Fortnight IV: Happiness (song descriptions)
So, I'm taking part in Fortnight IV: Happiness.
Basically what Fortnight is, is a project started (at least in this instance) by wendywoowho. The project consists of collecting mp3s that you would classify along a vague theme. In this case the theme happens to be 'happiness'. Participants were supposed to collect songs that they think of when they are happy, or listen to in order to help them become happy. Now, supposedly we were supposed to compile a list around the size of an audio CD (~74 minutes). The list I composed was a little bit larger. I came up with an 8 disc set. Yeah .. I'm a music nut
Anyways ... this set is linked to in a different post (as it is on yousendit and I think they have a 25 downloads per file limit). Plus, I'm not too fond of uploading a file for 2 hours (lousy internet). However, the purpose of this post is to list and describe the signifiance (at least for me) of the songs I chose. Obviously I'm gonna put this information behind a cut, cuz .. it's ginormous.
Here we go
Disc #1 of 8
01 - Danny Elfman - Augustus Gloop.mp3 - This song, as well as many like it from the Charlie & The Chocolate Factory soundtrack, are quite fun. They had me dancing in my seat at the theater, and this one never fails to pick me up. Plus I always liked the Augustus Gloop from the original 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory' ... especially his 'Let me in I'm starving!' line :)
02 - Art Of Noise - Dragnet '88.mp3 - Dragnet: The Movie, starring Tom Hanks and Dan Akroyd (sp?) is one of my favorites. There are a few lines from the movie that for some strange reason have made it into my mental 'vocabulary'. I don't know really how to describe this .. but basically I find myself thinking in lines from movies .. occasionally. A few of my 'thoughts' in this mode are from the movie Dragnet. This song has some rather fun soundclips that help make my day .. especially on a Friday. Plus it's catchy
03 - Asylum Street Spankers - The Scrotum Song.mp3 - For some strange reason, I'm a rather big fan of songs that have to do with the human anatomy. Plus, I'm a little bit of a pervert. (ok, more than a little bit) Once upon a time, I heard this song on a radio show in Champaign, Illinois and it cracked me up. Now I put it on most of my light-hearted mp3 cd mixes.
04 - Spizzwinks - Dead Puppies.mp3 - I like a capella music. I like strange humor. I like Dr. Demento. The combination of those things, found it in this song makes it pretty much ... have my name on it.
05 - Onion Radio News - Freakish Newborn Is Half Chinese Half American.mp3 - I'm not racist. I promise. However, I do like racial humor. I'm not really sure why, and I'm not really sure I'd classify the Onion Radio News as something thats racially humorous. However this song clip definetly has some racial humor to it, not in any ... perpetuating stereotypes ... kinda way, but I do like the way in which you can't help but notice the obvious 'wrongness' in racism by listening to it. Mneh .. that probably didn't make a good case for me or the song ... but you try it on.
06 - Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up.mp3 - Yes the song is about a troubled communication process in a relationship. Yes the repeated use of 'shut up' isn't probably what people would classify as 'happy'. But it's a peppy beat and it's a good driving toon ... and I think that when I have communication problems in my relationships with wife or friends ... it's always good to have music that echoed the sentiments I feel. Maybe it's just audio companionship... whatever.
07 - Tom Lehrer - The Vatican Rag.mp3 - I'm a religion major at Dana College. There's always a bit of tension flowing around between the different 'sorts' of Christians around here. liberal christians, conservative christians, orthodox protestants, orthodox catholics, charasmatics, nondenominationalists ... it gets messy. This song always makes me giggle, especially at the way in which many of the members of Christian denominations take themselves rather seriously.
08 - Bubba Sparxxx Featuring The Ying Yang Twins - Miss New Booty.mp3 - This song, for some reason, never fails to lift my spirits (yes that's getting to be a pattern) and always gets people singing along. Odd that its proponents usually represent both genders ... but yeah .. moving on.
09 - Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger.mp3 - When I do the dishes, I usually blast music so I can hear it over the running water. This song helps to keep me motivated and makes me happy :)
10 - Bloopers - Abc News.mp3 - For some reason, when I get frustrated .. I feel as if I'm being unprofessional and for some reason ... shouldn't be frustrated because it's not the 'normal' thing to do. This mp3 of bloopers helps me to relate to other people, even those who get frustrated at the most inopportune moments, like in front of a camera. I guess, that's why it makes me happy. Plus some of the expressions are ... kinda funneh.
11 - South Park - Chef - Chocolate Salty Balls.mp3 - Yeah ... I like this song. See the reasoning for the Scrotum Song earlier ... plus I like the reference to George Thorogood's (sp?) 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer' ... heeheee
12 - The Spice Girls - Outer Space Girls.mp3 - This song, as if you couldn't guess by the artist .. is goofy. When I was younger, I went to see a talent show at my cousin's (younger than I, by quite a bit) school. There were quite a few girls there who had dance lessons, or were on some squad or something ... anyways it seemed like ALL of them had a routine or something to go with this song... Oddly enough, my wife ... who I met much later ... owned a single that had this as a bside. Yeah, it brings back memories of tolerating my way through a long evening of stuff I wasn't interested in ... but it's so goofy and peppy that ... for some reason it brings a good vibe with it.
13 - George W. Bush - Fool Me Once.mp3 - He's so intelligent. Heeheee
Cast of A Chorus Line - Tits And Ass.mp3 - It's a song about body modification. It's catchy. It's from a musical I saw once. I like it.
15 - Bob & Tom - The Man Song.mp3 - This describes my marriage perfectly. And for some reason ... I'm fine with that.
16 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Enormous Penis.mp3 - see my previously mentioned descriptions dealing with songs baout anatomy and my perverted nature... heehee
17 - Garfield - Naked In Jello Answering Machine.mp3 - i don't know why, but this brightens my mood, no matter what emotive mp3 mix i put it in
18 - Jim Henson - African_Alphabet_Song.mp3 - reminds me of my childhood, and makes me sing along and feel ethnic at the same time
19 - Team America Soundtrack Artists - America Fuck Yeah.mp3 - this is from quite possibly the most ridiculous movie ever and contains some rather strange .... 'f*** yeah" ingredients
20 - Sean Morey - The Toddler Song.mp3 - i like songs about silliness. like you couldn't guess
21 - Uc Artists In Resonance - Cheesecake Truck.mp3 - again, silly songs = good
22 - eBaum's World - Burger King Song.mp3 - silly song ... annoying if repeated more than 3 times a day .. but still good
23 - The Muppets - Boom Shakalaka.mp3 - the muppets rule. nuff said
...apparently my descriptions are getting shorter as this goes on ... we've got a ways to go, so this could be bad. maybe i'll get a writing bug later...
01 - Echelon - Morning Song.mp3 - A couple years before Sarah and I moved out to Nebraska, we chaparoned some middle-schoolerson a church trip up to Chicago. This youth conference thing we went to, had a group 'Echelon' doing some of the music. Now if you've ever been to a youth conference, or any other conference for that matter, you're probably aware of the way the mornings seem very 'morningy'. I think it has something to do with the way friendships or conversations or just doable-things tend to spring up in the evening at these things, but one usually finds themselves falling to sleep way later then they should. Consequently, the next morning's 'gathering event' usually seems to be at the butt-crack of dawn. Such was often the case at this particular convention, and one morning Echelon played .. well the morning song. It was pretty funny when I was gawdawful tired, and it brings back happy memories.
02 - Relient K - The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.mp3 - Believe it or not, I had never heard of the PWDDA (obvious abbreviation) before I saw Jonah, the VeggieTale movie, in theaters. So when the 'family of vegetables' is sitting in that seafood restaurant ... and everything seems to have a rather strange-veggietales feel to it ... when they overhear the bland unison mumbling of the chorus to the PWDDA in the next booth ... I nearly peed myself. Maybe it has something to do with the obvious admission of one's sloth, which I have done a great deal, but I found it quite funny. Imagine my surprise when I realized there was a whole 'song' to accompany this. Anywho ... I purchased VeggieRocks! and this was a song on there ... good times, good giggles, good veggies.
