Just because I need some external happiness injections today.* And also because Darren is hosting a “5 Things” Group Writing Project.
Have a bouncy happy Thursday!
- #5. Karma Chameleon by Culture Club Ok, so if you really pay attention to the lyrics of this song, it’s not really a happy song. It’s all about a breakup and feeling like you’ve been deceived. But the serious emotion is masked behind a snappy upbeat sing along chorus and blazing harmonica solo. And there’s nothing like singing about a crushing heartache with a smile on your face and a skip in your step.
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- #4. All for You by Sister Hazel Another not quite happy song, this one is at least hopeful. The lyrics convey the uncertainty of a couple staying together forever, but declare that the singer is doing everything he can to make it happen. I can’t help but sing along, and often I find that I have to listen to the song twice just so I can sing along with both harmony parts. Sister Hazel is one of my favorite bands and outside of this song, most people don’t know anything about them. That’s a shame.
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- #3. Dancing Queen by ABBA A song about being a sweet and young cocktease out for a night on the town surrounded by hot sweaty bodies, flashing lights and thumping music. What’s not to love? Also it reminds me of the Movie Moment on Interstate 24 in Tennessee. You can dance! You can jive! You’re having the time of your life!
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- #2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! Hey baby, let’s not fight… we’ll go dancing and everything will be all right! Day-Glo shorts, white gloves, and CHOOSE LIFE tee shirts notwithstanding, this song is almost the perfect pop song. Walk up to someone who is having a bad day, look them in the eye and say, “Jitterbug” and I guarantee that you will get a broad smile from them. Even if you are a dark and gloomy Depeche Mode and The Cure fanatic, you can’t deny the bright light of George Michael breaking your misery for three minutes and fifty-one seconds.**
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- #1. Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves Can. Not. Sit. Still. This song causes an instant physical reaction. My feet won’t stop moving. My big ass bounces back and forth. My hands fly up in the air along with the horn stabs. I feel transported back to particularly good summer days as a pre-teen hanging out with my friends in the clubhouse and having absolutely no worries. This song can be considered the genesis of ska-like bands that came after them like Save Ferris and No Doubt. They all owe a debt to Katrina and the Waves and this exuberant song about having your love returned and confirmed.
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So what songs make YOU insanely happy?
* Get your mind out of the gutter. Not that kind of happiness injection!
** Othurme told me a joke about this song: “I don’t understand how people didn’t know that George Michael was gay when Wake Me Up Before You Go Go came out. I mean, it’s right there in the lyrics, “You put your ball sack in to my mouth…”
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The opening chords to “Brown Sugar” by the Rolling Stones always put me in a good mood.
“Superfly” by Curtis Mayfield is another song I never tire of.
“Night And Day” by Frank Sinatra always puts a smile on my face.
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Harry L – Welcome! Those are good songs, too. Especially the Stones song!
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The Miracles – “Love Machine”
Donna Summer – “Last Dance”
Kansas – “Dust In The Wind”
Metallica – “One”
Black Sabath – “War Pigs”
Donnie – You’re a bit odd. I like that in a guy. Seriously, War Pigs?
jester, donnie is WAY odd. BIG TIME odd. and i adore him. although i hate pink floyd adn seriously expected to see them on his list. damn, i can’t type.
ohh…my new favorite song is so frikken old, but “jose cuervo” by shelly someoneorother rocks my little world. it is like i could have written it.
happy girl sigh.
Seriously, the line “In the fields of bodies burning…” that one makes me giggle like a school girl every time I hear it!
Speaking of school girls, I think Hello in one of those short, plaid, two hairdo school girl skirts and you and I each wearing mesh g-string banana hammock panties all three of us margarita’d to the hilt and we’d be set for a few hours, eh?
hello – If you adore him, so then must I. Pink Floyd is ok in small doses. Shelly West (Dottie’s daughter) did that song. I love that song.
Donnie – Ok, you’re freaking me out here… you just accurately described my Saturday night.
Huey Lewis – “Heart of Rock-n-Roll” (My very own Karaoke song…)
Garth Brooks – “Friends in Low Places”
Loverboy – “Workin’ For The Weekend”
The Go-Gos – “She Beat My Meat”
Orleans – “Still The One”
That’s my serious list!
Jester – Let’s get it done. I’m in the mood for a little kink. Hello does adore me. She always will. I told her I liked Pink Floyd and she almost dropped me with a right cross (probably would have had we been face to face at the time.) I love any woman that can show her adoration for me by punching me. That’s how I met my wife. She walked up to me and punched me in the stomach. Fell in love with her on the spot! 25 years later and I still have the knot in my stomach.
Hello? – The Jose Cuervo, you, Jester and me…Hhhhhmmmmm…
Donnie – Good song choices. Still the One is one of my favorites… in fact Total Eclipse does that one. I will have a copy of our demo including that song soon. You can hear UMB and I singing it.
So do you find bruises romantic?
Enough tequila, and there’s no telling what could happen!
