identify 100 of my Favorite songs.

21. “Night in my Veins” by the Pretenders
22. “Sit Down, Stand Up” by Radiohead
23. “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon
24. “Club Foot” by Kasabian
25. “Girl Can’t Help It” by Little Richard

I’ve never been a huge Radiohead fan despite having seen them in concert. I just never “got” it. I felt like they were in the same vein of Clove cigarettes: everyone loved them and ate them up and they were very high-brow and all the cool kids smoked them but really, and you can stomach one (ONE.) outside the club with your Xs on your hands in Sharpie but damn it, at the end of the day, you want to wrap your lips around a cheap and dirty Marlboro because that’s what touches your soul. Cloves=Radiohead, Marlboros=”Real” rock music.

However, in my tryst with this man he told me an erotic story that involved him thinking about me while this song played. I immediately purchased the song from iTunes and listened; it was phenomenal. It is an orgasm in a song. it sounds and feels exactly right. I was amazed. I bought the whole album (It’s off Hail to the Thief) and am really enjoying listening to it.

When I get to thinking about him too intensely or I want to culminate my daydream in a really intense manner, I’ll play this song.

26. “Layla” by Derek and the Dominoes
27. “Accidentally in Love” by the Counting Crowes
28. “I Feel The Earth Move” by Carole King
29. “Make It Wit Chu” by Queens of the Stone Age
30. “In The Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett

P. and I were in a band of sorts together in college, and I loved to play with him. He plays the guitar and carries it with him wherever he goes, always slung over his back like a troubadour. When I saw him most recently, I asked him what he’d been learning to play of late, as our musical tastes are ever-evolving. He told me he’d been into the Kooks lately, but that he’d also been getting into Clapton. He played the opening riff of “Layla,” and before we knew it, we were back into our old habits of harmonizing. This song has always been so much about painful longing, and for three years, that’s been the undercurrent of our relationship. The morning after the night we spent together, I couldn’t get this out of my head, especially the last verse.

What’ll you do when you get lonely
And nobody’s waiting by your side?
You’ve been running and hiding much too long.
You know it’s just your foolish pride.

Layla, you’ve got me on my knees.
Layla, I’m begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won’t you ease my worried mind.

I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.

Chorus

Let’s make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don’t say we’ll never find a way
Or tell me all my love’s in vain.

Chorus

Chorus

31. “Jolene” by Ray LaMontagne
32. “Middag I Haven” by HAUGAARD & HØIRUP
33. “The Night Patty Murphy Died” by Great Big Sea
34. “Restless” by Alison Krauss & Union Station
35. “Sunrise” by Norah Jones

There are no lyrics to this song, as it is an instrumental waltz. Before M.P. left for the Great White Half-Step that is Alaska, we spent time together in those last dying days of my relationship with another college boyfriend. I longed for him; there’s no other way to describe it, it’s what good poetry and good blues and great painting is made of, that’s how much I just yearned for him. Couldn’t be together due to his impending departure and my dilapidated relationship, will they/won’t they, yadda yadda yadda.

One night, a night close to his last, this song came on the stereo as we were hanging out in my boyfriend’s room. He held his hand out to me and I took it and we waltzed, unable to look at each other for the sorrow.

This memory would have been poignant enough, but it just so happened that a friend had my video camera handy and recorded the moment. When I played it back about a year after it happened (the first time I reviewed the memory card in the camera) I saw us dancing in the foreground, but in the background I saw my then-boyfriend turn around in his chair, look at us dancing, and turn back around. He looked so resigned to the fact that I loved M.P. It was devastating.