03 - St. Olaf Choir - Siyahamba.mp3 - Again, back in Illinois, Sarah and I were pretty active in our church's praise band. We sang, helped set things up and take things down, I ran soundboard, we enjoyed keeping everything knit together in a social blanket of warm goodness. It was altogether a good time. One of the songs that was sung during services, at least during the spring ... which for some reason I seem to associate with happiness quite often...was this one. It brings back memories, which I find is growing to be a theme in what determines a song's status as 'happy oriented'...
04 - The Gas House Gang - My Old Man.mp3 - Again with the memories ... for quite a while, for some unmeasurable amount of time in my past, my parents (dad specifically but also my mother) were involved in barbershop singing. I became involved as well, going with him to a large number of conventions, practices, performances, etc. I remember hearing The Gas House Gang on my birthday ... somewhere ... I remember singing this song in a car with Ryan (camry1854) and coming to the cheering realization that we both knew of the musical style, the group, and the song ... it's also kinda catchy ... yay for catchy memory enducing tunage!
05 - James Taylor - Something In The Way.mp3 - There's something about the things that happen when you're dating; movie releases, songs that recieve too much radio play, restaurants you frequent, etc. ... these things tend to just have a special place in your heart, when you think of them, you are returned to a moment .. with all its associated emotional goodness, the certainty of hope, the gladness of loving and being loved ... yeah i'm turning into a sap ... anyways, this song is one that reminds me of my wife. It made its way onto many a mix cd while we were dating, being friends ... it seemed to come up on nearly every trip back and forth from Champaign to Bloomington ... and it was one we sang along to quite a bunch. Good times, good happiness.
06 - Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing.mp3 - I like music that seems to coordinate sounds and emotions and instruments/voices in a way that my brain does when it thinks. It helps make me think I'm sane. I helps me enjoy life by recognizing similarity to the organization of other things ... in a way it's like the gardening of zen Buddhism. There's this intended complexity that comes across not as ... intended ... but as naturally manifested. It's rather intriguing, mentally stimulating, but very peaceful at the same time. This song isn't too peaceful, but the happiness it brings with it, is often a welcome relief from my usual stress enduced bad moods. Woot for feeling better!
07 - Perry Como - Papa Loves Mambo.mp3 - Sarah and I have eaten a few times at a restuarant in Chicago and another one of the same chain that used to be in Omaha, called Buca di Beppo. They serve family-style Italian ... lots of tomato sauce ... lots of garlic ... lots of good good food. The 'ambiantic' music of the restaurant, played the 'sterotypical' italian music ... some opera ... some sinatra ... stuff like that. This song made it onto the playlist and we love singing along to it, driving while listening to it, whatever ... there's something about joining in on the unison 'uuh!'s ... it just brightens one's day.
08 - Ray Stevens - The Streak.mp3 - Sarah introduced me to this song. She remembers it from her youth, not certain how or why ... but it's quite funny and I like seeing her happy, it makes me happy also.
09 - Steven Curtis Chapman - I Will Be Here.mp3 - A while back, in Illinois, Sarah/Myself/My Mom/My Dad/possibly my grandma (not certain) ... went ot see Steven Curtis Chapman in concert. I can't recall, what prompted us to go ... maybe I brought it up after listening to quite a lot of Christian radio and hearing the advertisements ... maybe my parents already had tickets ... I can't remember. Anyways it was a super good time. There was a lot of stuff that was pretty heart-wrenching .. there was a lot of stuff that lifted my spirits. Anyway, during the concert this song was played ... there was talk beforehand about why Steven wrote it and that this part of the show was 'cuddle-time'. Sarah and I, who were dating at the time, cuddled up and listened ... and it was my sentiment all over the place. The song was sung at our wedding by Kyle Consalus (a good friend from High School). It makes me remember the wedding, the dating, the goodness of love, and the sweet blessing that is my wife Sarah.
10 - Zwan - Riverview.mp3 - I'm obviously a Smashing Pumpkins fan. So ... whenever Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain started up Zwan ... I was interested. Sarah and I went to three out of the 'Five Nights At The Metro'. It was a good memory making time ... I believe this mp3 comes not from that show .. but rather from one in Paris, France ... while Sarah and I did not attend this one ... don't I wish ... I do like the abiance that comes through in the recording of that acoustic cafe appearance they did. Sarah likes this song a bunch, and so do I. It's a good riding tune, helps keep me positive.
11 - No Strings Attached - It Don't Mean A Thing.mp3 - This song comes from the Maxi Single by No Strings Attached entitled Live At John's Place ... I don't know who John is .. or where his place is ... but I do know Kyle Consalus who was then a member of the group. The song is peppy ... Sarah and I both like jazz vocal music ... we saw NSA (obvious abbreviation) in concert once ... yeah .. not much else to say.
12 - The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.mp3 - again, a song that ends up on most of my mix cds ... and does a lot to lift my spirits. There's probably something about the lyrics that does that ... but I haven't really thought about it.
13 - Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me.mp3 - camry1854 (Ryan McKinzie) and I are good buddies. Really good buddies. I was recently best man at his wedding. We've known each other for quite some time. When we were both attending Parkland College in Champaign ... we had a tendnecy to have one of us have a suspended license while the other one still had theirs ... so we exchanged taxi services every once and a while. His car at the time, a Chrystler (sp?) Lebaron ... needed some power steering fluids desperately. I'm not really sure what that does exactly ... I'm not a doctor or anything, but I think that means it does something to help the power steering ... anyways. We both like Classic Rock a bunch, listened to it on the radio, you know how it goes ... and this song comes on as we are leaving the campus ... for some reason we both start singing 'i want you ... to put some power steering fluid in my car' ... yeah it's rediculous ... but it's a very happy memory.
14 - Imea All State Chorus 1997 - Flower Of Beauty.mp3 - This one reminds me of my wife. I sang this song in High School ... long before I met her ... but apparently she was doing the same as if you listen closely ... you can hear a cough at the very end of the piece ... that's my wife. :) It's a memory of the high school days when I enjoyed singing in a choir very much ... it makes me smile to hear her cough ... that sounded odd, but yeah ... moving on.
15 - St. Olaf Choir - Haleluya! Pelo Tsa Rona - Traditional South African.mp3 - i like st. olaf choir. i like good choral music. it makes me happy. especially peppy choral music. yeah. that's it.
16 - Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers - Top Hat, White Tie And Tails.mp3 - When I was a child, and this may sound weird, my mother and I watched a great deal of 'old sappy movies'. You know the kind, the Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby ... type. Childhood memories are rather few and far between for me ... especially happy ones. So, that's why this song makes me happy.
17 - The Xtension Chords - Insomniac.mp3 - There's a lot of misc. memories that come with this song. I remember listening to Jeff Bauer, Kyle Consalus, Jeff Grider, and others learning how to sing this. I remember singing it with them at random parties and social occasions. I remember going with Sarah to concerts and hearing them perform it. I think the one that is BY FAR the goofiest and weirdest of the memories ... has to do with ... I think it was Kyle consalus' 18th birthday. We got him a stripper. And .... for some reason ... we had the bright idea of singing the song ... while she stripped. So ... imagine a stripper ... stripping to an a capella male ensemble ..... and for them. Yeah it was .... weird at best. But definetly a good memory. ............ I'm not sure why, but Sarah likes this song a great deal, which boosts its rating in the charts :)
18 - Peter, Paul & Mary - Wedding Song - There Is Love.mp3 - I'm not sure where I came across this originally ... but it was sung at our wedding by the afore mentioned Kyle Consalus. It warms my heart and brings back happy memories. Also makes me a little bitter, cuz I can't play guitar worth a hoot and Kyle can finger-pick like no-one's business .... but that's inconsequential :)
01 - John Williams - Prologue.mp3 - It's a good disc starter. I like the first movie. I love John Williams. This song makes me feel ... like i could do anything. Which usually helps when I need to do everything :)
02 - Joby Talbot - So Long & Thanks For All The Fish2.mp3 - Another song from a movie ... this one reminds me of singing dolphins ... and it's very peppy and a good mood lifter.
03 - Onion Radio News - A Company You've Never Heard Of Wants To Reward You For Your Good Credit.mp3 - As a citizen of the United States, and a college student, I get an extremely obscene amount of credit card offers. They seem outlandish and completely unaware of my spending history ... yeah ... so I like this a lot, because it makes me chuckle.
