The Five Non-Springsteen Songs (Plus One) That Perfectly Define Me

Get to know me in six tunes

There’s nothing like starting the new year with more writing challenges than I can keep up with, and Plethora of Pop editor Pierce McIntyre has already thrown out three that grabbed my interest. I decided to start with the one I thought would be the easiest: five songs that define me. In the challenge article (which I link below), he explained: “Write about 5 songs that would help people get to know you better.” That’s not exactly the same as five songs that define me, so I will be taking some liberties with the challenge.

I have thought long and hard about this one, and I realized that there are really two articles to be written here, one with all Springsteen songs and one with non-Bruce tunes. In a move that I’m sure will shock my friends and longtime readers, I’m starting with the non-Springsteen songs first, mainly because I have been unable to get the Bruce list under 25 songs.

I can’t say that the five songs below provide a full definition of who I am, but they certainly give a glimpse into my overall worldview and an idea of how I got here. It is clearly lacking in depth with no Springsteen, but it’s the best I can offer. And I may have exaggerated a bit using the phrase “perfectly define” in the title; it scored higher that way, and I want people to find the thing after all.

“Even the Losers” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I wrote an entire article about this song a while back, because as much as “Born to Run” and “Thunder Road,” this is the one that got me through high school and still does today. Who of us hasn’t, at numerous times, needed to hear this:

Baby, even the losers get lucky sometimes Even the losers keep a little bit of pride They get lucky sometimes

It’s basically “tramps like us” taken to a whole new level.

“Vienna” by Billy Joel. This one showed up on my funeral soundtrack, so it makes sense that it would make this list as well. Over the course of my life, any number of family members, friends, and/or medical professionals have told me I worry too much about everything. What none of them did the way Billy Joel does is give not just specific instructions, but a destination as well.

Slow down you crazy child Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while It’s alright, you can afford to lose a day or two When will you realize… Vienna waits for you?

“There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths. Besides being one hell of a jam, this song is a window into my parenting style. How is that possible? Both of my kids are in their 20s now, have jobs and families, and love Bruce, so I clearly didn’t screw them up too bad by teaching them this song when they were toddlers. Plus, the look on my ex-wife’s face when the little tykes first belted out “And if a double-decker bus/Crashes into us/To die by your side/Is such a heavenly way to die” is a shared moment with my girls I will cherish forever.

“Allison Road” by The Gin Blossoms. While they are far better known for “Hey Jealousy” and “Follow You Down,” this song has summed up my general feeling about life its own self more times than I can count with one simple line: “I didn’t know I was lost at the time.” I may even be a bit lost right now.

“Ball and Chain” by Social Distortion. This may seem like an odd inclusion, given how sweet and optimistic I always am in my articles, but there have been and still are times when I think: “it just can’t get any worse, so fuck it.” No one sums it up better than Mike Ness in this song, which was also the anthem of most of my Army years.

“Kind and Generous” by Natalie Merchant. Looking back over the five songs, I realize I have to add a bonus tune or risk having this called the “sad bastard playlist.” There are actually some non-Bruce songs that tell a bit about my outlook that are at least a tad hopeful, though if you tell anyone this, I’ll deny it. The one that comes immediately to mind is from Natalie Merchant, and it totally gets the concept of gratitude; sometimes I do too. Let’s wrap this up on a high note.

Come play along Eric Pierce, Simon Dillon, Sarah Paris, Terry Barr, Alex Markham, David Acaster, Danielle Loewen, Chris Zappa, Keith R. Higgons, David Perlmutter, Aimée Gramblin, Jessica Lee McMillan, Kevin Alexander, Rob Janicke, Rui Alves and Reuben Salsa.

“Even the Losers” lyrics by Tom Petty, source: azlyrics.com.

“Vienna” lyrics by Billy Joel, source: azlyrics.com.

“There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” lyrics by Morrissey and Johnny Marr, source azlyrics.com.