Songs To Celebrate Canada Day

July 1st marks the highly anticipated and festive annual celebration of Canada Day for our northern neighbors. I’ve tried to put together a nice compilation of songs to help celebrate this special day of Canadian Pride. Even though I have never lived in Canada, I greatly enjoyed a number of summers back in the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s up in beautiful lower British Columbia, Vancouver Island, The Canadian Rockies & Alberta. Even though there have been a number of great muscial Talent (artists , groups and bands) that originated or had their roots in Canada, my focus is mainly on songs that bring out either awareness, national pride or newsworthy events over the years in Canada. I’ve included various genres of music for your enjoyment covering the last few decades.

1. Alberta Bound — Gordon Lightfoot 
2. Alberta Bound — Paul Brandt  
3. Ballad of Wendel Clark — Rheostatics
4. Believe In Your Country — Tom Connors
5. Canada — Bobby Gimby 
6. Canada Day Up Canada Way — Stompin’ Tom Connors
7. Canada Is — Roger Whittaker 
8. Canada My Home  — Grayson Matthews 
9. Canadian, Please – Julia Bentley & Andrew Gunadie 
10. Canadian Railroad Trilogy — Gordon Lightfoot 
11. City of Lakes — Matt Mays & El Torpedo 
12. Fireworks — The Tragically Hip 
13. Four Strong Winds — Ian & Sylvia
14. God Bless You Canada — Lee Greenwood 
15. Hockey Night in Canada Theme  
16. I Am Canadian Anthem 
17. Lakeside Park — Rush 
18. Montreal – Blue Rodeo 
19. Moody Manitoba Morning — The Bells
20. My Stompin’ Grounds — Stompin’ Tom Connors 
21. Northwest Passage — Stan Rogers 
22. O Canada (With Glowing Hearts) 1979 Canadian National Anthem fiml presentation 
23. Oh… Canada — Classified 
24. Proud To Be Canadian — The Arrogant Worms 
25. Rant & Roar — Great Big Sea
26. Running Back to Saskatoon — The Guess Who
27. Something To Sing About (Canada Day Song) — New Car Smell 
28. The Canada Song — Five Iron Frenzy 
29. The Canadian Dream — Sam Roberts Band 
30. The Day We Hit The Coast — Thrush Hermit 
31. The Hockey Song — Stompin’ Tom Connors 
32. The Maple Leaf Forever 
33. The Rest of My Life — Sloan 
34. Trans Canada — The Constantines 
35. Trans Canada Highway — Gene Pitney 
36. Western Skies — Blue Rodeo 
37. Wheat Kings — The Tragically Hip 

I’d also like make readers aware of some of the greatest musical talent in the world that originated in Canada. I’m a big fan of many of these artists over the years. Here’s a list, not in any particular order other than alphabetical of some of the more mainstream acts that came from Canadian heritage…………………………

• Alanis Morissette
• Aldo Nova
• Anne Murray
• Anvil
• April Wine
• Arcade Fire
• Avril Lavigne
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive
• Bahamas
• Barenaked Ladies
• Ben Heppner
• Blue Rodeo
• Broken Social Scene
• Bruce Cockburn
• Bryan Adams
• Buffy Sainte-Marie
• Burton Cummings
• Celine Dion
• Chilliwack
• David Clayton-Thomas (from Blood Sweat & Tears fame)
• David Foster
• Denny Doherty (from The Mamas & Papas fame)
• Edward Bear
• Feist
• Frank Mills
• Gil Evans
• Gordon Lightfoot
• Guy Lombardo
• Hank Snow
• Helix
• Honeymoon Suite
• Ian & Sylvia
• Idle Eyes
• Jeff Healey
• Joni Mitchell
• k. d. lang
• Klaatu
• Leonard Cohen
• Lighthouse
• Loverboy
• Maynard Ferguson
• Michael Buble
• Moe Koffman
• Moxy
• Neil Young
• Nickelback
• Oscar Peterson
• Our Lady Peace
• Paul Anka
• Platinum Blonde
• Prism
• Rob McConnell
• Rufus Wainwright
• RUSH
• Saga
• Sara McLachlan
• Shania Twain
• Sheriff
• Spirit of the West
• Stan Rogers
• Stars
• Steppenwolf
• Stompin’ Tom Connors
• Terri Clark
• The Arrogant Worms
• The Band
• The Bells
• The Crew-Cuts
• The Diamonds
• The Four Lads
• The Guess Who
• The Poppy Family
• The Tragically Hip
• Tom Cochrane
• Triumph
• Trooper
• Wilf Carter
• Zal Yanovosky

