There's a bit of a discussion about music choices happening in the comments of my recent Beautiful South post so, in the spirit of that great work of music-list making, High Fidelity I thought I'd bring one idea out to the front page in handy-dandy ready-meme format:
Song that is “Your Song” for you and your sweetie:
Song for the obligatory Powerpoint slide show during your reception dinner:
Song for your wedding first-dance:
Song for your wedding last-dance:
Song for your funeral (not so serious):
Song for your funeral (serious):
Song for the birth of your first child:
Song for a road trip (day):
Song for a road trip (night):
Song for graduation (high school):
Song for graduation (undergrad):
Song for graduation (grad school):
Song for graduation (PhD program):
(that last one is for Chris Dixon and any other PhD'ers who may be reading)
I'm probably missing some major life events but that'll do for now (feel free to add suggestions if you comment and I'll update my list here).
I'll try to use actual examples where appropriate and possibilities otherwise. Here are my answers:
Song that is “Your Song” for you and your sweetie: “Heavenly Angel” – Spirit of the West
Song for the obligatory Powerpoint slide show during your reception dinner: “Grow Old With Me” – Mary Chapin Carpenter's version of the John Lennon song
Song for your wedding first-dance: “Prettiest Eyes” – The Beautiful South
Song for your wedding last-dance: “In Spite of Ourselves” – John Prine and Iris Dement
Song for your funeral (not so serious): “We're All Gonna Die Someday” – Kasey Chambers
Song for your funeral (serious): “Find The River” – REM
(I'm still a bit shocked but happy to admit that my grandma's choir picked Dylan's “Blowing in the Wind” to sing at her funeral. After non-stop hymns, that was a very pleasant – and cool – surprise!)
Song for the birth of your first child: “Beautiful Boy” – John Lennon
Song for a road trip (day): “Roadhouse Blues” – The Doors
Song for a road trip (night): I've got to pick a whole album for this one – “Gone” by Greg Keelor. If you're on an overnight Greyhound through the Rockies in the middle of winter, your head may actually explode with the perfection of this choice.
Song for graduation (high school): “Show Me The Way” – Styx (that's bad but it could've been worse – there were a group of girls in my graduating class (who would've been UGG's had they attended UWO) who suggested “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. I believe I was part of the contingent voting for “Kickstart My Heart” by Motley Crue at this point in my life which wasn't well-received for some reason.)
Song for graduation (undergrad): I have no idea which song I associate with my undergrad convocation. 1996. Hmmm, nope, still no idea. Maybe something like “Whatever” by Oasis?
Song for graduation (grad school): “A Design for Life” – Manic Street Preachers (“Libraries gave us power/Then work came and made us free”)
Song for graduation (PhD program): I don't know what a real PhD may pick but I've always been partial to “White Trash” by Fred Eaglesmith, simply for the line “She tells all our friends that I've got my PhD/But it stands for post hole digger, it ain't exactly a degree.”
And then, just for the hell of it, off the top of my head,
Ten Songs I Can Listen To Over And Over And Over Again…
1. “Find The River” – REM
2. “There She Goes” – The La's
3. “America” – Simon & Garfunkel
4. “Dakota” – Stereophonics
5. “And Your Bird Can Sing” – Beatles
6. “Andrea” – Blue Rodeo
7. “White Rose” – Fred Eaglesmith
8. “You and the Candles” – Hawksley Workman
9. “Be My Baby” – The Ronettes (edit: I originally listed “Don't Worry Baby” having just talked about it somewhere else as the best Beach Boys song – the Ronettes do cover it and Brian Wilson did writ
e it as a response to “Be My Baby”)
10. “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues (year round!)
Okay, back to the essays otherwise I won't graduate and get to hear that Manic Street Preachers song!
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