Inspiring Videos With Motivational Messages

With the media focussing on so much negativity happening all around us constantly, it’s kind of refreshing to find something positive in the world today. Here you will find a few videos I’ve come across as well as a few that friends have sent me on facebook recently. Hopefully you’ll find some of these inspirational carrying a positive message….. or at the very least, they may put a smile on your face, or maybe even a teardrop. Enjoy

I’ll be adding a few more as I come across them or receive them….. as time permits 

INSPIRING VIDEOS……….

……….MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGES

BE PHENOMENAL…..

An inspiring motivational video featuring motivational speeches from Les Brown & Eric Thomas

Be Thankful For What You Have

Be The Change – An Inspirational Video

Dream – A Motivational Video

Inspiration to Life…..

A true inspiration to live life, overcoming all the challenges in life to achieve astonishing success.

Life = Risk

Love Lesson / Life’s Big Questions (Unscripted)

Marc Mero’s Emotional Mother’s Day Story

Marc Mero is a former professional wrestler and now a phenomenal motivational speaker. He delivers this powerful message during an assembly at a middle school…

(A very powerful message…..get the tissues out before you view this one)

MINDSHIFT – A Motivational Video

NEVER GIVE UP! – Learn To Fall Forward – Denzel Washington

NEVER QUIT! – A Motivational Video

Unbroken – Motivational Video

Featuring motivational messages from Les Brown, Eric Thomas, Steve Jobs & Louis Zamperini

VISION – Motivational Video

What moms think of themselves vs. what their kids think

You’ve Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story Song): A Father/Daughter Duet by 3-Year-Old Claire Ryann & Her Dad

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Songs About Nostalgia That Reference Specific People Places Things or Events of the Past

Over the years we can all relate to good times and bad times in our lives. Some are rewarding  experiences that seem to make that moment in time stand still while others are unpleasant or emotional events that leave a lasting impression or hurt in our heads, hearts and souls. There are a few songs  out there that specifically mention these events or people or objects that bring back these times to those of us who have lived through them. These particular songs can attest to a particular time in our past that evoke memories of that particular era.

So here I present to you a few songs with videos that reference, reflect, mention or list specific people, places, things, events and dates of the past. Some of the videos presented here also include song lyrics of vivid childhood images and  memories of what it was like growing up with favorite past times, celebrities, heroes, fads, games, toys, pop culture (music, movies and TV), etc. Some of the recollections also include unpleasant or sad events such as deaths of famous people, destruction, tragedies, war and so forth.

So sit back and enjoy the following videos of songs that evoke memories and/or pay homage to specific and/or real people, places or things of our past. If you can think of others please feel free to let me know in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

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2017 UPDATE – Just did a major update & overhaul of this post – lots of new additions, a few corrections & a few changes. Please let me know in the comments below what I may have missed……….thanks

