Eight Songs To Be Stuck on An Island With
If I was stranded like Tom Hanks or Gilligan
Challenge accepted, Belcairn and Gerald Sturgill.
Both of these gifted writers challenged me to reveal eight songs I’d take if I were stranded on a desert isle.
I’ve linked Belcairn and Sturg’s fun choices below. Check them out!
“Message in a Bottle” is, oh, so tempting to throw on my list just so I won’t be stuck talking to a bloody volleyball, or hoping the professor can figuout air frequency with a coconut.
Nope, if I’m washed ashore, besides a sack of grapefruits, my Ted Lasso green army man, and a reporter notebook and pencil, here’s my go-to eight tunes that’ll help me survive.
“Everlong” by Foo Fighters
Anyone who truly knows me, knows this classic Foo Fighter anthem is always atop my list. Stuck in my head or stuck on an island, I could listen to this emotionally-satisfying song for hours, days, weeks, or years. Who needs Wilson? Why not reminisce about a memory of a beautiful past life. The powerful lyrics cut to the core: If everything could ever be this real forever/if anything could ever be this good again…Breathe out so I can breathe you in. Lyrics to live for.
“Harmony Hall” by Vampire Weekend
This is my current go-to ditty for my five-minute jaunt to inspire 12-year-old minds. It features a catchy beat with an unbelievable Baroque style, screaming at me to air piano — if that’s even a thing. And the song’s irony: Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified. Things might look peachy keen on the outside, but inside turmoil abounds. Oh, and it was featured on Ted Lasso
“The Boys of Summer” of Don Henley
Dripping sand. Crashing waves. Romantic sunsets on Pacific Coast Highway by the beach. With my lost love. And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong/After the boys of summer have gone. Memories of 1985 and special romance coming splashing back everytime I hear this song.
“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
Oh, hell yeah, this was blaring on my truck stereo when I pulled into the parking lot for my soccer championship match last week, also as I walked to the pitch, and driving away from the championship match. A super feel-good tune to the umpteenth power— I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky/Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity…I’m gonna go, go, go/There’s no stopping me
“Dreams” by Van Halen
Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up — Jimmy Valvano, NC State championship coach
Jimmy V this one is for you! This song gives hope to keep reaching for those highest of dreams. So baby, dry your eyes/Save all the tears you’ve cried. Oh, that’s what dreams are made of. I know I still have dreams I want to achieve. If I want inspiration, this song immediately sends positive of vibes zinging into my ear.
“More Than a Feeling” by Boston
Easy choice. Sometimes I wonder if this song was literally meant for me and my passion remembering and writing about nostalgia: So many people have come and gone/Their faces fade as the years go by/Yet I still recall as I wander on As clear as the sun in the summer sky. Seriously, this lyrics capture it all — perfectly.
“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John
Songwriter Bernie Taupin wanted to capture the spirit of 1970 when the band arrived in California: “free spirits, sexy, and hip hugger.” Director Cameron Crowe used this song beautifully in Almost Famous during a silent tense moment when band members and groupies one-by-one start singing the famous chorus, then scream Hold me closer, tiny dancer. Don’t we all just want to be held tightly at times?
“You Are” by Lionel Richie
Ah, the smooth, R&B voice of Lionel Richie. This upbeat love song features Richard Marx singing in the background. You are the sun/You are the rain/That makes my life this foolish game. We all are looking for love, and this song captures what love is all about. It shows love as a powerful emotion that is present everywhere — rain or shine. I love the happy, feel-good vibe the music and lyrics create.
Hope you enjoy my musical island playlist
Hey, you! Yes, you! I wanna hear your desert isle playlist: Ginger Cook, Gerald Sturgill, Belcairn, Kirby Workes, Linda Ng, Scot Butwell, Klara Jane Holloway, Adelina Vasile, Lu Skerdoo, Ning Choi, Deborah Camp, Christopher Robin, KiKi Walter, Alison Levine, Bernice Puzon, MarkfromBoston 🌻Ukraine, PJ Kaplan, Susan Wheelock, Evon, The Sober Vegan Yogi, Sreese, Sofia Chen, Ira Robinson, David Perlmutter.
Don’t you forget about me! Sorry if I did. Hey! I want to hear your list, too!
You might also enjoy these island list beauties:
Music, kissing, rain, sports and lots of humor! Michael L Butler’s writing about stuff from the heart. You can read thousands of stories and earn money writing your own stories by joining Medium for $5 a month. If you use my link I receive a small commission and can enjoy a warm cup of joe with my Western New York buddy Steve Reese.