# What are the Happiest Songs Ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2001, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047 "2001-10-02T21:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/41 "2001-10-03T15:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > \*\* > I nominate Last Thing On My Mind by Steps as the happiest sounding song with the most dismal lyrics. \*\* For this particular category, I’d vote for “Will the Roses Bloom” by Skaggs and Rice. For those who aren’t familiar with them, Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice were (and are) two of the biggest names in bluegrass and related music styles in the 1980’s, and recorded this song together. It’s about the singer’s lost (i.e. dead) love, how he misses her, but has the happiest, jauntiest melody you can imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/42 "2001-10-03T16:01:50Z")
I don’t know how happy it really is, but “Another Tricky Day” by The Who never fails to pick me up when I’m in a funk. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/43 "2001-10-03T16:02:43Z")
“Top of the World” by the Carpenters “Happy Girl” by Martina McBride ---
**Author:** ![Acco40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Acco40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acco40)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/44 "2001-10-03T16:02:54Z")
walking on sunshine… it makes me sick each time I hear it… it’s toooooo happy… ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/45 "2001-10-03T17:48:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by frock75 \* > \*\*The one song that makes me so happy I could shit daisies is > > The Pogues “Sunny Side of the Street” \*\* LOL!!! I was having a fairly crappy day, but that definitely made me laugh! I’m gonna throw in my two cents and say “Shiny Happy People” by REM, and “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/46 "2001-10-03T18:21:40Z")
Not that the lyrics are anything I can intellectually endorse, but there’s something about **Centerfold** by the J. Geils Band that makes me want to jump up and prance around the room! ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/47 "2001-10-03T18:28:40Z")
Not that the lyrics are anything I can intellectually endorse, but there’s something about **Centerfold** by the J. Geils Band that makes me want to jump up and prance around the room! ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/48 "2001-10-03T18:39:40Z")
Why is this always happening to me? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/49 "2001-10-03T18:59:58Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by cazzle_ > **I nominate Last Thing On My Mind by Steps as the happiest sounding song with the most dismal lyrics.** For me the happiest sounding song/dismal lyrics winner is **“I Used to Love Her (But I had to Kill Her)”** by Guns n’ Roses. Absolutely dreadful lyrics which detail the title premise, but you can’t help snapping your fingers to it! Pash ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/50 "2001-10-03T19:14:58Z")
Pretty much the whole Cosmic Thing album by **The B-52’s** , but especially **Love Shack** and **Roam**. What’s that soaring instrumental number by **the Allman Brothers**? You know the one. Is it **Jessica**? **Rock This Town** by **The Stray Cats**. **What I Like About You** - **The Romantics**. **Don’t Get Me Wrong** - **The Pretenders**. **Settin’ the Woods on Fire** - **Hank Williams**. **Twistin’ By the Pool** - **Dire Straits**. **Oh Boy** - **Buddy Holly**. **O Pretty Woman** - **Roy Orbison**. **Surfin’ Bird** - **The Trashmen**. **Three Little Birds** - **Bob Marley**. **All Shook Up** - **Elvis** **Great Balls of Fire** - **Jerry Lee Lewis** ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/51 "2001-10-03T19:23:43Z")
Am I the only one who thinks that **Shiny Happy People** , especially in light of the tone of the rest of the album, is bitterly, bitterly sarcastic? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/52 "2001-10-03T19:42:53Z")
Somebody has to mention **Happy Happy Joy Joy** from Ren and Stimpy. But Jonathan Richman is the king of happy songs: **Roadrunner** **Hey There, Little Insect** **Here Come the Martian Martians** **Government Center** lots more. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/53 "2001-10-03T20:27:20Z")
“I Only Want to Be with You”–Hootie and the Blowfish “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” again “Sherry Darling”, “Ramrod” --Bruce Springsteen ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/54 "2001-10-03T20:33:54Z")
**Buona Sera** - Louis Prima **September** - Earth, Wind, and Fire **Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da** - The Beatles **La Bamba** - Richie Valens ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/55 "2001-10-03T21:41:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maeglin \* > \*\*Am I the only one who thinks that **Shiny Happy People** , especially in light of the tone of the rest of the album, is bitterly, bitterly sarcastic? \*\* On the contrary. I heard an interview with Michael Stipe once and he said he didn’t intend any irony at all. He really _does_ like people like that. ---
**Author:** ![Lux\_Fiat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/56 "2001-10-04T06:03:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pashnish Ewing \* > **Buona Sera** - Louis Prima I will add **Jump, Jive, and Wail** by Louis Prima. Hell, just about anything I’ve ever heard by Louis Prima. I’ve never heard the original by Donovan, but Sarah McLachlan’s version of **Wear Your Love Like Heaven** puts me in my happy place. **The Choice is Yours** by Black Sheep is a pretty sure-fire way to get me making a joyful ass-wiggle unto the Lord, but that may just be me. Also, and if any of you tell anyone I said this I’ll deny it, I absolutely fucking love **Walking on Sunshine**. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/57 "2001-10-04T12:08:29Z")
For greatest music/lyrics dichotomy I’d have to say “My Daddy’s Dream-time Lullaby”, recorded by the Coon-Sanders Orchestra in 1924. The lyrics are all about how this little boy and his mother miss his late father, but they’re set to a peppy dance tune! Runner-up: Rudy Vallee’s recording of “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” ---
**Author:** ![bourbonstew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@bourbonstew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bourbonstew)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/58 "2001-10-04T13:15:08Z")
**Bob Marley** - _Three Little Birds_\* **Van Morrison** makes a lot of happy songs. My favorite is _Tupelo Honey_ **Beck** ’s _Where Its At_ is pure fun. **Bob Mould** - _See a Little Light_ is a happy in the face of possible sadness song, very upbeat. **Echo and the Bunnymen** - _Lips like Sugar_ happy ode to love ---
**Author:** ![bourbonstew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@bourbonstew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bourbonstew)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/59 "2001-10-04T13:16:31Z")
sorry about coding - just woke up! ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047/60 "2001-10-04T16:02:35Z")
> [@](#): > > On the contrary. I heard an interview with Michael Stipe once and he said he didn’t intend any irony at all. He really does like people like that. Well I’ll be damned. You sure he wasn’t just telling an outrageous lie? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-happiest-songs-ever/85047.md?page=4)