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SONGS ABOUT NOSTALGIA

THAT MENTION SPECIFIC

PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS OR EVENTS OF THE PAST

1. 1985 – Bowling For Soup

2. 19 Something – Mark Wills

3. A Different World – Bucky Covington

4. A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara’d into Submission) – Paul Simon

5. Abraham, Martin & John – Dion

6. AM Radio – Everclear

7. Back To The 80’s – Aqua

8. Big Bang Theory Theme Song (History of Everything) – Barenaked Ladies

9. Buddy Holly – Weezer

10. Class of ’57 – The Statler Brothers

11. Class Reunion (That Used to Be Us) – Lonestar

12. Cleaning Windows – Van Morrison

13. Club At The End Of The Street – Elton John

14. Creeque Alley – The Mamas & The Papas

15. Do You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio – The Ramones

16. Do You Remember These – The Statler Brothers

17. Done Too Soon – Neil Diamond

18. Extra Ordinary – Better Than Ezra

19. Garden Party – Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band

20. Heart Songs – Weezer

21. I Do The Rock – Tim Curry

22. I Feel Like Buddy Holly – Alvin Stardust

23. I Watched It (All On My Radio) – Lionel Cartwright

24. In The Days Before Rock ‘n’ Roll – Van Morrison

25. John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16 – Keith Urban

26. Kids of The Baby Boom – The Bellamy Brothers

27. Land Of 1000 Dances – Wilson Pickett

28. Life in a Northern Town – The Dream Academy

29. Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me) – Reunion

30. Liquid Dreams – O-Town

31. Man On The Moon – REM

32. Nightshift – The Commodores

33. No News – Lonestar

34. Old Days – Chicago

35. Old Hippie – The Bellamy Brothers

36. Old Hippie (The Sequel) – The Bellamy Brothers

37. One Week – Barenaked Ladies

38. Post World War II Blues – Al Stewart

39. Put That Record On – Hinder

40. Raised On Radio – Journey

41. Rock & Roll Heaven – The Righteous Brothers

“Rock & Roll Heaven” – A music video tribute to the rock music heroes who have passed away. The soundtrack is “Rock and Roll Heaven” (Stevenson/O’day) is a new demo recording, sung by Ronnie Kimball, with reworked lyrics from the 1970’s Righteous Brothers hit. Artists featured in this video include John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Roy Orbison, Don McLean, Otis Redding, Freddie Mercury, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Marc Bolan, George Harrison, Bon Scott, Buddy Holly, Sonny & Cher, Johnny Cash, Denny Martin, Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles, Wendy O Williams, Robert Palmer, Kurt Cobain

42. Rocket – Def Leppard

43. Short Fat Fannie – Larry Williams

44. Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder

45. Sweet Soul Music – Arthur Conley

46. The Intro & The Outro – The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

47. The Miracle – Queen

48. The Movies – The Statler Brothers

49. The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks

50. Three Stars – Tommy Dee

This song is a tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. The three entertainers died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, in what became known as the “Day the music died” thanks to the Don McLean song “American Pie.” Tommy Dee (Tommy Donaldson) was a disc jockey at KFXM in San Bernadino. After the plane crash, he got the idea for this song and took it to Crest Records, where he recorded it with Carol Kay And The Teen-Aires. Tommy performed the narration on the song. This was the only hit for Tommy Dee, who died in 2007 after a long career producing and promoting Country music. Eddie Cochran, who was good friends with Ritchie Valens, was the first to record this song, but his version was not released until 1966. Cochran died the year after he recorded this, when on April 17, 1960 he was killed in a car accident.

51. Titles – Barclay James Harvest

52. Tribute (Right On) – The Pasadenas

53. Twenty Years Ago – Kenny Rogers

54. Vogue – Madonna

55. We Didn’t Start The Fire – Billy Joel

56. When Smokey Sings – ABC

57. Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes? – George Jones

58. You’re My Song – A Rocket To The Moon

59. You’re The Top – Cole Porter

And last, but definitely not least, here’s probably the ultimate nostalgic reminiscing song of our lifetime…….at least for those of us between 40 and 70 ………. 🙂

60. American Pie – Don McLean

This song has various interpretations, no doubt, over the years and has been the source of many arguments, opinions and disagreements but the writer, as well as singer, Don McLean has kept pretty silent about the whole “meaning” of his song….therefore leaving it to any and all who want to try to interpret it’s meaning and or significance. For those under 40 and to the rest of us that might want a few questions answered, you gotta check out this LINK HERE

Here’s the original song again with a video interpretation of it by another person…. with some ‘food for thought’…..

and one more…

and here’s yet another explanation with quite a few facts thrown in to bolster what the song means….

HONORABLE MENTION

As an update I should give an honorable mention to the following songs for their ‘nostalgia’ theme, even though specific names have not necessarily been mentioned within the lyrics, but none-the-less are reflections of how much simpler, carefree, or better life once was, many years ago…..

These are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ when it comes to ‘nostalgic’ or ‘throw-back’ songs – as I’m sure this list can grow much larger with your input… what do YOU think?

Can you name others that reflect the past? 

