Best 12 Songs in the Universe

[tsukinofaerii]

Stolen from bookshop at her post here .

She would, of course, post it while I was at work. If I'd had my music files in front of me, it would have been so simple. As it is, my brain clogged like an old sink. Still, I managed.

12 Best Song in the Universe

1. March of Cambreadth by Heather Alexander
   
   Why: It gets the blood moving like a typical "fight" folksong, but at the same time it really feels like it conveys (what I imagine to be) the mindset of the common soldier. The mix of drums and bagpipes brings to mind all the little wars fought all over the world, and how when it gets right down to it (most) soldiers don't fight for glory, country or because they really want to. The soldiers on the other side might be someone they wouldn't mind having a beer with under other circumstances. But if you don't kill them, they'll kill you and then take a shot at your buddies. So you do what you have to do. :/ (Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment, anyone?) Of course, me avoiding the armed forces like the plague doesn't make me one to talk.
   
   
2. We Shall Be Free by Garth Brooks (Double Live Version)
   
   Why: Because it says everything that needs to be said. That it does it in a way you can dance to only makes it better. :3 This song should be the goal statement for the whole human race, I swear.
   
   
3. I've Loved You Before by Melissa Etheridge
   
   Why: It's beautiful and full of all the things I think everyone hopes for in their love life. It's so so so so so sad at the same time, because it keeps coming back to the fact that in a lot of places and times no one would love freely, not really. Also, it's damned hard to find a song that mentions gay Roman soldiers. ^^;
   
   
4. Flies on the Butter by Wynonna Judd
   
   Why: This is just pure nostalgia for me, but it might not be for everyone. I grew up in the city, but my summers were mostly spent with my Grandparents and the 20+ acres they have out in the middle of nowhere (well, it feels like nowhere). Now that I'm all grown up, the house and property are still there, but it's not the same thing at all, and I think I'll always regret that I didn't really appreciate what I had for a long, long time, and now its too late.
   
   
5. Hotel California by the Eagles
   
   Why: This song has an insanely complex mix of symbolism and realism that combines into an incredible (and creepy) story. I've heard all sorts of theories about what it means, and I think all of them are right. It's one of those that you get your own meaning out of. The music is perfect to set the mood, but not so much that it feels like a horror story track. And the cliffhanger at the end is just enough to keep you thinking, while at the same time not frustrating you with never knowing how it ends.
   
   
6. American Pie by Don McLean
   
   Why: Because at first it sounds insane (Jesters? James Dean? Satan?) but makes sense on a whole separate level from logic after you've heard it all the way through. It evokes a feeling of loss that's incredibly deep, even as it never really tells directly you what you lost. Even better, it's a puzzle, and it's still not entirely solved by the people who have made of hobby of researching it. It's fun to sing and one of the few songs that's enjoyable as an earworm.
   
   
7. Over and Under by Egypt Central
   
   Why: On the top level, it's just fun to listen to, with a good beat. But I love the way the lyrics seem to switch around the usual gender roles. It's a male singer, but the position he describes himself in is one I think is considered female. Beyond that, it's one of those songs I wish some people would listen to, and maybe give some thought to that person they're under.
   
   
8. Angel by Sarah McLachlan
   
   Why: This song comes very close to making me cry. I think everyone reaches a point in their lives where they feel like they're backed into a corner and someone just built a wall in front of them. This song grasps that sense of helplessness so incredibly well, and the temptation to just give up... whether through suicide or drugs or whatever. I love it for that, while at the same time almost never being able to listen to it.
   
   
9. One Tin Soldier by Joni Mitchell
   
   Why: I normally don't like morals in my music, but this is another one that so many people should listen to for the message it has. Yeah, it's catchy and fun to sing, but I don't think I'd like it nearly as much if the message were more generic. Still, it's amazing to listen to.
   
   
10. Drift Away by Dobbie Grey
    
    Why: I think I tend to like music about music. Really well-done music can be a nearly spiritual experience, and music about that feeling just gets me. This is one of those that really captures what I look for in everything else I listen to.
    
    
11. I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie
    
    Why: I think it's a combination of the simple music and vocals with the lyrics that do it for this one. It sounds like something that a lover would sing impromptu, and the music reinforced that. So it manages to trigger the hopeless romantic and the philosopher in me. It deals with death, but not in the normal way, and I rather like the peaceful way it presents the process of dying.
    
    
12. Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls
    
    Why: This song seems to touch that left-over bit of angst-ridden teenager in me that still insists that no one else will understand my issues or what kind of person I am, under the trappings of job and family and all the generic titles that come with existing. Still, it's not entirely angsty or hopeless - the way the singer says "I just want you to know who I am" suggests that it's possible... and that makes me smile.

What are yours?