Friday, August 26, 2005

Musical equivalent of "say cheese"

This week's FRIDAY QUESTION asked readers to identify a song that always makes them smile...
Mike D. -- Several songs from the early 1980s, including "Holiday Road" by Lindsay Buckingham, "Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby and "Freeze Frame" by the J. Geils Band, put me in a good mood because they remind me of the fun family vacations we took at the time.
Inger H. -- The confluence of "I've got no right to lay claim to her frame/She's not my possession" followed closely by "Get your hands off of my woman motherf***er" in the Darkness' "Get Your Hands Off My Woman" always makes me smile. It's, like, *ironic* or something.
Rick T. -- "Wabash Cannonball" by Roy Acuff. Hearing that song makes you smile and tap your toes.
Diane H. -- I am not ashamed to say I love the song "To Be With You" by Mr. Big. It reminds me of my freshman year in college, drinking cheap beer at a party in some guy's dorm room, as we all sing along, probably off key. Plus, you don't hear it ont he radio much anymore, so when I do it's a treat.
Ann S. -- "One Love" by Bob Marley. I smile when I hear this or any reggae song because reggae music makes me feel irie!
Shannon H. -- This sounds super lame, I know. But it's that Justin Timberlake song, "Rock Your Body."
Two weeks ago I was literally sitting out at a landfill in the stinking heat. Investigators were trying to find the body of a little boy who was missing. Noble cause, but come on. I'm a journalist. So I focused on the lameness of my stories, the lack of a bathroom, the smell and the intolerable heat. I just had to sit there all day and watch them work. I got in the car to head back to the office one day. I was sweaty, tired and crabby. But then I became happy. The air conditioning blasting out of my vents was coupled with Justin Timberlake coming out of the speakers. And I couldn't help finding myself dancing. I'm not sure why. Other than it's unbelievably catchy.
Tom J. -- "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N Roses. College road trip.
Steve M. -- "Don't Worry Baby" by the Beach Boys. Because it is so beautiful.
Mary N.-P. -- "Put the Lime in the Coconut" by Harry Nilsson. Just try keeping a straight face when Nilsson is chanting "You drink 'em both together, etc, etc."
Ellen B. -- "Red Red Wine" by UB40. It reminds me of my honeymoon.
Kerstin H. -- "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by the Darkness. Both the music video and the song make me smile because of all the shouting and the giant squid.
Mary Rae B. -- "Singing in the Rain" by Gene Kelly. It's one that I find myself humming when things are going well.
Annika H. -- "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson. Because it is *MY* song!
Rob K. -- "To Emily Wherever I May Find Her" by Simon & Garfunkel. I sang that to my wife on our wedding day.
Erik H. -- The day I stop smiling when I hear "It's a Great Life (If You Don't Weaken)" by Faron Young is the day you can quit reading this blog, because I won't be around to write about music anymore. This song's ironic passages will make me smile until the day I die.
After telling listeners "Well I don't guess I'll ever make a million/I just want enough to get by," Faron sings "Like a checking account, in two or three banks and a yellow Cadillac to drive." I have heard him sing those lones hundreds of times and I always smile.
Later, after singing that "it's the simple things in life that really matter and I'm a pretty simple guy," Faron lists the "simple" things he requires: "Just give me a house with a swimming pool and a little sport plane to fly."
By then, I am smiling and singing along: "It's a great life if you don't weaken, but who-ooooh wants to be strong!"

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Annika identifies herself as a redneck?!?

10:38 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home