heart songs.

I talked about the Weezer song "Heart Songs" and applied it to my movies ages ago in a blog entry that is right here. I said that someday, oh someday, I was going to post an entry of my actual heart songs. Since I can't think of a damn thing to write about, I'm going with that. Plus, Meagan and I were discussing our favorite songs at the bar the other night (I almost put "the other day" but decided against it since "day" makes me sound like an alcoholic. And I'm not an alcoholic, even if I'm getting through this week just because I know Friday is going to be a boozy good time.)

So, yeah. Heart songs. Here are mine:

1 - "Ain't No Sunshine", Bill Withers
This is in my top five favorite songs list, as well as in my heart songs list because you can have favorite songs and then you can have songs that speak to you and I swear that made sense when I was drinking over the weekend.

Anyway, "Ain't No Sunshine" is just an amazing song. A guy I had crushed on hardcore in high school (and middle school and elementary school.... hey, don't call me a quitter) used to sing this song. I remember clearly hearing him sing it one day as he was standing behind me in the ala carte line in the lunchroom. I didn't know the song, and his voice was far less than superb, but I liked it okay. Then I forgot about it. Until I heard a professional cover of the song by my boys. And it all clicked and, if it had been around then, I would have totally went "OMG!"



While I love my boys singing this song (as well as The Watson Twins... they done a beautiful cover of this song when I saw them opening for Ben Kweller in Nashville. If you haven't heard The Watson Twins, then your ears are missing out), Bill Withers' original version of the song will always be the one I hold the most dear.



2 - "Runaway Run", Hanson
This is what I was talking about earlier. I love this song, I think it's a fantastic song, but it's not in my top five favorites, but this song just makes me feel. And I know that sounds real hippy-dippy like (yeah, hippy-dippy), but I don't know how else to say it. It's not Hanson's best song (all those snickering and mumbling things about MMMBop, you can just shut your dirty mouth), but it's just one that I connect with. Connect with so much, that I considered getting various lyrics and/or sheet music from the song tattooed on me somewhere. In case my mother ever reads this: No Mom, I do not have Hanson lyrics tattooed anywhere on my person. My real love for this song just exploded all over the place after hearing a live acoustic version of the song.



3 - "Wild World", Cat Stevens
I guess this is where my hippy-dippyness (or is it dippiness? or something less stupid?) really comes into play because, really, Cat Stevens? It's kind of like "Runaway Run" and somehow manages to make whatever is going on make sense.



4 - "Have a Little Faith in Me", John Hiatt
This song tears at me and I have no real idea why. Every time I hear it, I just want to cry. And I know that makes no sense and I never have cried while listening to it (because I was raised believing that crying is a sign of weakness, which is total bull, but whatever, it takes a lot to make me cry... unless I'm menstrual, and then just thinking about that scene in The Notebook where Old Allie is looking out over the lake and says "I've never seen anything so beautiful", then Old Noah, who is looking at Old Allie, replies, "Neither have I." It kills me every time... which has only been, like, five times because, even though I own that movie, I never watch it because it makes me cry like a newborn with diaper rash), but the song hits me. Every.Single.Time. And I just want to bawl.



By the way, I hate that I referenced babies in my blog.

5 - Jump in the Line, Harry Belafonte
A song doesn't have to make you think or cause you to soul-search. It can just make you happy as hell and want to dance like you're drunk. And "Jump in the Line" does that. I just pray that no one ever sees me dancing to this song. It's real embarrassing. Like, "Someone-could-videotape-it-send-it-in-to-America's-Funniest-Home-videos-and-win-$10,000" embarrassing. But I think it's important to have a song that makes you turn loose like a wild goose. (If anyone knows what song that's from off the top of their head, I'll give you an invisible gold star for the day.)



That's it for today, but I want to throw in a few other noteworthy heart songs that are just as important as the ones above, but I didn't think of before I got too lazy.

Fernado, ABBA
Don't judge me. My inner gay man LOVES this song.

Thirteen, Big Star
This song is just fabulous and, unless you persuade me with your superior wit or humanitarianism, I judge you for not liking the song.

Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Barry White
It makes me happy. Simple enough.

Dust on the Bottle, David Lee Murphy
The songs takes me back to my roots. And the days of going to Brew Co and hearing Brent and Anthony play it.

Islands in the Stream, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
Only because it's my dream Karaoke duet. And your dream Karaoke duet is a default heart song.