My fellow members, In the future I have a couple of business plans up my sleeve. While I won't bore you with the details of this one, I will ask for your help. Many of us listen to music, it's a well-known fact. But how many of you listen to 'powerful' music - songs with a real message, backed up by epic, inspiring choruses and galavanting sound. No, this is not Metal, nor is it Emo. This is the genre of Inspiration, Euphoria, Ultimate Paradise. I'm compiling what I consider the 15 Most Inspiringly Powerful songs, and I would like public opinions and suggestions. Here is the current list: To Build A Home - The Cinematic Orchestra Collapse the Light Into Earth - Porcupine Tree Kite - U2 (yes, it could've been Beautiful Day or Sunday Bloody Sunday but it's not) Winter - Tori Amos Ordinary World - Duran Duran Cripple and the Starfish - Antony & The Johnsons Let It Rain - Sarah Brightman Let Your Light In, Babe - Robert Forster This Year - The Mountain Goats Surf City Eastern Bloc - Arcade Fire How It Ends - DeVotchka Canto Della Terra (Duet with Andrea Bocelli) - Sarah Brightman Nature's Law - Embrace Run - Snow Patrol Always - Bon Jovi I Will Be With You (Where the Lost Ones Go) [Duet with Paul Stanley] - Sarah Brightman Now if you haven't heard some of those songs that's good! I want most of them to be new to people. If you feel like suggesting songs please at least preview a couple of the songs on iTunes so you can understand the type of sound I'm going for, i.e. no Evanescence, Metal anthems or crunching guitars, and also make sure they're not well-known songs. Before anyone says it, no The End by The Doors does not fit in here. Now I don't anticipate many responses to my initial request so if you've read this far: If you have a song(s) to suggest to me, please put Suggestions: before them. Otherwise, feel free to list which songs personally inspire you, I'd be interested to hear. ALL GENRES! P.S. The final two songs on the list are what I consider most epic and inspiring. And yes, that means Always isn't top ... bring it!
These not very well known songs inspire me: Goodbye Horses by Q Lazzarus Today by Jefferson Airplane I suppose you might be able to make the argument that they're well known, but I don't place them in that category. The End by The Doors has always inspired me... The thing is, I couldn't care less about lyrics. When I listen to music, it's for the guitar. It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if the vocalist was singing about fire hydrants for ten minutes as long as the sound of their voice added to the beauty of the actual music.
Suggestions:The Sea Is Rising - Bliss N Eso "And all I know, is the sun is shining, yet we fight all through the night. While the birds are melting and the sea is rising, I dont know so don't ask me why. Yeah all I know, is the sun is shining, yet we fight all through the night. And if you dont know, **** I dont know, I guess all we can do is ask him why" Great song. Defiinitely a candidate. Also, Im mildly offended the ban on metal, the most inspiring genre in history. Just joking. Also, by the same artist: At Midnight (off the same Cd in fact) "I wont be put down, I wont be shackled, I wont be held back I wont be tackled. I wont be locked up, I wont be thrown out... Now that I know how to fly"
The Sea Is Rising is possibly the only rap song I'd even consider putting in, and it was worth the download. It'll have to grow on me a lot more though. Goodbye Horses was a surprise - I really enjoyed it. Again, downloaded, and into the considerations list. By the way, the guitars in that song are blissful. Keep the suggestions coming!
So, I went through my entire library and have come to the conclusion that a horribly low percentage of my songs inspire happiness... Samba Pa Ti by Santana is awesome for consoling and inspiring a good mood, but it's an instrumental piece, so I don't know if that counts. The Beekeeper by Tori Amos is a wonderfully different take on facing the death of a loved one - "Do not be afraid, I promise she will awake, somewhere" I personally find inspirational. Just some others that inspire me for various reasons: Cooling - Tori Amos (Is your place in heaven worth giving up these kisses? *sigh*) Too Tough To Die - Martina Topley-Bird Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (best version of the song, in my opinion).
I like instrumentals, but I've decided to leave them out of the list in favour of strong vocals. Tori Amos is an untapped resource for me. I've downloaded The Beekeeper, Cooling (the preview was amazing) and a song called Little Earthquakes because that preview also looked beyond promising. Fingers crossed I can improve the list. Thanks for those suggestions.
