Freedomain Radio

I was just listening to the beginning of podcast FDR 668 – How the Truth Looks to Others in which Stef gives a great rendition of “What I Got” by Sublime, and also recommends the song “Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (Beautiful Day)” by the Eels. I'm a huge fan of the Eels, and wanted to share the song on the board because it's one of those songs that makes me feel good to be alive. Then I though, “Heck, why not post as many songs that fit that category as I can think of?” So I did. I recommend you do the same (I need new music, and nothing seems to satisfy me these days if it doesn't make me feel positively gigantic). This isn't even close to a comprehensive list, but I did try to stick strictly to songs about which I could say “This song makes me happy to be alive.” As you'll see, my favorite music resides within a fairly tight genre set.

The song titles are linked to open the lyrics (the ones I could find, anyway) in a separate page. I chose the videos based primarily on the best audio quality/version of the song. Some of the visual stuff isn't very interesting, FYI. Where I couldn't find a good enough video, I found a copy of an mp3 sitting around on the web. Then I provide a short description of why I like the song! I think there's a lot to be learned about someone by the music they listen to, and especially by the music that makes them feel happy to be alive. Reply with the songs that make you feel happy to be alive! This was fun for me, and surely would be for you too. Let's make this thread a compendium of life-affirming music! (Can you tell I've got a little ambition injection recently?)

The Eels - Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (Beautiful Day)

God damn right, it's a beautiful day.

The Eels - PS You Rock My World

A song about realizing that life is too short to be small and scared all the time.

Chris Koza - Redwood Skyline
Go directly to YouTube to be able to listen in high quality: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xjo4slWwaZ8

I really like Chris Koza's exuberance about life. I've met him, and he's a pretty uplifting dude in general. This is a song about being happy to be alive while you're alive (because you can't be happy to be alive after you're dead, silly ).

Chris Koza - Patterns
Sadly, I couldn't find a copy of Chris's “Patterns” anywhere online. It's one of those songs about the whole sweep of humanity that makes me feel sorta good about our progress. If you like his other song and many of the songs I've posted here, I fully recommend buying the whole album by the title “Patterns.”

Ben Lee - All In This Together

I went to see Ben Lee live last year, and it was an incredibly uplifting concert. So much fun. When he sang this song, he did it acoustic and everyone in the crowd sang and danced together. When a musical interlude came up, Ben threw streamers and confetti at us all. It was just a blast, definitely one of those connecting moments that makes me love life so much.

Wilco – Either Way

A song with logic in it! I hear this as a song about curiosity leading toward certainty, either way. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco always manages to catch my ear with his song-writing.

Cloud Cult - Pretty Voice

A while back on a Sunday show, Stef mentioned (and inevitably expanded upon ) the idea that we all navigate the balance between fear and love. It reminded me of this song by Cloud Cult, which is thick with metaphors, and all that growing loveliness of a song where the add a new instrument each verse. Also: Beautiful women with stringed instruments. What more, really, could I possibly ask for in a musical video?

Cloud Cult - Transistor Radio

Cute tune about the journey of life.


Cloud Cult - Your 8th Birthday
No video just the song (I get the impression they don't sing this one in public): http://www.theworldforgot.com/twf/mp3/boty07/Cloud%20Cult%20-%20Your%208th%20Birthday.mp3
This song is written by the lead singer of Cloud Cult for what would have been his son Kadin's 8th birthday. Kadin died as the result of a heart condition as a toddler. In this song, I hear what someone's longing can sound like if they know how to write a good song. Lots of emotion in this song, if you know the back-story.

Ani DiFranco - Hypnotized

This is a song about finding the one you love in a world where neither of you belong. The echo-chamber starkness of this song just grabs me from beginning to end...like I almost have to pull over and just listen to it if it comes on while I'm driving. Sort of a rainy day happy song for me, if you know what I mean.

Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life

Please allow me to be a 16-year-old girl here for a second: Like, OMG! This is the cutest vid evar! Like srsly! LOL!!1! ...ahem! Thanks. First Day Of My Life is pretty clearly a love song, but for me it's also a song about being in love with the world that opens up to us with the new beginnings of anything larger than we are. That and it's very lilting, which always wins points with me.

Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over the Sea

Weird, for sure. But I like the metaphors about life, and how his singing is barely controlled.

Iron and Wine - The Trapeze Swinger
(No video, just the song: http://www.anyones-guess.com/listenhere/trapezeswinger.mp3)
A song written from the perspective of someone who wants to be remembered after death (a theme among the songs of Iron and Wine). This is one song where you'll have to particularly excuse several religious references, but still a really fantastic song.

Jason Mraz – Life Is Wonderful

Great tune illustrating the give and take of choices in life. Reminds me of the idea that the market is in everything. Yet another song that builds from quiet to loud.

Kings of Convenience – Homesick

To me, a lovely song, in every way. Great guitar work, awesome melodies on the singing, and the lyrics are about making major realizations and changes in life...living up to the level of your dreams, and not the expectations of others.

Pink Floyd – Eclipse

The song (in keeping with its album's theme) is basically about everything that could possibly happen in life. Kind of just a poignant list of life's events, and a reminder that it will one day be eclipsed into darkness. Sorry for all the heavy songs here...I guess I have a thing with death.

So that's it! What do you think of my list? What do you have to add?

i think i'm going to be a 16 year old girl with you, cause i love bright I's and particularly that song.

