Longtime friends know I'm a fan of lists. Any kind of list. Dave Letterman's Top 10s are zany in their own way, but I enjoy compiling personal bests in virtually any category just for kicks. My mind most recently came up with this notion: If you could, what songs would you put on an album that defines your life thus far? Call it "My So-Called Life: The Not-So-Original Soundtrack." There need not be a specific number of tunes to put forth, although 20 or 30 are probably enough for our conversation here. Oh sure, you could think of hundreds of songs, and you might accidentally leave some out when your list is done. Ultimately, the goal here is to mull what songs describe your life. The songs may carry certain themes or they may be about nothing at all, but particular lyrics or merely the tempo sways you.
Definitely, your personal album could run the gamut of emotions and experiences: happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, philosophy, religion, risk, triumphs in the face of adversity, setbacks, death, life, marriage, divorce, blossoming romance, motivation, school, drugs, alcohol, sports, work, family, politics, optimism, pessimism, whatever. In the end, the songs are all about you. They don't even necessarily have to be your opinion of the greatest songs ever or your overall personal favorites. I don't have hours and hours to sample music and come up with a perfectly ordered list, like John Cusack's character does in the movie High Fidelity. But you get the idea here. My soundtrack, in no particular order, would go like this:
(1) If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day -- Robert Johnson is one of the earliest pioneers of Delta blues. He basically put the "blue" in blues.
(2) Gethsemane -- I've long admired Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar rock opera for many reasons. Almost every tune is a brilliant retelling of Jesus' final week on Earth. But it's his stirring lament in the garden of Gethsemane - I find - to be rather reflective of my sometimes conflicting relationship with spirituality.
(3) Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen) -- Quindon Tarver's Everybody's Free sample is a nice touch to Baz Luhrmann's poignant remix.
(4) Jackass -- For all of Beck's gibberish and clash of musical stylings, there are many songs in his arsenal that do speak to our deepest desires and fears.
(5) What's This Life For -- Creed went as quickly as it came, toting a quasi-spiritual message about redemption, and mixing it with Pearl Jam riffs.
(6) Cut Here -- Funny. At first upon hearing bands such as Depeche Mode, The Cure or even Dead or Alive in the early-mid '80s, I just enjoyed the music. The messages didn't grow on me until later...naturally in the despair that was junior and high school. But with the Cure's Cut Here, reminiscing and hoping against hope never sounded more fun.
(7) Dancing with Myself -- Billy Idol's original version, as well as a cover by The Donnas, pretty much exemplify the meaning, which is like that axiom "dance like nobody's watching." Which is pretty much my mantra during those rare times I get to go clubbing.
(8) I Will Buy You a New Life -- Everclear's ode to wishful thinking.
(9) Criminal -- Fiona Apple's first hit is dark yet peppy. Can't go wrong with the opening line "I've been a bad, bad girl." And with the music video, that's when I fell in love with her.
(10) Do You Realize? -- The Flaming Lips knows how to put things in proper perspective.
(11) Their Cell -- Amazing how the three oh-so-still-young ladies that make up local band Girl in a Coma write songs and perform as if they've lived life over and over, pain and all. Simply beautiful.
(12) Let's Live It Up -- The Brian Setzer Orchestra doesn't deal with the meaning of life, but Setzer just lives it and has fun no matter what.
(13) The Wrong Company -- Not exactly a full-fledged song, but Flogging Molly juggles blue-collar life and mythology with the best of them.
(14) Mind Playin' Tricks On Me -- The Geto Boys' ballad about gangsta paranoia run amok tied for my high school senior class' official class song. Really. I voted for it. I miss the ol' days (sniff). Old school rap helped me cope during my period of depression and teenage angst.
(15) Imagine -- John Lennon was the ultimate optimist in a time of cynicism.
(16) Jesus Walks -- Kanye West is certainly provocative. And while there are haters around, at least West among other hip-hoppers (namely Nas, Sage Francis, Immortal Technique, Eric B and Rakim) dare to bring topics of substance into a larger genre that is quickly losing any shred of creativity, lyrically or musically.
(17) Cancion Del Mariachi -- It's a cheery classic mariachi tune by Los Lobos, but given greater effect by Antonio Banderas in Desperado.
