Songs that mean something special

Subject: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST,nickr90
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 01:49 PM

I have a radio programme coming up and I want to feature songs that people find inspirational or have special meaning.
Please let me have your thoughts on what could be included and perhaps a few lines on why.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 02:20 PM

In 1957, my older brother (I was 7, he was 9) died of pneumonia. In 1994, I wrote a tribute song to him called simply "Pete". Whenever I sing this song, it brings back memories of our childhood and reminds me of how important it is for each of us to express our love to our friends and family. We just never know when they might be taken from us. Let me know if you would like me to send you a copy of the song for your show.

Mike

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 02:28 PM

I can STRONGLY recommend Mike's work. His voice reaches deep and his songwriting is impeccable.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 09:29 AM

"Songs that mean something special"??? I'm not sure what that means to you, but a song that means something special to me is Robert Burns's Bonnie Wee Thing.

I often sang this to my Beautiful Wife when I was pursuing her forty-one years ago. We both love it. I'd love to use it in public, but the B.W. has a particular proprietary feel about it, and doesn't want me singing it for others. Out of my mouth, at least, it's hers alone.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: muppitz
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 11:12 AM

Brian Bedford's "What's the use of wings?", but done by Vin Garbutt or John Wright.
I sang this to an Aunt of mine a year before she lost her battle with cancer, she thought it was such a beautiful song it made her cry.
Now it makes me cry, but I'd rather have the memories and cry than not have them at all.

muppitz x

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Wrinkles
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 11:39 AM

For me it has to be Wild Mountain Thyme (aka Will Ye Go Lassie, Go).

Although the tune is modified Trad Scots the lyrics were by Belfast singer the late Francis McPeak Sr. I was privleged to hear what was possibly his last public performance of this song when he was enticed out of the audience to do a floor-spot at the old Sunflower Folk Club in Belfast during the early 1980s.

It is a rather sad and wistful song yet uplifting and very powerful emotionally. Many times when I lived in Ireland it was requested at funeral services and even weddings, so it holds a lot of memories for me.

I've never found a McPeak recording, and the Corries version comes very close to the way Francy Sr performed it. The Joan Baez version is pure cr*p in my opinion.

Wrinkles

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST,nickr90
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:45 PM

Thanks folks - keep them coming

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST,Bex McK
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:01 PM

When my friend Dougal Carnegie (a great supporter of all kinds of roots and folk music in Scotland) committed suicide last summer after a long battle with mental illness, the first song I heard on a tape in my car after learning of his death was "We're All in This Thing Together" by the Old Crow Medicine Show. It's an extremely poignant song that reminds us that we're not alone in life. Of course, I cried all the way home-- but it was cathartic. At his funeral, we sang Hamish Henderson's great song, The Freedom Come All Ye, and "The Yellow's on the Broom" by Adam MacNaughton.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST,Com Seangan
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 02:20 PM

To Dave Osterreich

Bonnie wee thing means so much to me too. But the real pathos of a "meaningful" song comes from the person to whom it is preciouys. Dave get the BW to recant and allow you to sing it in public.

A song with a special meaning ??? Ever heard of "Auld Lang Syne"???? . You'll never beat that one. special for how many, many generations.

Next best after that in my book is "Men of Harlech" sung by the Welsh crowd at a rugby match.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Azizi
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 01:21 AM

When I hear the spiritual "No More Auction Block {Many Thousands Gone}
I think about the many people who suffered and died not only during chattel slavery in the United States & elsewhere, but also as a result of other inhuman acts and failures to take action throughout the entire earth, among all peoples, centuries after centuries after centuries and still today.

You would think that "No More Auction Block" would be a joyous song given that people were singing about the end of legal slavery.
But this song is always sung slowly in homage to the memories of all those children, women, and men who died during slavery.

But I have often wondered if another reason why 'No More Auction Block' has such a slow, sorrowful feel is because the people who gathered to sing it could sense that hard times were still not through with them. Therefore they could not wholly rejoice.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Flash Company
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 09:04 AM

The McPeakes singing 'Wild Mountain Thyme' was recorded by Topic in the '50s, Topic never delete anything, so it must still be around somewhere.

FC

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: LilyFestre
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 11:59 AM

Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks is a special song to me. It was always a loved tune between myself and my very best friend, John Talbert. Now, since John passed away very unexpectedly at the age of 33, this song is something I hold close to my heart, especially the following verses:



"Together we climbed hills and trees. Learned of love and ABC's. Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees. Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die. When all the bird's are singing in the sky. Now that the spring is in the air. Pretty girls are everywhere. I wish we could both be there. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. But the hills we could climb were just seasons out of time.