04 - Swingle Singers - Ph. E. Bach- Solfeggietto.mp3 - Speedy music = happy music
05 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Three Little Words.mp3 - This is rather meatloaf parody-ish .. which I suppose is a good thing. And it makes me giggle.
06 - Garrison Keillor - Powdermilk_Biscuit_Theme.mp3 - I'm a Lutheran. It's from Prairie Home Companion. 'Nuff said.
07 - Ted's Band (The Blanks) - Charles In Charge.mp3 - It's from the tv show Scrubs (season 1) ... a good sing along ...
Glenn Miller Big Bands - In The Mood.mp3 - Also used in a scrubs episode ... this song helps me to cheer up. Something about the tempo makes me happy :)
George W. Bush - Internets.mp3 - He's a funneh president. heehee
10 - Bill Harley - Zanzibar.mp3 - I'm not sure how this came into my life ... I know it's from my childhood. It's a very long story/song, about 26 minutes. But I like it, the tune stuck with me and I was able to hunt down a copy now that i've (knock on wood) grown up.
11 - The Muppets - Cabin Fever.mp3 - see the muppets rule from disc one. 'nuff said again.
12 - Rowlf The Dog - The Wishing Song.mp3 - I'm quoted this song on my journel many a time ... the first verse is a depression doozy. But the song wraps up in a very ... self-assured happiness kind of way. I need that more than I care to admit. Plus, muppets rule.
13 - The Simpsons - Apu Telling Ned Flanders.mp3 - heehee ... this definetly clicks with my inner dialogue a lot in life ... bubble headed optimists make me ... just want to go apu on them :) *giggle*
14 - Moxy Fruvous - My Baby Loves A Bunch Of Authors.mp3 - I have no idea why I like this song. I just do. A lot.
15 - Brak - Soup On A Stick.mp3 - this song reminds me of Ryan McKinzie ... and Sarah and I sing it quite a lot ... plus I'm going to write a sermon/children's message around it one of these days :)
16 - Perry Como - Magic Moments.mp3 - I think this is from a scrubs episode and possibly from the Elf soundtrack as well ... anyways ... it warms the cockles (sp?) of my heart
17 - Sesame Street - C Is For Cookie.mp3 - that's good enough for me
18 - Boudewijn De Groot - Het Geluid Van De Stilte (Sound of Silence - Dutch).mp3 - it's in a language I don't speak ... heehee
19 - Bobby McFerrin - The Pink Panther Theme.mp3 - the song is catchy and he's waaaaay too talented
20 - Erasure - A Little Respect.mp3 - this is from one of the first scrubs episodes. As is said by the character Dr. Turk ... 'it gets in your head like a damn virus' :)
01 - Colin Hay - Beautiful World.mp3 - this song helps me keep an optimistic appraisal of life
02 - Rowlf The Dog - I Never Harmed An Onion.mp3 - rowlf/muppets rule.
03 - Blues Brothers - Peter Gunn Theme.mp3 - this is a great driving tune, although it tends to make me want to drive ala Blues Brothers ... which isn't a great idea. However, it's really really really fun to WAAAWAAAA along with the brass :)
04 - Onion Radio News - A Man With A Hammer Induced Thumb Injury Appeals To Christ Almighty.mp3 - heehee .. that man is me
05 - The Beatles - Why Don't We Do It In The Road.mp3 - what exactly is this 'it' they are referring to ... 'it' could be anything :)
06 - Moxy Fruvous - The Kids' Song.mp3 - it's canadian ... and philosophical. I like it.
07 - Academy Of Ancient Music - Chorus- For Unto Us A Child Is Born.mp3 - you have not lived until you've seen my wife try and convince you she can sing all the parts to this at the same time ... it's a hoot :)
08 - Jim Henson - But_I_Like_You.mp3 -Bert & Ernie ... are Sarah & Tom ... not in that controversially homosexual kind of way ... but definetly in that different character traits that somehow click very very well together ... kind of way
09 - Chs Expressions Choir - In Rememberence (From Requiem).mp3 - this song. like a few others in my larger set ... remind me of the joys of singing in high school. What makes this song rather humorous and consequently 'happy' for me ... is the message of hope that is hinted at (grammar?) in the lyrics ... but if you listen to the ending chord ... and then restart the song ... we all went GINORMOUSLY flat (oops!)
10 - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).mp3 - from the big lebowski ... great tune that cheers me up
11 - Pink - Get The Party Started.mp3 - it's peppy .. and good to energize me into doing things ... which is usually what makes a song happy and helpful :)
12 - Amy Grant - Everywhere I Go.mp3 - this reminds me of my amy grant-laden childhood .. and brings back memories of people I miss.
13 - Monkees - I'm A Believer.mp3 - sing-along-able tunes are fun. especially when they remind me of shrek
14 - Hans Zimmer - Greatest Woman On Earth.mp3 - This song is instrumental. it's from the 'as good as it gets' soundtrack. It makes me think of Sarah ... of my feelings for her ... reminds me of how she looks when she shops .. it's fun :)
15 - Madonna - Music.mp3 - it makes the people ... come together. duh!
16 - Bobby McFerrin - Blackbird.mp3 - this guy is WAY too talented. it makes me happy to try and do the vocal things he does ... even when I don't succeed ... i'm still the happier for trying .. weird
17 - Kenny Wayne Shepherd - I Found Love (When I Found You).mp3 - I went to a KWS (obvious abbreviation) concert with Sarah while we were dating ... memories come back .. and the song/artist are pretty cool too
18 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Window-Washing Cowboy.mp3 - I love the pun at the end. Muhahaha
01 - The Smashing Pumpkins - Bugg Superstar.mp3 - this song originally comes from The Smashing Pumpkins' DVD 'Vieuphoria' ... the soundtrack of which was originally released on a promo CD in 1994 ... yeah I'm a nerd. It's a song that plays while James Iha is talking about his dog of the same name. Good times :)
02 - The Muppets - America.mp3 - muppets. rule. Fozzie most of all. This cannot be understated.
03 - Dean Martin - Papa Loves Mambo.mp3 - whoops! I just realixed I already put this on there .. hopefully this song is actually a different artist and not ... named wrong. Ugh that's one of my peevs. Anyways ... apparently Papa REALLLY loves Mambo :)
04 - The O.C. Supertones - I Can Be Your Friend.mp3 - if the song has the line 'whether your hair is red or yellow, we can be friends and share my jello' it instantly makes me happier. More songs need that.
05 - William Hung - Inspirational Thought (Heart).mp3 - he's so funny. he's horribly bad, and yet he tries so hard.
06 - Ted's Band (The Blanks) - Speedracer.mp3 - this is gonna be my cellphone answering message soon. It makes me giggle. Turn Turn Turn Turn. It's a scrubs thing.
07 - Bear In The Big Blue House - Clean Up the House.mp3 - this song happifies me right up, cuz cleaning usually doesn't have that 'happifying' reaction :)
08 - Nickel Creek - House_Of_Tom_Bombadil.mp3 - I don't know if it's because Tom Bombadil is from Lord of the Rings or if it's because Nickel Creek rules, or if it's because the songi s downright peppy... but I love this song. I think it might be the way the parts intertwine very very well.
09 - The Gas House Gang - The Chemical Elements.mp3 - see the backstory on 'the gas house gang' ...
10 - St. Olaf Choir - In His Care - O.mp3 - st. olaf choir rules. this song was sung the first time I saw them in Champaign, Illinois. It makes me feel better when I'm blue.
11 - Alvin & The Chipmunks - Christmas Don't Be Late.mp3 - I really like doing the Alvin OKAY! ... during those days when i'm rather blue.
12 - Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Techno Remix).mp3 - good peppy song. doing dishes isn't hard when you can be peppy :)
13 - Barrio Boyzz - Una Noche De Amor (Acapella).mp3 - it's in a different language and I might know what they're actually singing .. heehee ... yo recuerdo :)
14 - Zwan - Come With Me.mp3 - I can't remember if this is the album version, or also from that acoustic Paris concert like the other one was .... but I like it. It's good to sing along with. Does he want companionship? or ... mutual orgasm?
