I have been told a number of times, just this past week alone, that I--
a) am impossible
b) overthink everything
c) can never move forward
d) cannot be handled anymore
e) am too sensitive
e) need to start having fun
f) should never wear a dickie
And this was from my MOTHER!
But seriously, yes. I am all of those things and it's really only because of one tiny flaw. I don't like being fucked over. Aside from that, I am nothing but laughs. Fun, fun, fun. That is me.
Today begins a weekend full of FUN! Good times. Joy.
And here are some songs that really do it for me.
Have you got FUN songs? Songs that you just can't help but dance to, or play air guitar to, or sing along with?
Let's hear it!
And this...which I only just heard yesterday...is a current fave.
19 comments:
First one I thought of was XTC - Stupidly Happy
Randy
Since I'm on an XTC kick, Mayor of Simpleton
World Party--Way Down Now
Kinks--Better Things
Replacements--Alex Chilton
The Jayhawks--Haywire
That's all great you mind numbing excuse for a reprobate but couldn't you have turned this into a downloadable weekend mix for us simple minded.
P
Hot Fun in the Summertime never fails to get me up.
Thank you Sly!
wow, such a wide open question; so off the top of my head—
NRBQ: 12-Bar Blues
Marshall Crenshaw: Rockin Around in NYC
Bonnie Raitt: Let's Give Them Something to Talk About
B-52s: Love Shack
Beatles:Tell Me Why (happiest song with saddest lyrics)
Brandy Clark: Stripes (saw Brandy Clark last week—terrific show. Highest recommendation.)
And, Mr. N., as far as your supposed troublesome attitude, I think it's a very positive sign that we didn't get your annual "why the Grammys are complete bullshit" post. Did you do the healthy thing and just not watch? Personally, that night I caught up on some old episodes of "Portlandia."
But did you notice that the Stones won for Best Traditional Blues Album? I guess that says it all...
"Them Changes" whether it be Buddy, Band of Gypsies or Billy Preston. Same for "Only You Know and I Know," pretty much doesn't matter who.
Ken D.
I did not watch the Grammys. The thought of it made me ill. Even with the potential ofr material for a hilarious post-Grammy blog, I just couldn't do it. I watched "A Band's Visit" instead. What a wonderful, hilarious, beautiful, heartbreaking movie.
These are not necessarily on any list of my favorite songs, but to meet your 3 criteria of FUN!
Air Guitar: "My Sharona". Nuff said. "Shout It Out Loud" by KISS and "Flavor Of The Week" by American Hi-Fi (I was also going to mention "Alex Chilton", but will say "Left of the Dial" instead.)
Sing along: "Come Up And See Me" -- Cockney Rebel (basically any song with a "bop bop bop bop" or an an "ooh la la la" background vocal will get me singing along...) "The Frug" -- Rilo Kiley "Call Me Maybe". "Rollers Show" (!)
and, god damn it, I will dance around to: "Hey Ya!" -- once I hear it it never leaves. Like a guest that can't overstay it's welcome. Same with "Fuck You" by Cee Lo. And "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars. "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk. And "Bust A Move" by Young MC. "Dancing Queen" and too many disco hits to name (Boogie Fever! YMCA! ) -- I kill at weddings on the dance floor.
Song that meets all 3 criteria: SURFIN' BIRD! Papa-oom-mow-mow-mow, indeed! One driving chord through almost the entire song. This song is the epitome of FUN!
I could go on for days. These jumped off the top of my head.
I watched the Grammys (and sadly missed an option to comment here). I don't get Kendrick Lamar, but I've long come to the conclusion that it's just music that doesn't appeal to me), but the performance commanded my attention. Little Big Town was good. Kesha was *great* -- been a long time since I was that moved by a Grammy performance. Bruno Mars continues to impress as does Lady Gaga. Childish Gambino's performance was an eye-opener as I've listened to other things and been left unmoved, but that performance was enthralling.
The Broadway songs (Somewhere and Don't Cry For Me Argentina) were well done, but didn't belong (though I got the point -- I would have preferred to see *one* Hard Rock performance -- or Lorde.)
Stuff I didn't like: "Wildflowers", "Tears In Heaven", the awful tribute to Fats/Chuck Berry, and Sting can just -- go away or retire or something... Elton John/Miley Cyrus -- eh. U2 looked out-of-place.
My ex-business partner posted his fave records of 2017 on the Huffington Post and this is what he wrote in the opening paragraph:
"I can tell you that the best thing about not owning a record store (apart from not losing money hand over fist) is that I don’t have to give a damn about new music anymore."
