Monday, April 14, 2008

top 100 songs (part 2)

A quick endorsement before we finish this thing:

Saw an awesome movie with an even more awesome soundtrack this weekend: Once. The movie is solid and I won't ruin it for you by sharing any more than that. But the very next day I went out and bought the soundtrack. The first song on it--"Falling Slowly" (which, incidentally, won the Oscar for Best Song)--is exactly the kind of thing that I would typically put right into the top 10 today. But I'm trying to be rational, so I'm leaving it out. If I revise this list in 5 years, however, I'm sure it's going to be up there. Anyway, check it out.

That having been said, let's commence with the top 50:

50. "My Stupid Mouth," by John Mayer
I could see she was offended. She said, "Well, anyway," just dying for a subject change.
Runner-Up: "Sucker"

49. "Nothing Fancy," by Dave Barnes
There's nothing fancy about the way I love you, but it sure is fancy how you love me.
Runner-Up: "Jackson"

48. "Regulators," by Warren G & Nate Dogg
I'm gettin' jacked, I'm breakin myself. I can't believe they're takin' Warren's wealth.
Runner-Up: N/A

47. "Come Monday," by Jimmy Buffett
We can go hiking on Tuesday. With you, I'd walk anywhere.
Runner-Up: "Margaritaville"

46. "Brown Eyes," by Andy Davis
She really didn't say much. She really didn't have to.
Runner-Up: "We Should Be In Love"

45. "Stand By Me," by Ben E. King
If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall, and the mountains should crumble to the sea.
Runner-Up: "Save The Last Dance For Me" (with The Drifters)

44. "Hook," by Blues Traveler
It doesn't matter what I say as long as I sing with inflection.
Runner-Up: "Run-Around"

43. "Sunshine," by Jonathan Edwards
But he can't even run his own life. I'll be damned if he'll run mine.
Runner-Up: "Shanty"

42. "Son Of A Preacher Man," by Dusty Springfield
Bein' good isn't always easy, no matter how hard I try.
Runner-Up: "I Only Want To Be With You"

41. "House of the Rising Sun," by The Animals
It's been the ruin of many a poor boy, and God, I'm one.
Runner-Up: "We Gotta' Get Outta' This Place"

40. "Forever And Ever Amen," by Randy Travis
Honey, I don't care. I ain't in love with your hair, and if it all fell out, well I'd love you anyway.
Runner-Up: "Storms Of Life"

39. "Lightning Crashes," by Live
Oh, I feel it comin' back again like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind.
Runner-Up: "Iris"

38. "Daydream Believer," by The Monkees
But it rings and I rise, wipe the sleep out of my eyes. The shaving razor's cold and it stings.
Runner-Up: "I'm A Believer"

37. "The Joker," by Steve Miller Band
I really love your peaches, wanna' shake your tree.
Runner-Up: "Jet Airliner"

36. "Mr. Bojangles," by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
He said I dance now at every chance in honky tonks for drinks and tips.
Runner-Up: "Fishin' In The Dark"

35. "500 Miles," by The Proclaimers
And when the money comes in for the work I do I'll pass almost every penny on to you.
Runner-Up: "Letter From America"

34. "King Of The Road," by Roger Miller
I smoke old stogies I have found, short but not too big around.
Runner-Up: "Dang Me"

33. "Joy To The World," by Three Dog Night
Jeremiah was a bullfrog. He was a good friend of mine.
Runner-Up: "Try A Little Tenderness"

32. "Bohemian Rhapsody," by Queen
He's just a poor boy from a poor family. Spare him his life from this monstrosity.
Runner-Up: "We Are The Champions"

31. "Touch Of Grey," by The Grateful Dead
Cow is giving kerosene, kid can't read at seventeen, the words he knows are all obscene, but it's alright.
Runner-Up: "Uncle John's Band"

30. "He Stopped Loving Her Today," by George Jones
He had underlined in red every single "I love you."
Runner-Up: "Who's Gonna' Fill Their Shoes?"