(18) All These Things That I've Done -- If The Killers' tune doesn't get your feet moving in spite of hopelessness, I don't know what will.
(19) No Children -- The Mountain Goats song is hilarious, and drips with sarcasm. Rather nihilistic.
(20) Molly's Lips -- The Vaselines song was covered by Nirvana. Short, sweet and actually danceable.
(21) A Change is Gonna Come -- Most of Otis Redding's songs are meant to move you in various ways.
(22) Wishlist -- While Alive might be a more obvious choice, this Pearl Jam song is more subtle in the theme of hoping against all odds.
(23) It Hurts to See You Dance So Well - The Pipettes' songs, for the most part, are bubble-gum pop in a neo-'60s fashion. But again, there are some lyrics that - along with the beat - are irresistible.
(24) What If -- Fun, optimistic punk from the Plain White T's.
(25) Nothing Better - The Postal Service's tribute to re-igniting the flick of that flame that's long gone. The mixed response vocals here set against a groovy and occasionally majestic sound are tops in my book.
(26) Everybody Hurts -- You knew I had to throw this in. C'mon. R.E.M, shutting down a local freeway to film the music video. It's depression yet light at the end of the tunnel. It's syrupy but sincere.
(27) Creep -- Here's probably the most well-known song about self-loathing and disenchantment courtesy of Radiohead.
(28) Swing Life Away -- A beautiful calming song by Rise Against that is punk its core, but not in a blast-your-ears, kick-ass sort of way.
(29) If It Makes You Happy -- Sheryl Crow; again, self-explanatory.
(30) There's a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends –- A Morrissey song that my fellow high school seniors and I rejoiced in if just for the mere idea that it was a modern version of Doris Day's Que Sera, whatever will be, will be.
(31) Disorder -- A vengeful System of a Down tune. OK, virtually all SOAD songs are vengeful, but anyway.
(32) All I Want Is You -- It's hard to choose at least one U2 song for my album, but even in their younger days, Bono and company did mix a bit of optimism with their brooding.
(33) Sheep -- Pink Floyd ranks among the best prog rockers that could craft intelligent, politically charged tunes.
(34) Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy -- The Ren and Stimpy anthem is pure absurd exuberance.
(35) Life's Gonna Suck -- Denis Leary's hilarious, caustic take that screams "funny 'cause it's true.
(36) That's Life -- With Frank Sinatra's easygoing, soothing vocals, not even a black hole threatening to swallow the Earth can prevent you from seeing the bright side.
(37) You Never Even Call Me By My Name -- A David Allen Coe song. Even in your worse times, drink a few and hear this with friends at a country place or piano bar. You'll feel better fast.
(38) There Goes The Fear -- A mesmerizing Doves tune.
(39) Needle in the Hay -- Elliott Smith's entire library was a cry for help.
(40) What a Wonderful World -- Louis Armstrong, covered by The Ramones (as shown in Bowling for Columbine). This, too, is self-explanatory.
(41) Mad World -- The Tears for Fears tune was covered by Gary Jules to bittersweet effect for the Donnie Darko soundtrack.
(42) Everybody Needs Somebody to Love -- The jubilant Blues Brothers tune.
(43) True Love Will Find You (in the End) -- A melancholy song by Daniel Johnston, among the most renowned yet not so mainstream famed indie musicians. Beck covered this well.
(44) We'll Meet Again -- The pre-WWII Vera Lynn song has been covered by the likes of Johnny Cash, and is perhaps most memorable heard at the end of Dr. Strangelove as the nukes go off. Awww, love amid annihilation.
(45) Tonight, Tonight -- Indulging in doom and gloom, Smashing Pumpkins still could touch your soul with engaging lyrics and, in this case, a string section.
(46) Some Days It's Dark -- This is from the soundtrack to Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, one of the truly unappreciated comedies of the '90s. The title and dialogue alone are enough for you to chuckle and think "hey, darkness is fun and it's my friend."
(47) Nowhere Man –- Even The Beatles can put an upbeat musical spin on being a lonely underachiever.
OK, clearly my soundtrack would be a double-disc offering.