………………………. Remember the above is only a partial (but still comprehensive) list of those that I’ve enjoyed from various genres of music over the years — Now I’m well aware that there are a number of others that I have unintentionally left out and more than likely several others I am not familiar with at all. Even some that I didn’t know originated in Canada

One more thing ….. there is one that I DID leave out on purpose ….. I will try to to somehow forgive our neighbors for exposing our ears to the likes of Justin Bieber  >8P ……………… Also I do NOT include rap artists (with rare exception) unless it’s ‘old-skool’ from the 80’s and 90’s

HAPPY CANADA DAY TO ALL!!!

Please feel free to comment below.

Who would you have included in the list?

What other songs would you have added that mention or descibe something or some place Canadian or make mention of Canada in the lyrics.

PS- I also intentionally omitted “Blame Canada” from the ‘South Park Movie’ because it doesn’t really invoke pride, just sarcastic humor. I’m a fan of South Park but didn’t feel right putting the song up there (even though it was meant to be sarcastic)

Songs About Toys

Time to take a brief stress break in the middle of your hectic day and think back to your childhood… of the simple little things in life that made you happy….. or made you smile….. that made everything right in your world….. if  only for that moment in time. The theme here is toys, usually meaning the toys of the past or “yesteryear”. Some of these songs look back on a particular toy with great fondness while others use the theme of toys to shed light on something completely different….. if you know what I mean. The only requirement here is that there is a toy mentioned by name or referred/suggested to in the title of the song….. even if it happens to have a ‘double’ or ‘alternative’ meaning. You’ll find a few of these to be real obscure but there are some fun ones here in the mix. Enjoy!

1. A Broken Doll – Al Jolson (1916) 
2. Baby Be My Toy – Teresa Brewer 
3. Barbie Girl – Aqua 
4. Big Boy Toys – Aaron Tippin 
5. Brand New Key – Melanie 
6. Come & Buy My Toys – David Bowie 
7. Cuddly Toy – Nilsson 
8. Doll House – Priscilla Renea 
9. Dreidel – Don McLean 
10. I Like My Toys – Idle Race 
11. I’m In Love With My Little Red Tricycle – Napoleon XIV 
12. I’m Your Puppet – James & Bobby Purify 
13. Jack In The Box – Jackpots 
14. Kite – U2 
15. Kites Are Fun – The Free Design 
16. Let’s Go Fly A Kite – from the Disney classic, Mary Poppins 
17. Like Toy Soldiers – Eminem 
18. Little Plastic Castle – Ani DiFranco 
19. Little Toy Trains – Glen Campbell 
20. Master of Puppets – Metallica 
21. My Ding-A-Ling – Chuck Berry 
22. New Toy – Lene Lovich 
23. Old Toy Trains – Roger Miller 
24. One Tin Soldier – The Original Caste, Coven 
25. Parade of The Wooden Soldiers – Harry Connick Jr. (A Disney Classic) 
26. Puppet Man – The Fifth Dimension 
27. Rag Doll – Aerosmith 
28. Rag Doll – Four Seasons 
29. Real Toys – Altered Images 
30. Red Rubber Ball – The Cyrkle 
31. Rubber Duckie Song – Ernie from Sesame Street (voiced by Jim Henson) 
32. Skip A Rope – Henson Cargill 
33. Teddy Bear – Elvis Presley 
34. The Dreidel Song – various artists 
35. The Hula Hoop Song – Teresa Brewer 
36. The Man With All The Toys – The Beach Boys 
37. The Marvelous Toy – Chad Mitchell Trio (however the well done animated video shown below is John Denver as the vocal – who actually was former member of the Chad Mitchell Trio long before he went solo in his career) 
38. The Teddy Bear Song – Barbara Fairchild 
39. The Teddy Bear’s Picnic – Henry Hall & His Orchestra (1932) An All-time children’s classic 
40. Toy Balloons – Russ Conway 
41. Toy Boy – Mika 
42. Toy Soldiers – Martika 
43. Toys In The Attic – Aerosmith 
44. Yellow Balloon – The Yellow Balloon 
45. Yo-Yo – Billy Joe Royal 
46.  Yo-Yo – The Osmond Brothers 

