The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from

The Book of Love / Peter Gabriel

My music, like yours, is the result not only of where and when I have lived, but most importantly, how I have lived. Growing up in the cultural wasteland of central Texas in the mid-70s, I was grossly limited in my exposure to music in general and certainly I had no appreciation of the unbounded genres of musical expression. This sonic desert evoked in me a lingering passion to grasp not just beautiful sounds, but meaningful songs and hold them tightly. I've annotated this list for anyone with an interest in what the song means to me.

When Paul Simon received his Grammy for Best Album in 1987 he said that Graceland (possibly the best album of all time!) was "music of power, nuance, and joy". Amen. This list, then, is music that has spoken with power, nuance, and joy to me and I recommend it to you accordingly. The first twenty songs (in green) are presented in roughly the order I would rank them. (It is as unfair to rank songs as it children - but you do have the ones you would beat to death last.)

Especially these first twenty songs are entwined with my love affair with my wife. Wishes, whims, wonders, and wanders are bound up in these songs. From Vivaldi on Galveston Beach well over two decades ago to discovering and sharing Norah Jones before the rest of the world, my wife's love is part of the atmosphere created and reflected in these tunes. The second set of songs (in blue) continues that theme of loving and being loved with a touch more rambunctiousness, which is also a great blessing in my marriage.

I apologize for all the great tunes that are not on this list; like Good Vibrations and Good Riddance. Chicago is under-represented in light of all they meant to me in my teen years. Likewise Led Zepplin is over-represnted. I am outright ashamed that Stevie Wonder is not represented here. His Songs in the Key of Life (e.g. On Saturn) double album set (plus a 45) was revolutionary and beautiful. I'm going to have to reconsider a song or two from that album. If the list went to 46, Walk Like An Egyptian would be the next addition. As you see, my Top 10 is a Top 20 and the short list runs forty-five. I'll make additions... as the spirit leads. Such is Life.

Clark H Smith

Two of Us Going Nowhere / Beatles

My wife gave me this song. What a wonderful expression of a loving life at play. After a quarter century of marriage, we're still going nowhere and having best time on the journey. lyrics youtube

He Leadeth Me / The Martins

This song is near the top of the short list for its message as well as the absolute power of its presentation. If you are interested, here's a video version. It;s not as good as the vocal recording, but dang it, it's good! lyrics

I don't know what Carole King knows, but this song speaks to every heart's innate longing for a Garden gone and still to come.lyrics youtube

Ditto to Carly. We pray and plead for that New Jerusalem when all things will be as they should be. lyrics youtube

Nobody's praying for rain! This little gal hailing from the barren dirt of West Texas knows that rain is not an inconvenience, but as essential as air. lyrics youtube

An instrumental, like Bach Preludio below, that leaves me shaking my head at what the human mind can conceive and then achieve. Here is The Chieftans' Matty Malloy cutting loose on the flute. Even Roger Daltry can't believe it.

A poignant song of love lost, yada yada yada. This was the first song that I heard that really stretched me beyond my Top40 AM horizon. And of all the analogies of love... a green-iced cake? Maybe it is about drugs. lyrics youtube

Five hundred years ago, Michael Praetorius scored music of incredible joy and fervor. I relish this whimsical selection for it's sheer enthusiasm. The movement I enjoy most is the climax. I believe that it is technically called "Volte 4 (201) à 5 (full band)". For a listen, try this page and listen to the last track sample labelled "Volte".

Late at night, lost in some peanut town between Dallas and El Paso, a young lad would scroll across the AM radio dial and catch glimpses of Wolfman Jack in Juarez, WLS zanies in Chicago, and a strange cast of characters in New Orleans. This song was a station bumper at WNOE. It has given me hours of merriment and made my boys bust a gut. lyrics

This song puts a smirk on my face. I'm not as far out on the limb as Lou, but we ALL have a wild side. lyrics youtube

I probably should add: (a growing list)

Life Is A Rock / Reunion (great summary on wiki / great visual on YouTube)
Blinded by the Light / Manfred Mann's Earth Band (cuz that's where the fun is!) (great back story!)
Fly Me Away / Annie Little (Amazon already discovered her. I think she's gonna make it.)
2001 Space Odyssey / Eumir Deodato (OMG! classic version | cool new version)
Think About Your Troubles / Harry Nilsson ("a point in every direction is the same thing as no point at all")
I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) / Stevie Wonder, covered by Art Garfunkel on his killer Breakaway album

Two of Us Going Nowhere / Beatles

Two of us riding nowhere, spending someone's hard earned pay
You and me Sunday driving, not arriving - 
on our way back home, we're on our way back home...
we're on our way home, we're on our way home, we're going home...

two of us sending post cards, writing letters on my wall
you and me burning matches lifting latches,
on our way back home, we're on our way home, 
we're on our way home, we're on our way home, we're going home...

you and I have memories 
longer than the road that stretches out ahead

two of us wearing raincoats, standing solo, in the sun
you and me chasing paper, getting nowhere, on our way back home
we're on our way home, we're on our way home, we're going home...

you and I have memories 
longer than the road that stretches out ahead

two of us wearing raincoats, standing solo, in the sun
you and me chasing paper, getting nowhere, on our way back home
we're on our way home, we're on our way home, we're going home...