• All Summer Long – Kid Rock
• All Those Years Ago – George Harrison
• Autumn of My Life – Bobby Goldsboro
• Back When My Hair Was Short – Gunhill Road
• Beach Baby – First Class
• Boys of Summer – Don Henley
• Crocodile Rock – Elton John
• Goin’ Back – Byrds
• Dog-End of A Day Gone By – Love & Rockets
• Coat Of Many Colors – Dolly Powers
• Coal Miners Daughter – Loretta Lynn
• December 63 (Oh What A Night) – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
• Gentle On My Mind – Glen Campbell
• Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen
• Grandpa (Tell Me About the Good Old Days) – The Judds
• In My Life – Beatles
• Keeping the Faith – Billy Joel
• Key Largo – Bertie Higgins
• Looking Back – Nat “King” Cole
• Make Me Lose Control – Eric Carmen
• Moments to Remember – The Four Lads
• My Back Pages – The Byrds
• My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli
• My Hometown – Bruce Springsteen
• My Way – Frank Sinatra
• My Old School – Steely Dan
• Nostalgia – David Sylvian
• Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger
• Photograph – Nickelback
• (Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard – Cat Stevens
• Remember Then – The Earls
• Remember When – Alan Jackson
• Reminiscing – Little River Band
• Same Old Lang Syne – Dan Fogelberg
• Saturday In The Park – Chicago
• Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
• Summer Sand – Tony Orlando & Dawn
• Take Me Back To Chicago – Chicago
• The Days of Sand & Shovels – Bobby Vinton
• The Old Songs – Barry Manilow
• The River – Bruce Springsteen
• There Used To Be A Ballpark – Frank Sinatra
• This Used to Be My Playground – Madonna
• Those Oldies But Goodies – Little Caesar & The Romans
• Those Were The Days – Mary Hopkin
• Through the Years – Kenny Rogers
• Times of Your Life – Paul Anka
• Try To Remember/The Way We Were – Gladys Knight & The Pips
• Turn Around – Dick & DeeDee
• When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) – Beach Boys
• When I Was Young – Eric Burdon & the Animals
• Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? – Paula Cole
• Yesterday – Beatles
• Yesterday Once More – Carpenters
• Yesterday’s Gone – Chad & Jeremy
• You Can’t Put Your Arm Around A Memory – Johnny Thunder

Adorable Pups Live Video Stream Feed

LIVE Stream Feed – Shiba Inu Puppy Cam:

For all you dog/puppy lovers out there,  if you haven’t heard about it yet, you’ve gotta check out this extremely popular live video stream feed of these adorable puppies that are a very distinct breed of dogs originating from Japan.

Tune in daily to see the cutest Shiba Inu pups… EVER! 🙂

Shiba Inu Puppy Cam – Live Streaming Feed

San Francisco, CA – These five Japanese Shiba Inu pups (3 males and 2 females) were born on Saturday, January 16th, 2010. This is the second litter by their mom, Kika.

• About The Japanese Shiba Inu Dog Breed
  
• Wikipedia Link – More information on this particular puppy cam live feed

A Video Retrospect: Never A Year Like 2009

A fitting way to start off the new year is a humorous look at the year we just made it through. With all it’s highlights as well as “low-lights” – seemed to be a lot more “downers” this past year than upbeat  events and happenings – or at least it sure felt that way – it’s all summed up in this fitting two-minute or so original video. The folks over at JibJab really know how to bring it all together or sum things up in a classic, cool  and often hilarious way. They’ve been doing this for a better part of this past decade – (since 1999 to be exact). Also lots of other fun and interesting things to check out while you’re there – you can even make your very own “sendable ecard” greetings for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baby showers, retirement, holidays, congratulations, get well,  good luck, and other special occasions starring you, your friends, your family,  etc. I’ve also included a number of previous original JibJab videos here (on this website) in my VodPod Video Feature located in the left sidebar . (You’ll probably need to scroll down a little to view them in the left column).

Several links are provided below for easy access.

Enjoy ’em and pass ’em on to your family and friends. 🙂

"Never A Year Like 2009" - An Original JibJab Video

Please Note > You’ll probably need to watch this a few times to fully understand and appreciate what it  portrayed here as it moves along quite fast….. all put to the tune of Marvin Hamlisch’s classic masterpiece, “The Entertainer” from 1974. You can even take a look behind the scenes as to how it was made by clicking here at the Behind the Scenes blog. A truly funny and original production.

Here are additional JibJab Links as featured in the article above:

JibJab Website

“Never A Year Like 2009” – An Original JibJab Production

JibJab Sendables – eCards For Special Occasions

JibJab Everyday Fun – Animations Starring You

JibJab Original Video Archive

JibJab History – How It All Began

JibJab Blog Link

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