BONUS #1:

SONGS ABOUT GAMES & OTHER RELATED PLAY THINGS

1. 19 Something – Mark Wills 
2. Do The Donkey Kong – Buckner & Garcia 
3. House At Pooh Corner – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 
4. March of The Toy Soldiers – from the Nutcracker Suite – originally by Tchaikovsky 
5. Merry Go Round – The Replacements
6. Music Box Dancer – Frank Mills 
7. My Boomerang Won’t Come Back – Charlie Drake 
8. Pac-Man Fever – Buckner & Garcia 
9. Penny Arcade – Roy Orbison 
10. Pinball Wizard – The Who 
11. Playground In My Mind – Clint Holmes 
12. Puff The Magic Dragon – Peter Paul & Mary 
13. Return To Pooh Corner – Kenny Loggins 
14. Simon Says – 1910 Fruit Gum Company 
15. Two Little Boys – Rolf Harris 

SPECIAL BONUS #2:

CLASSIC TOY TV COMMERCIAL JINGLES

1960’s Cracker Jacks Commercial with Famous Theme Song (This is a classic embedded in deep within the memories of those of us who grew up in this era) 

1960’s Slink Commercial with Famous Theme Song (same can be said here for an iconic tune from my childhood) 

1980’s G.I. Joe Theme Song from the TV cartoon series of the 80’s

Extra Special Bonus #3:

YouTube Sensations

“The Gummy Bear Song” (English version) – Gummibar (includes sing-along lyrics) 

“Transformers Song – I Am Optimus Prime” – Parody of “The Time” (Black Eyed Peas)  by Angie Griffin & Chad Nikolaus 

“The Toy Song” – Destorm 

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

Mother’s Day Songs For Mom

Mother’s Day is a very special day to express to mom your love, thanks, gratitude and to let her really know just how special she really is. After all, she raised a family and dealt with all the pressures of raising that family, countless (many times thankless) hours of household duties and obligations and – after all – look how you turned out. Now all family situations are different and you may have thought that yours was not that perfect or typical – however – Mother’s Day as well as mom’s birthday couldn’t be more appropriate to honor mom and maybe give just a small percentage back to her for all that she’s given you over all these years. We learn to appreciate our mothers much more as we grow older and reflect on those formative years when she was always there for us as the ultimate “multi-tasker” (nurturer, counselor, teacher, peacekeeper, mediator, short order cook, first aid specialist, hygiene expert, activity director, laundry commissioner, maintenance supervisor, mender of broken hearts, bruised egos and hurt feelings, judge and jury, taxi driver, chauffeur, etc.)

This list should not only limit itself to the moms out there, but should also give due credit and praise to the mother figures who may have been a strong influence or support factor in your life such as stepmoms, “like-a-moms”, grandmas, aunts, caretakers and godmothers. It’s for those who may have nurtured and cared for you, for those who packed nutritious lunches for you to take to school each day, for those who laundered all those dirty clothes of yours, for those who nursed you back to good health again after dealing with runny noses, splinters, cuts, scrapes, fractures, bruised ribs, bruised egos,  runny noses, colds and the flu, for those who taught you good manners, good posture, and to wear clean underwear in  case you’re ever in an accident and that good guys always win.