15 - Bear In The Big Blue House - The Bear Cha Cha Cha.mp3 - this song makes me remember that big fuzzy guy dancing around, gosh that makes me happy. I don't know why really. but it does.
16 - Rowlf The Dog - You And I And George.mp3 - muppets. rowlf. rule. Plus I really, in that morbidly funny kinda way, like the line 'and george...fell in and drowned himself' :)
17 - The King's Singers - There Are Bad Times Just Around The Corner.mp3 - happy songs about misery ... make me forget the misery ... granted I can't really relate with the British aspects ... but good times nonetheless
18 - Big Twist And The Mellow Fellows - 300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy.mp3 - this makes me think of my Dad ... not that he's 300 pounds ... we both sing this whenever we're feeling especially fat and/or happy after a good homecooked meal
19 - They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse In Your Soul.mp3 - high school memories of happy silliness @ lunch
20 - Cake - Frank Sinatra.mp3 - this was going to be my dictation project when I was a music major ... but I'm not that great with rhythms... so now it just makes me feel happy about music...which is an odd feeling to have
21 - Hoobastank - The Reason.mp3 - this song always seems to fit, i know it's over played and over loved by many a high school swooner ... but whether i'm thinking about God or my wife or ... my parents. or whoever ... the lyrics seem to fit .. and that resonation makes me glad
22 - A Ha - Take On Me.mp3 - a good crowd singing-along-with-er :)
23 - Michael Jackson - Billie Jean.mp3 - Sarah and I like the song, it's catchy ... and we're 80s kids.
24 - Winnie The Pooh & Tigger Too - Up_Down_&_Touch_The_Ground.mp3 - "with a hefty happy appetite, he's a hefty happy pooh"
.
01 - Joaquin Phoenix - Get Rhythm.mp3 - duh. you're supposed to 'get rhythm' when you get the blues
02 - Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna - The Blood Of Cu Chulainn.mp3 - thisi s from the beginning of Boondock Saints, one of my favorite movies ... it reminds me of the film ... and makes me feel Irish
03 - Garrison Keillor - Tent Caterpillars.mp3 - This is actually one of Keillor's 'news from Lake Wobegon' .. so it's more spoken word, then a song ... but it lightened my spirits and made me giggle while I was driving across Iowa
04 - Bear In The Big Blue House - What's That Smell.mp3 - at first I thought this song was an insult .. but it's cute :)
05 - Swingle Singers - Sleepers Awake (J.S. Bach).mp3 - i'm up i'm up! You're soooo peppy!
06 - Rowlf The Dog - Cottleston Pie.mp3 rowlf rules. duh.
07 - William Hung - Take Me Out To The Ball Game.mp3 - what key is he in?! This helps me to feel better about my abilities in life :) I could always be worse
08 - The Simpsons - See My Vest.mp3 - the simpsons has a way of always cheering me up .... witty cynicism and parody ... good times
09 - Bobby McFerrin - Thinkin' About Your Body.mp3 - maybe it's because i like vocal music ... but the 'woooOOO' ness of McFerrin helps get me through the day
10 - Sanctus Real - Promised Land.mp3 - veggietales related ... and the lyrics are just kinda silly ... but i like em
11 - William Hung - She Bangs.mp3 - my wife can't stand william hung, but he makes me feel better about life ... and his songs always remind me of the joy we can share in music ... even if we aren't st. olaf choir members :)
12 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Another Irish Drinking Song.mp3 - the words to this song make me laugh quite a lot. 'the road rose up to meet him when he fell out of his car' muahahah!
13 - Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Somehow, Somewhere, Someway.mp3 - i like good music. kws counts as that for me.
14 - The Gas House Gang - Eine Kleine Not Music.mp3 - again, prior note about the gas house gang ... but I like 'weird-al-ish' parodies ... and mozart ... so it all fits
15 - B.B. King - To Know You Is To Love You.mp3 - there's something about how bb king uses blues music to sing about happy things ... it's really quite symbolic and I like blues music in general as well so ... woot :)
16 - The Muppets - Happiness Hotel.mp3 - again, for the millionth time, THE MUPPETS RULE.
01 - St. Olaf Choir - Brazilian Psalm (Alleluia).mp3 - good choral music has a warm place in my heart. i like the rhythms and interweaving of parts in this song. woot
02 - William Hung - Shake Your Bon-Bon.mp3 - he's so enthusiastic :)
03 - George W. Bush - Obgyn.mp3 - nice to know he thought about that before it came out
04 - Belle And Sebastian - Fuck This Shit.mp3 - the title is profane, but it's an instrumental. the song is one of my dana college themes .. it cheers me up because it always feels rather like 'cheers' i guess ... i guess its the relief that comes with occasionally saying mneh f'it.
05 - John Denver & The Muppets - A Baby Just Like You.mp3 - the christmas muppets album ... warms me emotionally ... this osng makes me think of a kid I met here in Blair ... we're not really close, but ... the relationship between he and his parents ... and the words of the song .. makes me all gooey.
06 - Koko Taylor - I'd Rather Go Blind.mp3 - it's a rather sad song I know. Sarah and I laugh at it because of the vocal quality (or lack thereof) ... so it brings back memories of that laughter and it is after all ... blues music, which I like :)
07 - The Gas House Gang - William Tell Overture.mp3 - gas. house. gang. ... yeah, we've been through this :) (can ya tell i'm getting tired of song descriptions)
08 - John Williams & The London Symphony Orchestra - The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme).mp3 - i remember blasting this while driving to the supermarket at o'dark thirty with a friend ... when we were gonna work on a paper all night. I remember Dad getting pulled over for speeding while listening to the star wars soundtrack. I remember me getting pulled over for the same 8 years later. good times :)
09 - Peter, Paul & Mary - Puff (The Magic Dragon).mp3 - it makes me feel like a kid :)
10 - Winnie The Pooh & Tigger Too - Never_Alone-(Eeyore's_Lullaby).mp3 - late night optimism is vitally needed ... and this song does it :)
11 - Bobby McFerrin - The Wizard Of Oz - Medley.mp3 - this is a fun one ... he's so talented ... and yes that's blossom doing the intro :)
12 - Garrison Keillor - Lutheran Tendencies.mp3 - as a lutheran, i giggle at most everything Keillor says ... especially when it's about us bunch of crazies :) ... this is another one of his 'News from Lake Wobegon' spoken word things :)
13 - Academy Of Ancient Music - Chorus- Hallelujah.mp3 - I love singing along with this. Holidays or no.. it's quite enjoyable
14 - Zwan - Friends As Lovers, Lovers As Friends.mp3 - zwan memories are fun to rekindle by singing with my wife ... especially when the songs are romantic
01 - Bobby McFerrin & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra - Concerto For Violin, Strings (Bach).mp3 - raw talent ... stuns me. It makes me feel very good inside. I don't know why that is ... but I go with it.
02 - Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy.mp3 - the happiness anthem
03 - Anna Nicole Smith - the show theme (main mix).mp3 - this song is long, peppy, and rather perverted ... a good tom combo
04 - St. Olaf Choir - Nun Danket Alle Gott.mp3 - it's german. it's st. olaf. it's lutheran-y. Good combo :)
05 - Mousse T - Horny.mp3 - this was on my wife's mp3 player for quite some time when we were dating. I suppose that might be 'too much information' but ... it makes me think of her ... it makes me think of a little combination song I tried to compose using some of the chords from this ... yeah ... that didn't go so well, but it was fun to try.
06 - Gipsy Kings - Hotel California.mp3 - from the big lebowski ... it reminds me of 'the jesus' ... ooh boy i love that movie ... and this song :)
07 - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Marche Slave, Op. 31.mp3 - it gets bouncy .. and i love good music
08 - Cher - Song For The Lonely (Thunderpuss Mix).mp3 - makes me feel like i'm in a club when i'm driving ... which for some reason ... is a good thing. :)
09 - St. Olaf Choir - Past Life Melodies.mp3 - overtones rule. they make me wow-all over
10 - Astrud Gilberto - Fly Me to the Moon.mp3 - I love this song. Plain and simple. Something about the mood that comes with it, the words, ... yeah .. it makes me feel good
Well, I'm awake with the birds. It's time to crawl back in bed.