He Leadeth Me / The Martins

He leadeth me:  O blessed thought!  

O words with heavenly comfort fraught!  

Whate'er I do, where'er I be, 

still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.  

Refrain:

He leadeth me, he leadeth me, 

by his own hand he leadeth me; 

his faithful follower I would be, 

for by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom, 

sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom, 

by waters still, o'er troubled sea, 

still 'tis his hand that leadeth me.  

Lord, I would place my hand in thine, 

nor ever murmur nor repine; 

content, whatever lot I see, 

since 'tis my God that leadeth me.  

And when my task on earth is done, 

when by thy grace the victory's won, 

e'en death's cold wave I will not flee, 

since God through Jordan leadeth me.  

First Time Ever I Saw You're Face / Roberta Flack

The first time, ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars
Were the gifts you gave
To the dark, and the endless skies
My Love.

And the first time, ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hands
Like the trembling heart
Of a captive bird
That was there, at my command
My Love.

And the first time, ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy
Would fill the earth
And last, til the end of time
My Love.
And last, 'til the end of time.
My love.

The first time, ever I saw
Your face
Your face
Your fa-ace
Your face.

Been to Canaan / Carole King

Green fields and rolling hills
Room enough to do what we will
Sweet dreams of yestertime are running though my mind
Of a place I left behind, been so long, I can't remember when
I've been to Canaan and I want to go back again

Been so long, I'm living till then
Cause I've been to Canaan and I won't rest until
I go back again. Though I'm content with myself
Sometimes I long to be somewhere else
I try to do what I can, but with our day to day demands
We all need a promised land.

Been so long, I can't remember when
I've been to Canaan and I want to go back again
Been so long, I'm living till then
'cause I've been to Canaan and I won't rest until
I go back again. Oh I want to be there in the wintertime
With a fireplace burning to warm me
And you to hold me when it's stormy

Been so long, I can't remember when
I've been to Canaan and I want to go back again
Been so long, I'm living till then.

 

Let the River Run (New Jerusalem) / Carly Simon

We're coming to the edge
running on the water
coming through the fog
your sons and daughters

Let the river run
let all the dreamers wake the nation
Come, the New Jerusalem.

Silver cities rise
the morning lights the streets that lead them
and sirens call them on with a song

It's asking for the taking
trembling
shaking
Oh, my heart is aching

We're coming to the edge
running on the water
coming through the fog
your sons and daughters

We the great and small
stand on a star
and blaze a trail of desire
through the darkening dawn

It's asking for the taking
Come run with me now
the sky is the color of blue
you've never even seen
in the eyes of your lover

Oh, my heart is aching
We're coming to the edge
running on the water
coming through the fog
your sons and daughters

It's asking for the taking
trembling, shaking
Oh, my heart is aching

We're coming to the edge
running on the water
coming through the fog
your sons and daughters

Let the river run
let all the dreamers
wake the nation
Come, the New Jerusalem

Trouble in These Fields / Nanci Griffith

Baby I know that we've got trouble in the fields
When the bankers swarm like locust out there turning away our yield
The trains roll by our silos, silver in the rain
They leave our pockets full of nothing
But our dreams and the golden grain
Have you seen the folks in line downtown at the station
They're all buying their ticket out and talking the great depression
Our parents had their hard times fifty years ago
When they stood out in these empty fields in dust as deep as snow

(chorus)
And all this trouble in our fields
If this rain can fall, these wounds can heal
They'll never take our native soil
But if we sell that new John Deere
And then we'll work these crops with sweat and tears
You'll be the mule I'll be the plow
Come harvest time we'll work it out

There's still a lotta love, here in these troubled fields
There's a book up on the shelf about the dust bowl days
And there's a little bit of you and a little bit of me
In the photos on every page
Now our children live in the city and they rest upon our shoulders
They never want the rain to fall or the weather to get colder

MacArthur’s Park / Richard Harris

Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

[break]

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why

[extended break]

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow / Willie Nelson

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true

Someday I'll wish upon a star, 
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Away above the chimney tops 
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow, why then oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly, beyond the rainbow,
Why oh why can't I?

