Your favourite navel-gazing songs

Subject: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: Marion
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 03:24 PM

Hello gang. While at a folk festival last weekend I was musing over the concept of "Sturgeon's Law" which I learned from Mudcat (i.e., that "95% of anything is crap").

This certainly applies to songs that are highly introspective, and since crappy introspective songs seem to be more tedious than crappy songs on other themes, it's not surprising that they're so unpopular.

But... what about the other 5%? There are some good songs where the writers examine their inner feelings or their songwriting processes. Which ones do you like?

I'd nominate "Song of the Candle" by Stan Rogers, "Closer to Fine" by Indigo Girls, and "What a Good Boy" by Barenaked Ladies.

Marion

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: outfidel
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 03:29 PM

"My Back Pages" by Dylan ~ surreal navel gazing, I suppose

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 03:44 PM

"Navel gazing"?

Pee po BELLY bum drawers. (Flanders & Swann)

Nigel

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 07:20 PM

I can't see my navel these days.

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 07:27 PM

well...ummm...maybe--no, not that one...

perhaps--naawwwww.

sorry, can't think of a one that I really like. The whole concept of introspective analysis on public display makes me cringe.

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: Chris Green
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 07:30 PM

"All The Nice Girls Love A Sailor?" Naval gazing if ever I heard it!

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 07:52 PM

I think Joni Mitchell has a lot to answer for.
I think she wrote quite a few introspective songs, and she got away with it,
because she wrote well and sang well.
I think she has inspired a lot of people over the last 35 years to try to do the same,
because she made it look easy.
It isn't.

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 09:22 PM

ok, I will say that Kate Wolf did that stuff as well as it CAN be done....something about an old shirt, and one about sitting at a table with a friend..(Trumpet Vine?)...but I still don't go out of my way to hear them.

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: Padre
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 11:57 PM

Another name for that class of songs is 'gallbladder music'

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: DonMeixner
Date: 09 Feb 05 - 12:07 AM

I agree with Bill, Kate Wolf took navel gazery to new hieghts. Trumpet Vine is a surprisingly good song however.

Don

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: Teresa
Date: 09 Feb 05 - 12:38 AM

Delivery Delayed by Stan Rogers.

I sort of subscribe to the idea that a good song is a good song; or I like what I like. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of categorizing further into "navel-gazing", etc. the best introspective songs, IMO, are those that bring out experiences and impressions that are common to most, and do it in a simple, strong way. I know there are more that i like, but that's the one that popped into my head right off.

Someone did a wonderful song about Georgia O'Keefe, but I lost it. It's a woman, alto voice, with guitar. I don't remember the lyrics, but I do remember loving it. I believe it came out in the late 90s.

Teresa

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 09 Feb 05 - 04:23 AM

My most favourite navel-gazing songs are my own; it's my navel for chrissakes. But there are some brilliant exceptions, already mentioned above (Joni M in my book).

And in the late 60's a Greek protest singer (D. Savopoulos), destined to become the greatest living Greek songwriter over the following 45 years - a Greek Dylan in many ways, but more musical - did a wonderful translation of "My back pages" which became an instant hit with the young generation and remains one of my all-time favourites. I actually prefer it to the original!

(He later did the same with "All along the Watchtower" - and his arrangement of the music is miles ahead of the Dylan/Hendrix versions)

Subject: RE: Your favourite navel-gazing songs
From: GUEST,freda
Date: 09 Feb 05 - 05:22 AM

When There's no one Around


Lyrics By : Tim O'Brien / Darrell Scott

This is a song that nobody knows,
I couldn't begin to describe how it goes
Well it makes me cry or laugh right out loud,
The song that I sing when there's no one around.

This is the man that nobody sees,
He wears my old clothes and he looks just like me
If he learned how to fly he would never touch down,
The man that I am when there's no one around

CHORUS

It's four in the morning, I lie in my bed,
A tape of my failures playing inside my head,
The hardknocks, the heartaches, the things I don't know,
I listen and wonder, where will it go?
This is a glimpse of the child within
He's so immature but he's still my best friend,
Just one of the boys who gets lost in a crowd,
The kid that I am when there's no one around.

CHORUS

This is the dance I do everyday,
I let my feet go an I wander away
I let my soul free and follow the sound,
The dance that I do when there's no one around.

Chorus

This is a song that nobody knows,
I couldn't begin to describe how it goes
Well it makes me cry or laugh right out loud,
The song that I sing when there's no one around.
The dance that I do and follow the sound,
The song deep inside, there's no one around,
The song that I sing when there's no one around.


This song is sung beautifully by Sean Keane on his album "Portrait".