I was thinking today about the different ways one could create an autobiographic "expression" (for lack of a better word). Paintings, essays, book, photos...all these things came to mind. Then, I was thinking about what the medium of an autobiographical piece says about the author/creator. Then I thought Mick should create an autobiography of songs because the medium (songs) would really fit him.
Now that you are privilige to my thought process, here is my question...If you were going to tell your life story (or a portion of your life story) musically, which 5 songs would you include?
13 comments:
hmmmm...
1. Los Angeles is Burning, Bad Religion
2. Start Something, Lostprophets
3. Danny's Song, Kenny Loggins
4. Here Without You, 3 Doors Down,
5. Otherside, Red Hot Chili Peppers
That's my list what are your guy's?
1-America (Oh Beautiful, for spacious skies...)
2-Mah Tovu
3-V'shamru
These are the songs I used to sing to F, B, and D when I rocked them to sleep, so, they bring back memories of warm chubby, sweet-smelling, sleeping babies. Actually, I was secretly trying to sing a love of G-d and Country into you subconsciousness, while you slept.
4-Toby Keith's music, because it reminds me of Rob and our life together, now. I like that we can still discover new things together.
5-Elton John's music represents my past, which I still enjoy visiting every now and then. His was the first rock concert I ever went to (with Richard), and the most often listened to music of my youth.
it is very hard to 'define' ones life by five songs. what i did was write the first songs that came to mind. reasoning that overthinking this task might not give as true a representation....
here are my five. i like the result.
1) kind of blue miles davis
2) a love supreme john coltrane
3) crossroads johnson/clapton
4) eleanor rigby beatles
5) satisfaction stones
an honorable mention to abraxas by santana. reminds of certain aspects of my time at sdsu. long story
Mom!!! I don't remember you singing Mah Tovu or V'Shamru (I do remember you singing America the Beautiful) but I am always humming those three songs to myself. I never knew why!!!
in no particular order, the first five that came to me:
Moonlight Mile by the Rolling Stones
I'm On Fire by Bruce Springsteen
Satellite by Dave Matthews Band
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
Hrmm I would have to make two different lists if I were to include Jewish Songs.
5 Jewish songs that I think describe my life are:
1. Ma Tovu
2. Modeh Ani
3. Betzelem Elohim
4. Kehilah Kedosha
5. Yih'yu L'ratzon
The first are the blessings that a rival king in the land of Israel said about the Hebrews, when he was trying to put curses on them.
The second is thanking God that he has returned our neshama our souls back to us.
The third one is about loving and welcoming the community and strangers in your life.
The fourth talks about how holy community can be. That our family makes this kehilah kedosha, a holy community.
The fifth and final one requests Yih'yu l'ratzon imrei fi, V'hegyon libi (May the words of my mouth)L'fanecha Adonai Tzuri v'go ali (Be acceptable unto you) That what we say in prayer and in blessings may they be acceptable to Adonai. =P Super Jew at work here =D
David--I think it's really cool that you know so much about Judaism and Jewish culture. I have to say that I am a bit jealous.
Fern and Ben,
Maybe you would have remembered the Hebrew songs if Hebrew had been our 'lingua franca', as I probably stopped singing them to you as lullabyes, before you were two. But, I did sing them to you often as babies, they were in my limited repetoire of songs that I knew all the words.
Mom
David, Glad to see that TVT has instilled such knowledge and love of the Jewish People in you.
Your fifth choice-Yhiyu L'ratzon is one of my favorite prayers. It is a very moving, spiritual song.
My 5 songs would include:
1. America the Beautiful. Expresses my love of country and the beauty of America that I have been fortunate to see a lot of.
2. Ha'Tikvah (Israeli National Anthem). A beatiful song that symbolizes my love for Roberta and my family and of my adopted religion.
3. "In the Mood" by Glen Miller. My dad loved the big band sound and Roberta and I danced to this at our wedding.
4. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Self explanatory
5. "Going Mobile" by the Who. Symbolizes my traveling around the U.S.
My life in five songs! What a challenge!
I would have to start with "America the Beautiful". The USA is the place of my birth, and the core values of this great nation are woven into every part of me.
Second: "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen. No song I know speaks to me more eloquently of the hope, passion and promise of life.
"Well the night's busting open,
these two lanes will take us anywhere.
We got one last chance to make it real,
to trade in these wings on some wheels;
climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks."
I have always and will always believe in the power of a guitar and four wheels to change the world, or at least my view of it.
Third: "True Companion" by Marc Cohn. For my wife, who completes me.
Fourth: "Stage Fright" by The Band
"See the man with the stage fright,
just standin' up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
but when we get to the end,
he wants to start all over again."
That's me-up there afraid, givin' all I got, never willing to quit.
Fifth: "Yerushalyim Shel Zahav" I always associate this song with the trip I took (with Roberta) to Israel in 1976. Dale, one of our tour-mates brought his guitar and on our first night in Israel, we went up to the top floor of the hotel--which was unfinished. As the sun set over Jerusalem on Erev Shabbat, he played this song. To this very moment, that recollection brings tears to my eyes.
"Your name will scorch my lips for ever,
Like a seraph's kiss, I'm told,
If I forget thee, golden city,
Jerusalem of gold.
Oh, Jerusalem of gold,
and of light and of bronze,
I am the harp for all your songs."
I felt then, as I do now, an unseverable tie to my Jewish heritage and the State of Israel.
Wow, I'm sitting here at the computer getting teary-eyed reading the responses that you've all written (thank you my dearest, you are my true companion).
My 5:
Stairway to Heaven - reminds me of great times during my jr. high and high school years. One of the memories - a graduating-8th-grade party in my garage that my future sister-in-law Marilyn attended. Who knew?
Margaritaville - Played on the MUZAK constantly in 1977 when I worked at McDonald's and flirted a lot with my future husband!
Leather & Lace (Don Henley & Stevie Nicks) - "Our song" - we played it at our wedding.
I'm Proud to Be an American (Lee Greenwood) - Kind of a corny song. They played it when I went to the ceremony at which my ex-brother-in-law John Fowler become a citizen of the U.S. with a bunch of other people. It gave me chills and made me proud to be an American.
Lechi Lach - (Debbie Friedman) - On of the first Jewish songs I really loved. Makes me think of the blessings that my children are.
O.K. I have to go get a tissue now.
since rob already took "take me out to the ballgame", Im gonna start my list with
1. the hey song - that they play at the beginning of all the Kings games.
2. Wish you were here - by Pink Floyd, anyone who knows the words will understand
3. The Bag - by NOFX , a great song questioning whether or not there is any meaning to life
4. Date with Destiny - by Pennywise , another great punk song; its about living life to the fullest and i quote "in a fall from a burning tower, what would you do with just one more hour? Live that hour out every day, like it was your last. You'll live much better that way. One Chance. You'll need it."
5. I've just seen a face - The Beatles
... and five songs i think can do a pretty good job summing it up ... this took me a while to do.
4.
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