Part 2 of the 30 day song challenge – my song picks for a series of categories.
A song to drive to – Born to be wild – Steppenwolf
This is probably an obvious choice, considering the opening lines, “Get your motor runnin’, head out on the highway.” I don’t have a car these days, so I only drive maybe once a year, and then in a hire car, so every time is different. Different car, different road. Sometimes a different country. But this song takes me back to my university years, driving home in my boxy Ford Escort after working on a Saturday night. Saturday night was FM radio classic rock night, and this was the kind of song they would play. And although I was always tired after working all night, this song would make me feel like I was driving an amazing car, like I could take on the world.
A song about drugs or alcohol – White lines – Grandmaster Flash
I don’t think this one needs any explanation. It might be an obvious choice, but it’s a great song. And I find it strangely ironic that Duran Duran did a cover of it.
A song that makes you happy – Fell off a Mountain – Big Bam Boo
Here’s a super obscure song from my teenage years. It’s just so bouncy and cheerful!
A song that makes you sad – Still Life – Kirsty MacColl
Back in 2000 when I heard that Kirsty MacColl had been killed in a boating accident, this was the song of hers I turned to for comfort. It’s sad, melancholic. Not just mourning a lost love but sadness for a whole period of time that has passed and is gone.
A song you never get tired of – I say a little prayer for you – Aretha Franklin
It’s hard to say “this is my favourite song” because your mood for songs can change on a daily basis. But if asked, I would generally say this is my favourite song. I love the way you get swooped up into the chorus. And how the chorus ends with that minor note with “heartbreak for me”. I love the way it gets quiet and you think it’s over but then it comes back again. I love the mundane things in the lyrics like combing my hair and riding the bus.
A song from your preteen years – Goody Two Shoes – Adam Ant
I remember this song in two moments of my life, one good and one bad. The preteen moment was bad. The adult one was good and a kind of avengement (if that even a word?) for the bad feeling in my preteen years. Suffice to say I have made my peace with this song now.
I’m always interested to hear what songs you would have picked for these categories.
Tales from Tobhamhor 