Sorry I forgot to say that yes it is inspiring, but not the same kind of inspirational sound I'm after. If that makes sense?
Little Earthquakes is good - the title track from her first album (apart from the Y Kant Tori Read glam album). Honestly though, I could go on about her all night, as I find many of her songs inspirational... (according to my last.fm stats, one in every five songs I listen to is a Tori Amos song, but that's not too hard since I'm a thorough completest and have just about everything she's ever recorded :redface.
You've converted me into a fan, which wasn't hard at all. I've just listened to Winter (is it a really famous song? I've actually never heard it before) and have been blown away. That's going on the list immediately.
*sigh* I love Winter. (Both the song and the season ) I have all of her albums, plus a huge collection of rare or harder to find b-sides - her rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit is incredible - so if you want any recommendations... (Can you tell I'm nuts about her yet, lol?)
hmm, i've heard none of the songs unfortunately, and the songs which inspire me are hindi. I guess the songs which do inspire me are pretty stupid choices. Like there's this Seasons in the Sun in our college song book, and there's Natasha's Bedingfield's Unwritten, and Hannah Montana's Nobody's Perfect makes me want to go out into the world and show the people all that I'm worth. Then there's Hilary Duff's Fly, Avril's Take Me Away, The Rasmus's First Day of My Life, Blue-Breathe Away, and Madonna's Frozen. But I doubt I'll suggest any of these, they're all personal choices, there are lots in hindi, Chak De, and stuff. What a pity everyone doesn't know hindi.
I like this thread...it really caused me to reevaluate the music I listen to and made me think about why I listen to certain songs. In Pace ~ Sarah Brightman I can't help but close my eyes every time I hear it...hmmm. Amid The Falling Snow ~ Enya Aria ~ Yanni I Am A Town ~ Mary Chapin Carpenter So Damn Beautiful ~ Poloroid 18th Floor Balcony ~ Blue October (by far my favorite!) I can't say if it's popular as I don't listen to the radio or watch videos. It's all word of mouth for me. This is just a "very small" list of songs which inspire me...
Love this question. I have many thoughts but I'll leave you with two: Cee-Lo Green: The Art of Noise, featuring Pharrell (sample lyric: 'I sing because I'm happy... I sing because I'm free') and, sorry it's well known but so bloody brilliant I can't resist- Across the Universe: John Lennon (sample lyric: 'Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns')
never heard of any of them... three of the songs that i've deemed 'inspirational' over the years are: woody guthrie's 'this land is your land' blowin' in the wind where have all the flowers gone? can't think of any of the many others at the moment, but i know 'em when i hear 'em!
I thought a knew a lot of inspirational songs. I checked... turns out they're mostly just depressing.
one tin soldier Oh Canada Give us a place stand It was Ontario's hundredth birthday anthem. Most people say they hate it but every one who ever learned it can still sing it.
Rollins is the epitome of inspiration - I love his spoken word stuff. (I have a quote of his from Black Coffee Blues above my desk, truly insprational re: writing. )
Thank you all for the positive words and suggestions. I don't have time to reply to everyone, so I'll just single out a couple of things: ChimmyBear you were spot on with your suggestions - I'll have to hear the 11 minute epic Blue October song because I enjoyed Into the Ocean. The Poloroid one I've heard and loved as well. lessa - I like the Oh Canada song. I'm a little confused about whether you mean the Canadian Anthem or the rock song Oh Canada? Either way, I like them both.
I meant the anthem. Just makes me feel like I have to do something to keep this country the way it is or improve upon it. one tin soldier makes me want to shake people with the attitude that they are entitled to whatever someone else has earned or has. So I set out to not be one of those.
"More Than This" or "Ordinary Day" by Vanessa Carlton "Carry On" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (mostly just the breakdown, 'carry on, love is coming, love is coming to us all') "Hands" by Jewel (a lot of stuff by Jewel, actually...I love her) "Someone You Should Know" by Lisa Loeb "Tomorrow's Another Day"- MxPx A lot of Ani DiFranco stuff, can't choose just one "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens, or "The Wind" "Hallelujah" by Paramore "Break the Sky" by The Hush Sound "A Sight to Behold" by Eisley (or...a lot of other stuff by them) And anything ever recorded by The Beatles