36. “Glory & Consequence” by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
37. “I Never Love A Man (The Way I Loved You)” by Aretha Franklin
38. “I Got A Woman” by Ray Charles covered by John Mayer
39. “You Shook Me (All Night Long)” by AC/DC
40. “Everybody Here Wants You” by Jeff Buckley

Growing up in an era of increasing hip-hop constituency and decreasing rock and roll love, school dances were awkward for me. I don’t like to shake my ass to Keith Sweat, I like to shake my ass to pure, gin-soaked, out of control rock music. I dealt with it when I was in middle school because rock was still being patronized; in high school, I didn’t go to dances anyway because I was too high. In college, however, there were many, MANY functions at which the DJ was necessary, and he always played what was called for (As my lovely ex-boyfriend Andy reminded me, “The kids want the hits!”) But no matter what DJ, no matter what the function, “You Shook Me (All Night Long) was always played. And no matter how hot and sweaty and tired and drunk I was, I’d stub out my cigarette and grab my girlfriends and go shake my ass all over the room. It may not be the greatest rock song, it may be cliche and it may be stupid, but it is absolutely rock and roll, and I’ll smile every time I hear this song for that reason.

She was a fast machine
She kept her motor clean
She was the best damn woman that I ever seen
She had the sightless eyes
Tellin’ me no lies
Knockin’ me out with those American thighs
Takin’ more than her share
Had me fighting for air
She told me to come but I was already there
‘Cause the walls start shaking
The earth was quakin’
My mind was achin’
And we were makin’ it and you -

CHORUS:
Shook me all night long
Yeah you shook me all night long

Workin’ double time
On the seduction line
She was one of a kind, she’s just mine all mine
Wanted no applause
Just another course
Made a meal out of me, and come back for more
Had to cool me down
To take another round
Now I’m back in the ring to take another swing
‘Cause the walls was shaking
The earth was quakin’
My mind was achin’
And we were makin’ it and you -

CHORUS:
Shook me all night long
Yeah you shook me all night long
Knocked me out and then you
Shook me all night long
Then you were shakin’ and you
Shook me all night loooong
Yeah you shook me
Well, you took me

(guitar solo)

You really took me and you
Shook me all night long
Oaaaaaahhhhhh you shook me all night long
Yeah yeah you
Shook me all… night… long
Ya really took me and you
Shook me all night long

Yeah you shook me, yeah you shook me
All night loooong!

41. “By My Side” by INXS
42. “I Need You” by Dan Bern
43. “When She Believes” by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
44. “Hold To A Dream” by Newgrass Revival
45. “The Dark End of the Street” by the Gram Parsons Project

46. “Sweet Jane” by the Velvet Underground
47. “Darling, Be Home Soon” by the Lovin’ Spoonful
48. “Hungry for Your Love” by Sam Bush
49. “Let the Mystery Be” by Iris Demint
50. “I Believe In Miracles” by Pearl Jam

This song is fantastic, great lyrics and vocals. It is the best song I’ve ever associated with long-distance love. I used to sing it often to far away lovers and it applied to each one.

I’m hungry for your love
I’m hungry for your love
I’m hungry for your love
But I can wait now

I’m on the telephone
And I am all alone
I’m on the telephone
but we’re connected

Chorus:
I got such a lot of love
I wanna give it to you
I got such a lot of love
I wanna give it to you
I got such a lot of love
I wanna give it to you

And though were far apart
You are here in my heart
And though were far apart
You’re part of me now

And after all the years
And after all the tears
And after all the tears
There’s just the truth now

Repeat chorus

I’m hungry for your love
I’m hungry for your love
I’m hungry for your love

51. “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” by Steve Morrisey, played instrumentally by the Dream Academy
52. “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen
53. “You Really Got A Hold On Me” by Smokey RObinson & the Miracles
54. “Ziggy Stardust” by David Bowie
55. “The Mollusk” by Ween

There’s not real story here, save that I would really like to have this be the song that plays I enter my wedding reception. Because whomever I marry (and I do hope it’s Russ) will definitely be my best friend.

Ooh you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It’s you you’re all I see
Ooo you make me live now honey
Ooo you make me live

Ooh you’re the best friend that I ever had
I’ve been with you such a long time
You’re my sunshine and I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
Oh you’re my best friend

Ooo you make me live

Ooh I’ve been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You’ve stood by me, girl
I’m happy, happy at home
You’re my best friend

Ooo you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got you to help me forgive
Ooo you make me live now honey
Ooo you make me live

You’re the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I’ll never be lonely
You’re my only one
And I love the things
I really love the things that you do
You’re my best friend

Ooo you make me live

I’m happy at home
You’re my best friend
Oh ya
Oh you’re my best friend
Ooo you make me live
You you’re my best friend.