Basically what Fortnight is, is a project started (at least in this instance) by wendywoowho. The project consists of collecting mp3s that you would classify along a vague theme. In this case the theme happens to be 'happiness'. Participants were supposed to collect songs that they think of when they are happy, or listen to in order to help them become happy. Now, supposedly we were supposed to compile a list around the size of an audio CD (~74 minutes). The list I composed was a little bit larger. I came up with an 8 disc set. Yeah .. I'm a music nut
Anyways ... this set is linked to in a different post (as it is on yousendit and I think they have a 25 downloads per file limit). Plus, I'm not too fond of uploading a file for 2 hours (lousy internet). However, the purpose of this post is to list and describe the signifiance (at least for me) of the songs I chose. Obviously I'm gonna put this information behind a cut, cuz .. it's ginormous.
Here we go
Disc #1 of 8
01 - Danny Elfman - Augustus Gloop.mp3 - This song, as well as many like it from the Charlie & The Chocolate Factory soundtrack, are quite fun. They had me dancing in my seat at the theater, and this one never fails to pick me up. Plus I always liked the Augustus Gloop from the original 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory' ... especially his 'Let me in I'm starving!' line :)
02 - Art Of Noise - Dragnet '88.mp3 - Dragnet: The Movie, starring Tom Hanks and Dan Akroyd (sp?) is one of my favorites. There are a few lines from the movie that for some strange reason have made it into my mental 'vocabulary'. I don't know really how to describe this .. but basically I find myself thinking in lines from movies .. occasionally. A few of my 'thoughts' in this mode are from the movie Dragnet. This song has some rather fun soundclips that help make my day .. especially on a Friday. Plus it's catchy
03 - Asylum Street Spankers - The Scrotum Song.mp3 - For some strange reason, I'm a rather big fan of songs that have to do with the human anatomy. Plus, I'm a little bit of a pervert. (ok, more than a little bit) Once upon a time, I heard this song on a radio show in Champaign, Illinois and it cracked me up. Now I put it on most of my light-hearted mp3 cd mixes.
04 - Spizzwinks - Dead Puppies.mp3 - I like a capella music. I like strange humor. I like Dr. Demento. The combination of those things, found it in this song makes it pretty much ... have my name on it.
05 - Onion Radio News - Freakish Newborn Is Half Chinese Half American.mp3 - I'm not racist. I promise. However, I do like racial humor. I'm not really sure why, and I'm not really sure I'd classify the Onion Radio News as something thats racially humorous. However this song clip definetly has some racial humor to it, not in any ... perpetuating stereotypes ... kinda way, but I do like the way in which you can't help but notice the obvious 'wrongness' in racism by listening to it. Mneh .. that probably didn't make a good case for me or the song ... but you try it on.
06 - Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up.mp3 - Yes the song is about a troubled communication process in a relationship. Yes the repeated use of 'shut up' isn't probably what people would classify as 'happy'. But it's a peppy beat and it's a good driving toon ... and I think that when I have communication problems in my relationships with wife or friends ... it's always good to have music that echoed the sentiments I feel. Maybe it's just audio companionship... whatever.
07 - Tom Lehrer - The Vatican Rag.mp3 - I'm a religion major at Dana College. There's always a bit of tension flowing around between the different 'sorts' of Christians around here. liberal christians, conservative christians, orthodox protestants, orthodox catholics, charasmatics, nondenominationalists ... it gets messy. This song always makes me giggle, especially at the way in which many of the members of Christian denominations take themselves rather seriously.
08 - Bubba Sparxxx Featuring The Ying Yang Twins - Miss New Booty.mp3 - This song, for some reason, never fails to lift my spirits (yes that's getting to be a pattern) and always gets people singing along. Odd that its proponents usually represent both genders ... but yeah .. moving on.
09 - Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger.mp3 - When I do the dishes, I usually blast music so I can hear it over the running water. This song helps to keep me motivated and makes me happy :)
10 - Bloopers - Abc News.mp3 - For some reason, when I get frustrated .. I feel as if I'm being unprofessional and for some reason ... shouldn't be frustrated because it's not the 'normal' thing to do. This mp3 of bloopers helps me to relate to other people, even those who get frustrated at the most inopportune moments, like in front of a camera. I guess, that's why it makes me happy. Plus some of the expressions are ... kinda funneh.
11 - South Park - Chef - Chocolate Salty Balls.mp3 - Yeah ... I like this song. See the reasoning for the Scrotum Song earlier ... plus I like the reference to George Thorogood's (sp?) 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer' ... heeheee
12 - The Spice Girls - Outer Space Girls.mp3 - This song, as if you couldn't guess by the artist .. is goofy. When I was younger, I went to see a talent show at my cousin's (younger than I, by quite a bit) school. There were quite a few girls there who had dance lessons, or were on some squad or something ... anyways it seemed like ALL of them had a routine or something to go with this song... Oddly enough, my wife ... who I met much later ... owned a single that had this as a bside. Yeah, it brings back memories of tolerating my way through a long evening of stuff I wasn't interested in ... but it's so goofy and peppy that ... for some reason it brings a good vibe with it.
13 - George W. Bush - Fool Me Once.mp3 - He's so intelligent. Heeheee
Cast of A Chorus Line - Tits And Ass.mp3 - It's a song about body modification. It's catchy. It's from a musical I saw once. I like it.
15 - Bob & Tom - The Man Song.mp3 - This describes my marriage perfectly. And for some reason ... I'm fine with that.
16 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Enormous Penis.mp3 - see my previously mentioned descriptions dealing with songs baout anatomy and my perverted nature... heehee
17 - Garfield - Naked In Jello Answering Machine.mp3 - i don't know why, but this brightens my mood, no matter what emotive mp3 mix i put it in
18 - Jim Henson - African_Alphabet_Song.mp3 - reminds me of my childhood, and makes me sing along and feel ethnic at the same time
19 - Team America Soundtrack Artists - America Fuck Yeah.mp3 - this is from quite possibly the most ridiculous movie ever and contains some rather strange .... 'f*** yeah" ingredients
20 - Sean Morey - The Toddler Song.mp3 - i like songs about silliness. like you couldn't guess
21 - Uc Artists In Resonance - Cheesecake Truck.mp3 - again, silly songs = good
22 - eBaum's World - Burger King Song.mp3 - silly song ... annoying if repeated more than 3 times a day .. but still good
23 - The Muppets - Boom Shakalaka.mp3 - the muppets rule. nuff said
...apparently my descriptions are getting shorter as this goes on ... we've got a ways to go, so this could be bad. maybe i'll get a writing bug later...
01 - Echelon - Morning Song.mp3 - A couple years before Sarah and I moved out to Nebraska, we chaparoned some middle-schoolerson a church trip up to Chicago. This youth conference thing we went to, had a group 'Echelon' doing some of the music. Now if you've ever been to a youth conference, or any other conference for that matter, you're probably aware of the way the mornings seem very 'morningy'. I think it has something to do with the way friendships or conversations or just doable-things tend to spring up in the evening at these things, but one usually finds themselves falling to sleep way later then they should. Consequently, the next morning's 'gathering event' usually seems to be at the butt-crack of dawn. Such was often the case at this particular convention, and one morning Echelon played .. well the morning song. It was pretty funny when I was gawdawful tired, and it brings back happy memories.
02 - Relient K - The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.mp3 - Believe it or not, I had never heard of the PWDDA (obvious abbreviation) before I saw Jonah, the VeggieTale movie, in theaters. So when the 'family of vegetables' is sitting in that seafood restaurant ... and everything seems to have a rather strange-veggietales feel to it ... when they overhear the bland unison mumbling of the chorus to the PWDDA in the next booth ... I nearly peed myself. Maybe it has something to do with the obvious admission of one's sloth, which I have done a great deal, but I found it quite funny. Imagine my surprise when I realized there was a whole 'song' to accompany this. Anywho ... I purchased VeggieRocks! and this was a song on there ... good times, good giggles, good veggies.