Songs for moms are special and every time you hear them, you reflect on the quality time that you spent with her. If you’re enough fortunate to still have mom around, four simple words  are like magic to her ears — “Mom, I Love You” — and you can never say those words enough.

This is a list of “mom” songs – tunes that show gratitude and appreciation for moms. They’re perfect for Mother’s Day, Mom’s or Grandma’s Birthdays, or just to thank her for being your mother – Some are reflective and may bring tears – Others are humorous and upbeat – This should help you to make a CD mix, or maybe find lyrics to write down in a special home-made card, or simply send her a link so that she can listen to the songs. Songs included here cover a wide time frame and wide music genre. Only you can decide what is appropriate and what your mother would appreciate hearing to evoke that special feeling or meaning.

Be sure to check out a few cool Mother’s Day video links at the bottom of this post before you move on – You’ll be glad you did! 🙂

Here is the wonderful compilation of songs appropriate for Mother’s Day, Mom’s Birthday or another special tribute to Mama:

1. A Bible & A Bus Ticket Home – Collin Raye
2. A Mother’s Love – Diana Ross, Carnie Wilson
3. A Mother’s Prayer – Celine Dion
4. A Song For Mama – Boys II Men
5. Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson
6. Angels – Randy Travis
7. Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion
8. Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) – Jay-Z
9. Coat of Many Colors – Dolly Parton
10. Country Bumpkin – Cal Smith (1974)
11. Dear Mama – 2Pac (Tupac)
12. Don’t Forget To Remember Me – Carrie Underwood
13. ‘Fore She Was Mama – Clay Walker
14. Forever Young – Rod Stewart
15. God Bless Mom – The Frames
16. Hey Mama – Kanye West
17. I.O.U. – Jimmy Dean (1976) *(check out lyrics & video link below)
18. I.O.U. (I Owe You) – Lee Greenwood (different version than above)
    
19. I Dreamed About Mama Last Night – Hank Williams (1951)
20. I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
21. I Just Called To Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder
22. I Love My Momma – Snoop Dogg
23. I Turn To You – Christina Aguilera
24. I Want A Mom That Will Last Forever – Cyndi Lauper (from Rugrats In Paris soundtrack)
25. I’ll Always Love My Mama – The Intruders (1973)
26. I’ll Never Find Another You – The Seekers (1968)
27. I’m The Only Hell (My Mama Ever Raised) – Johnny Paycheck
28. In My Daughter’s Eyes – Martina McBride (2004)
29. In My Life – The Beatles (1965)
30. In My Mother’s Eyes – Willie Nelson
31. In This Life – Collin Raye
32. It’s Your Song – Garth Brooks
33. Jesus & Mama – Confederate Railroad
34. Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel
35. Lady – Styx
36. Letting Go – Suzy Bogguss
37. Looking For The Light – Rick Trevino
38. Mama – Il Divo
39. Mama – Holly Williams
40. Mama (I Love You) – Spice Girls
41. Mama Come Quick – Toby Keith
42. Mama, Don’t Forget To Pray For Me – Diamond Rio
43. Mama, I’m Coming Home – Ozzy Osbourne
44. Mama Knows – Shenandoah
45. Mama Liked The Roses – Elvis Presley
46. Mama Said – The Shirelles
47. Mama Told Me Not To Come – Three Dog Night
48. Mama Tried – Merle Haggard (1968)
49. Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind – Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart
50. Mama’s Bible – Porter Wagoner
51. Mama’s Song – Carrie Underwood
52. Mamma Mia – ABBA
53. Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys – Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings
54. Momma Can You Hear Me – Talib Kweli
55. Mother – Pink Floyd
56. Mother – The Police
57. Mother & Child Reunion – Paul Simon
58. Mother, Mother – Tracy Bonham
59. Mother of Mine – Donny Osmond
60. Mother, The Queen of My Heart – Jimmie Rodgers
61. Mothers Day Song – Tom Gardener
62. Motorcycle Mama – Sailcat
63. My Mom – Ukulele Ray (see video link below)
64. My Mother’s Eyes – Lonnie Johnson, Frankie Valli, Tom Jones, Bette Midler
65. My Wish – Rascal Flatts
66. No Charge – Melba Montgomery, Tammy Wynette
67. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
68. Oh Mother – Christina Aguilera
69. Que Sera Sera – Doris Day
70. Roses For Mama – Red Sovine, C.W. McCall
71. She’s Everything – Brad Paisley
72. She’s Gonna Fly – Collin Raye
73. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd
74. Somebody’s Hero – Jamie O’Neal
75. Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp – Johnny Darrell, Johnny Russell, Kenny Rogers
76. Teach Your Children – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
77. Thank You Mom – Good Charlotte
78. Thanks Again – Ricky Skaggs
79. That’s What Mama’s Do – Jason Matthews
80. The Baby – Blake Shelton
81. The Best Day – Taylor Swift
82. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle – Glen Campbell & Steve Wariner
83. The Perfect Fan – Backstreet Boys
84. The Sweetest Gift – Linda Ronstadt, The Judds, Trisha Yearwood
85. Thinking of You – Lenny Kravitz
86. Three Times A Lady – The Commodores
87. Through The Years – Kenny Rogers
88. To My Mama – Bow Wow
89. What A Difference You’ve Made In My Life – Ronnie Milsap
90. What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
91. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler, Gary Morris
92. You & Me Against The World – Helen Reddy
93. You Are My Sunshine – Jimmie Davis, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson
94. You Are So Beautiful – Joe Cocker
95. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder
96. You Can’t Lose Me – Faith Hill
97. Your Mama Don’t Dance – Loggins & Messina, Poison
98. You Raise Me Up – Josh Groban
99. Your Song – Elton John
100. You’re The Inspiration – Chicago