Birdland / Manhattan Transfer

Five thousand lightyears from Birdland
But I'm still preachin' the rythym
Long gone uptight years from Birdland
And I'm still teachin' it with 'em

Years from the land of the Bird
And I am still feelin' the spirit
Five thousand lightyears from Birdland
But I know people can hear it

Bird named it, Bird made it
Bird heard it, Then played it
Well stated
Birdland
It happened down in Birdland

In the middle of that hub
I remember one jazz club
Where we went to pat feet
Down on 52nd Street
Everybody heard that word
That they named it after Bird
Where the rythym swooped and swirled
The jazz corner of the world
And the cats they giged in there
Were beyond compare

Birdland, I'm singing Birdland
Birdland, Old swingin' Birdland

Hey man, the music really turns you on (ya turn me on)
Really? Ya turn me around
And turn me on

Down them stairs, Lose them cares
Where? Down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king there
Down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Where? Down in Birdland
Miles came through, Trane came too there
Down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Where? Down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall there
Down in Birdland, Yeah

There will never be nothin' such as that
No more, skoo be wah, no more
Down in Birdland, That's where it was at
I know, ah ah ah ah ah, I know
Back in them days bop was ridin' high
Hello, heh heh heh heh heh, Goodbye!

(Yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo...)
How well those cats remember their first Birdland gig
To play in Birdland is an honor we still dig
Yeah, That club was like in another world
Sure enough, Yeah baby
All those cats were cookin' on
People just sat and they were steady lookin' on
Then Bird, He came and spread the word

Yes indeed he did
Yes indeed he did
Yes indeed he did, Yes he did Parker played in Birdland
Yes he really did
Yes indeed he really did told the truth way down in Birdland
Yes indeed he did, Yardbird Parker played in Birdland
Yes indeed he really did, Charlie Parker played in Birdland

Bird named it, Bird made it
Bird heard it, Then played it
Well stated
Birdland
It happened down in Birdland

Everybody dug that beat
Everybody stomped their feet
Everybody digs be bop
And they'll never stop

Down them stairs, Lose them cares
Yeah, Down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king
Yeah, Down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Yeah, Down in Birdland
Miles came through, Trane came too
Yeah, Down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Yeah, Down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall
Yeah, Down in Birdland
(repeat under the following solo till fade)

Come in pairs, Down them stairs, Lose your cares
Him that cares gets it
Play the gate, Don't be late, It's a date
What d'ya know
Is it me, Is it you, It's a clue
Come in twos, Pay your dues, What can you lose?
Just your blues, So lose them!
(ad libbing till the end)

Big Yellow Taxi / Joni Mitchell

They paved paradise
To put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot SPOT
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it's gone
They paved paradise
To put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to seem 'em
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise 
To put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But LEAVE me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til its gone
They paved paradise 
TO put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
To put up a parking lot

Both Sides Now / Joni Mitchell

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
and feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
from up and down, and still somehow
it's cloud illusions I recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and Junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way that you feel
as every fairy tale comes real; I've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go
and if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
from give and take, and still somehow
it's love's illusions that I recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say "I love you" right out loud,
dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say
I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
from win and lose, and still somehow
it's life's illusions I recall.
I really don't know life at all.

Dreamboat Annie / Heart

Heading out this morning into the sun
Riding on the diamond waves, little darlin' one

Warm wind caress her
Her lover it seems
Oh, Annie
Dreamboat Annie my little ship of dreams

Going down the city sidewalk alone in the crowd
No one knows the lonely one whose head's in the clouds

Sad faces painted over with those magazine smiles
Heading out to somewhere won't be back for a while

Killing Me Softly / Roberta Flack

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly
With his song...

I heard he sang a good song
I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him and listen for awhile
And there he was this young boy
A stranger to my eyes...

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly
With his song...

I felt all flushed with fever
Embarrassed by the crowd
I felt he found my letters and read each one out loud
I pray that he would finish
But he just kept right on...

He sang as if he knew me
In all my dark despair
And then he looked right through me as if I was not there
And he just kept on singing,
Singing clear and strong...

Midnight At the Oasis / Maria Muldaur

Midnight at the oasis
Send your camel to bed
Got shadows painting our faces
Traces of romance in our heads

Heaven's holding a half moon
Shining just for us
Let's slip off to a sand dune real soon
Kick up a little dust

Come on the cactus is our friend
He'll point out the way
Come on 'till the evening ends
'til the evening ends

You don't have to answer
There's no need to speak
I'll be your belly dancer
Prancer and you can be my sheik

I know your daddy's a sultan
A nomad known to all
With fifty girls to attend him
They all send him
Jump at his beck and call

But you won't need no harem, honey
When I am by your side
And you won't need no camel
No no when I take you for a ride

She’s Always A Woman / Billy Joel

She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes.
And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies.
And she only reveals what she wants you to see.
She hides like a child, but she's always a woman to me.

She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you.
She can ask for the truth but she'll never believe.
And she'll take what you'll give her as long as it's free.
Yeah, she steals like a thief, but she's always a woman to me.

