What’s your favorite song, and why? Do you remember when and where you first heard it?
Yeah, just one, huh? Not possible.
“Girlfriend in a Coma” by the Smiths is one of my favorites. I like it because of its witty, almost sarcastic tone. Not even one of their best, much less best on a list or something, but I love it. Reminds me of when I was dating the hubby.
“Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction. I never, ever, ever get tired of it. Perry is a musical genius. What a freak. He looks like a train wreck most of the time (and I’d lick his eyeballs, did I mention that? And drink his bathwater?). Also “Mountain Song” and many others.
“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley. Or damn near anything else by Bob Marley and/or the Wailers. Everyone knows why. I have to be in a particular mood to fully appreciate great reggae, though. And I like to drink a large quantity of beer when I do. Maybe drunkenness is the mood, then.
“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by The Band makes me cry every time I hear it. Awesome, awesome. Go ahead and giggle if you want. But I like it anyway.
“Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” by Traffic. Mystical-sounding, strange beat, weird timing. And Steve Winwood’s voice is really something else. I got to talk to him on the phone a coupla times. My cousin is (was, for all I know, I don’t keep in touch with my family much) his hairdresser. I was a little kid, and “Roll With It” hadn’t been out long. I thought I was hot shit. Then the kids at my school told me I was a dork and Steve Winwood wasn’t cool.
“Gin and Juice” by Snoop Dogg. I like a lot of rap. I have strange tastes. Makes me want to get up and get funky. Except that I never do. I just sit in my chair and kind of bob my head a little. I might one day though, and if I do, Snoop will have my back.
“People Get Ready” by Rod Stewart and/or Jeff Beck or whatever. I love the lyrics, and the music is really moving. I like the fact that the song has some roots. It makes me feel like I’m in a really cool, non-hypocritical, bluesy church. That’d be something, wouldn’t it? After all, folks, all you need is faith.
I could think of tons more, but I won’t bore you further. I might feel like it later, though, and then you’ll be sorry for having asked. 
“Cant Help Falling In Love” Elvis Presley
It makes no difference, who or what I may be dancing with when this song is played, I immediately Fall In Love with whoever or whatever they may be… for the duration of this song.
It’s just soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo beeeyuuuteefull…
Disintegration by the Cure.
::sigh:: such a beautiful song. I like it because it reminds me of me. “i never said i’d stay to the end…”
Second place.
Across the Universe by the Beatles
I like the version on the anthology album better. Its a very pretty song.
I could come up with at least 100 more. But those are my top 2.
- Summertime * by Sam Cooke. Cooke had maybe the best singing voice ever, and then there were some pretty great circumstances surrounding the first time I heard it.
Now that you mention it; ** anenquiringmind ** , Wanna’ dance?
Depends on the time of day and what mood-altering substances I have recently ingested, but Monkey Man and Gimme Shelter (I get chills just thinking about them) always get me up and dancing. After all, it’s the Stones, man! As does Carol on Ya-Yas. As does Goin’ Down by Jeff Beck Group. As does Call Me The Breeze by Lynyrd. As does…
Pressure by Billy Joel. I love this song! I first heard it in May, when I decided to listen to some of BJ’s stuff because my good friend is a big fan. So I borrowed her “Greatest Hits I and II” CDs and fell in love. Man, I love that song. It kind of reminds me of me. “You have no scars on your face/And you cannot handle PRESSURE!”
“Round Midnight,” composed by Thelonious Monk. Just about any instrumental version, though some of the ones with lyrics will do in a pinch. By default, I usually hum the Miles Davis version from Round About Midnight, which almost always leads me into the Bobby McFerrin version if I’m alone in the car. 
I love how it’s cool and sweet, a rare combination. I love how it’s almost like a slow dance but is more like a long, slow drink.
First heard it in the movie Round Midnight, which I first saw in a theatre in 1986; at least that’s the first time I’m conscious of hearing it. BTW, that’s also my favorite movie and thanks to it being on sale at Borders last night, I now own it on DVD.
[Lester Burnham]
I rule!
[/Lester Burnham]
Favorite story to tell regarding my favorite song: A few years ago, I did some travelling for my then-employer, Satan. No, not the ex-Doper, the actual Prince of Darkness. My travels sent me to New Joisey. I spent the first night in the hotel room with my drapes open once I discovered that I had a view of the entire Manhattan skyline. Cool enough for me, I thought, and dozed off, having set the alarm clock to go off five minutes before my wake-up call on what seemed to be an all-jazz station.