Mom Songs You May Want To Avoid

Here are a few more songs that make reference to mom or mother in the title or lyrics that you may want to think twice about before including them in any playlist made especially for your mama. Just because mother is included here doesn’t necessarily make it appealing or appropriate as these songs definitely have their “issues”. You may have your reasons to include some of these but be forewarned that you’re definitely on “shaky ground” in this territory.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
2. I Love My Momma – Snoop Dogg
3. I Saw Your Mommy – Suicidal Tendencies
4. Kyle’s Mom’s A Bitch – Eric Cartman (from South Park fame)
   
5. Mama Said – Metallica
6. Mother – Danzig
7. Mother – John Lennon
8. Mother – The Police
9. Mother Lover – Justin Timberlake & Andy Samberg (from Saturday Night Live)
10. Mother’s Day – Blink 182
11. Mother’s Little Helper – The Rolling Stones
12. My Mom – Eminem
13. Nimrod’s Son – The Pixies
14. Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne

YouTube Video Tribute Links

Very Funny & “Catchy” Audio/Video Tributes

• The Mom Song by Go Fish

• Total Momsense (“Momisms”) by Anita Renfroe (to the tune of the William Tell Overture – including the lyrics)

Sentimental & Sincere Audio/Video Tributes

• I.O.U. by Jimmy Dean

• No Charge by Melba Montgomery

• My Mom – A Mother’s Day Tribute Song by Ukulele Ray

• Goodbye Mother Goodbye

Here’s one more link on this site that you should definitely check out since you’re thinking about mom…

25 Priceless Lessons On Life Learned From Mom

aka… Motherly Advice — 25 Reasons Why I Owe My Mom — Mom, I.O.U.

Songs For Easter

While there are plenty of songs ideally suited for Easter Mass and Easter Services at churches across the land, there are in reality, much fewer songs, other than young children’s music that relate to Easter in a non-religious format. For many Easter is a very spiritual time of year as it reflects the foundations that Christian religions are based on or the roots of many religious beliefs.

As always I try to focus on songs with Easter in the title, but this time, that list can be counted on both hands, as far as I’m aware of anyways. Your input would be very helpful in this matter if you’re aware of any I left out — with Easter — or a word that reflects Easter in the title.

