30 DAY SONG CHALLENGE UPDATE: DAYS 1-10!

Some of you might have forgotten that I've been participating in the "30 Day Song Challenge" on Facebook, seeing how I've been so caught up in film and TV lately, and I don't blame you. There were times where I damn near forgot myself, and might have skipped a day or two here and there where I was supposed to post a song, but I have been doing it, and in many ways, it's helping me reconnect and expand my musical self. I haven't been very musically inclined in recent years, so this has been an intriguing experiment for me. I'm a little more than 1/3 of the way through, but I had to devote some blogging time to the Oscars and to my movie reviews, so I have been putting it off somewhat, however, while my mind constantly runs a mile a minute in many directions, when it comes to making personal and thoughtful choices for this list, I have been and will be focused on it. So far, I'm surprised at some choices, not so surprised at others, and generally intrigued by how and what music has really shaped me up 'til this point, or at least Day 10, which seems like an opportune time to update.

DAY 1: Favorite Song: "BORN TO RUN"-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN



This was an easy. I'm already genetically inclined, having practically all my family being from New Jersey, to be a Springsteen fan, and frankly I am. (And if I don't pick a Springsteen song here, I wouldn't be allowed back in New Jersey again). I'm naturally attracted to his work, but why wouldn't anybody be. It's substantial, poetic, beautiful, and it rocks! I think considering everything, rock'n'roll is really where my music tastes start, and there's something pure about it. It's for the passionate and the dreamers, like the people in Springsteen's songs. They're tramps like me.

DAY 2: Least Favorite Song: "THONG SONG"-SISQO
I thought about this one for awhile. First of all, this category should be called, "Song You Hate the Most", not least favorite, that makes it seem like you kinda like it. 2nd, I had a lot of crap to choose from. Britney Spears, Limp Bizkit, came to mind for awhile, Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'", I certainly remember way too many times Vanilla Ice was played during school lunch hours, but when I look back at those times, those were the songs, I actually remembered. Those are the songs from my youth that we hold up as examples of crap. There's other crap that we've rewritten out because it wasn't worth remembering, and we wanted to get out of our heads, completely forget that it ever actually existed. This, is one of those songs. "Thong Song," was a hit for like a good solid year, and boy was it bad! Ugh!

DAY 3: Song that Makes you Happy: "ALL I WANNA DO"-SHERYL CROW
Ah, happiness! I don't feel it often enough, but when I do get that blissful joyful emotion, it's amazing. It's like getting splashed with that perfect cool breeze, just cool enough to not be cold, and just cool enough to turn that walk down the street into a groove down the street without a care in the world! I like to groove to some really good smooth, fun pop/rock, and for that, I look to Sheryl. :) Uh, Ms. Crow, Hit It! (Link to Youtube.com clip Below, as will most other entries.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5ouOa9k0gE

DAY 4: A Song that Makes you Sad-"TEARS IN HEAVEN"-ERIC CLAPTON
Well, I had a few obvious choices here. Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", came to mind. James Taylor's "Fire and Rain," as well. "Everybody Hurts," R.E.M., they're some common choices. A couple different Tori Amos songs as well, I almost picked "Playboy Mommy," in fact. I also thought about Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," and John Lennon's "Imagine" as well. In the end though, when I really thought about a song that was just sad and unbelievably heartbreaking, they're all really a close second to "Tears in Heaven". You just can't sit throught that song, and not be effected by it. Beautiful song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSbqm7ZK_9s

DAY 5: Song that Reminds You of Someone-"YOU BELONG TO ME"-TAYLOR SWIFT
Not a particular favorite song of mine, although I don't have anything against it either. It does however, remind of one of my friends. I'm not saying who, and I'm just gonna leave it at that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw&ob=av2e"

DAY 6: Song that Reminds You of Somewhere-"LAYLA"-DEREK AND THE DOMINOES
For awhile in high school, I work at a Swap Meet on weekends, selling mostly sports apparel. Jersey, pennants, Mugs with St. Louis Rams logos on them, etc. Anyway, when my Mom would pick me up in the afternoon, I swear to God, on the ride home, everytime "Layla" would be on the radio. Sometimes on multiple channels at once, and both versions, and it happened every freakin' week. I don't know why, but it just did, and while I love the song to begin with, I always affiliate with that Swap Meet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX5USg8_1gA

DAY 7: A Song That Reminds You of a Certain Event-"SWEET HOME ALABAMA"-LYNYRD SKYNYRD
I thought for a second about being a smartass here and picking Luther Vandross's "One Shining Moment," but I eventually decided against it. This was a tough category. I don't really relate a lot of songs to events. I almost picked "The Cat Came Back," which is a song that's annoyed me since Elementary School Music class. (That damn cat never frigging died! He just kept, coming, back! UGH!) Anyway, in high school, every-so-often during lunch, if there was some kind of event later, a dance, an important ballgame, or something, they'd set-up a DJ booth and play music in the Quad area, and as far as I could tell, their entire music collection consisted of two songs, Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby," and "Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama", and they play those two songs on a loop, (If two can make a loop?) all through lunch. I hope they've since updated their collected, but-eh, that was just weird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C29Fs-WNIrg&ob=av3n

DAY 8: A Song That You Know All the Words To-"COME TO MY WINDOW"-MELISSA ETHERIDGE
If this category was "Most Impressive Song I Know Every Word to"... well, as much as I'd like to pretend I know all the lyrics to "We Didn't Start the Fire" off the top of my head, the answer would've instead been "Thunder Road", but I've already included on Springsteen, and I fear if I include 2 so early, I'll end up with 20. (Although if pressured, I think I'd come up with every lyric to both "American Pie," and "Idiot Wind", but I'd have to think about it.) So, to me, this is a free category to pick a personal favorite song of mine that know every word to, and I've probably listened to Melissa Etheredge's "Yes I Am" album more than any other. Oh, and on the clip linked below, you'll note that one of the more talented "American Idol," contestants is on 1st Harmonica.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nj2zOObtnA

DAY 9: Song You Can Dance to: TIE: "EXPRESS YOURSELF"-MADONNA and "IT'S MY LIFE"-BON JOVI
I put a lot of thought into this one. I thought I knew to dance to "Alley Cat," but I just tried it and tripped over my own feet. I know the "Macarena," and the "Hokey-Pokey", but neither one by choice. So, not much of a dancer; now, I'm wondering, what would I want to dance to. Few thought came to my mind. "Kiss" by Prince, (Which isn't on youtube. C'mon Prince!) "Ain't No Other Man," by Christina Aguilera, "Moves Like Jagger," by Maroon 5 for a recent one. "Smooth" by Santana w/Rob Thomas is a good 2nd choice (or in this case third choice), But, I need to know what songs will make me get up from my seat, every time. Well, if slow-dancing counted, Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time," but these two will work. One makes me wanna have fun, the other makes me wanna rock out and party!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsVcUzP_O_8&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE&ob=av2e

DAY 10: Song that Makes You Fall Asleep: "PAVLOV'S BELL"-AIMEE MANN
I thought briefly about "Butterfly Kisses," which they used to always play on the soft rock station after midnight, but I came to my senses on that one. There are only two albums I really like falling asleep to. (Which is not an insult) One is Mark Knopfler's "My Shangri-La" album, and I almost picked "5:15am", which is a really great song actually, but the one that I basically listened to every night to go to bed, and played every night until 'til the album was dead and had to buy a new one is Aimee Mann's "Lost in Space" album, so I'm picking one of my favorite songs from that album. :)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr08SIHELV8