Oooh, she takes care of herself.
She can wait if she wants, she's ahead of her time.
Oooooh, and she never gives out, and she never gives in,
she just changes her mind.

And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden.
And she'll carelesly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding.
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be.
Blame it all on yourself, cause she's always a woman to me.

Oooh, she takes care of herself.
She can wait if she wants, she's ahead of her time.
Oooooh, and she never gives out, and she never gives in,
she just changes her mind.

She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel.
But she can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool.
And she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree.
And the most she will do is throw shadows at you,
but she's always a woman to me.

Colour My World / Chicago

As time goes on
I realize
Just what you mean
To me
And now
Now that you're near
Promise your love
That I've waited to share
And dreams
of our moments together
Colour my world.
With hope
Of loving you.

The Luckiest / Ben Folds Five

I don't get many things right the first time.
In fact, I am told that a lot.
Now I know all the wrong turns and stumbles and falls brought me here.
And where was I before the day
that I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it every day.
And I know
that I am, I am,
I am the luckiest.

What if I'd been born fifty years before you
in a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike,
would I know?
And in a wide sea of eyes,
I see one pair that I recognize.
And I know
that I am, I am,
I am the luckiest.

I love you more than I have
ever found a way to say to you.

Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
and one day passed away in his sleep.
And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days
and passed away.
I'm sorry, I know that's a
strange way to tell you that I know we belong,
that I know that I am, I am
I am the luckiest.

Under African Skies / Paul Simon with Linda Ronstadt

Duet:
Joseph's face was black as night, the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked by the stars in the southern hemisphere
and he walked his days under African skies

Solo:
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the veins
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rythm and the roots of rythm and rain

Duet:
In early memory, mission music was ringing around my nursury door
I said take this child, Lord, from Tucson Arizona
Give her the wings to fly from harm
and she won't bother you no more

Solo:
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the veins
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rythm and the roots of rythm and rain

Duet:
Josephs face was as black as the night
and the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked by the stars in the southern hemisphere
and he walked the length of his days under African skies.

Wishlist / Pearl Jam

I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could go off
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on
I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on
The Christmas tree, I wish I was the star that went on top
I wish I was the evidence, I wish I was the grounds
For 50 million hands upraised and open toward the sky

I wish I was a sailor with someone who waited for me
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me
I wish I was a messenger and all the news was good
I wish I was the full moon shining off a Camaro's hood

I wish I was an alien at home behind the sun
I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on
I wish I was the pedal brake that you depended on
I wish I was the verb 'to trust' and never let you down

I wish I was a radio song, the one that you turned up
I wish...
I wish...

Hey Jude / Beatles

Hey Jude
Don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Hey Jude
Don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain

Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool
Who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
La Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

Hey Jude 
Don't let me down
You have found her 
Now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
So let it out and let it in

Hey Jude begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you
Hey Jude you do
The movement you need is on your shoulders
La Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na yeah

Hey Jude
Don't make it bad 
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better, better, better, better, better, better, better
(Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Hey Jude) X18

Black Dog / Led Zeppelin

Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move
Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove.
Oh, oh, child, way you shake that thing
Gonna make you burn, gonna make you sting.
Hey, hey, baby, when you walk that way
Watch your honey drip, can't keap away.

Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah, ah, ah.
Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah, ah, ah.

I gotta roll, can't stand still,
Got a flame in my heart, can't get my fill,
Eyes that shine burning red,
Dreams of you all thru my head.

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.

Hey, baby, oh, baby, pretty baby,
Tell me what you do me now.
(Repeat)

Didn't take too long 'fore I found out
What people mean my down and out.
Spent my money, took my car,
Started tellin' her friends she wants to be a star.
I don't know but I been told
A big legged woman ain't got no soul.

Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah, ah, ah.
Ah yeah, ah yeah, ah, ah, ah.

All I ask for when I pray,
Steady rollin' woman gonna come my way.
Need a woman gonna hold my hand
And tell me no lies, make me a happy man.

Do You Feel Like We Do / Peter Frampton

Well, woke up this morning with a wine glass in my hand. 
Whose wine? What wine? Where the hell did I dine? 
Must have been a dream I don't believe where I've been. 
Come on, let's do it again. 

Do you...you, feel like I do? 
How'd ya feel? 
Do you...you, feel like I do? 

My friend got busted, just the other day. 
They said,"Don't walk, don't walk, don't walk away." 
Drove him to a taxi, bent the boot, hit the bag. 
Had to play some music, wonder why's he [brag or drag]. 

Do you...you, feel like I do? 
How'd ya feel? 
Do you...you, feel like I... 

Do you...you, feel like I do? 
Yes ya do. 
Do you...you, feel like I do? 

Champagne for breakfast and a Sherman in my hand. 
Peached up, Peached Ale, never fails. 
Must have been a dream I don't believe where I've been. 
Come on, let's do it again. 