The first section here reflects on those songs with Easter in the title as where the second section includes a sampling of the many Christian songs out there that are showcased in churches during Holy Week.

Songs With Easter In The Title

1. Easter – The Prize Fighter Inferno
2. Easter? – Jefferson Airplane
3. Easter Parade – Bing Crosby, Judy Garland
   
4. Easter Sunday – China Forbes
5. East Nashville Easter – Yonder Mountain String Band
6. Here Comes Peter Cottontail – Gene Autry
7. On Easter Morning – GW Williams
8. The Night Before Easter – The Gaithers
9. Watermelon In Easter Hay – Frank Zappa

A Selection of Christian Songs For Easter

1. Above All
2. Amazing Grace
3. Because He Lives
4. Christ Arose
5. Christ Is Risen Hallelujah!
   
6. Christ The Lord Is Risen Today
7. He’s Alive
8. He Arose
9. He’s Risen
10. How Great Is Our God
11. How Great Thou Art
12. I Believe In A Hill Called Mount Calvary
13. In Christ Alone
14. Marvelous Light
15. Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
16. My Redeemer Lives
17. My Savior, My God
18. Oh Happy Day – Edwin Hawkins Singers
19. On Easter Morning – GW Williams
20. On The Third Day
21. The Night Before Easter – The Gaithers
22. The Old Rugged Cross
23. The Resurrection Song
24. Thief – Third Day
25. Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord) – Johnny Cash (personal favorite)

There are probably many more that can be added to this list — according to your personal preference as well as religious affiliation, but I simply wanted to give a sampling. As far as listing singers of these, I really have no clue on most of them as many were/are performed by choirs and independent artists.

Song List of Irish Favorites For St. Patrick’s Day

Seems like everyone is Irish, even if it is for only one day a year, to take part in the merriment and celebration. The “wearing of the green” is here again as St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by the Irish and “Irish-at-Heart” on March 17 in big cities and small towns across America and elsewhere around the world with parades, parties, music, laughter, stories and folktales along with traditional Irish food and drink.

Here you will find a list of Irish musical favorites over the years – a majority of which are  traditional or classic folk music song for generations. A number of these have been covered by many different artists in a range of genres from Irish folk to punk and Irish pop standard to “New Age”.

1. A Great Day For The Irish
2. A Little Bit of Heaven
3. Beautiful Day – U2
4. Beer, Beer, Beer
5. Carrickfergus
6. Danny Boy
7. Dear Old Donegal – Bing Crosby
8. Erin-Go-Bragh
9. Finnegan’s Wake
10. Flannigan’s Ball 
    
11. Four Green Fields – Tommy Makem
12. Galway Bay – Bing Crosby
13. Give Ireland Back To The Irish – Paul McCartney
14. Greensleeves
15. I’ll Tell Me Ma – Van Morrison & The Chieftains
16. I’m Looking Over A Four-Leaf Clover
17. Irish Rover – The Pogues
18. It’s the Same Old Shillelagh – Billy Murray, Bing Crosby
19. Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
20. McNamara’s Band – Bing Crosby
21. Molly Malone (also known as “Cockles and Mussels” or “In Dublin’s Fair City”)
22. My Wild Irish Rose
23. Paddy’s Revenge
24. Peg o’ My Heart
25. Rocky Road To Dublin – Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, Dropkick Murphys, and several other artists
26. Seven Drunken Nights – The Dubliners
27. The Black Velvet Band – The Dubliners
28. The Fields of Athenry – Paddy Reilly, Dropkick Murphys
    
29. The Girl I Left Behind Me – 97th Regimental String Band
30. The Soldier’s Song (the Traditional Irish name is “Amhrán na bhFiann”)
31. The Spinning Wheel
32. The Town I Loved So Well – Paddy Reilly
33. The Unicorn – The Irish Rovers
34. The Wild Rover
35. There’s No One As Irish As Barrack Obama – The Corrigan Brothers
36. Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (An Irish Lullaby) – Bing Crosby
37. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
38. Whiskey In The Jar – Thin Lizzie, Metallica

 

A Few Favorite Artists that are the Sound of Irish Music

Whether it is folk classic, Irish rock or punk, or modern alternative, these artists stand out.

