The Animals 'House of the Rising Sun' came about the same year I did, so that always has a special feeling for me.

Billy Joel 'My Life' just summed up everything I was feeling at that time (2nd year at a school I didn't want to be at)

Terry Jacks 'Seasons in the sun' will forever be the death of my brother in April '74. - "it's hard to die when Spring is in the air"; at least he got a chance to say that .. My brother never did. I loathe the song with a passion and will turn it off or leave the room if it ever comes on the radio.

'She moved through the fair' - the first song I ever sang at folk club. I sang it again for the first time in ages at Portaferry (Loughstock III), and was stunned at the way the whole pub fell silent. Singers in Britain don't get that amount of respect, but the Irish locals were silent throughout, and gave a great round of applause... I can't remember feeling so awed and humbled and grateful.

Labi Siffre 'So strong' - what I needed to be when a relationship I was in turned violent towards me. It was inspirational and made me realise that there are none so blind as will not see.

Graham Moore 'Tolpuddle Man' - from a story of men who were prepared to die for the rights of others, the beginning of the Trade Union movement and one that I was asked to appraise on its first hearing.... I told him I thought it was a damn good song...!

Lonestar 'What about now?' - 'why should we wait'... something I've taken to heart in the last few months. I'll be buggered if I'll hang around for others to make up their minds what to do.. If there is somewhere I want to go, I'm going to go there, you can come along for the ride, but I won't wait for you.

Dido 'Thank you' - just everything I wanted to say to a particular person who stopped me from going totally insane and doing something very very stupid and getting me put away for a long time in a mental health institution.

There are many more songs for periods in my life, too many for listing here, these are just the ones that spring to mind.

LTS