03 - St. Olaf Choir - Siyahamba.mp3 - Again, back in Illinois, Sarah and I were pretty active in our church's praise band. We sang, helped set things up and take things down, I ran soundboard, we enjoyed keeping everything knit together in a social blanket of warm goodness. It was altogether a good time. One of the songs that was sung during services, at least during the spring ... which for some reason I seem to associate with happiness quite often...was this one. It brings back memories, which I find is growing to be a theme in what determines a song's status as 'happy oriented'...
04 - The Gas House Gang - My Old Man.mp3 - Again with the memories ... for quite a while, for some unmeasurable amount of time in my past, my parents (dad specifically but also my mother) were involved in barbershop singing. I became involved as well, going with him to a large number of conventions, practices, performances, etc. I remember hearing The Gas House Gang on my birthday ... somewhere ... I remember singing this song in a car with Ryan (camry1854) and coming to the cheering realization that we both knew of the musical style, the group, and the song ... it's also kinda catchy ... yay for catchy memory enducing tunage!
05 - James Taylor - Something In The Way.mp3 - There's something about the things that happen when you're dating; movie releases, songs that recieve too much radio play, restaurants you frequent, etc. ... these things tend to just have a special place in your heart, when you think of them, you are returned to a moment .. with all its associated emotional goodness, the certainty of hope, the gladness of loving and being loved ... yeah i'm turning into a sap ... anyways, this song is one that reminds me of my wife. It made its way onto many a mix cd while we were dating, being friends ... it seemed to come up on nearly every trip back and forth from Champaign to Bloomington ... and it was one we sang along to quite a bunch. Good times, good happiness.
06 - Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing.mp3 - I like music that seems to coordinate sounds and emotions and instruments/voices in a way that my brain does when it thinks. It helps make me think I'm sane. I helps me enjoy life by recognizing similarity to the organization of other things ... in a way it's like the gardening of zen Buddhism. There's this intended complexity that comes across not as ... intended ... but as naturally manifested. It's rather intriguing, mentally stimulating, but very peaceful at the same time. This song isn't too peaceful, but the happiness it brings with it, is often a welcome relief from my usual stress enduced bad moods. Woot for feeling better!
07 - Perry Como - Papa Loves Mambo.mp3 - Sarah and I have eaten a few times at a restuarant in Chicago and another one of the same chain that used to be in Omaha, called Buca di Beppo. They serve family-style Italian ... lots of tomato sauce ... lots of garlic ... lots of good good food. The 'ambiantic' music of the restaurant, played the 'sterotypical' italian music ... some opera ... some sinatra ... stuff like that. This song made it onto the playlist and we love singing along to it, driving while listening to it, whatever ... there's something about joining in on the unison 'uuh!'s ... it just brightens one's day.
08 - Ray Stevens - The Streak.mp3 - Sarah introduced me to this song. She remembers it from her youth, not certain how or why ... but it's quite funny and I like seeing her happy, it makes me happy also.
09 - Steven Curtis Chapman - I Will Be Here.mp3 - A while back, in Illinois, Sarah/Myself/My Mom/My Dad/possibly my grandma (not certain) ... went ot see Steven Curtis Chapman in concert. I can't recall, what prompted us to go ... maybe I brought it up after listening to quite a lot of Christian radio and hearing the advertisements ... maybe my parents already had tickets ... I can't remember. Anyways it was a super good time. There was a lot of stuff that was pretty heart-wrenching .. there was a lot of stuff that lifted my spirits. Anyway, during the concert this song was played ... there was talk beforehand about why Steven wrote it and that this part of the show was 'cuddle-time'. Sarah and I, who were dating at the time, cuddled up and listened ... and it was my sentiment all over the place. The song was sung at our wedding by Kyle Consalus (a good friend from High School). It makes me remember the wedding, the dating, the goodness of love, and the sweet blessing that is my wife Sarah.
10 - Zwan - Riverview.mp3 - I'm obviously a Smashing Pumpkins fan. So ... whenever Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain started up Zwan ... I was interested. Sarah and I went to three out of the 'Five Nights At The Metro'. It was a good memory making time ... I believe this mp3 comes not from that show .. but rather from one in Paris, France ... while Sarah and I did not attend this one ... don't I wish ... I do like the abiance that comes through in the recording of that acoustic cafe appearance they did. Sarah likes this song a bunch, and so do I. It's a good riding tune, helps keep me positive.
11 - No Strings Attached - It Don't Mean A Thing.mp3 - This song comes from the Maxi Single by No Strings Attached entitled Live At John's Place ... I don't know who John is .. or where his place is ... but I do know Kyle Consalus who was then a member of the group. The song is peppy ... Sarah and I both like jazz vocal music ... we saw NSA (obvious abbreviation) in concert once ... yeah .. not much else to say.
12 - The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.mp3 - again, a song that ends up on most of my mix cds ... and does a lot to lift my spirits. There's probably something about the lyrics that does that ... but I haven't really thought about it.
13 - Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me.mp3 - camry1854 (Ryan McKinzie) and I are good buddies. Really good buddies. I was recently best man at his wedding. We've known each other for quite some time. When we were both attending Parkland College in Champaign ... we had a tendnecy to have one of us have a suspended license while the other one still had theirs ... so we exchanged taxi services every once and a while. His car at the time, a Chrystler (sp?) Lebaron ... needed some power steering fluids desperately. I'm not really sure what that does exactly ... I'm not a doctor or anything, but I think that means it does something to help the power steering ... anyways. We both like Classic Rock a bunch, listened to it on the radio, you know how it goes ... and this song comes on as we are leaving the campus ... for some reason we both start singing 'i want you ... to put some power steering fluid in my car' ... yeah it's rediculous ... but it's a very happy memory.
14 - Imea All State Chorus 1997 - Flower Of Beauty.mp3 - This one reminds me of my wife. I sang this song in High School ... long before I met her ... but apparently she was doing the same as if you listen closely ... you can hear a cough at the very end of the piece ... that's my wife. :) It's a memory of the high school days when I enjoyed singing in a choir very much ... it makes me smile to hear her cough ... that sounded odd, but yeah ... moving on.
15 - St. Olaf Choir - Haleluya! Pelo Tsa Rona - Traditional South African.mp3 - i like st. olaf choir. i like good choral music. it makes me happy. especially peppy choral music. yeah. that's it.
16 - Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers - Top Hat, White Tie And Tails.mp3 - When I was a child, and this may sound weird, my mother and I watched a great deal of 'old sappy movies'. You know the kind, the Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby ... type. Childhood memories are rather few and far between for me ... especially happy ones. So, that's why this song makes me happy.
17 - The Xtension Chords - Insomniac.mp3 - There's a lot of misc. memories that come with this song. I remember listening to Jeff Bauer, Kyle Consalus, Jeff Grider, and others learning how to sing this. I remember singing it with them at random parties and social occasions. I remember going with Sarah to concerts and hearing them perform it. I think the one that is BY FAR the goofiest and weirdest of the memories ... has to do with ... I think it was Kyle consalus' 18th birthday. We got him a stripper. And .... for some reason ... we had the bright idea of singing the song ... while she stripped. So ... imagine a stripper ... stripping to an a capella male ensemble ..... and for them. Yeah it was .... weird at best. But definetly a good memory. ............ I'm not sure why, but Sarah likes this song a great deal, which boosts its rating in the charts :)
18 - Peter, Paul & Mary - Wedding Song - There Is Love.mp3 - I'm not sure where I came across this originally ... but it was sung at our wedding by the afore mentioned Kyle Consalus. It warms my heart and brings back happy memories. Also makes me a little bitter, cuz I can't play guitar worth a hoot and Kyle can finger-pick like no-one's business .... but that's inconsequential :)
01 - John Williams - Prologue.mp3 - It's a good disc starter. I like the first movie. I love John Williams. This song makes me feel ... like i could do anything. Which usually helps when I need to do everything :)
02 - Joby Talbot - So Long & Thanks For All The Fish2.mp3 - Another song from a movie ... this one reminds me of singing dolphins ... and it's very peppy and a good mood lifter.
03 - Onion Radio News - A Company You've Never Heard Of Wants To Reward You For Your Good Credit.mp3 - As a citizen of the United States, and a college student, I get an extremely obscene amount of credit card offers. They seem outlandish and completely unaware of my spending history ... yeah ... so I like this a lot, because it makes me chuckle.