Goodbye Michelle, my little one. You gave me joy and helped me find the sun. And every time when I was down. You would always come around. And get my feet back on the ground.

Goodbye, Michelle, it's hard to die when all the bird are singing in the sky, Now that the spring is in the air. With the flowers ev'rywhere. I wish that we could both be there. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. But the stars we could reach were just starfish on the beach."

Yep....definately a song that touches my heart on so many levels.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 05:53 PM

For me it's The Leaving Shanty

"It's time to go now
Halu away the anchor
Haul away the anchor
It's the sailin' tide

Last verse
It's time to go now
Haul away to heaven
Haul away to heaven
It's the sailin tide.

I sang it with a friend at my mother's funeral.
It put her death in context for me.

Richard Wright

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: hilda fish
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 07:00 PM

If I think of songs that mean something special I'm always caught inside quite a few. If I look at my life there are 'soundtracks' if you like, that take me right back inside the feelings, often intensely so, of those special or poignant times and there are many of them. For example, all early Creedence Clearwater songs (!!) signify the breakdown of my first marriage, a devastating time, but also a time of self-awareness and survival so very special. Much later John Fogarty as a soloist filled in some solitary times when I was simply 'being still'. Leonard Çohen's 'Sisters of Mercy' and 'So Long Marianne' particularly were soundtracks to a time of great love, friendship and incredibly good times with some women who continue to be very dear to me. 'Wild Mountain Thyme' is an ongoing sound track in another circle of friends. I love the sound of that song and when my friends are very much somewhere else I can almost smell them around me when I hear this song. 'Down To The River To Pray', 'Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby', 'Angel Band', and 'I'll Fly Away' are all bitter sweet soundtracks of the lead up to my first-borns death. We both listened to these songs over and over and they meant so much to him and therefore to me. Not for the reasons of faith and/or hope, but because of the sounds of the songs, the structure. Now they remind me of both his life and his death. Abbess Hildegard of Bingen's 'Ave, Generosa' has become the soundtrack for me of both the fragility and the joys of life while the whole of Alan Stivell's 'Brian Boru' is the soundtrack for great times in Sydney driving around with a car full of friends. I've never yet met anyone who really liked the soundtrack of Bob Dylan's 'Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid' but that pile of songs are special as it always seems that I play them on my way home to my mother's country while 'Down From Dover' is very special as it always reminds me of my dearest younger sister whom I loved so much. Billie Holliday's 'Strange Fruit', such a revelation to myself as a child, will always signal my awareness of a world that is not perfect, in fact can be horrible, but that a song can make a difference reverberating as it does down the generations. Oh, I can go on and on but I must go and listen to some of these very special songs once again.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Cats at Work
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 05:40 AM

On the first morning in our new (406 year old) house, we opened the curtains in the bedroom and the moors outside were pink and red from the sunrise - what an omen! Without thinking or saying anything Jon and I both started singing, 'The Bright Shining morning smiled over the hills with blushes adorning the meadows and rills...' Consequently, that is now firmly bedded in our repetoire.

Another song that has alot of meaning for me is The Bold Fisherman as it was the first song I ever sung out aged 7 years and I learned it, by osmosis, from my aunt.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST,nickr90
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 01:55 PM

Thanks.
If possible let me know where I can get copies of the songs.
They need not be of too personal a nature - e.g. songs that you think of as inspirational, philosophical, fun etc.
One of my favourites (among many) is Eric Bogle's 'One Small star' written after the Dunblane massacre.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Pauline L
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 09:27 PM

When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought, "All songs I like mean something special." Thanks for clarifying what you're looking for. Some songs that have helped me personally to make it through hard times are Eyes on the Prize, Gone Gonna Rise Again, and Mary Ellen Carter.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Pauline L
Date: 20 Jan 05 - 09:33 PM

I'll amplify my previous post with a true story. When I was going through my divorce, I was a mess. At times, I thought I wasn't going to make it. One evening, when I really didn't feel like going out, I went to a mini folk festival anyway, just because I had promised some friends that I would meet them there. They had told me that some great folksinger named John McCutcheon would be there, but I didn't care -- until I heard him. He sang "Gone Gonna Rise Again," and I knew right then that I was going to make it. It's true that a song can save your mortal soul.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 03:24 AM

Labi Siffre, 'Something inside so strong' I was in the middle of an abusive and violent relationship and something about this song made me realise it was the right thing to leave the bastard and have him arrested for assault.

