What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
What does your favorite music say about you? If you created a playlist on your iPod called “My Life,” which had only six songs on it that defined critical moments in your life, what songs would be on it?
The British Guardian has launched a project called “Six Songs of Me,” which seeks to answer this very question for as many people as possible. It wants to know which six songs would be on your playlist, if you had to pick one track for each of the questions below.
- What was the first song you ever bought?
- What song always gets you dancing?
- What song takes you back to your childhood?
- What is your perfect love song?
- What song would you want at your funeral?
- Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you.
Here are my six songs, with links so you can listen to them if you want. What are yours?
- What was the first song you ever bought? “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls (which is embarrassing…)
- What song always gets you dancing? There’s an Iranian singer called Rana Farhan who sings classical Iranian poetry, like that of Rumi, to the sultry rhythms of American jazz and blues. I wrote about her for the Wall Street Journal, if you’re interested in her background. Her song, “Drunk With Love,” is my choice for this question. I would really recommend you listen to it. You won’t hear anything else like it.
- What song takes you back to your childhood? “The River” by Bruce Springsteen. It was the first song I can remember consciously loving. I was 7 or 8 and the first time I heard it, I was playing outside with my dog. As the song was coming to an end, I ran back inside to the stereo to hit the “repeat” button. Then I went back out to play. Then, three minutes later, as the song was coming to an end, I ran back inside to hit repeat. I did this a few times before my dad showed me the button to press on the stereo that keeps the track on repeat indefinitely. That was a big mistake, as he found out. Playing my favorite songs on an endless repeat loop is a habit I still have.
- What is your perfect love song? ”Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. Just kidding. Motown love songs are all full of joy and have always had a special place in my heart. I think my favorite is “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by Diana Ross and The Temptations. I also love the jazz standard “They All Laughed.”
- What song would you want at your funeral? This is a tough one, but for some reason the hymn-like “Daddy Sang Bass” by Johnny Cash is coming to mind (“Singin’ seems to help a troubled soul / One of these days and it won’t be long / I’ll rejoin them in a song / I’m gonna join the family circle at the throne”). I love the song because it rings with hope and joy.
- Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you. When Miles Davis’ “Sketches of Spain” album comes on, I have to stop what I’m doing to listen–it is stunningly beautiful. The standout song on the album is the 17-minute long song “Concierto De Aranjuez” (the link takes you to a 7-minute clip of it). The Spanish element adds an element of oriental exotism to the song that I love.
Why should anyone care about the “Six Songs” project? Over at the Guardian, Oxford musicologist Eric Clarke writes about the enduring influence of music on the human psyche:
There’s nothing secret about music’s power in our lives, even if we are still a long way from having a proper understanding of it, but there is something astonishing and transformative about music’s grip on consciousness – and the sheer variety of musics, from every age and every part of the globe that can do that. And perhaps our early experiences of music leave a mark that we only understand much later: at the age of 50 I wrote a book called Ways of Listening whose central premise was the continuity between music and the sounds of the everyday environment. Perhaps it’s all down to the influence of those sound effects on the first records that I heard…
Music is truly an amazing part of our culture–maybe the most amazing part of it. Even the most primitive cultures–which don’t have creation myths or advanced visual art–still have music, as Edmund O. Wilson points out in his book The Social Conquest of the Earth.
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Comments:
Jun '12
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Pseudodionysius
I truly hope to meet you someday, PseudoD!
Jun '12
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
gnarlydad: I was raised in a christian ghetto. Sorry. My musical taste has been permanently deranged. Here goes anyhow: · 4 hours ago
Also raised on Girrard/Keaggy/Evie/Andre/2nd Chapter of Acts/Jaime Owens. The Christian music scene has never topped what went down in early to mid 70s!
Jun '12
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Ed G. · 1 hour ago
Joel /Crowes / Zep / White Stripes = STRONG!
Jun '12
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
emory king: Here goes
First song Blind man in the Bleachers
I don't dance. This is by rule of wife
Childhood song Either Rockin Robin or Ruby
Love song Still
When they bury me Three songs all played on bagpipes
Scotland the Brave, Marines Hymn, Amazing Grace · 5 hours ago
Class move on the bagpipes graveside. Mine would be "Pio Braireachd". Hopefully if will be a damp, drizzly November when it is played for perfect effect.
Feb '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Cornelius Julius Sebastian:What was the first song you ever bought?
Technically, my Mom bought me a 45 of Abba's "Take a Chance on Me" when I was about 10 (which is embarrassing to admit but, hey, I was 10 and the chicks from Abba were smokin'). The first music I actually bought myself was Billy Joel'sGlass Houses. Still a great album, I bought it for "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me."
What song always gets you dancing?
So many. Tops are probably "My Sharona" (The Knack); "Freeze Frame" (J. Geils Band); "What I like About You" (The Romantics); "Desire" (U2)
What song takes you back to your childhood?
"Yellow Submarine" (Beatles), Dad played it for my sis and me when we were very young. "Jack and Diane" (John Mellencamp) for teen years.
What is your perfect love song?”
Toss up between "Dear Prudence" (Beatles) and "Thank You" (Led Zeppelin)
.....
"Thank You" was actually my wedding song. You'd be surprised how many dj's don't have it (or are lying to me when I request it).
Mar '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Most of these songs would change from day-to-day or hour-to-hour, depending on my mood.
But I have long-held opinions about 2 subjects.
Perfect Love song: Peter White: "All I Want".
Song at my funeral: Alan Parsons: "Old and Wise", but it has to be played LOUD, especially the instrumental at the end.
My Dad had "Off We go into the Wild Blue Yonder" and "On, Wisconsin" played at his funeral, but "On, Wisconsin" was primarily his way of getting the last word in a long-going "discussion" with the minister, who was an Ohio State fan.