Don’t Know Why / Nora Jones

I waited 'til I saw the sun
I don't know why I didn't come
I left you by the house of fun
I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come

When I saw the break of day 
I wished that I could fly away
Instead of kneeling in the sand
Catching tear drops in my hand

My heart is drenched in wine
You'll be on my mind
Forever

Out across the endless sea
I would die in ecstasy
But I'll be a vagabond
Driving down the road alone

My heart is drenched in wine
You'll be on my mind
Forever

Something has to make you run
I don't know why I didn't come
I feel as empty as a drum

I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come

Find Me Somebody to Love / Queen

Can anybody find me somebody to love
Ooh, each morning I get up I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet
(Take a look at yourself) Take a look in the mirror and cry (and cry)
Lord what you're doing to me (yeah yeah)
I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can't get no relief, Lord!
Somebody (somebody) ooh somebody (somebody)
Can anybody find me somebody to love ?

Yeah
I work hard (he works hard) every day of my life
I work till I ache in my bones
At the end (at the end of the day)
I take home my hard earned pay all on my own
I get down (down) on my knees (knees)
And I start to pray
Till the tears run down from my eyes
Lord somebody (somebody), ooh somebody
(Please) Can anybody find me somebody to love ?

(He works hard)
Everyday (everyday) - I try and I try and I try
But everybody wants to put me down
They say I'm going crazy
They say I got a lot of water in my brain
Ah, got no common sense
I got nobody left to believe in
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Oh Lord
Ooh somebody - ooh somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love ?
(Can anybody find me someone to love)

Got no feel, I got no rhythm
I just keep losing my beat (You just keep losing and losing)
I'm OK, I'm alright (he's alright - he's alright)
I ain't gonna face no defeat (yeah yeah)
I just gotta get out of this prison cell
One day (someday) I'm gonna be free, Lord!

Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love love love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love somebody somebody somebody somebody
Somebody find me
Somebody find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me somebody to love ?

(Find me somebody to love)
Ooh
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me somebody, somebody (find me somebody to love) somebody, somebody to love
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me, find me, find me, find me, find me
Ooh - somebody to love
(Find me somebody to love)
Ooh
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me, find me, find me somebody to love
(Find me somebody to love)
Anybody, anywhere, anybody find me somebody to love love love!
Wooo somebody find me, find me love.

Let It Be / Beatles

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, Let it be
Let it be, Let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

And when the broken hearted people
living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be

For though they may be parted
there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Yeah there will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
whisper words of wisdom
let it be

let it be, let it be, let it be,yeah let it be
whisper words of wisdom
let it be

And when the night is cloudy
there's still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, Let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, Let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be

let it be, let it be, let it be,yeah let it be
whisper words of wisdom
let it be

Loving You / Minnie Ripperton

Loving you is easy 'cause you're beautiful,
and making love with you is all I wanna do.
Loving you is more then just a dream come true,
and everything that I do is out of loving you.

No one else can make me feel the colors that you bring.
Stay with me while we grow old and we will live each day in the springtime.
'Cause loving you has made my life so beautiful,
and everyday of my life is filled with loving you.

Loving you, I see your soul come shining through,
and everytime that we, oohh..
I'm more in love with you.

No one else can make me feel the colors that you bring,
Stay with me while we grow old and we will live each day in the springtime.
'Cause loving you is easy 'cause you're beautiful,
and every day of my life is filled with loving you.

Loving you, I see your soul come shining through,
and everytime that we,  oohh..
I'm more in love with you.

They All Asked for You

I went on down to the Audubon Zoo
And they all asked for you
They all asked for you,
Yeah they even inquired about ya’

I went on down to the Audubon Zoo
And they all asked for you
The monkeys asked, the tigers asked
And the elephant asked me too

Aww do it
Red beans and rice

Es la bas
Red beans and rice
Creole gumbo

I went on up to the Big Ol’ Sky
And they all asked for you
They all asked for you,
Yeah they even inquired about ya

I went on up to the Big Ol’ Sky
And they all asked for you
The ducks asked, the eagles asked
And the buzzard asked me too

Do it to it
Es la bas
Es la bas
Laissez le bon temps rouler

Es la bas
Grits and fish drippins
Crawfish …
…[inaudible]….
And tomato paste

I went on down to the Deep Blue Sea
And they all aksed for you
They all asked for you,
Well they even enquired about ya

I went on down to the Deep Blue Sea
And they all aksed for you
The shark asked, the whale asked
And the barracuda asked me too

This Night (Will Last Forever) / Billy Joel

Didn't I say
I wasn't ready for a romance
Didn't we promise
We would only be friends

And so we danced
Though it was only a slow dance
I started breaking my promises
Right there and then

Didn't I swear
There would be no complications
Didn't you want
Someone who's seen it all before

