Top 10 Desert Island Songs – Part 1
I’ve been a music lover as long as I can remember. Some of my very first memories involve music, so over the past few decades, I’ve become attached to many songs. Recently, WXPN in Philadelphia ran a promo asking people to submit their top 10 songs they would take with them if stranded alone on an island. This post will list my first 5, and expand on them a bit, explaining why these songs resonate with me. I’ll follow up with the second half of my list in my next post.
1. Big Star – September Gurls
This song is 3 minutes of pure pop bliss. I became of fan of “power pop” earlier in the decade, and Big Star is one of the best in the genre. This song has all the best elements. Jangly guitar? Check. Longing lyrics? Check. Big chorus? Check. Alex Chilton’s distinct vocals take care of the rest.
2. Camper Van Beethoven – June
This song is featured on one of my favorite albums of all time – Key Lime Pie. I’ve probably listened this to album in its entirety at least once a month since it came out in 1989, and the sound is absolutely timeless. This song has so many great things going on in it. First is the build up, provided by the unique intro which breaks into a beautiful violin-driven melody. I think my attraction to this song has to do with the concept of months and seasons, and the feelings that go along with various times of year.
“Are you weary of the lengthening days / Do you secretly wish for November’s rain?”
“There is nothing in this world more bitter than love / In all those long days of June / Bring me the long, brown grass now that it’s dry / There is nothing in this world more bitter than spring.”
At the end, the song falls apart into a combination of violin and drums.
3. South San Gabriel – Everglades
This band includes most of the members of Centro-matic, along with select guest musicians. This is the slower, moodier side of Centro-matic…a side that I enjoy very much. It took me quite a while to wrap my head around this album, in fact, I recall putting it on the shelf for several months before I revisited it. The struggle was worth it, and Everglades is my favorite track from the record. The 8 minute track features slow tempo Casio percussion as its backbone (among other sound effects,) a subtle steel guitar, and some bleak lyrics by Will Johnson. The opening line, “Constantly protected, but somehow so damages” sets the tone, until the song dissolves into fiery sound effects and spoken word by Johnson.
Sample and purchase on Amazon.com
4. Bobby Womack – That’s the Way I Feel About Cha
I’m a fan off all kinds of music, and if I’m going to be stranded on a desert island, I better mix it up. Soul and R&B music has so much to offer, and Bobby Womack is one of my favorites. I love his guitar playing, his gritty voice, and his songwriting isn’t too shabby either. This song is a bit of a slow jam, where he’s talking to a suspicious woman in his life. I think what wins me over with Bobby Womack is that he doesn’t have the best voice out there, but there are few singers who put as much feeling into the vocals. Plus, I love when he ad-libs in his songs. In this song he adds a door-knocking sound during an appropriate lyric that cracks me up, but I love it just the same.
“Don’t take my love as a sign of weakness. Check into the situation, girl. Dig a little bit deeper.”
5. Drive-by Truckers – Heathens
I’m a huge fan of The Truckers, and this song is one of my favorites. I’ve always enjoyed the softer side of Patterson Hood’s songwriting, and his ability to put you into the shoes of someone else who is nothing like you. And in that process, you find out that you’re not so different from the person he’s describing. This song tells the tale of a man who after many years, still can’t seem to do the right thing, and it’s taking a toll on his relationship. He feels no need to apologize for his actions, even though he realizes they are to blame for his downfall.
And I don’t need to be forsaken by you or anybody else / and I never had a shortage of people tryin’ to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.
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