Happiness
Billy Joel’s ‘The Longest Time’ is a song that puts a smile on my face, it flat out makes me happy. And I was thinking that what might make me happy might not make other people happy, so what tunes make these other people happy? If we made a 12 Track CD of “Happiness” what would it sound like? So, submit your tunes here or on your own home site and we’ll ask the self appointed doyen of the music club to edit the list down until it becomes 12 tracks of distilled happiness.
«12 CommentsSeptember 25, MMV»
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Hmm, not easy as it at first seemed.
What induces happiness? Memory of an event tangled with a tune? Anyhow.
Steering away from the obvious Beach Boys (Wouldn’t it be Nice? probably, that ode to teenage days) this is quite tough. We want to avoid cheese, of course, and there are happy, uplifting tunes that come at the end of a sequence, but on their own wouldn’t be considered happy. (And I suppose hymns are out?)
There are other classics (Octopus’ Garden, Syd-era Floyd, Kinks) but I must ponder some more. While perusing a shedload of vinyl.
I’d hope to see The Beach Boys in there though.
Cloudbusting by Ms Bush would probably be on the longlist, perhaps even the shortlist. Beyond that, the committee needs to have long pondering sessions.
Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears, perhaps (or Head Over Heels, maybe)
Birdhouse in Your Soul might work, while not TMBG’s happiest, one which most people should know. I am trying not to be too obscure here.
I continue The Thinking…
Bob Marley does it for me. As does the Minutemen. Cause they bounce.
Ah, but I specifically excluded things that make me bounce, but probably wouldn’t have the same effect on the great unwashed.
Massive Attack: Hymn of the Big Wheel
Men At Work - Down Under
Rock the Casbah: Clash
Any track by The Beatles
Rage Agasint the Machine: Rage Against the Machine
Any track by Elton John (yeah, I know!!!)
Green Day: American Idiot
Shania Twain: Man, I feel like a woman! (Yeah, I know)
Elvis: Suspicious Minds (Las Vegas, 08/12/70)
Tony Christie feat Peter Kay: (Is this the way to) Amarilo
I think I better stop now, cos I am not doing myself any favours.
I woke up the other morning after falling asleep with the CD on “repeat.” “Accadian Driftwood” by the Band was playing and for some reason, the sound of it drifting through my head had me smiling all day.
Any good Christmas Carol.
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys.
“At The Zoo” - Simon & Garfunkel.
“Jonny B. Goode” - Chuck Berry.
I’m with swm on the Amarillo song(which worries me), it never fails to raise a smile, great wedding tune.
Whilst this has lowered all credibility through the floor I’ll also offer Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine.
And I’ll send credibility crashing to hell with Hanson - Mmmbop.
I mused on K&TW, it might be a bit overplayed, though that doesn’t necessarily rule it out.
Mmmmmbop is a fine pop tune, and while has a certain inate charm, which again, might not lead to it being excluded.
There are loads of standard blues (and variant) tunes, like ‘Wonderful World’ et al which are uplifting, but not sure they count under the remit of this idea.
‘Lovecats’ might do it, too.
It is more the abstraction of it away from the proposer, into the realms of general happy tune that worries me slightly. As therein lies cheese. Which demographic are we aiming at here?