56. “Never Known A Girl Like You Before” by The Kinks
57. “The Weight” by The Band
58. “Take It Easy” by The Eagles
59. “Love Needs A Heart” by Jackson Browne
60. “The Promise” by Tracy Chapman

My godmother and her husband own and operate the dinner theatre that I grew up in, as my mother (and, in the very beginning, my father) performed there. My godmother and her husband love each other. I mean, they really love each other. They aren’t always that couple, who hang on each other and buy each other gifts and are obnoxious, but they love each other so much that they live and work together and still like each other enough to not be divorced. Anyway, they both perform together often, and one of my most influential memories was seeing them sing this song together with only an acoustic guitar on stage. It was at a pivotal time in my life when it would have been really easy to just resign myself to the fact that marriage was a scam, that it could never really work, that people fall out of love no matter what. But they don’t, not always, and it can work. They proved it to me.

Well I’m a-running down the road trying to loosen my load
I’ve got seven women on my mind
Four that want to own me, two that want to stone me
One says she’s a friend of mine

Take it easy, take it easy
Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Don’t even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand and take it easy

Well I’m a-standin’ on the corner in winslow, arizona
With such a fine sight to see
It’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed ford
Slowin’ down to take a look at me

Come on baby, don’t say maybe
I’ve got to know if your sweet love is gonna save me
We may lose and we may win
But we will never be here again
Open up I’m climbin’ in to take it easy

Well I’m a-running down the road trying to loosen my load
Got a world of trouble on my mind
Lookin’ for a lover who won’t blow my cover
She’s just a little hard to find
Take it easy, take it easy
Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy
Come on baby, don’t say maybe
I’ve got to know if your sweet love is gonna save me

You know we got it easy
We oughta take it easy

61. “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money
62. “You Make Loving Fun” by Fleetwood Mac
63. “Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band
64. “Voices” by Cheap Trick
65. “Wicked Games” by Chris Isaak

In the summer of 2006, I listened to this song every single night as I drove home from the night’s debauchery. I thought that I loved it so much because it reminded me the guy I was quasi-dating at the time long-distance. Now I know that I loved the song so much and listened to it every time I went home because I was associating it with Russ. Now I love it so much, it might be “our song.”

Sweet wonderful you,
You make me happy with the things you do,
Oh, can it be so,
This feeling follows me wherever I go.

I never did believe in miracles,
But I’ve a feeling it’s time to try,
I never did believe in the ways of magic,
But I’m beginning to wonder why.

Don’t, don’t break the spell,
It would be different and you know it will,
You, you make loving fun,
And I don’t have to tell you but you’re the only one.

You make loving fun.
It’s all I wanna do.
You make loving fun.
It’s all I wanna do.

66. “Under My Thumb”
67. “Paint It, Black”
68. “Honkey Tonk Women”
69. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
70. “Beast of Burden”

Once, my freshman year of college, we had a Rolling Stones theme party. (We had a lot of theme parties back in the day, and I don’t mean the college-my friends just really, really loved theme parties and we threw them often.) We listened only to the Stones and everyone drank only whiskey and smoked only Marlboro Reds. Black denim and a lot of strutting. I went as Jerry Hall, and it was amazing, high heels and blonde wig and Southern drawl and all.

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls go by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

I see a line of cars and they’re all painted black
With flowers and my love both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Like a new born baby it just happens every day

I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door and must have it painted black
Maybe then I’ll fade away and not have to face the facts
It’s not easy facin’ up when your whole world is black

No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee this thing happening to you

If I look hard enough into the settin’ sun
My love will laugh with me before the mornin’ comes

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls go by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

Hmm, hmm, hmm,...

I wanna see your face, tainted black
Black as night, black as coal
I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it tainted, tainted, tainted, tainted black
Yeah!

Hmm, hmm, hmm,...