The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The further you take my rights away
The faster I will run
You can deny me
You can decide to turn your face away
No matter 'cause there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone... oh no
There's something inside so strong
Something inside so strong

The more you refuse to hear my voice
The louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho
Your lies will come tumbling
Deny my place in time
You squander wealth that's mine
My light will shine so brightly it will blind you
Because there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone... oh no
There's something inside so strong
Something inside so strong

Brothers and sisters
When they insist we're just not good enough
Well, we know better
Just look 'em in the eyes and say
We're gonna do it anyway
We're gonna do it anyway
because there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone... oh no
There's something inside so strong
Something inside so strong

LTS

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Crystal
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 05:34 AM

I always find "It's not just what you're born with" by Si Kahn is very uplifting. It is special to me because I am dyslexic but the song makes you feel that you can do anything.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: JennyO
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 09:54 AM

Speaking of Si Kahn, the song "Here is my home" came to be very special to me after struggling to get out of a nasty domestic situation with horrible flatmates about 18 months ago, I started this thread about it back then:

Help: A difficult move-JennyO needs support

I finally found myself settled in not only a new home, but with a wonderful new relationship - it was a real coming home! I sang the song at a session here not long after I moved in, and every time I sing it, I am reminded of that amazing time.

Jenny

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 10:09 AM

I sang "Gone Gonna Rise Again" by Si Kahn for my father's remembrance service last summer. It's actual title is "New Wood" (on Kahn's recording of the same title) but not to worry.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 11:28 AM

Two songs can reduce me to tears, because they are so moving. One is He Looked Beyond My Faults And Saw My Needs. My dear friend Frankie sings the lead on that song, and often has tears streaming down his face before he finishes. At one time or another, each of the other three of us in my quartet have been so choked up that we've had to step away from the group and stop singing. I can't really do that, because I am playing guitar, but there are times when I can't look at Frankie when he is singing, or I know I would lose it completely.

The second song is Without That Night, which I wrote. I don't say that to brag or take any credit for it. The bulk of the song came to me in a dream, so it's stretching it even to say that I "wrote" it. It would be more accurate to say that I "received" it. It is another song that we all get choked up on, singing. Sometimes, it's hard even getting through the introduction to the song.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 21 Jan 05 - 11:35 AM

That song is one of my very favorites too, Charlie..

Jerry

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Pauline L
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 04:04 PM

Speaking of songs that relate to bad marriages/relationships and redemptive divorces: "It's not just what you're born with" and "The Coming of the Roads."

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 05:06 PM

Jerry-

Well written song, "Without That Night," and there are times where I wish I shared such faith. But I love to sing such songs, the new ones and the traditional ones, and share the general spirit.

My dream song came as a complete surprise to me, "Pastures of Memories," the first verse and the chorus with a sprightly tune. The rest I added in as I reflected back on my life, say as a much older man might 20 or 30 years from now. Here's a link to an MP3 sample and the words:Pastures of Memories

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Cats
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 09:01 AM

For the people of Boscastle in Cornwall, it is Mary Ellen Carter. Every Wednesday night there is a sing at the Wellington Hotel, the Welly, and after the flood totally devastated the village on 16th August, wrecking the Welly, the people there still gathered outside the pub on the Wednesday evening, amongst all the debris, to sing. It was Mary Ellen Carter that they sang and that has got them through. It has to be a 'must include'.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Sooz
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 09:56 AM

Have a look at the thread with the Fence's song "Two Hundred Thousand". It is something special.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: BusyBee Paul
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 04:29 PM

I'll second Sooz's post. Fence can write a really profound and moving song and his delivery is awesome. 2 others of his that spring to mind are "Measured in Yards" and "Catch all Your Tears". Great stuff and very moving.

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Azizi
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 08:29 PM

Liz the Squeak -

I also love "Something inside so strong".

Thanks for posting the words...

Do you remember the name of the artist that recorded this song in the 1980s or so?

And congratulations on finding the inner courage to take your life back!

I can definitely relate...

Ms. Azizi

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: Cruiser
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 12:40 AM

Hilda fish wrote above:

"I've never yet met anyone who really liked the soundtrack of Bob Dylan's 'Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid' but that pile of songs are special..."

Now you have, albeit on an Internet forum.

I finally found the CD, which took me awhile. I also liked the movie and will buy it if it ever comes out on DVD, for the soundtrack alone. The VHS tape is out-of-print. This is a case, and there are many, where the soundtrack carried the movie.

How critical good soundtracks are. I am a Max Steiner kind of guy (but of course without his enormous musical talents as a composer). I like any movie he composed for.

Hearing "Knocking On Heavens Door" playing softly in the background when old Slim Pickens is dying is very poignant.

Cruiser

Subject: RE: Songs that mean something special
From: GUEST,nickr90
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 01:33 PM

refresh