Pull It Out, Turn It Up, What’s Your Favourite Song?

You’ll know me better after listening to these five songs

This month, the ever-challenging (in the very best way), Pierce McIntyre asks us— What are the songs and movies that define us?

In case that wasn’t a difficult enough task, he asks us to limit it to five, that’s right, five songs or films that would help people to get to know us better. To be fair, he’s totally flexible and it can be more than five, but I’m a stickler for the rules and if I just let loose willy nilly you’d end up with a playlist of 100 ‘defining’ songs because I’m indecisive and long-winded in the absence of parameters.

So, five it is. Songs, not movies, I’m more of a muso than a film buff.

The first song on my list inspired the title for this article— Handwritten, The Gaslight Anthem

I love the Gaslight Anthem, they feature in almost every music-related article I write. This isn’t my favourite GA song, but since this is about songs that will help to get to know us better, I couldn’t go past Handwritten.

If you’re a deep thinker, a daydreamer or an escapism addict, then we’ll get along just fine. If you wanna talk music, nostalgia and missed opportunities while pondering the complexities of the world we live in over a good Shiraz or a smooth whiskey, I’m your gal.

Pull it out, turn it up, what’s your favorite song? That’s mine, I’ve been crying to it since I was young I know there’s someone out there feeling just like I feel I know they’re waiting up I know they’re waiting to heal And I’ve been holding my breath Are you holding your breath, For too many years to count?

Cover Me Up, Jason Isbell

I adore this song with every fibre of my being. I’ve used it as the inspiration for a ‘song story’ prior to featuring it here, although there I referenced the cover by Morgan Wallen rather than the original. Both are fantastic, depending on the mood your find yourself in.

This song feeds into my deep-seated, yet slightly unhealthy obsession with all-consuming love.

I’m a cynic on the surface but a hopeless romantic at heart, and this song paints the perfect picture of the fantasy you should never really wish for but somehow always do.

And the old lover’s sing “I thought it’d be me who helped him get home” But home was a dream One that I’d never seen ’til you came along

Roadie, Tenacious D

Trying to pick a song that showcased my weird, inappropriate sense of humour that wasn’t too inappropriate was tougher than anticipated.

To that end, I settled on ‘Roadie’ by Tenacious D, because frankly, it’s funny and if you’re getting to know me it’s better to prepare you now. Close contenders were ‘Low Hangin’ Fruit’ also by The D, or ‘Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’ by Steel Panther.

Warning, this one is explicit. I don’t swear a lot, but I don’t discriminate when a good song is littered with ‘f bombs’.

I’m standing at the threshold of your dreams Without me there’d be no sound from those amps Without me there’d be no lights on the stage But you don’t applaud for me

No, I am the roadie Lonesome warrior searching for his soul No, I am the roadie I make the rock go

Cold As You, Luke Combs

I love so many different genres of music, but I can never go past a great country banger. Again, picking just one proved difficult but I chose ‘Cold As You’ by Luke Combs because it perfectly encapsulates the lonely-heart sentiment of most country songs delivered alongside a boot-stompin' beat.

This is how I approach most of life’s missteps— get a bit sad, and then rock out until the pain goes away. Music can ease, if not solve, most of life’s big problems, at least, for a while.

And if there are no problems in need of fixing, it still makes a cracking soundtrack on a hot Sunday arvo, kicking back in the sun with a cold one.

We got “Whiskey River” on a jukebox A honky tonk sawdust dance floor A neon, five o’clock, broke clock And plenty damn many when you want one more Of this broke heart fool on an old bar stool Drinkin’ beer almost as cold as you

Lullaby in Ragtime, Danny Kaye (Five Pennies Soundtrack)

Surprise! I secretly love musicals. Thanks to a thorough education from my darling grandfather, I developed an early love for classics like Singing in the Rain, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Glenn Miller Story (Ok, not quite a musical) and Five Pennies.

I also adore modern musicals, as cheesy as they come with a side of cheese please and thank you. I’m even partial to mediocre musical tv with a good soundtrack such as Glee and Nashville.

These songs don’t often make it onto my Spotify ‘shuffle all’ and is generally a well-kept secret of mine, although I’m not sure why. I suppose it’s nice to have a little something that’s just for ourselves.

But the challenge was songs to help you get to know me better, so there you go.

So you can hear the Rhythm of the ripples on the side of the boat As you sail away to dreamland High above the moon you hear a silvery note As the sandman takes your hand So rock-a-by my baby Don’t you cry my baby Sleepy-time is nigh Won’t you rock me to a ragtime lullaby

There you have it, an eclectic attempt at trying to bare my soul through song.

I’m sure all my regulars have already been tagged in other posts, so, if you want to play along use the tag ‘Songs that Define Me’ so they get grouped together. If you do decide to jump on the wagon, make sure to tag me so I can read it.

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