04 - Swingle Singers - Ph. E. Bach- Solfeggietto.mp3 - Speedy music = happy music
05 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Three Little Words.mp3 - This is rather meatloaf parody-ish .. which I suppose is a good thing. And it makes me giggle.
06 - Garrison Keillor - Powdermilk_Biscuit_Theme.mp3 - I'm a Lutheran. It's from Prairie Home Companion. 'Nuff said.
07 - Ted's Band (The Blanks) - Charles In Charge.mp3 - It's from the tv show Scrubs (season 1) ... a good sing along ...
Glenn Miller Big Bands - In The Mood.mp3 - Also used in a scrubs episode ... this song helps me to cheer up. Something about the tempo makes me happy :)
George W. Bush - Internets.mp3 - He's a funneh president. heehee
10 - Bill Harley - Zanzibar.mp3 - I'm not sure how this came into my life ... I know it's from my childhood. It's a very long story/song, about 26 minutes. But I like it, the tune stuck with me and I was able to hunt down a copy now that i've (knock on wood) grown up.
11 - The Muppets - Cabin Fever.mp3 - see the muppets rule from disc one. 'nuff said again.
12 - Rowlf The Dog - The Wishing Song.mp3 - I'm quoted this song on my journel many a time ... the first verse is a depression doozy. But the song wraps up in a very ... self-assured happiness kind of way. I need that more than I care to admit. Plus, muppets rule.
13 - The Simpsons - Apu Telling Ned Flanders.mp3 - heehee ... this definetly clicks with my inner dialogue a lot in life ... bubble headed optimists make me ... just want to go apu on them :) *giggle*
14 - Moxy Fruvous - My Baby Loves A Bunch Of Authors.mp3 - I have no idea why I like this song. I just do. A lot.
15 - Brak - Soup On A Stick.mp3 - this song reminds me of Ryan McKinzie ... and Sarah and I sing it quite a lot ... plus I'm going to write a sermon/children's message around it one of these days :)
16 - Perry Como - Magic Moments.mp3 - I think this is from a scrubs episode and possibly from the Elf soundtrack as well ... anyways ... it warms the cockles (sp?) of my heart
17 - Sesame Street - C Is For Cookie.mp3 - that's good enough for me
18 - Boudewijn De Groot - Het Geluid Van De Stilte (Sound of Silence - Dutch).mp3 - it's in a language I don't speak ... heehee
19 - Bobby McFerrin - The Pink Panther Theme.mp3 - the song is catchy and he's waaaaay too talented
20 - Erasure - A Little Respect.mp3 - this is from one of the first scrubs episodes. As is said by the character Dr. Turk ... 'it gets in your head like a damn virus' :)
01 - Colin Hay - Beautiful World.mp3 - this song helps me keep an optimistic appraisal of life
02 - Rowlf The Dog - I Never Harmed An Onion.mp3 - rowlf/muppets rule.
03 - Blues Brothers - Peter Gunn Theme.mp3 - this is a great driving tune, although it tends to make me want to drive ala Blues Brothers ... which isn't a great idea. However, it's really really really fun to WAAAWAAAA along with the brass :)
04 - Onion Radio News - A Man With A Hammer Induced Thumb Injury Appeals To Christ Almighty.mp3 - heehee .. that man is me
05 - The Beatles - Why Don't We Do It In The Road.mp3 - what exactly is this 'it' they are referring to ... 'it' could be anything :)
06 - Moxy Fruvous - The Kids' Song.mp3 - it's canadian ... and philosophical. I like it.
07 - Academy Of Ancient Music - Chorus- For Unto Us A Child Is Born.mp3 - you have not lived until you've seen my wife try and convince you she can sing all the parts to this at the same time ... it's a hoot :)
08 - Jim Henson - But_I_Like_You.mp3 -Bert & Ernie ... are Sarah & Tom ... not in that controversially homosexual kind of way ... but definetly in that different character traits that somehow click very very well together ... kind of way
09 - Chs Expressions Choir - In Rememberence (From Requiem).mp3 - this song. like a few others in my larger set ... remind me of the joys of singing in high school. What makes this song rather humorous and consequently 'happy' for me ... is the message of hope that is hinted at (grammar?) in the lyrics ... but if you listen to the ending chord ... and then restart the song ... we all went GINORMOUSLY flat (oops!)
10 - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).mp3 - from the big lebowski ... great tune that cheers me up
11 - Pink - Get The Party Started.mp3 - it's peppy .. and good to energize me into doing things ... which is usually what makes a song happy and helpful :)
12 - Amy Grant - Everywhere I Go.mp3 - this reminds me of my amy grant-laden childhood .. and brings back memories of people I miss.
13 - Monkees - I'm A Believer.mp3 - sing-along-able tunes are fun. especially when they remind me of shrek
14 - Hans Zimmer - Greatest Woman On Earth.mp3 - This song is instrumental. it's from the 'as good as it gets' soundtrack. It makes me think of Sarah ... of my feelings for her ... reminds me of how she looks when she shops .. it's fun :)
15 - Madonna - Music.mp3 - it makes the people ... come together. duh!
16 - Bobby McFerrin - Blackbird.mp3 - this guy is WAY too talented. it makes me happy to try and do the vocal things he does ... even when I don't succeed ... i'm still the happier for trying .. weird
17 - Kenny Wayne Shepherd - I Found Love (When I Found You).mp3 - I went to a KWS (obvious abbreviation) concert with Sarah while we were dating ... memories come back .. and the song/artist are pretty cool too
18 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Window-Washing Cowboy.mp3 - I love the pun at the end. Muhahaha
01 - The Smashing Pumpkins - Bugg Superstar.mp3 - this song originally comes from The Smashing Pumpkins' DVD 'Vieuphoria' ... the soundtrack of which was originally released on a promo CD in 1994 ... yeah I'm a nerd. It's a song that plays while James Iha is talking about his dog of the same name. Good times :)
02 - The Muppets - America.mp3 - muppets. rule. Fozzie most of all. This cannot be understated.
03 - Dean Martin - Papa Loves Mambo.mp3 - whoops! I just realixed I already put this on there .. hopefully this song is actually a different artist and not ... named wrong. Ugh that's one of my peevs. Anyways ... apparently Papa REALLLY loves Mambo :)
04 - The O.C. Supertones - I Can Be Your Friend.mp3 - if the song has the line 'whether your hair is red or yellow, we can be friends and share my jello' it instantly makes me happier. More songs need that.
05 - William Hung - Inspirational Thought (Heart).mp3 - he's so funny. he's horribly bad, and yet he tries so hard.
06 - Ted's Band (The Blanks) - Speedracer.mp3 - this is gonna be my cellphone answering message soon. It makes me giggle. Turn Turn Turn Turn. It's a scrubs thing.
07 - Bear In The Big Blue House - Clean Up the House.mp3 - this song happifies me right up, cuz cleaning usually doesn't have that 'happifying' reaction :)
08 - Nickel Creek - House_Of_Tom_Bombadil.mp3 - I don't know if it's because Tom Bombadil is from Lord of the Rings or if it's because Nickel Creek rules, or if it's because the songi s downright peppy... but I love this song. I think it might be the way the parts intertwine very very well.
09 - The Gas House Gang - The Chemical Elements.mp3 - see the backstory on 'the gas house gang' ...
10 - St. Olaf Choir - In His Care - O.mp3 - st. olaf choir rules. this song was sung the first time I saw them in Champaign, Illinois. It makes me feel better when I'm blue.
11 - Alvin & The Chipmunks - Christmas Don't Be Late.mp3 - I really like doing the Alvin OKAY! ... during those days when i'm rather blue.
12 - Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Techno Remix).mp3 - good peppy song. doing dishes isn't hard when you can be peppy :)
13 - Barrio Boyzz - Una Noche De Amor (Acapella).mp3 - it's in a different language and I might know what they're actually singing .. heehee ... yo recuerdo :)
14 - Zwan - Come With Me.mp3 - I can't remember if this is the album version, or also from that acoustic Paris concert like the other one was .... but I like it. It's good to sing along with. Does he want companionship? or ... mutual orgasm?
