15 on 15 - Favorite Songs Edition

Welcome to Desert Island Discs! (If you caught that reference, email me.)

Okay, I want to say right off the top that I do not consider these to be the top 15 songs of all time, simply my personal favorite. I have ecclectic tastes, so bear that in mind. And I'll preemptively apologize to any who feel I have bad taste in music. If this list gets just too painful to read, check out some other lists by Derek, Ruvym, Brooke, and Craig.

And a few quick notes on methodology. I enjoy a variety of music, and narrowing my list down to 15 proved difficult (though I'm sure others had an even harder time of it). To make the task a little easier, I decided not to use any classical pieces, movie soundtracks, or Broadway tunes. I could probably do a separate top 15 list on any of those categories. So these are all songs that you might hear on the radio. Also, for all I know the artist listed with the song may not be the original writer/performer/whatever. But it's the version I know, which is why it's that way on my list.

15. You Never Even Called Me by My Name, David Allan Coe

Well, I was drunk the day my Mom got outta prison.
And I went to pick her up in the rain.
But, before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned old train.

Okay, the last verse or so of this song is just plain funny, and fun to sing along to. Always remember that the key to the perfect country and western song lies in including the following elements: Momma, a train, a truck, prison, and getting drunk. Tying them all into one verse scores serious bonus points, and people will feel obliged to include your song on their albums.

14. Wonderboy, Tenacious D

What powers you ask? I dunno, how 'bout the power of flight?
That do anything for ya? That's levitation holmes.
How 'bout the power to kill a yak, from 200 yards away...
with mind bullets! That's telekinesis, Kyle.
How 'bout the power, to move you?

Ah, Tenacious D. Jack and Derek introduced me to their comedic song stylings several years ago, and I enjoy several of their songs (although I doubt many would pass today's FCC filters). But Wonderboy is probably my favorite if for no other reason than the quote from above. Jack Black just gets so into delivering those lines. It's hard not to crack up or join in the fun.

13. Kokomo, The Beach Boys

Everybody knows
A little place like Kokomo
Now if you wanna go
And get away from it all
Go down to Kokomo

Yes, the song was probably played into the ground when it came out. And I know plenty of people don't care for the song. But it's undeniably catchy, and most people can at least sing along to the chorus (listing exotic tropical locales). It's a good song to sing with friends on a car trip. And besides, who wouldn't want to escape to Kokomo (not a real island, Derek), especially when you can get there fast and then take it slow?

12. The Way, Fastball

They drank up the wine
And they got to talking
They now had more important things to say
And when the car broke down
They started walking
Where were they going without ever knowing the way?

Another catchy tune about escapism, only this time without a particular destination. Or maybe they know where they want to go, but just forgot to look up directions on Mapquest. They're certainly not going to the tropical island paradise of Kokomo because (a) it doesn't exist, and (b) they're driving. They could be going to Kokomo, Indiana, though. If they had directions.

11. Mr. Pinstripe Suit, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Now he strolls through the city like a big ol' alley cat
with his pinstripe suit
and a big bad voodoo hat.

Time to throw in a little swing. I like this band, and of the songs I've heard them perform, I like this one the best. It reminds me of a summer a few years back when a bunch of my friends and I went to a BBVD lawn concert. I can't remember if they played this song, but it was a lot of fun. Back to the song, though... I think it'd be fun to skate to this someday. It's already half choreographed in my head.

10. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers

When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man whose lonely without you
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
Dream about the time when I'm with you.

Cheesy, yes. But if it comes on the radio, I'm going to turn up the volume and sing along. I just wish I had the accent (or, um, the singing ability) to do it justice.

9. Hotel California, The Eagles

How they dance in the courtyard
Sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember
Some dance to forget

This is the first song that I remember really liking. It was probably playing on a Pizza Hut jukebox. I chose the above quote, because I can identify with the sentiment. There are times we do things to reminisce, and there are times we do things to lose ourselves and forget about our troubles. I've definitely experienced both aspects while skating, and I could see how dancing would be the same.

8. One Headlight, The Wallflowers

I'm so alone, and I feel just like somebody else
Man, I ain't changed, but I know I ain't the same

I identify this song with the summer after graduating from high school. It seemed like every time I went out with friends that summer, this song would come up at least once. I'm not sure whether the lyrics are supposed to "make sense" or it's more a string of words that sound good together, but I do understand the feeling that you've changed in some way so imperceptible it's hard to know how or why it happened. Beyond that, this song doesn't hold any deep meaning for me; I just like the way it sounds.

7. The Sound of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel

Hello, darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left it’s seeds while I was sleeping

Ah, a reflective piece. I imagine most people have had that twinge of melancholy that inspired thoughts of darkness and dour poetry. But unlike the ramblings of your typical eighth grade girl, this song is actually good. It's a bittersweet piece, probably best enjoyed alone in a darkened room, perhaps with a glass of red wine handy.

6. American Pie, Don McLean

I met a girl who sang the blues, and I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store, where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play

This one's a classic. I don't know all of the lyrics, or all of their meaning. And shouldn't the levy be dry? But anyway. It's another song that almost everyone knows the chorus, so you can sing it with a group a friends. It's got a catchy tune, and has both upbeat and wistful sections. Oh, and Weird Al's parody is pretty funny too.

5. Piano Man, Billy Joel

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone

The quintessential drinking song: one you'd expect to hear in Cheers. Billy Joel has many fine songs, but I think this one is the most fun to sing along to. While drunk/drinking. With other people who are drunk/drinking. Possibly arm in arm, swaying to the music, trying not to spill anything. You know, German style - which is why those Germans came up with this brilliant invention.

4. You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You, Dean Martin

The world still is the same, you never change it,
As sure as the stars shine above;
You're nobody 'til somebody loves you,
So find yourself somebody to love.

Many of my readers may remember this song from the opening credits of Swingers. It's a simple song, but it's catchy. And the world is a much brighter place when somebody loves you. So find yourself somebody to love and go out for Italian.

3. Unchained Melody, The Righteous Brothers

Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.

"My illness at the time took the form of believing that the Righteous Brothers' recording of 'You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin' ' on the London label was possibly the most haunting, the most deeply moving noise ever produced by the human spirit..."
But I'm going to go with Unchained Melody instead. Okay, so this song was almost ruined by the movie Ghost. I don't care. I still like it. The words are simple, but meaningful. And Underhill and Martini performed an outstanding pairs routine to this piece.

2. I Saw Her Standing There, The Beatles

Whoah, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long I fell in love with her.
Now I’ll never dance with another
Since I saw her standing there

Derek will undoubtedly disagree with me (because he's crazy), but you can't go wrong with The Beatles. Narrowing it down to one song was difficult (although I tend to prefer their earlier songs). But I chose this one because it has special significance to me: it's the first track on a Beatles mix that Honor made for me.

1. A Kiss to Build a Dream On, Louis Armstrong

Give me a kiss to build a dream on
And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss
Sweetheart, I ask no more than this
A kiss to build a dream on

I don't really have much to say except that I really like this song. It's simple and elegant. It's about hope, love and romance. It's an optimist's song: though two lovers are parting, all it takes is a kiss to endure the time apart. If I hear or even think of this tune, it'll be with me all day (but in the good way, not the "arggh, I'll never get this tune out of my head" sort of way).

No honorable mentions this month. Not because there aren't any, but because there are just too many. And you're probably tired of reading this post already.