5. “Thank You For Being a Friend”-Andrew Gold
Even before the Golden Girls grabbed it and made him rich, I loved Andrew’s hit from the 70s. It just makes you want to hug strangers!
4.”Summer Breeze”-Seals and Crofts
Whenever I hear this song on the radio, it feels like summer–even in December. The lyrics paint such a vivid picture of summer and sex: “When I come home, from a hard days work, and you’re laying there, not a care in the world”. PS, I bought an excellent remix of the tune on Itunes (Philip Steir Remix) and it grooves!)
3.”(Keep Feeling) Fascination”-Human League.
Gots to sing along on the chorus with this one.
2.”September”-Earth, Wind and Fire
I could name five or six from these guys, but this is my absolute favorite. I have to turn it up loud everytime. It came on today and that’s just what I did.
1.”Rio”-Duran Duran
It’s a toss-up between this and “Hungry Like the Wolf”. Sexy, exotic lyrics plus and unnecessary sax solo makes this the winner.
Julie – My band does a cover of Summer Breeze (check out Jason Mraz’s version) and I totally love it. I could take or leave EW&F… I like several songs, but they aren’t very high on my list. Duran Duran on the other hand… LOVE them. God bless unnecessary sax solos, they made the 80′s!
Oh, Jason Mraz? I like what I’ve heard from him. Off to Itunes to find it. Thanks for the heads up
Julie – Oh yes, I love me some Jason Mraz. If you can’t find it, let me know… I’ll send it your way.
lots of songs make me smile…but the top 5 in no particular order would have to be:
Your Smiling Face by James Taylor
Whenever you hear the budumbadubum before the lyrics start, the smile cracks and you can’t get rid of it for hours.
Mr. Jones by the Counting Crows
It’s just such an amazing song–it makes me ahppy.
Blister in the Sun by the Violent Femmes
you can’t help but dance–it’s SO great!!!
Little Bitty Pretty One by Huey Lewis and the News
this one is good just because too.
Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root
It reminds me of matilda and Ice Age–both great movies that make you smile anyways.
Never Let You Go by Third Eye Blind
Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
this one has to be sung with your favorite boy in the car and all the windows rolled down
Do You Believe in Magic? by The Lovin’ Spoonful
Oh man, this song–I could listen to it over and over again
Knock Three Times by Tony Orlando and Dawn
it’s jsut so catchy and wonderful
I Go Blind by Hootie and the Blowfish
agh…I know this is more than 5, but all of these songs are SO great!!!
Sarah – Welcome! This is a great list. I particularly love the James Taylor and Tony Orlando and Dawn songs. So much fun! Thanks for coming by, hope to see you around again! I’m gonna go find my JT greatest hits.
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My apologies to everyone for the spam message earlier. I try very hard to keep them from getting through, but it happens on occasion.
-Jester
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woo we can go swimmin and go flighten but were not goin to to agure tonigth wake me up Ill jump out of bed and kiss you good morning whooo baby i love u dont forget that were going out tonigth baby baby whoo were not going to agure gaure i love my hart is jumpin out of bed and kiss all right
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So I’m gonna modify this a bit, and change it into “Songs that make me stronger,” though it’s basically the same idea. Some of these may be a bit obscure, but I highly suggest them all.
#1: Kiri by Monoral. They sound a lot like the Rolling Stones. I highly suggest them. Kiri is sorta like my Linus’ Blanket. I listen to it to cheer me up, calm me down, or simply when everything is going well. Truly, I suggest the song to everyone.
#2: Into The fire by 13 Senses. This song. It has the strangest hold over me. Sometimes it can cheer me up. Sometimes it can make me cry. It’s all a matter of mental state. Still, I think we can all relate to the song.
#3: Over Night by Aya. This song is interesting. I mind it absurdly soothing. Sometimes I’ll just put it on loop, and let myself drift into a peaceful place. I also love the lyrics (which is actually true for all these songs).
#4: Stories by Trapt. I love Acoustic guitar. And this is arguably my most favorite song that they do. It’s just an amazingly well executed song. Makes me happy.
#5: Give It All by Rise Against. Ah, heavy rock. This song is just so wonderfully visceral. It’s just a very energetic fight song like song. Certainly one of my top songs in general too.
That was long.
Tenshi – I’m going to have to look up every single one of these songs. Damn youngsters and your fancy Stone and Rolling music.
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These are all new songs to me. I enjoyed Dancing Queen and Walking on Sunshine. It makes me wanna dance. The other songs don’t seem to attract to me. Classic rock and jazz turn me off. I’m more into the very jumpy music with an extremely fast tempo. Like I will learn to love again (By DJ Boonie. The original singer sings it slower.), Grace Kelly (By Mika), and Man! I feel Like a Woman (By Shania Twain).
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham – This wakes me up everyday. Its on auto play at 8 am.
Cheers,
Kent
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Hey there,
Thanks for the suggestions. I needed a refresher of some songs that make me feel happy. I’m glad I came by this page.
The joke about George Michael came from a 90′s David Spade HBO special called “Take the Hit”, by the way.