15 - Bear In The Big Blue House - The Bear Cha Cha Cha.mp3 - this song makes me remember that big fuzzy guy dancing around, gosh that makes me happy. I don't know why really. but it does.
16 - Rowlf The Dog - You And I And George.mp3 - muppets. rowlf. rule. Plus I really, in that morbidly funny kinda way, like the line 'and george...fell in and drowned himself' :)
17 - The King's Singers - There Are Bad Times Just Around The Corner.mp3 - happy songs about misery ... make me forget the misery ... granted I can't really relate with the British aspects ... but good times nonetheless
18 - Big Twist And The Mellow Fellows - 300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy.mp3 - this makes me think of my Dad ... not that he's 300 pounds ... we both sing this whenever we're feeling especially fat and/or happy after a good homecooked meal
19 - They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse In Your Soul.mp3 - high school memories of happy silliness @ lunch
20 - Cake - Frank Sinatra.mp3 - this was going to be my dictation project when I was a music major ... but I'm not that great with rhythms... so now it just makes me feel happy about music...which is an odd feeling to have
21 - Hoobastank - The Reason.mp3 - this song always seems to fit, i know it's over played and over loved by many a high school swooner ... but whether i'm thinking about God or my wife or ... my parents. or whoever ... the lyrics seem to fit .. and that resonation makes me glad
22 - A Ha - Take On Me.mp3 - a good crowd singing-along-with-er :)
23 - Michael Jackson - Billie Jean.mp3 - Sarah and I like the song, it's catchy ... and we're 80s kids.
24 - Winnie The Pooh & Tigger Too - Up_Down_&_Touch_The_Ground.mp3 - "with a hefty happy appetite, he's a hefty happy pooh"
.
01 - Joaquin Phoenix - Get Rhythm.mp3 - duh. you're supposed to 'get rhythm' when you get the blues
02 - Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna - The Blood Of Cu Chulainn.mp3 - thisi s from the beginning of Boondock Saints, one of my favorite movies ... it reminds me of the film ... and makes me feel Irish
03 - Garrison Keillor - Tent Caterpillars.mp3 - This is actually one of Keillor's 'news from Lake Wobegon' .. so it's more spoken word, then a song ... but it lightened my spirits and made me giggle while I was driving across Iowa
04 - Bear In The Big Blue House - What's That Smell.mp3 - at first I thought this song was an insult .. but it's cute :)
05 - Swingle Singers - Sleepers Awake (J.S. Bach).mp3 - i'm up i'm up! You're soooo peppy!
06 - Rowlf The Dog - Cottleston Pie.mp3 rowlf rules. duh.
07 - William Hung - Take Me Out To The Ball Game.mp3 - what key is he in?! This helps me to feel better about my abilities in life :) I could always be worse
08 - The Simpsons - See My Vest.mp3 - the simpsons has a way of always cheering me up .... witty cynicism and parody ... good times
09 - Bobby McFerrin - Thinkin' About Your Body.mp3 - maybe it's because i like vocal music ... but the 'woooOOO' ness of McFerrin helps get me through the day
10 - Sanctus Real - Promised Land.mp3 - veggietales related ... and the lyrics are just kinda silly ... but i like em
11 - William Hung - She Bangs.mp3 - my wife can't stand william hung, but he makes me feel better about life ... and his songs always remind me of the joy we can share in music ... even if we aren't st. olaf choir members :)
12 - Da Vinci's Notebook - Another Irish Drinking Song.mp3 - the words to this song make me laugh quite a lot. 'the road rose up to meet him when he fell out of his car' muahahah!
13 - Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Somehow, Somewhere, Someway.mp3 - i like good music. kws counts as that for me.
14 - The Gas House Gang - Eine Kleine Not Music.mp3 - again, prior note about the gas house gang ... but I like 'weird-al-ish' parodies ... and mozart ... so it all fits
15 - B.B. King - To Know You Is To Love You.mp3 - there's something about how bb king uses blues music to sing about happy things ... it's really quite symbolic and I like blues music in general as well so ... woot :)
16 - The Muppets - Happiness Hotel.mp3 - again, for the millionth time, THE MUPPETS RULE.
01 - St. Olaf Choir - Brazilian Psalm (Alleluia).mp3 - good choral music has a warm place in my heart. i like the rhythms and interweaving of parts in this song. woot
02 - William Hung - Shake Your Bon-Bon.mp3 - he's so enthusiastic :)
03 - George W. Bush - Obgyn.mp3 - nice to know he thought about that before it came out
04 - Belle And Sebastian - Fuck This Shit.mp3 - the title is profane, but it's an instrumental. the song is one of my dana college themes .. it cheers me up because it always feels rather like 'cheers' i guess ... i guess its the relief that comes with occasionally saying mneh f'it.
05 - John Denver & The Muppets - A Baby Just Like You.mp3 - the christmas muppets album ... warms me emotionally ... this osng makes me think of a kid I met here in Blair ... we're not really close, but ... the relationship between he and his parents ... and the words of the song .. makes me all gooey.
06 - Koko Taylor - I'd Rather Go Blind.mp3 - it's a rather sad song I know. Sarah and I laugh at it because of the vocal quality (or lack thereof) ... so it brings back memories of that laughter and it is after all ... blues music, which I like :)
07 - The Gas House Gang - William Tell Overture.mp3 - gas. house. gang. ... yeah, we've been through this :) (can ya tell i'm getting tired of song descriptions)
08 - John Williams & The London Symphony Orchestra - The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme).mp3 - i remember blasting this while driving to the supermarket at o'dark thirty with a friend ... when we were gonna work on a paper all night. I remember Dad getting pulled over for speeding while listening to the star wars soundtrack. I remember me getting pulled over for the same 8 years later. good times :)
09 - Peter, Paul & Mary - Puff (The Magic Dragon).mp3 - it makes me feel like a kid :)
10 - Winnie The Pooh & Tigger Too - Never_Alone-(Eeyore's_Lullaby).mp3 - late night optimism is vitally needed ... and this song does it :)
11 - Bobby McFerrin - The Wizard Of Oz - Medley.mp3 - this is a fun one ... he's so talented ... and yes that's blossom doing the intro :)
12 - Garrison Keillor - Lutheran Tendencies.mp3 - as a lutheran, i giggle at most everything Keillor says ... especially when it's about us bunch of crazies :) ... this is another one of his 'News from Lake Wobegon' spoken word things :)
13 - Academy Of Ancient Music - Chorus- Hallelujah.mp3 - I love singing along with this. Holidays or no.. it's quite enjoyable
14 - Zwan - Friends As Lovers, Lovers As Friends.mp3 - zwan memories are fun to rekindle by singing with my wife ... especially when the songs are romantic
01 - Bobby McFerrin & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra - Concerto For Violin, Strings (Bach).mp3 - raw talent ... stuns me. It makes me feel very good inside. I don't know why that is ... but I go with it.
02 - Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy.mp3 - the happiness anthem
03 - Anna Nicole Smith - the show theme (main mix).mp3 - this song is long, peppy, and rather perverted ... a good tom combo
04 - St. Olaf Choir - Nun Danket Alle Gott.mp3 - it's german. it's st. olaf. it's lutheran-y. Good combo :)
05 - Mousse T - Horny.mp3 - this was on my wife's mp3 player for quite some time when we were dating. I suppose that might be 'too much information' but ... it makes me think of her ... it makes me think of a little combination song I tried to compose using some of the chords from this ... yeah ... that didn't go so well, but it was fun to try.
06 - Gipsy Kings - Hotel California.mp3 - from the big lebowski ... it reminds me of 'the jesus' ... ooh boy i love that movie ... and this song :)
07 - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Marche Slave, Op. 31.mp3 - it gets bouncy .. and i love good music
08 - Cher - Song For The Lonely (Thunderpuss Mix).mp3 - makes me feel like i'm in a club when i'm driving ... which for some reason ... is a good thing. :)
09 - St. Olaf Choir - Past Life Melodies.mp3 - overtones rule. they make me wow-all over
10 - Astrud Gilberto - Fly Me to the Moon.mp3 - I love this song. Plain and simple. Something about the mood that comes with it, the words, ... yeah .. it makes me feel good
Well, I'm awake with the birds. It's time to crawl back in bed.