Sunday, March 19, 2006
 | Sha la la la la la la la la... I used to say that I didn't like to go anywhere without my iPod. Now, since my move to the big city, it has become an obsession, a necessary item that MUST be on me at all times, as invaluable as my cell phone. There has been only one tragic day in which I forgot to put my earphones in my purse with the pod. This was the ONE day, of course, when the NJ Transit bus encountered more traffic than I had ever seen in two months here. I sat on the bus in the gridlocked Lincoln Tunnel for an hour. In silence. My soul saw a little piece of hell that day. I generally leave it on shuffle so I can still get that classic thrill that happens when a radio station puts on the perfect song for where you are/what you're doing/who you're with; of course, that means that sometimes I have to skip through eight or ten songs to get there. But I get there nevertheless. Why not ensure that I have the perfect music to match my atmosphere if I have all the tools at my fingertips? So here are some of my categories: Walking Music: Used when walking through the city - usually either to or from work. Music that motivates me to move and to match the rhythm of the other city-walkers in the city. It doesn't need to be super-fast in pace like workout music, but it does need to have a pulse. Helps me to make-believe that I am the lead in the movie known as my life. Songs that top this list: *Have You Met Miss Jones - Robbie Williams - from the Bridget Jones Diary soundtrack. This was actually suggested to me by Thomas when he was over and it came on in my room. He grinned and said this seemed like the perfect song to listen to when you're walking through the streets of New York. So I took his advice and it turns out he was right. *Perfect Time of Day - Howie Day - This is a great song for when I'm happy to be lonely. Actually, most of Howie Day's songs fall into this "happy to be lonely" genre, but I think this one is the best one to highlight for city-walking purposes. *Steal My Kisses - Ben Harper. This is good for when the sun is shining and I am not rushing to get to work. Puts a bounce in my step and makes me almost dance when I have to stand at the corner and wait for the light to change. *Power of Love - Huey Lewis - for pretty much the same reasons as Steal My Kisses. Also it adds that element of nostalgia. *Beautiful - Carole King... also recorded by Barbra Streisand. (I have both versions in my pod. I'm that big of a dork.) It's the song I have quoted in my "About Me" section right now. It's a perfect song for the city and it ALWAYS makes me smile. *Short Skirt/Long Jacket - Cake - I like listening to this when I'm walking to work in heels. Bus/Subway Music: Self-Explanatory. *Bittersweet Symphony - the Verve - great to listen to while people-watching through the window. Like an outsider looking in kind of thing. *Believe - Elton John - also great to listen to while people-watching. It makes the lyrics become illustrated in real life. *Sweetest Thing - U2 - puts me in a happy trance. Makes me feel like I have a secret. *Drops of Jupiter - Train - should be done while looking out the window. I like to think somebody back home is hearing this song and thinking of me. *Tiny Dancer - Elton John - I like this one on the bus at night. It reminds of that scene from Almost Famous. *I Mean to Shine - Barbra Streisand - starts my day off right when I'm on the bus going into the city in the morning.. A great one to precede "Beautiful." (please see section entitled "Walking Music".) *A Long December - Counting Crows - when it's cold outside and I've finally plopped myself down to go home after a long day. Another one of those songs that I like listening to when I'm happy to be sad. Workout Music: Favorite music to sweat to. *Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani - still love it. It's my shit. WHAT. *Golddigger - It's this year's Hollaback Girl. *Shut Up - Black-Eyed Peas - makes me more want to dance than workout exactly, but it gets me pumped up. *Fighter - Christina Aguilera - doesn't get me fired up quite like it used to, but I still really like it. *Can't Get You Outta My Head - Kylie Minogue - puts me in a trance. I lose track of time and then it goes by faster. *Ms. Jackson - Outkast - because it makes me feel like a badass. Songs I Never Ever Get Tired Of That Can Complement Any Mood I Happen to Be In: These could probably be considered my "favorite" songs. In no particular order. No explanation given. I think that's the thing about favorite songs. You can't describe why you like them. You just do. *Mr. Bojangles - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band *Happy Phantom - Tori Amos *Starry Starry Night - Don McLean *Collide - Howie Day *Nobody's Girl - Bonnie Raitt *Typical Situation - Dave Matthews Band *This is the First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes *Mr. Jones - Counting Crows *Summer Highland Falls - Billy Joel *Over My Head - Martin Sexton *What a Good Boy - Barenaked Ladies *Dust In the Wind - Journey *Demons - Guster *I Have to Say I Love You in a Song - Jim Croce *One Headlight - The Wallflowers *He Went to Paris - Jimmy Buffett *Bennie and the Jets - Elton John *And So It Goes - Billy Joel Some of you might have observed I did not list any musical theatre songs in any of these lists. This was done by design - merely because I feel like I spend enough time in my life discussing, comparing, dissecting, analyzing, studying, and competing with musical theatre songs. I needed a break and a little self-indulgence. |
drained
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