What Songs influence You?

[cgannon64]

What songs changed your views in politics? Religion? What songs make you feel depressed? What songs make you feel happy? What songs get you pissed? What songs get you working? What songs make you space out? Overall, what songs affect you?

I'd have to say that Jimi Hendrix - Little Drummer Boy (Instrumental) puts me in a good mood everytime I listen to it. Something about the way the guitar flows and the singing (OK so its one woman in the background going "Whoo") just makes me feel good.

What songs affect you?

 

[ApocalypseKurtz]

Lots of Bob Dylan songs have influenced me; I have posted most of them on various "Song" threads, but heres a short list of my favorites:

Blowin in the Wind
The Times They Are A-Changin
- 2 songs about life, philosophy, universal questions and answers, etc. Songs about everything, really.

With God on Our Side
-Some of the religious people here may object, but this song is a vicious shot at religious crusades and wars.

Masters of War
-Another anti-war song, ths time aimed at the people sending the troops to battle while hiding away safely (politicians), the people making the weapons that cause so much death (factory workers, military executives), and the people trying to convince us to go to war (polticians again)

Hurricane
-A song criticizing the racism in the criminal justice system, specifically in the case of Rubin Carter, a man falsely convicted of murder and sentenced to prison.

 

[Supernaut]

I have to respond to a man who quotes the Daily Show. Unfortunately I don't think I've ever heard a song which has influenced my religious or political mood, though sometimes stuff like the Clash or Bob Dylan can broaden my views a bit. As for mood music - all music affects my mood somehow. For being uplifted when depressed, the Violent Femmes are really good, especially the first album - it's the way they have depressed lyrics over happy music that catches my mood and then changes it. A very good break up album. As is early Marillion - listen to that and no matter how bad things are for me, I can feel that Fish has had it much worse.

Equally, I was listening to Sign O' The Times this morning, and there is nothing like Housequake or Beautiful Night to get you moving, even if you have to go to work. So loud and gorgeous funk or metal are the best things to get me moving and feeling really happy.

As for getting pissed - if you mean drunk, then there is a pub in London which always plays fantastic punk/ new wave music, and there is nothing like suddenly hearing London Calling or Pump It Up (or the Toy Dolls' version of 'Nelly the Elephant') to turn 'a few drinks after work' into a total tequila slamming, Let The Wookie Win (there is a bar here which does a cocktail called Let the Wookie Win - how cool is that?) screaming, dancing "Oh my god, I'm so f*cked up I can't even see the night bus and I have to be up for work in 3 hours' session.

 

[Supernaut]

Originally posted by ApocalypseKurtz
Lots of Bob Dylan songs have influenced me; I have posted most of them on various "Song" threads, but heres a short list of my favorites:

Blowin in the Wind
The Times They Are A-Changin
- 2 songs about life, philosophy, universal questions and answers, etc. Songs about everything, really.

With God on Our Side
-Some of the religious people here may object, but this song is a vicious shot at religious crusades and wars.

Masters of War
-Another anti-war song, ths time aimed at the people sending the troops to battle while hiding away safely (politicians), the people making the weapons that cause so much death (factory workers, military executives), and the people trying to convince us to go to war (polticians again)

Hurricane
-A song criticizing the racism in the criminal justice system, specifically in the case of Rubin Carter, a man falsely convicted of murder and sentenced to prison.

Kurtz - a very good list. I now have Hurricane goign through my head, which is a good thing! And Masters of War is fantastic in its lyrics - "All the money you made won't buy back your soul". And I hope no truly religious person would object to With God On Our Side - it talks about the misuse of religion as a justification. Has anyone covered it recently?

 

[Mojotronica]

Today's off-hand Top 15 List:

Jane's Addiction "Summertime Rolls"
Nirvana "All Apologies"
Tori Amos "Little Earthquakes"
Sleater-Kinney "Burn Don't Freeze"
Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine"
Peter Gabriel "Only Us"
REM "Everybody Hurts"
Stevie Wonder "Higher Ground"
The Eagles "Desperado"
Tori Amos "Pandora's Aquarium"
Pink Floyd "Great Gig in the Sky"
Beatles "Across the Universe"
Leonard Cohen "Everybody Knows"
Radiohead "Karma Police"
Don Williams "I Believe in You"

All of these songs sort of teeter between mild optimism and extreme pessimism. They are songs that "move" me emotionally, in one direction or another.

Tomorrow the list might be completely different...

 

[Mojotronica]

The most hilarious song ever written is Adam Sandler's "Ode to My Car."

 

[napoleon526]

Originally posted by Mojotronica
The most hilarious song ever written is Adam Sandler's "Ode to My Car."

That's a good one. My favorite funny song is Tom Lehrer's "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park." Anybody heard it?

 

[cgannon64]

Originally posted by Mojotronica
The most hilarious song ever written is Adam Sandler's "Ode to My Car."

One that comes close is Adam Sandler - A Lonely Kicker. I forget the title, but its the story of a football kicker...

 

[gael]

The birdy song sends a shiver up my spine every time.

 

[Ville]

Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus: "Lumessakahlaajat"
It changed me a bit, It tells about Kosovon(sp?) war and how the civilians suffered.
Lyrics (straight translation) {done in 5 minutes}
"That wave of bombers,
above that sleeping land/country????
drove our silent, grey procession???
to wade in the snow.
At first every man got to see,
that worlds burning,
every man had to burn
their own house.

Always when the fire ceases
again continues its moving
the group miserable, which doesn't have time
to look behind
when to endless snow,
buried little brother
from the heavens bloodred
reflected that laughing executioner
CHORUS:
Deaths batalions move behind us
in front of us a landscape like a sheet
our camp must move again
across the border or to heaven"

The band is a Finnish heavy band
and the bandsmen are middle aged

 

[thestonesfan]

The Stones are great at reminding me not to take things too seriously.

