list 43 songs that never fail to brighten my day

The Black Crowes – Hard to handle

Du-du du-du-DUMMM – du-du du-du-DUMMM

And, leaving you with that baseline intro in your heads, I shall leave my list and declare it complete.

Backstreet Boys – Everybody

OK, ok! So there is a boyband song on my list, sue me!

Nik Kershaw – The Riddle

Another childhood favourite. I was ten when it came out! My sister translated the lyrics as best as she could and told me that there really was an Island called Aran (I’ve stood on the main island of the Aran isles 5 years ago).
I still love this song very much today and all the adaptations of it I’ve heard are all simply atrocious and a mere shadow of the original. A standard song on my list for YouTube-80’s-binges.

Edit: my sister writes that Nik Kershaw wrote somewhere on the net that these lyrics where dummy lyrics for an existing song he only wrote to record a demo and never intended to be released. The producers told him to record it anyway and put it out, call it “The Riddle” and voila, a world hit was made.

Cypress Hill – Insane in the Brain

Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson – Candy

Las Ketchup – Asereje

Just stupid and happy.

The Decemberists – The Sporting Life

And father had had such hopes
For a son who would take the ropes
And fulfill all his old athletic aspirations
But apparently now there’s some complications
But while I am lying here
Trying to fight the tears
I’ll prove to the crowd that I come out stronger
Though I think I might lie here a little longer

The Manic Street Preachers – Your love alone is not enough

The Decemberists – The Crane Wife, part I

Full of hope, love and compassion.

Arctic Monkeys – Mardy Bum

On some days, the song lyrics so apply to me. I am moody and I know that there is a very pleasant side to me that’s much preferred, the one that laughs and jokes around.

Alex Turner has hit the nail on the head with this song.

Now then Mardy Bum
I’ve seen your frown
And it’s like looking down the barrel of a gun
And it goes off
And out come all these words
Oh there’s a very pleasant side to you
A side I much prefer

It’s one that laughs and jokes around
Remember cuddles in the kitchen
Yeah, to get things off the ground
And it was up, up and away
Oh, but it’s right hard to remember
That on a day like today when you’re all argumentative
And you’ve got the face on