Aug '12
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
What was the first song you ever bought?
I'm pretty sure it's "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder
What song always gets you dancing?
"In the Mood" by Glenn Miller
What song takes you back to your childhood?
"Leader of the Band" by Dan Fogelberg
What is your perfect love song?
"The Luckiest" by Ben Folds or "True Companion" by Marc Cohn. I sang the latter to my wife when I proposed to her.
What song would you want at your funeral?
"Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2
Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you.
If I had to pick one, I'd go with "Amazed" by Building 429. 'I won't question in the dark/what is true out in the light.'
Edited on August 18, 2012 at 1:39amDec '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Paul Dougherty:
6. Me- Hendrix at Woodstock
All Along The Watchtower= one of the greatest rock songs ever written. Good call!
Mar '12
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Next up on the Ricochet conversation feed: "What is your favorite flavor of toothpaste?"
May '10
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
What a fun post. Love reading this thread, even if it is making me feel old.
What was the first song you ever bought?
I think it was the 45 of Blondie's "Rapture"
What song always gets you dancing?
Oingo Boingo will always do it for me
What song takes you back to your childhood?
Anything by Jim Croce makes me think of car rides with my dad. Also, Andy Williams Christmas songs take me back too.
What is your perfect love song?
"Someone Like You" off of Van Morrison's "Poetic Champions Compose." Wowsers.
What song would you want at your funeral?
"Ave Maria"
Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you.
USC Marching Band playing "Fight On/Conquest" -- hands down. Come to think of it, that could work at my funeral too.
Mar '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
There's the nugget of a serious question in there. Ricochet bills itself as:
at what point does flippancy and tangential questions akin to navel gazing indulgences as to the character of the community detract from this goal?
Perhaps a steering committee is required to determine a proper agenda for the Main Feed, vetted by a council of experts of course and after consultation with the membership a course could be determined that would form the corporate strategy going forward for Rob Long's little experiment.
Or... we could just be content with Editors posting what pleases them and let the free market of ideas determine the success or failure of this enterprise.
My opinion, I'm a Crest® man. I will never understand you Colgate® people. Never.
Edited on August 18, 2012 at 4:07amJun '12
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Roberto
There's the nugget of a serious question in there. Ricochet bills itself as:
at what point does flippancy and tangential questions akin to navel gazing indulgences as to the character of the community detract from this goal?
Perhaps a steering committee is required to determine a proper agenda for the Main Feed, vetted by a council of experts of course and after consultation with the membership a course could be determined that would form the corporate strategy going forward for Rob Long's little experiment.
Or... we could just be content with Editors posting what pleases them and let the free market of ideas determine the success or failure of this enterprise.
My opinion, I'm a Crest® man. I will never understand you Colgate® people. Never. · 11 minutes ago
Edited 7 minutes ago
Dude, Colgate's got the flip top, yo?
Feb '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
What was the first song you ever bought?
1st vinyl: Tres Hombres, ZZ Top
What song always gets you dancing?
Stop Making Sense, Talking Heads (I gotta get me one of those big suits!)
What song takes you back to your childhood?
Parents listened to a lot of easy listening, not easy during the late sixties, so I remember "Downtown" by Petula Clark on a lot of car trips
What is your perfect love song?
"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", The Police (mine, not ours)
What song would you want at your funeral?
Angus Dei, Faure's Requiem
Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you.
"I am God" Kirk Franklin and Toby Mac
Dec '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
"Downtown" by Petula Clark ... Shoot, this thread is driving me crazy!
Big John: Check out the raincoat. Petula Clark - Downtown - YouTube
Edited on August 18, 2012 at 5:10amOct '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
We all need a soundtrack to our lives. And mine needs to be sung by Louis Armstrong. He's on a permanent loop in my head.
Sidenote: I will NEVER forget watching my parents dance, in the garage, to The BeGees, How Can I Mend A Broken Heart.
I will sit in the driveway until Unchained Melody has finished. Can't walk away, makes no matter who is waiting.
Mar '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
It's Friday. On Fridays, we take a break with a post or two that deals with some off-politics fun subject. There's more than enough still on the main freed addressing the harder questions of the day.
Sep '10
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Crow's Nest
It's Friday. On Fridays, we take a break with a post or two that deals with some off-politics fun subject. There's more than enough still on the main freed addressing the harder questions of the day. · 1 minute ago
We've got Casey's famous bodywash thread, the Rob Long Legasauras thread and the 666 Songs thread. More than enough to fill your cultural quotient for the week and weekend.
Nov '10
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
Big John:
Angus Dei, Faure's Requiem
The Scotsman of God?
Jul '10
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
There was a novelty record connected with the Adam West Batman series that I spent birthday money on. The show theme cut was a mediocre treatment, and the rest of the album was classic commercialized weak. With the exception of one splice of the Batmobile revving the jet engine.
I am not allowed to dance (except the slow stuff), but "Lawyers in Love" will do it every time.
"Hard Day's Night" exposed my young brain to the horrors of idioms. The lyric "I'll be sleeping like a log" carries inconceivable terror for the very young. How would that work? What would the recovery program, if any, be like?
"I Thought I Was a Child" I was five, Jennifer was 3 and a half and a natural blonde...
"Where the Streets Have No Name", U2 (likely as close as I will ever come to there.)
"Send Lawyers, Guns, and Money", Warren Zevon
Nov '11
Re: What Are the Six Songs That Define You?
I love They All Laughed! It was Ginger Rogers day on TCM this past Sunday, and they played Shall We Dance, in which she introduces it to the world (at around the 1:50 mark here). Also introduced in that film: Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, and They Can't Take That Away From Me. That Gershwin guy knew his way around a tune.