Political music is such a drag. I don't know how anyone would enjoy it.

 

[Siegmund]

Yes, Napoleon526, others of us also know and love Tom Lehrer

As to the main thrust of the thread... most songs influence me to do just one thing, turn off the radio.

 

[Mojotronica]

Pretty good political/topical songs, and my interpretation of their message:

Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" - the media is crap
Sting's "Russians" - fear of nuclear war
Grenn Frey's "Smuggler's Blues" - drug smuggling is a dead-end road to hell
Sting's "They Dance Alone" - Chilean dictator Pinochet was lame
Don Henley's "All She Wants to do is Dance" - South American intrigue in the 80s
Neil Young's "Kent State" - oppressive military police
Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" - self-empowerment despite the fact that the nation is falling apart in post-Vietnam recession/early 80s
Billy Joel - "Allentown" - nation is falling apart
Sting's "State of my Heart" - statement against military-industrial complex
Pink Floyd's "Dogs of War" - " " "
XTC - "Generals & Majors" - " " "
U2's "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" - the troubles in Ireland
Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" - the system is stacked against you -- fight it!
Rage Against the Machine's "Take the Power Back" - " " "
Tracy Chapman "Talking About a Revolution" - " " "
Bob Marley's "War" - war is the product of inequities and racism
? - "Proud to be an American" -- new American national anthem

I think that rock tends to skew liberal because liberal views reflect the anti-establishment, even when for example Democrats are in power. This is because the Democrats/mainstream liberals are still basically adhering to the same social conventions as the conservatives -- industry, invisible class barriers etc...

The true contrarian is MORE radical than that -- and contrarian viewpoints make for better songs because of the inherent strife w/in them.

Think about it -- a song about how everything is going swell gets cheesier and less believable the broader it's sweep. A happy individual is okay, but a happy nation? -- we haven't really been a very happy nation ever since Kennedy was gunned down, don't you think? Even the Reagan years had their share of disenfranchaised... Too much scandal, too much loss of trust in our institutions -- f/ the Presidency to the Corporations to the Church to the Family -- everything that should be good is a complicated mix of good and bad.

And anyway, it's easier to be "cool" when you are criticizing something or someone than when you are gushingly praising it...

Still, some very patriotic songs exist -- that "Proud to be an American" song may become the national anthem if we're not careful. It's a pretty catchy tune.

 

[kmad]

Incubus - The Warmth



I'd like to close my eyes and go numb
But there's a cold wind coming from
The top of the highest high rise today
Its not a breeze cuz it blows hard
Yes and it wants me to discard the
The humanity I know, watched the warmth blow away
So don't let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that ****ed up and cold
Remember why you came and while you're alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old
So do you think I should adhere
To that pressing new frontier
And leave in my wake, a trail of fear
Should I hold my head up high
And throw a wrench and spokes by
I'm leaving the air behind me clear
So don't let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that ****ed up and cold
Remember why you came and while you're alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old
So don't let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that ****ed up and cold
Remember why you came and while you're alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old
Before you grow old

 

[cgannon64]

Originally posted by kmad
Incubus - The Warmth



I'd like to close my eyes and go numb
But there's a cold wind coming from
The top of the highest high rise today
Its not a breeze cuz it blows hard
Yes and it wants me to discard the
The humanity I know, watched the warmth blow away
So don't let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that ****ed up and cold
Remember why you came and while you're alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old
So do you think I should adhere
To that pressing new frontier
And leave in my wake, a trail of fear
Should I hold my head up high
And throw a wrench and spokes by
I'm leaving the air behind me clear
So don't let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that ****ed up and cold
Remember why you came and while you're alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old
So don't let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that ****ed up and cold
Remember why you came and while you're alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old
Before you grow old

Good to see another Incubus fan!

 

[kmad]

Yes, I love Incubus music, they have to be my favorite band

 

[Mongo97]

For mood...
Megadeth "In My Darkest Hour" for the lows, or Megadeth "Tornado Of Souls" for the highs.

For getting hyped...
Most things Pantera work well. Throw a little Slipknot in on occasion.

For nostalgia...
Mostly what few things I still have from my band days. Nothing like listening to what you were a part of back in the day to bring back memories.

 

[tpasmall]

My newest one would have to be

A Fire Inside- ...but home is nowhere:

26 years and seems like I've just begun
to understand my
my intimate is no one
When the director sold the show,
Who bought its last rites?
They cut the cast, the music and the lights.

This is my line,
This is eternal.
How did I ever end up here?
Discarnate, preternatural.
My prayers seem to disappear,
Ungrated in dead time left me disowned.
Absent of grace, marked as infernal.
To this nature, so unnatural.
I remain alone.

Twenty-six years,
And still speaking in these tongues,
Such revelations, while understood by no one.
When the new actor stole the show,
Who questioned his grace?
Please clear the house of ill-acquired taste.

[chorus]

give me something
give me something
give me something
give me something
give me something
give me something REAL

I lay strewn across the floor
Cant solve this puzzle.
Everyday, another small piece cant be found.

I lay strewn across the floor
Pieced up in sorrow.
The pieces are lost,
These pieces don't fit.
Pieced together incomplete and empty

[chorus x2]

 

[cgannon64]

Originally posted by tpasmall
My newest one would have to be

A Fire Inside- ...but home is nowhere:

That's what AFI stands for? I had no idea...

 

[animepornstar]

sonic youth - jc

it has undone many knots in my head.