 

i've always thought the happest song ever is  "Walk of Life by Dire Straits", it's fantastic.

Lou Reed - "Perfect Day"

Huey Lewis and The News-  Power of Love

this song just makes me ridiculously happy not sure why exactly but it does. A couple religious conntations; the lyric "help from above " but i just ignore that part.

Manowar - Dawn of Battle

kill and destroy in the metaphorical sense not literally; like "killing" those elements which are self destructive and evil in my my life.

Manowar - Masters of the Wind

 

a bit corny and makes a couple references to "angels" but i ignore all of that, and enjoy the over all meaning of strivng and holding on to hope.

Motorhead - Killed by Death

and i wont quit or be easy until i'm killed by death

Carcass - Swan song

keep on running and dreaming man and one day maybe! (freedom)

 Cool! Thanks!

I've been hearing some really interesting lyrics in some songs lately that didn't mean much to me through the years, but now I really appreciate.

The Beatles - "Imagine"

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

I think he misses it quite a bit on the second verse, the "Imagine no possessions" part. Haha... "Imagine no matter"

Marvin Gaye - "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)"

Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin',
This ain't livin'
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can't pay my taxes
Oh, make me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God know where we're heading
Oh, make me wanna holler
They don't understand
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Who are they to judge us
Simply cause we wear
our hair long

 

Crystal:

I think he misses it quite a bit on the second verse, the "Imagine no possessions" part. Haha... "Imagine no matter"

I'v heard he only just managed to finish that verse before they took away his piano.

 

This was said about the murderer of Lennon; born again christian, father military, bullied as a kid: David Chapman

The super-rich lifestyle of this so called "working class hero" shocked and appalled Chapman. He was outraged by Lennon's phoniness, angered by Lennon's spending sprees and his seemingly arbitrary accumulation of material possessions.

 

 

Hm, very interesting. I've not looked into Lennon's history much.

I'm sure shocked and appalled is a common reaction for a murderer eyeing his future victim? Sounds very false-self-ish... blame the victim. I guess the guy couldn't imagine Lennon imagining no possessions?

If you've never heard this song, prepare to be stunned.  I fucking love it. Do Your Realize?? by the Flaming Lips (they're from my home town of Oklahoma City. woot!)

 

 

Ignore the video in this one.  The song is Lovers in Japan by Coldplay, but the acoustic version only available to those who pre-ordered on iTunes.  Personally, I like it better than the actually version on the CD.

 

 

Believe Me Natalie by The Killers.  Quality is a little poor on this one.

 

 

As you can tell, I like The Killers.  They're pretty good live: Jenny Was a Friend of Mine. Not a happy song, but I like it anyway!

 

 

This one is awesome.  This video made this song famous basically.

 

 

This guy is a stud.  One of the best voices I've ever heard, and he's not even sign with anyone.

 

 

I love this instrumental opener to the new Coldplay CD.  Life in Technicolor

 

 

We Believe by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

 

 

I just thought of some more songs and thought I'd post them. Thanks for everyone who has replied so far, some really great songs that I have never heard, and others that I wish I had put on my list!

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World

A pretty song by an incredibly fat man. In fact, he was near death when they recorded this song. I've head that they had to bring the recording equipment into his bedroom and record it, because he physically couldn't get out of bed. Really sad stuff, but a great combination of two beautiful songs.

Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond

The title of this song is something a college friend of mine always used to say to me. Like most of the songs in my original post, I am a really big fan of this whole album, as it plays on many of the same themes over and over.

Bad Religion - American Jesus

Bad Religion put on the best concert I've had the pleasure of enjoying. This song in particular reminds me of the importance of the fight for rationality...gets me fired up.

The Pixies - Where Is My Mind?

When I first heard this song, we were going over the mind/body stuff in philosophy classes in college. From then on, this song has been linked in my head to philosophy and psychology, though I must admit, I have no idea what it's really about...I just love how it sounds.

Here's a couple that jumped out at me when I first saw the title of this thread:

Against Me! - Joy

A great song that really reflects the way I've begun to look at my own life since FDR.

Talib Kweli - Get By

(Embedding Disabled)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=77zxCAfVeD8

I love Talib Kweli and he has many great songs that raise me up, but I love the hook on this one more than any other.

Dead Prez - Happiness

A great song about finding happiness in a very painful world.  Beautiful flute in this one.

A Lighter Shade of Brown - On a Sunday Afternoon

I've loved this song for nearly 15 years.  It always gives me a smile.

Swades (Movie) - Yeh Tara Woh Tara

This is just one of many Bollywood songs that makes me happy to be alive.  If you've never watched any Bollywood, you're missing out!  The dancing and singing can be very moving in the right context, and sometimes the movies are pretty interesting.  I recommend this movie, Swades, and another called Lagaan.

Sambomaster - Sekai wa sore o ai to yobun daze (The world calls that Love)

This is a Japanese song that I've found recently that is fantastic!  I think it will be my first Japanese song that I'll do at Karaoke!  I'm close to knowing all of the words!

If I think of more, I'll post 'em!  Great thread! more exclamations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 one of my favorite songs. i've shed many a tear singing along.

 

I had to add this one it nearly moved me to tears after listening to it this morning

Joe Satriani - Love Thing

The Kooks always make me happy:

Ooh La