Next morning, alarm clock goes off … and begins playing “Round Midnight” … with the sunrise thing going on behind the Manhattan skyline. Way too cool for me. I lay in bed and just listened to the entire song and looked out the window.
That was James Carter’s version off the album The Real Quietstorm. I owned it before I got home from that trip.
Someone mentioned Jeff Beck and I immediately thought of the Jeff Beck Group’s cover of Carl Perkins’ “Glad All Over”:
Perkins’ great lyrics don’t sound as silly as they should with Tench singing, and Beck’s harsh, echoplexed guitar solo rules.
I could post to this thread every day for the rest of my life, of course my boss would have my head.
Yeah, I agree that a “favorite song” is pretty much created by the mood, or time, and even maturity of the listener (at the time).
Right now…
“What a wonderful world”, by Louis Armstrong.
Very short, touching timeless piece. At first, I loved this song via nostalgia, but then the lyrics really spoke to me. Especially, toward the end when it touches upon our own mortality, and the hope of a better future.
LYRICS: “I hear babies cry. I watch them grow. They’ll learn so much more, than I’ll ever know. And I think to myself, What a Wonderful World.”
Simple as it is, still, touching…that in a way, it can sum up a person’s lifetime…“babies cry” (marks birth and introduction to an already existing world).
“watch them grow”…(age passing the torch to a new generation)
“More than I’ll ever know”…(Death, and embarking into the future that can’t be seen beyond the grave).
Amazing song. Furthermore, Armstrong’s voice echoes this with a sadness and knowing. His gravel tone, alone, speaks volumes about life’s experience, and memories.
This furthered by the production values of the time it was recorded. Simple practice, and FULL band retakes, until it’s just right…giving the artist a “tune”, in his mind, that fits the music like a glove. “What a Wonderful World” does this with such a natural flair. It’s hard not to fall in love with it.
But then, tomorrow I’ll probably hear another piece of music and fall in love with that, too.
I’m fickle, so sue me.
Jet Black
Oh, tough. . . Here are some of my favorites:
“Sunburn” Fuel. I heard it first when I bought their first cd, don’t remember when.
“Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” Fuel. Radio, June 21, 2001. Yes I can still remember.
“Innocent” Fuel. When I bought their second cd.
“Mourning” Tantric. Radio, sometime in October.
“How You Remind Me” Nickelback. Radio in September I beleive.
“Iris” Goo Goo Dolls. Sometime in 1998 I think or whenever City of Angels was released.
I’ll stop there or I might cause this thread to go to another page in one thread.
Lazy River by Hoagy Carmichael. There are versions that are slow, fast, instrumental or with vocals. I like them all, though special kudos to (1) the Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong duet version, and (2) the version by The Platters, since they introduced me to the song.
There’s just something about the lyrics, the melody, and that last great descent (“How happy we will be…”). Can’t explain it beyond that. Great tune.
“Under Pressure”–Queen & David Bowie
“Am I Blue?”–Ella Fitzgerald
“Guys and Dolls Theme”–Guys and Dolls
“Don’t Think Twice”–as covered by Mike Ness
“The Likes of You Again”–Flogging Molly
“Use Me”–as covered by Better Than Ezra
“The Battle of Who Could Care Less”–Ben Folds Five
“Closing Time” by Semisonic. There’s a story behind it, but I’ll keep that to myself.
Mad man moon by Genesis. See also here.
“Red Barchetta,” by Rush.
“Monkey Business” by Skid Row. I’m not entirely proud of it, but what can you do?
John Carter:
YES… LETS…
Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley.
Even though I have about twelve versions of this song and I can listen to it anytime, there is nothing so special as hearing it on the radio or by accident. I ache when I hear it - its the lyrics, the music and without a doubt his voice. His sincerity just kills me. Funnily enough, the first time I heard it was on the radio -Triple J (Australian Radio Station) and I was working at Pizza Hut (it was 1995) and I cried. I was making dough at the time. Atleast the customers didn’t have a “Like Water for Chocolate” reaction…
Of course, as has been mentioned a few times, I will hear another later today and completely change my mind.
Favorite song: probably Nautical Disaster by The Tragically Hip. One of the strongest songs from one of their strongest albums. As always, it’s got great lyrics to go with a great tune:
One afternoon, four thousand men
died in the water, here
and five hundred more were thrashing madly
as parasites might,
in your blood
Radiohead’s Street Spirit is a possible tie with the Hip. It’s simply a beautiful, evocative song.