Once I had that same revelation, it was as if I had just told the entire world a secret I had been carrying for years. I watched the Grammys ONLY to be ready for the following day at the shop. But truth be told, there is less and less new music I can listen to. Trying to find the good in Ke$sha or Miley or Adele or even Bruno Mars is hard work. These are entertainers, like Siegfried & Roy, or Steve & Eydie. If I had no choice, I'd see them in Vegas before the buffet. But I cannot honestly say, "Adele is fabulous."
(And there goes my "joy-filled" post. Apologies.)
Like you, Sal I am an easy-going, life-and-soul, all round good egg until I feel like I'm being fucked over. And given the preponderance of miscreants in this world who will not hesitate to administer a good fucking over every chance they get, it's a sensible idea to have a fair-sized stash of fun available for a little recuperative lusty (and in my case tuneless) singing and leaping around. These are just a few of mine.
Girls At Our Best: Pleasure
Leyton Buzzards: Saturday Night Beneath the Plastic Palm Trees
The Damned: New Rose
The Clash: I Fought The Law
Pepe and the Bottle Blondes: Rumba de 5 Kilos
Bruce Springsteen: Rosalita
Grateful Dead: Sugar Magnolia (live)
Blue Oyster Cult: Burnin' For You
Wilco: Monday
Nick Lowe: I Knew The Bride
Yes: Roundabout (Yessongs version)
Steely Dan: Reelin'in the Years
R.E.M.: It's the End of the World
Sal--
One great mood-booster I picked up right here at Burning Wood is Stanton Moore's Handa Wanda.
Couldn't find a good Youtube version of The Gourds' How Will You Shine, so instead here is Martha's Vineyard's own Johnny Hoy & The Bluefish (they do weddings!) and Big Stacka Darlin'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Itpp5hL6C0
Hi there - lot of good tunes on there! Grammys? You said it. You notice Leonard Cohen won best Rock Performance for "You Want it Darker"? Rock on, and RIP. He'd laugh out loud. As far as feel good, make me dance around music, I do not know if it'll come across on this MP3 or whatever, but Skip James playing the piano in his unique style back in 1930 gets my vote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHrXgd6sqOw&ab_channel=Blues%2FReggae%2FCountry%2FBluegrass%2FGospel
One of my favorite "I am HAPPY, dammit!!" songs is one I got from one of your Weekend Mixes, Sal, and would never have known it otherwise - "Blessed" by Wycliffe Gordon. I've put it on several mixtapes for friends since then.
Hello all...no, please remain seated,
Lots of great songs happy songs here. Let me contribute a couple of my own. Funny you bring up this topic today...I was driving to work this morning and had the ipad on shuffle. Ella Fitzgerald’s Songbook version of S’Wonderful came on and i hadn’t heard it in a long while. Flat out made me feel physically great and had me smiling ear to ear. Lyrics, arrangement, vocals...all perfect.
Secondly....for those of us whoever dated, partnered or married “above our station”, so to speak, I give you “Baby Loves Me” by Eels:
Record company hates me
The doctor says I'm sick
The bad girls think I'm just too nice
And the nice girls call me "dick"
But baby loves me!
And she's smarter than you
My baby loves me!
Unlikely but true
Policeman flashes the red lights
Coach says that I'm weak
Teacher says I'm not too bright
Bodybuilder calls me "pipsqueak"
Baby loves me!
And she's smarter than you
My baby loves me!
Unlikely but true
Kills me very time.....regards,
RichD
J. Loslo: Johnny Hoy & the Bluefish played at my wedding! They were great. Good to know they're still at it.
Sorry— my wife tells me that it wasn't Johnny Hoy who played at our wedding, although we did listen to their audition tape. It was another Vineyard band (they really were great—THAT I remember!) We can't remember their name. Well, it was twenty years ago. (Another twenty years and I'll probably be saying that Percy Sledge sang at our wedding...)
Well, The Smiths' "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" works for me. I know, you don't have to tell me, I'll go and stand on the naughty step again.
A few of my happy songs:
I Should Have Know Better - Beatles
Cecilia- Simon and Garfunkel
What Is Life- George Harrison
Of Thee I Sing- Leon Russell
Thank You (falletinme be mice elf agin)- Sly & the Family Stone
Better Things- Kinks
Stay Up Late- Talking Heads
Radiation Vibe- Fountains of Wayne
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