Now that you're here
It's not the same situation
Suddenly I don't remember the rules anymore

This night is mine
It's only you and I
Tomorrow
Is a long time away
This night can last forever

I've been around
Someone like me should know better
Falling in love
Would be the worst thing I could do

Didn't I say
I needed time to forget her
Aren't you running from someone
Who's not over you

How many nights
Have I been lonely without you
I tell myself
How much I really don't care

How many nights
Have I been thinking about you
Wanting to hold you
But knowing you would not be there

This night
You're mine
It's only you and I
I'll tell you
To forget yesterday
This night we are together

This night
Is mine
It's only you and I
Tomorrow
Is such a long time away
This night can last forever

Tomorrow
Is such a long time away
This night can last forever

Waters of March / Art Garfunkel

A stick a stone
it's the end of the road,

it's the rest of the stump
it's a little alone

it's a sliver of glass,
it is life, it's the sun,

it is night ,it is death,
it's a trap, it's a gun.

the oak when it blooms,
a fox in the brush,

the knot in the wood,
the song of the thrush.

the wood of the wind,
a cliff, a fall,

a scratch, a lump,
it is nothing at all.

it's the wind blowing free.
it's the end of a slope.

it's a beam, it's a void,
it's a hunch, it's a hope.

and the riverbank talks.
of the water of march

it's the end of the strain,
it's the joy in your heart.

the foot, the ground,
the flesh, the bone,

the beat of the road,
a slingshot stone.

a fish, a flash,
a silvery glow,

a fight, a bet,
the range of the bow.

the bed of the well,
the end of the line,

the dismay in the face,
it's a loss, it's a find.

a spear, a spike,
a point, a nail,

a drip, a drop,
the end of the tale.

a truckload of bricks,
in the soft morning light,

the shot of a gun,
in the dead of the night.

a mile, a must,
a thrust, a bump.

it's a girl, it's a rhyme.
it's the cold, it's the mumps.

the plan of the house,
the body in bed,

the car that got stuck,
it's the mud, it's the mud.

a float, a drift,
a flight, a wing,

ahawk, a quail,
the promise of spring.

and the riverbanks talks.
of the waters of march.

it's the promise of life,
it's the joy in your heart,

a snake, a stick,
it is john, it is joe,

it's a thorn in your hand,
and a cut on your toe.

a point, a grain,
a bee, a bite,

a blink, a buzzard,
the sudden stroke of night.

a pin, a needle,
a sting, a pain,

a snail, a riddle,
a weep, a stain.

a pass in the mountains.
a horse, a mule,

in the distance the shelves.
rode three shadows of blue.

and the riverbank talks
of the promise of life
in your heart, in your heart

a stick, a stone,
the end of the load,

the rest of the stump,
a lonesome road.

a sliver of glass,
a life, the sun,

a night, a death,
the end of the run

and the riverbank talks
of the waters of march

it's the end of all strain
it's the joy in your heart

What A Wonderful World / Louis Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you,
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white.
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night,
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands, saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, "I love you."

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know.
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
Oh yeah

Yesterday / Beatles

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe, in yesterday

Suddenly, There's a shadow hanging over me
I'm not half the man I used to be     
Oh, yesterday, came suddenly

Why, she, had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said, something wrong
Now I long for yesterday

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe, in yesterday

Why, she, had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said, something wrong
Now I long for yesterday

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe, in yesterday

Why, she, had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said, something wrong
Now I long for yesterday

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe, in yesterday

You Are So Beautiful / Joe Cocker

you are so beautiful
to me you are so beautiful
to me, can’t you see you are so beautiful to me
you are so beautiful to me
you are so beautiful to me, can’t you see
you’re everything I’ve hoped for
you’re everything I need
you are so beautiful to me

I Want to Know What Love Is / Foreigner

I've gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older
Ohhhh Oo oh oh oh oh

Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like the world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder
In my life there´s been heart-ache and pain
I don´t know if I can face it again
Can´t stop now
I´ve travelled so far 
to change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me

I´m gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I´ve got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me
In my life there´s been heartache and pain
I don´t know if I can face it again
Can´t stop now
I´ve travelled so far to change this lonely life

Just Wait / Blues Traveler

if ever you are feeling like your tired
and all your uphill struggles leave you headed downhill
if you realize your wildest dreams can hurt you
and your appetite for pain has drinken its fill
i ask of you a very simple question
did you think for one minute that you are alone?
and is your suffering a privelege you share only?
or did you think that everybody else feels completely at home?

