Six Songs of Me

dataGuydataGuy
edited January 2016 in Diversions
A few years back (well actually several) the Guardian had a music survey project called - Six Songs of Me. Of course that page link is no longer valid. However, they do have a page with responses, to their survey, from famous people (for some reason I can't seem to find my response there): http://www.theguardian.com/music/series/six-songs-of-me

They asked you to create a play list to try and define yourself. The six questions are:

What was the first song you ever bought?
What song always gets you dancing?
What song takes you back to your childhood?
What is your perfect love song?
What song would you want at your funeral?
Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you.

Here are my responses:

What was the first song you ever bought?

Easy one - Dusty Springfield: "Son-of-a Preacher Man"

What song always gets you dancing?

I'm not much of a dancer but this song will do the trick - David Lindley: "She Took Off My Romeos"

What song takes you back to your childhood?

Tough one to choose; I'll go with Ringo Starr: "It Don't Come Easy" [edit: after sleeping on it, I decided that a song I played a ton when I was younger doesn't really answer the question. The better choice for me would be - The Cascades: "Rhythm of the Rain"]

What is your perfect love song?

Impossible to pick. So I'll go with a selection from the famous "love tape" mixed tape I made for my wife back in the day - America: "Three Roses" (not a huge America fan but that first lp was killer)

What song would you want at your funeral?

Never gave it any thought; what first came to mind was: Beatles: "Cry For a Shadow" (being an instrumental it should work for most any occasion)

Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you.

I have no idea, so I'll go with the song that some where along the line I decided was my all time fav; out of the tens of thousands of songs I like: Caravan: "Winter Wine"

Since you may not be familiar with that song here's the lyrics:

Winter Wine
How you're always flowing, blowing in my mind
Like a stream, these magic waters move me to a dream
Of travelling with you, drifting carefree, dropping downward through fresh grasses
Bubbles merrily as it passes, never knowing where you're going
Carry me with you, carry me with you

Be conjured up in a midnight dream, ancient castles dark
As wandering minstrels play tunes of yesterday
When dragons roamed the land, knights in armour gold
Charged on horseback bold
The maids were saved, the dragons slayed

Sail scene, sea green - sailing forward to a new land
Treasure waits, paradise gates, for the taking, can't start waiting
All you need, but take heed, remember it pays to pay the sandman well
Make no fuss, for you must - in stardust, he puts all the colours in your dreams

Bells chime three times, naked dancers enter slowly
Smoky room, scented gloom, audience eating, fat men drinking
Candles burn, a dull red light illuminates the breasts of four young girls
Dancing, prancing, provoking - dreams are always ending far too soon

Life's too short to be sad, wishing things you'll never have
You're better off not dreaming of the things to come
Dreams are always ending far too soon
Sounds of a distant melody, once played, lost from memory
Funny how it's clearer now, you're close to me
We'll be together all the time

Here's a live version recorded shortly after the album came out:


Hopefully some of you will be inspired to make a six songs of you play list.... 

Comments

  • ScissorManScissorMan
    Interesting that they would ask what the first song you ever bought was - maybe this is aimed at a younger demographic, because it hasn't really been all that long since people only bought albums and singles. After 1970 it was mostly albums... The first record I ever bought was Magical Mystery Tour - and I didn't buy it for any particular song, though I suppose I liked "Strawberry Fields Forever" the most at the time. (Now, of course, my favorite song on that album is "Blue Jay Way.")

    Also, not to be too politically correct and all, but this question about what song "always gets you dancing" may be somewhat offensive to paraplegics.
  • GermanprofGermanprof
    edited January 2016
    Not necessarily.

    (I'll have to give those questions some thought!)
  • dataGuydataGuy
    edited January 2016
    ScissorMan said:
    ...Also, not to be too politically correct and all, but this question about what song "always gets you dancing" may be somewhat offensive to paraplegics.
    Don't mean to bring politics into this board but - I strongly reject the whole concept of a "right not to be offended". Not that I think you were advocating that ScissorMan. To have such a right would mean that there couldn't be freedom of speech. In fact, it would be difficult to have any speech at all. How could there be, when anyone can claim to be offended by just about anything. I'm offended by politically correct thought - that ought to create an infinite loop  :D

    Hope I didn't hijack this thread. I'm really very curious to see the song lists this group might post.

    btw - ScissorMan - that is a great XTC album you are using for an avatar. "Making Plans For Nigel" might be my favorite XTC song.
  • greggreg
    Data Guy - we did a thread a few years ago about albums that had influenced us. I started it so I ought to be able to find it. I'll resurrect it, you night also find it informative finding out more about us. 
  • BrighternowBrighternow
    edited February 2016
    What was the first song you ever bought?

    As a 7" single - I was probably around 8 years old

    What song always gets you dancing?
    - I'll have to pass that one.

    What song takes you back to your childhood?
    - Oh ! - but there's just so many . . .
    One of them:

    The Ventures "Walk Don't Run"

    What is your perfect love song?

    Legendary Pink Dots — The Wedding


    What song would you want at your funeral?
    - I just don't want to think about that right now

    Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, you.
    - Hmmmm ? that is a strange question, but here's a few that always stands out:

    Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention



    The Legendary Pink Dots - New Tomorrow


    Pink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive


    - And there's many more . . .
  • dataGuydataGuy
    Thanks @Brighternow for resurrecting this thread. Interesting responses; I'll definitely check out those videos....
  • BrighternowBrighternow
    edited February 2016
    You are welcome - In spite of some rather strange questions, it was interesting to look back on the close to 60 years of music history in my "backpack"

    - A probably more accurate answer to:

    What song takes you back to your childhood?
    - is the song that I remember as my first experience of these shivers up and down your spine and the feeling of being totally carried away.
    My guess is I was around 4 years old when this song was on hot rotation on the radio:

    Edith Piaf - Non, Je ne regrette rien

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