Songs I am thankful for

The last Thursday of every month, Jana and I are creating playlists for your listening pleasure.  As we brainstormed for this month, this was Jana's exact suggestion:  "How about...songs we're thankful for? Can be ones that make us happy, ones that remind us of childhood, ones that motivate us. Stuff like that."  My response was "perfect".

Selecting songs that I'm thankful for was actually more difficult of a task than I imagined.  So many songs streamed in and out of consciousness...for so many different reasons.  Choosing just a few that really meant a lot to me that I could relate to you their importance, well...like I said, it proved to be more difficult task than I imagined.

If you've been here often, or if you know me at all, you are going to assume that Bon Jovi will be on this list.  That assumption is absolutely correct.

Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi - My mother took myself and three other junior high girls to see Bon Jovi on the Slippery When Wet tour.  As you can imagine, it was a highlight of my adolescence (if not the highlight).   Portions of the video for Wanted were filmed at The Summit in Houston, Texas.  This started a bond that my mother and I have over Bon Jovi.  We've been to several more concerts together throughout the years.  She sends me messages when she sees a performance or interview on tv.  PLUS - another special moment happened with this song:  2006 - one of my very best girlfriends and my boyfriend at the time (who shared and supported my love of music and travel) saw Bon Jovi at Milton Keynes in England.  We had GA tickets, and we were pretty close for most of the show.  During the encore, I wanted a change of setting.  This venue is a "bowl" that is outdoors and inclines down towards the stage.  I went to the top of the bowl...behind the rest of the crowd...watched 65,000 people singing at the top of their lungs to this song.  And, I cried.  Yep.  Cried big tears.  I cried because I was happy.  I cried because I was overwhelmed.  I cried because I was thankful.
(What you see on MTV's VMAs nowadays is complete and total crap compared to this right here.......watch youtube clip now)

Always on My Mind, Willie Nelson version - He's a Texas icon.  He's a unique, unconventional talent.  I like Texas...and I like unique, unconvential, talented people.  Growing up, we had season tickets to my university's football games.  My dad was a graduate and got season tickets before I was born.  This was a family tradition.  My dad, although I do not consider him a country music fan, was a Willie Nelson fan.  Whether it was Red-Headed Stranger, Stardust, Honeysuckle Rose, Pretty Paper...these albums were in heavy rotation.  Also, my dad has an excellent voice.  On most of all of those road trips to College Station, Texas to see our football game, I would sit in the back seat and listen to my dad sing along to Willie.  This song will always remind me of Texas, back roads, football games, and my dad.  Thankfully.

 
Scars by Papa Roach - I have sang this song at the top of my lungs with tears streaming down my face more times than I can count.  In my car.  In my apartment.  In a concert.  In a park.  Word for word, I felt like these lyrics were written for me at a time in my life that I felt like I would indeed "tear my heart open" then "sew myself shut".  For years and years, I followed that same cycle ... tearing myself open, only to feel hurt, pain, sadness ... so, I'd sew myself shut, and I'd pretend I was all good.  I finally broke that cycle, and now this song is an anthem for me to remind myself what I've been through, what I've learned, where I've been, and being thankful for where I am.
 

Don't Move by Butch Walker - During a period of my life (like a whole decade of it...or maybe even more), I was having a really difficult time believing in love.  Believing that I could be loved.  Believing that I deserved love.  Believing that I could give in a way that allowed myself to love.  This song made me feel like love was possible.  It gave me all the feels.  I didn't find the love that this song made me feel for years after hearing it, but it made me believe that love could possibly exist for me.  It still gives me all the feels...shivers...goosebumps.  I'd guess this is a song many of you don't know.  Please listen to it.  Thank you.

By My Side by INXS - My guy and I didn't have an ideal start or the easiest time getting where we are.  He sent me these lyrics once, during a particularly painful time for us.  This song haunts me.  I've always loved its simple beauty.  I am thankful that it played a small role in getting us where we are today. Writers: Kirk Pengilly, Andrew Farriss

"In the dark of night
Those faces they haunt me
I wish you were so close to me

Yes I wish you were
By my side"

Just A Girl by No Doubt - It's fun, witty, sarcastic, and awesome in everyway.  It's an anthem that let's me strut, dance, sing, bounce, jump, and feel all kinds of girl power!  I felt this way about it 20 years ago, and I still feel that way today.  For that, I thank you, Gwen, Tony, Tom, and Adrian.



Don't forget to go check out Jana's songs that she is thankful for.

Tell me...what song(s) are you thankful for?