29. "What A Wonderful World," by Louis Armstrong
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow. They'll learn much more than I'll ever know.
Runner-Up: "The Dummy Song"

28. "Maybe I'm Amazed," by Paul McCartney
Maybe I'm a lonely man who's in the middle of something he don't really understand.
Runner-Up: "Band On The Run" (with Wings)

27. "Down On The Corner," by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Poor Boy twangs the rhythm out on his kalamazoo. Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo.
Runner-Up: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"

26. "A Case Of You," by Joni Mitchell
On the back of a cartoon coaster, in the blue T.V. screen light, I drew a map of Canada.
Runner-Up: "All I Want"

25. "Wild Rose," by Sam Baker
Wild Rose changed her clothes and changed her outlook after glancing through the good book.
Runner-Up: "Do Good Then Walk Away"

24. "All Will Be Well," by The Gabe Dixon Band
All the children walking home past the factory see the light that's shining in my window as I write this song to you.
Runner-Up: "More Than It Would Seem"

23. "Satellite," by Dave Mathews Band
Winter cold spring erases, and the calm away by the storm is chasen.
Runner-Up: "Angel"

22. "Take It On The Run," by REO Speedwagon
Heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another you been messin’ around.
Runner-Up: "Can't Fight This Feeling"

21. "La Vie Boheme," from Rent
To hand-crafted beers made in local breweries. To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese.
Runner-Up: "One Song Glory"

20. "Come On Eileen," by Dexy's Midnight Runners
With you in that dress, my thoughts, I confess, verge on dirty.
Runner-Up: Yeah, right.

19. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," by Hank Williams
The moon just went behind a cloud to hide his face and cry.
Runner-Up: "Cold, Cold Heart"

18. "Me And Julio," by Paul Simon
Mama Pajama rolled out of bed and ran to the police station.
Runner-Up: "Homeward Bound"

17. "Imagine," by John Lennon
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
Runner-Up: "Give Peace A Chance"

16. "Black Water," by The Doobie Brothers
I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty mama come and take me by the hand.
Runner-Up: "Takin' It To The Streets"

15. "Something In The Way She Moves," by James Taylor
I feel fine any time she’s around me now, and she’s around me now almost all the time.
Runner-Up: "Sweet Baby James"

14. "Crazy," by Willie Nelson
Why do I let myself worry, wondering what in the world did I do?
Runner-Up: "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain"

13. "Billie Jean," by Michael Jackson
People always told me, “Be careful what you do, and don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts.”
Runner-Up: "Thriller"

12. "You Can't Always Get What You Want," by The Rolling Stones
We decided that we would have a soda--my favorite flavor, cherry red.
Runner-Up: "Satisfaction"

11. "I Would Do Anything For Love," by Meatloaf
Some days I just pray to the god of sex and drums and rock n’ roll.
Runner-Up: "Objects In The Rearview Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are"

And my real Top 10 Songs of All-Time are...

10. "Buckets Of Rain," by Bob Dylan
I like your smile and your fingertips. I like the way that you move your lips. I like the cool way you look at me.
Runner-Up: "Mr. Tambourine Man"

9. "Let It Be," by The Beatles
When the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me.
Runner-Up: "With A Little Help From My Friends"

8. "Sweet Home Alabama," by Lynyrd Skynyrd
I hope Neil Young will remember, a southern man don’t need him around anyhow.
Runner-Up: "Free Bird"

7. "Into The Mystic," by Van Morrison
When that fog horn blows, I will be coming home.
Runner-Up: "Brown-Eyed Girl"

6. "Me And Bobby McGee," by Janis Joplin
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train. I was feelin’ near as faded as my jeans.
Runner-Up: "Mercedes Benz"

5. "Piano Man," by Billy Joel
The piano, it sounds like a carnival, and the microphone smells like a beer.
Runner-Up: "Captain Jack"

4. "Jack And Diane," by John Mellencamp
Suckin’ on chili dogs outside the Tastee Freeze.
Runner-Up: "Small Town"

3. "Sweet Caroline," by Neil Diamond
Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good.
Runner-Up: "Forever In Blue Jeans"

2. "Folsom Prison Blues," by Johnny Cash
I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
Runner-Up: "Sunday Morning Coming Down"

1. "Tiny Dancer," by Elton John
Lookin’ on, she sing the songs. The words she knows, the tune she hums.
Runner-Up: "Rocket Man"

Sara, Stacy, Becky--the CD's will be in the mail tonight.

Later gators.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great! I'll look for my cds in the mail in a couple days. That would be some great road trip music! I'd like to note, by the way, that you copied one of my top ten - "Into the Mystic." That's okay, though, since it's such a great song. :)

SE

PS - Remember how making those top ten cds was Becky's idea but then she never could decide on her actual top 10 and never made one?? We can do that when I stay with you this summer, right, B?

Anonymous said...

Are you really going to mail me a CD? Do you need my address?

Jessi said...

"Once" is just about the best movie ever. I saw it a couple of weeks ago and now I MUST own the soundtrack. "Falling Slowly" is my profile song on MySpace right now. Love love love love love love this movie. Everyone go watch it right now.

Claire said...

I was going to say that "King of the Road" is my favorite song on here, but then I got to "A Case of You." Of course. Definitely an A+ list, Alex.

Coye's Blog said...

No Jack Johnson?!