Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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?

15 comments:

  1. oh my gosh this list is great! i love the idea too. i think i'd have a third eye blind song in there - i love when you get tied to a song that brings all the emotions! :)

    xoxo cheshire kat

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  2. I absolutely love this idea and may have to use it whether it be this year or next :) But ahh yes the Butch Walker song pretty much is one of my faves! It just hits me. I'm not surprised to see Bon Jovi and Gwen making an appearance either. I love learning the backstories behind why people enjoy a song because at face value most of the time it's not as powerful.

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  3. I'm thankful for most hair band songs but right now I'm enjoying Girl Crush by Little Big Town a LOT.

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  4. Always On My Mind Willie style is one of the greatest songs out there.

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  5. My mother took me to see Bon Jovi during their Slippery When Wet tour, too. She and I didn't bond over the experience, though. During the majority of the concert, I stood in my seat and sang along with every word. My mom, stood in front of her seat, clutching her purse for dear life, and had these humongous wads of cotton stuck in her ears. I kid you not! Every once in a while, she would look up at me and I down at her (since I was standing in my seat) and the look on her face was of complete and utter confusion, like she had absolutely no idea who the teenager standing in the seat next to her was! LOL! After the concert, we met my stepdad outside the arena and he asked if I enjoyed it. I enthusiastically replied, "YES!" and my mom quickly interjected, "Good, 'cause I'm never taking you another concert again." And...she didn't. LOL! But, my aunt and uncle did, so it was all good! I guess, truth be told, we sort of bonded over it because every once in a while it will come up in conversation and we both laugh about it. She's never been a fan, but she recently said "Who knew that long haired guy would turn into such a handsome looking man..."

    This was a fun entry to read. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

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  6. I love this! These are all great songs. :)

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  7. I love how eerily similar our choices are (and by that I mean, the same sort of mix of artists) and we both paid homage to our home state (me with Billy Joel, you with Willie Nelson). Twinsies forever.

    Just A Girl is (was) one of my picks for our Badass Songs by Badass Women playlist!

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  8. It's always amazing to me how songs have the ability to take you back to a certain place or time, and bring up so many memories, some good and some bad! I love the fact that you included a Texas icon on your list and that you're always reminded of Texas when you listen to it!

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  9. Wanted Dead or Alive is a great pick. Scars is one that always hits me hard too. I love Papa Roach though.

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  10. YES! I've always loved Just a Girl. Never fails to pull me out of a funk and make me feel like a kick ass female!

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  11. okee dokee. i'm a little surprised that there's only one bon jovi song on here. that inxs song's not one with which i'm familiar. thanks for sharing it (and for the email you'd sent). love you, dear.

    i put up a post just now about some songs for which i'm thankful to balance the heavy from yesterday. and thanks again for contributing the question.

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  12. by my side always makes me cry because the NRMA uses it in their sad commercials. i had to google the NRMA by the way because i couldn't remember the name. isn't that sad? i love that don't move song made you believe in love. music is so ridiculously powerful.

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  13. I love the idea behind this playlist, and the stories you shared behind each song. Music is so awesome, and I can definitely understand that feeling of, "How can I possibly narrow it down to just a few?"

    I've cried at multiple concerts because of that happy/overwhelmed feeling you mentioned. I've also cried at many shows because certain songs just get me every time ... And hearing them live just did me in (but in a good way).

    I'm so glad you mentioned Butch Walker to me a while ago, and shared this song ... It's beautiful! :-)

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  14. Just A Girl is such a great song. I think it just never gets old!

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