Just Wait..........Just Wait...........Just Wait.......And It Will Come

if you think ive given up on you,your crazy
and if you think i dont love you well then your just wrong
in time you just might take to feeling better
Time is the beauty of the road being long
i know that now you feel no consolation
but maybe if i told you and informed you out loud
i say this without fear of hesitation
i can honestly tell you that you make me proud

if anything i might've just said has helped you
if anything i might've said helped you just carry on
your rise uphill may no longer seem a struggle
and your appetite for pain may all but be gone
i hope for you and cannot stop at hoping
until that smile has once again returned to your face
theres no such thing as a failure who keeps trying
coasting to the bottom is the only disgrace

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds / Beatles

Picture yourself in a boat on a river
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes

Cellophane flowers of yellow and green
Towering over your head
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes
And she's gone

Lucy in the sky of diamonds
Lucy in the sky of diamonds
Lucy in the sky of diamonds
Aaaaaah

Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain
Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies
Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers
That grow so incredibly high

Newspaper taxis appear on the shore
Waiting to take you away
Climb in the back with your head in the clouds
And you're gone

Lucy in the sky of diamonds
Lucy in the sky of diamonds
Lucy in the sky of diamonds
Aaaaaah

Picture yourself on a train in a station
With plasticine porters with looking glass ties
Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes

Stairway to Heaven / Led Zeppelin

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

Thick As A Brick / Jethro Tull

Really don't mind if you sit this one out.

My words but a whisper -- your deafness a SHOUT.
I may make you feel but I can't make you think.
Your sperm's in the gutter -- your love's in the sink.
So you ride yourselves over the fields and
you make all your animal deals and
your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick.

And the sand-castle virtues are all swept away in
the tidal destruction
the moral melee.
The elastic retreat rings the close of play
as the last wave uncovers the newfangled way.
But your new shoes are worn at the heels and
your suntan does rapidly peel and
your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick.

And the love that I feel is so far away:
I'm a bad dream that I just had today -- and you
shake your head and
say it's a shame.

Spin me back down the years and the days of my youth.
Draw the lace and black curtains and shut out the whole truth.
Spin me down the long ages: let them sing the song.

See there!  A son is born -- and we pronounce him fit to fight.
There are black-heads on his shoulders, and he pees himself in the night.
We'llmake a man of him
put him to trade
teach him
to play Monopoly and
to sing in the rain.

The Poet and the painter casting shadows on the water --
as the sun plays on the infantry returning from the sea.
The do-er and the thinker: no allowance for the other --
as the failing light illuminates the mercenary's creed.
The home fire burning: the kettle almost boiling --
but the master of the house is far away.
The horses stamping -- their warm breath clouding
in the sharp and frosty morning of the day.
And the poet lifts his pen while the soldier sheaths his sword.

And the youngest of the family is moving with authority.
Building castles by the sea, he dares the tardy tide to wash them all aside.

The cattle quietly grazing at the grass down by the river
where the swelling mountain water moves onward to the sea:
the builder of the castles renews the age-old purpose
and contemplates the milking girl whose offer is his need.
The young men of the household have
all gone into service and
are not to be expected for a year.
The innocent young master -- thoughts moving ever faster --
has formed the plan to change the man he seems.
And the poet sheaths his pen while the soldier lifts his sword.

And the oldest of the family is moving with authority.
Coming from across the sea, he challenges the son who puts him to the run.

What do you do when
the old man's gone -- do you want to be him?  And
your real self sings the song.
Do you want to free him?
No one to help you get up steam --
and the whirlpool turns you `way off-beam.

I've come down from the upper class to mend your rotten ways.
My father was a man-of-power whom everyone obeyed.
So come on all you criminals!
I've got to put you straight just like I did with my old man --
twenty years too late.
Your bread and water's going cold.
Your hair is too short and neat.
I'll judge you all and make damn sure that no-one judges me.

You curl your toes in fun as you smile at everyone -- you meet the stares.
You're unaware that your doings aren't done.
And you laugh most ruthlessly as you tell us what not to be.
But how are we supposed to see where we should run?
I see you shuffle in the courtroom with
your rings upon your fingers and
your downy little sidies and
your silver-buckle shoes.
Playing at the hard case, you follow the example of the comic-paper idol
Who lets you bend the rules.

So!
Come on ye childhood heroes!
Won't you rise up from the pages of your comic-books
your super crooks
and show us all the way.
Well!  Make your will and testament. Won't you?
Join your local government.
We'll have Superman for president
let Robin save the day.

You put your bet on number one and it comes up every time.
The other kids have all backed down and they put you first in line.
And so you finally ask yourself just how big you are --
and take your place in a wiser world of bigger motor cars.
And you wonder who to call on.

So!  Where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last Saturday?
And where were all the sportsmen who always pulled you though?
They're all resting down in Cornwall --
writing up their memoirs for a paper-back edition
of the Boy Scout Manual.

See there!  A man born -- and we pronounce him fit for peace.
There's a load lifted from his shoulders with the discovery of his disease.
We'll take the child from him
put it to the test
teach it
to be a wise man
how to fool the rest.

