catch my eye more than others though. “Walking In Memphis”, “Classical Gas”, “One Day More”, “Take Five” and “Dancing Queen” would all be considered for a personal top 10. Throw in “Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolbey (played it in band and loved the bass part despite how repetitive it was), “Breathe” by Faith Hill, and “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita. A few others mentioned above might get in too but I know I’m forgetting others not mentioned here yet.
I really don’t know how anyone can be confident in a top 10 list. If I was asked what 10 songs I’d pick to have with me on a desert island my answer would be that isn’t enough. What music I listen to really depends on my mood and my familiarity with the song. The song I’m listening to now is “Boom Boom Ba” by Metisse. (Listen here) It’s catchy and has really captured my attention right now but I doubt I’ll remember it much a year from now.
August 14th, 2006 at 7:21:17 pm
Blue Sky - Allman Bros. Band
Can’t You See - Marshall Tucker Band
Sounds like Joe Mama has a little ‘neck in him.
August 14th, 2006 at 7:26:02 pm
I actually agree with Andrew on something. What would the go-go 90s and Y2K hysteria be without “Play.”
Yes, Eminem. I DO listen to Techno.
August 14th, 2006 at 7:47:27 pm
Andrew,
Point taken. What’s more, few things are more gauche than taking a shot at someone else’s favorite anything…
Still and all, I’ve always had a pet peeve with Bono’s butchering of similes - even though I am such an admirer of his dedication to the cause of extinguishing poverty in a time of global cynicism…
…apologies to you, apologies to Bono…
August 14th, 2006 at 8:28:47 pm
Yes, but could Bono write lyrics like these?
“Hip Hop Marmalade spic And span,
Met you one summer and it all began
You’re the best girl that I ever did see,
The great Larry Bird Jersey 33
When you take a sip you buzz like a hornet
Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets
Call me Willy Whistle cause I can’t speak baby
Something in your eyes went and drove me crazy
Now I can’t forget you and it makes me mad,
Left one day and never came back
Stayed all summer then went back home,
Macauly Culkin wasn’t Home Alone
Fell deep in love,but now we ain’t speaking
Michael J Fox was Alex P Keaton
When I met you I said my name was Rich
You look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch”
August 14th, 2006 at 10:14:50 pm
Mozart - Requiem Aeternam
August 14th, 2006 at 10:40:47 pm
Joe Mama–yours is the list I envy most right now, if “envy” is the right word. Simply awesome picks.
August 14th, 2006 at 11:20:25 pm
Since so much music appreciation is experiential, I go with ND football music. If I can be permitted to smush together stuff, give me the pregame at ND home games. Shorter? Damsha Bua (Victory Clog) into Victory March combo (We scored!).
Pure music choice? I’ll take Chicago’s “Ballad for a Girl from Buchanan”. This suite includes “Make me Smile” and Colour My World”. Btw - did you know that ND priest (and longtime asst. band director) George Wiskerchen was instrumental in the success of Chicago? While at DePaul, he nurtured them as students, and lent arrangements. Not bad, eh?
August 15th, 2006 at 12:11:47 am
In no particular order, and for divers reasons … (and please forgive my lack of exactness of song titles, since I tend to go for the melodies more than the lyrics) …
“Just can’t get enough” - Depeche Mode
“Flower of Scotland” - various performers
“Do you have the time, to listen to me whine” - Green Day
“Be Prepared” - Tom Lehrer (actually, most of his stuff)
“Streets of Philadelphia” - Bruce Springsteen
“O Fortuna” - from Carmina Burana - various performers
“Campbelltown Loch” - various performers
“Comme ils disent” - Charles Aznavour
Almost anything - Edith Piaf
August 15th, 2006 at 1:12:19 am
“She’s Lost Control” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart” both by Joy Dvision
August 15th, 2006 at 7:08:26 am
My only question about Joe Mama’s list is that it sounds like a typical rotation list for a classic rock station. Surely someone with a law degree working near DC would have favorite songs beyond the classic rock genre.
August 15th, 2006 at 7:44:03 am
For some reason I was thinking Alasdair would be too old for Depeche Mode and Green Day. Nice choices.
August 15th, 2006 at 11:31:03 pm
My kids were horrified when they realised that I like DM and Erasure and Green Day …
I find that Mozart and Depeche Mode have great music to which to listen while composing Mainframe Operating System programs …