# Songs that Cheer You Up when You Are Down **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2017, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033 "2017-01-01T09:36:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/1 "2017-01-01T09:36:15Z")
In a bit of a funk recently, so I turned to Youtube and songs that always make me feel better. Three favourites: [Neil Sedaka, “Laughter in the Rain.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCusyLPrFCo) [Katrina and the Waves, “Walking on Sunshine.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPUmE-tne5U) [The Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgiQD56eWDk) What songs make you feel better when you’re down? ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/2 "2017-01-01T11:18:29Z")
Blue Suede [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NrI-UBIB8Jk/maxresdefault.jpg "1. Blue Swede - Hooked on a Feeling") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrI-UBIB8Jk) ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/3 "2017-01-01T13:50:28Z")
[I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H5I6y1Qvz0) - Scissor Sisters [Don’t Get Hung Up in Your Soul](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzDiNZ5087I) - Richard Hawley ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/4 "2017-01-01T15:05:29Z")
If you include any music as “songs,” I’d offer pretty much anything by **Vivaldi**. As an undergrad, years ago, I once sought the reason for his happy music, and found a biography in the college library. Turns out he was quite sick much of his adult life (not so happy)…but his job for many years was teaching music to groups of adolescent girls, so I figured that might have been a spark for the joy expressed in his music! ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/5 "2017-01-01T16:36:58Z")
My go-to song is _Witchi Tai To_. Thanks to this thread, it’s the first song I listened to in 2017. Makes me feel glad that I’m not dead. [Witchi Tai To](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkVjd1fJMME) This link plays the Brewer and Shipley version and then a Jim Pepper version. This link plays a Jim Pepper version with dancing. Very intense. [Witchi Tai To by Jim Pepper](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c6hYdSlqIs) ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/6 "2017-01-01T16:50:32Z")
Right this second I’m listening to the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s concert. It’s on radio now (glad I turned the radio on) and this evening will be on television hosted by Julie Andrews. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/7 "2017-01-01T17:43:41Z")
Among the albums that always cheer me up: “The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society,” the Small Faces’ “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake,” and the Move’s “Shazam.” ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/8 "2017-01-01T17:45:18Z")
‘Love Shack’ by the B-52’s. Hard to stay down when I hear this! And (I’m sorry to admit) ‘Sugar Sugar’ by the Archies… A lot of dance and disco music, ‘Boogie Wonderland’. Some oldies by the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Elvis… Dance! Dance it off, I say. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/9 "2017-01-01T19:11:32Z")
[THIS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE8EHevv-98&index=1&list=PL015E65DDA80A1746) live performance of Zucchero’s _I Got the Devil in Me_. No way I can sit still, or be sad. And I love the intro. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/10 "2017-01-01T19:32:38Z")
[“Always the Sun” by the Stranglers](https://youtu.be/Um9kd-mhhK4). Their “Golden Brown” and “(Get a) grip (on yourself)” are uplifting too. [“The Show Must Go On” by Leo Sayer](https://youtu.be/O6gEkfwozhE) is cathartic, but maybe the Three Dog Night version is more for you. Mike Doughty – “[Sunshine](https://youtu.be/bP9TAc8rPl0)”, “[(You Should be) Doubly (Gratified)](https://youtu.be/yWkbhLBviP8)”, “[Rising Up](https://youtu.be/lexflmKx8Hg)” & “[Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating In The Future]([Mike Doughty - Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future (Official video) - YouTube](https://youtu.be/X463j6US4l0) ://)” “[Everyone Plays The Fool](https://youtu.be/WiWzbCOkQgc)” by Aaron Nevill I’ll maybe post more as they come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/11 "2017-01-01T19:40:31Z")
Layla, Derek and the Dominos Mercedes Benz, Janis Joplin and anything by Stephane Grappelli I like Vivaldi too, **JKellyMap**. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/12 "2017-01-01T19:59:35Z")
First one that comes to mind is Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You Also - guit pickers - play the intro - it's awsome to play! MiM ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/13 "2017-01-01T20:29:55Z")
59th street bridge song, feeling groovy. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/14 "2017-01-01T20:49:37Z")
Great Big Sea: “It’s Just an Ordinary Day” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-wcjBU8zbdY/hqdefault.jpg "Great Big Sea - Ordinary Day") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wcjBU8zbdY) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/15 "2017-01-01T21:40:35Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9rx0eqQl8wk/maxresdefault.jpg "DRAM - Cash Machine [Official Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rx0eqQl8wk) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/16 "2017-01-01T21:41:52Z")
Any of Carl Stalling’s music from the old Warner Bros. cartoons. [This is an excellent compilation of his scores.](https://www.amazon.com/Carl-Stalling-Project-Cartoons-1936-1958/dp/B000002LJE) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/17 "2017-01-02T02:41:01Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > [“Always the Sun” by the Stranglers](https://youtu.be/Um9kd-mhhK4). Their **“Golden Brown”** and “(Get a) grip (on yourself)” are uplifting too. [emphasis mine] Yeah, quite uplifting for a heroin song. “Never a frown, with golden brown.”😉 I love that song too. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/18 "2017-01-02T02:54:00Z")
I keep a whole internal list of songs that share the theme of pulling you up and giving hope in a bad mood/situation or depression: [I Won’t Back Down - Tom Petty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUTXb-ga1fo) or the [Johnny Cash version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8i5NLyXZdc) [Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon And Garfunkel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_a46WJ1viA)or, again, the [Johnny Cash version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omxAjFFnrLk) [I’m Not Down - The Clash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zLJxHug_CM) sorry, no Johnny Cash, he did everything and everyone late in his life, but not the Clash 😉 [Everybody Hurts - R.E.M.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rOiW_xY-kc) ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/19 "2017-01-02T03:17:17Z")
“TiK ToK” and “Crazy Beautiful Life,” among others - Kesha ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033/20 "2017-01-02T03:23:02Z")
The only thing that cheers me up is beer. Then, just about any song will do, as long as it is LOUD AS FiretrUCK. Let’s go with \*“All Good People” \*or _“Starship Troopers”._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-cheer-you-up-when-you-are-down/776033.md?page=2)