We will be geared to the average rather than the exceptional
God is an overwhelming responsibility
we walked through the maternity ward and saw 218 babies wearing nylons
cats are on the upgrade
upgrade?  Hipgrave.  Oh, Mac.

In the clear white circles of morning wonder,
I take my place with the lord of the hills.
And the blue-eyed soldiers stand slightly discoloured (in neat little rows)
sporting canvas frills.
With their jock-straps pinching, they slouch to attention,
while queueing for sarnies at the office canteen.
Saying -- how's your granny and
good old Ernie: he coughed up a tenner on a premium bond win.

The legends (worded in the ancient tribal hymn) lie cradled
in the seagull's call.
And all the promises they made are ground beneath the sadist's fall.
The poet and the wise man stand behind the gun,
and signal for the crack of dawn.
Light the sun.

Do you believe in the day?  Do you?
Believe in the day!  The Dawn Creation of the Kings has begun.
Soft Venus (lonely maiden) brings the ageless one.
Do you believe in the day?
The fading hero has returned to the night -- and fully pregnant with the day,
wise men endorse the poet's sight.
Do you believe in the day?  Do you?  Believe in the day!

Let me tell you the tales of your life of
your love and the cut of the knife
the tireless oppression
the wisdom instilled
the desire to kill or be killed.
Let me sing of the losers who lie in the street as the last bus goes by.
The pavements are empty: the gutters run red -- while the fool
toasts his god in the sky.

So come all ye young men who are building castles!
Kindly state the time of the year and join your voices in a hellish chorus.
Mark the precise nature of your fear.
Let me help you pick up your dead as the sins of the father are fed
with the blood of the fools and
the thoughts of the wise and
from the pan under your bed.
Let me make you a present of song as
the wise man breaks wind and is gone while
the fool with the hour-glass is cooking his goose and
the nursery rhyme winds along.

So!  Come all ye young men who are building castles!
Kindly state the time of the year and join your voices in a hellish chorus.
Mark the precise nature of your fear.
See!  The summer lightning casts its bolts upon you
and the hour of judgement draweth near.
Would you be
the fool stood in his suit of armour or
the wiser man who rushes clear.
So!  Come on ye childhood heroes!
Won't your rise up from the pages of your comic-books
your super-crooks and
show us all the way.
Well!  Make your will and testament.
Won't you?  Join your local government.
We'll have Superman for president
let Robin save the day.
So!  Where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last Saturday?
And where were all the sportsmen who always pulled you through?
They're all resting down in Cornwall -- writing up their memoirs
for a paper-back edition of the Boy Scout Manual.

So you ride yourselves over the fields and
you make all your animal deals and
your wise men don't know how 
it feels to be thick as a brick.

True Colors / Cyndi Lauper

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

I can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
True colors are shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

Land of Make Believe / Chuck Mangione

When you're feeling down and out
Wondering what this world's about
I know a place that has the answer
It's a place where no one die
It's a place where no one cry
And good vibrations always
Do reach you

How I love with my forthright
To the land of make believe
Where everything is fun
For ever

Children always gather around
To the land of make believe
And fill the air with sounds
Of laughter
Hi-ha-ha-hi...

And I should light the way
To the land of make believe
And make this world of ours
Much brighter

When you're feeling down and out
Wondering what this world's about
I know a place that has the answer
It's a place where no one die
It's a place where no one cry
And good vibrations always
Do reach you

Take A Walk on the Wild Side / Lou Reed

Holly came from Miami, FLA
Hitch-hiked her way across the USA
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She says, Hey babe
Take a walk on the wild side
She said, Hey honey
Take a walk on the wild side

Candy came from out on the Island
In the backroom she was everybody's darlin'
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
She says, Hey babe
Take a walk on the wild side
Said, Hey babe
Take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls go doo do doo do doo do do doo, ....

Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hussle here and a hussle there
New York City's the place where they said, Hey babe
Take a walk on the wild side
I said, Hey Joe
Take a walk on the wild side

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Lookin' for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should've seen 'em go go go
They said, Hey sugar
Take a walk on the wild side
I Said, Hey babe
Take a walk on the wild side
All right, huh

Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash
Said, Hey babe,
Take a walk on the wild side
I said, Hey honey,
Take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls say, doo do doo do doo do do doo, ....

You're So Vain / Carly Simon

You walked into the party
Like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror
As you watched yourself go by.
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you, don't you

Well you had me several years ago
When I was still quite naive
When you said that we made such a pretty pair
And that you would never leave
But you gave away the things you loved
And one of them was me

I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee and...

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you, don't you, don't you

I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee and...

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you, don't you

Well I hear you went up to Saratoga
And your horse naturally won
Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun
Well you're where you should be all the time
And when you're not
You're with some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend
Wife of a close friend

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you, don't you, don't you

You're so vain
You probably think this song 
is about you