• Bing Crosby
• Sarah Makem
• The Chieftains
• The Clancy Brothers
• Tommy Makem
• Paddy Tunney
• The Dubliners
• Eleanor McEvoy
• The Irish Rovers
• The Irish Tenors
• “Riverdance”
• Van Morrison
• U2
• Thin Lizzy
• Enya
• The Pogues
• The Cranberries
• Dropkick Murphys
• The Corrs
• Clannad

Here is a helpful link to an excellent site called “Island Ireland”, which is a directory for Irish musicians. It will take you to official or fan websites for Irish musicians in the traditional, classical, New Age and rock genres. For background information on Irish musicians, particularly older groups, you may want to check out the Ceolas Artist Listings site which can be very useful.

Additional Links:

• IslandIreland.com
• Music of Ireland (Wikipedia)
• A Huge List of Irish Folk Ballads (Wikipedia)
• 100+ Drinking Songs – I’ll Drink To That!

 

Songs About Winter & Wintertime

In many parts of the country, the brightly colored falling leaves of autumn and a plentiful harvest give way to wind-blown, storm-driven, barren trees and the cold factor is beginning to take it’s grip, even though the calendar doesn’t show winter officially for a couple of weeks yet. Snow is accumulating more and more as we get deeper into the last month of the year. For some, the bitter cold frigid weather, blustery winds, driving storms, and accumulating snowfall may be depressing but I for one thoroughly look forward to the wintertime weather every year, and not because it means Christmas is near. A nice crackling warm fire, hot beverage, soothing hot tub and surrounded by good company make this time of year extra special. The holiday buying season is in full swing by now even though everybody is not quite caught up in it yet. Time to break out the winter tunes to enjoy as you go through your day-to-day activities. I’m trying to avoid a majority of the Christmas related songs except for a few that emphasize the winter season. Maybe you’re looking for a winter theme playlist for a particular event coming up. The following suggestions may help you pull it off. As always, there is a wide variety of music genres here as well as time span.

Stay bundled up and enjoy 😛

1. A Hazy Shade of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel
2. A Long December – Counting Crows
3. Cold Winter Day – BoDeans
4. December 1963 (Oh What A Night) – Four Seasons
5. I Am A Rock – Simon & Garfunkel
6. I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter – Connie Francis
7. If We Make It Through December – Merle Haggard
8. In The Winter – Janis Ian
9. It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It’s Spring) – Felice Taylor
10. It’s Now Winter’s Day – Tommy Roe
11. Life In A Northern Town – Dream Academy
12. Long Cold Winter – Pure Prairie League
13. Our Winter Love – Bill Pursell
14. Snowbird – Anne Murray
15. Snowbound – Genesis
16. Snow Flake – Jim Reeves
17. Song For A Winter’s Night – Gordon Lightfoot
18. Winter – John Denver
19. Winter – Rolling Stones
20. Winter Ballad – Dave Brubeck Quartet 
21. Winter Blizzard – Johnny Bond
22. Winter Boy – Buffy Sainte-Marie
23. Winter Had Me In It’s Grip – Don McLean
24. Winter In America – Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
25. Winter Light – Linda Ronstadt
26. Winter Marches On – Duran Duran
27. Winter Peace – Jim Brickman
28. Winter Sky – Judy Collins
29. Winter Song – Barry DeVorzon
30. Winter Symphony – Beach Boys
31. Winter Time – Steve Miller Band
32. Winter Weather – Squirrel Nut Zippers
33. Winter Wonderland – Elvis Presley
34. Winter World of Love – Engelbert Humperdinck
35. Winterlude – Bob Dylan
36. Winter’s Day – Mannheim Steamroller
37. Winter’s Here Again – Ames Brothers
38. Wintertime Love – The Doors
39. Wintry Feeling – Jesse Winchester
40. Wizards In Winter – Trans-Siberian Orchestra