favorite song suggestions

[blackout]

I am enlisting everyone's help here in this thread,
because I could really use your help,
and I just KNOW you will all come up with some really dynamic suggestions.

Since quitting my church music gig of 10 years,
I have really not done any playing out.
Between my focus in jazz,
and the whole church music thing,
I really am out of touch with so very much of the rest of the music world.

I WANT SO MUCH,
to start playing out again. I'm thinking cafe's primarily.
Along with some of my more groovy jazz playing,
I would like a repetoire of SONGS,
that are dynamic, meaningful,
musically engaging AND lyrically artful.
I cannot sing stupid vapid words.
I just can't.

So your best suggestions please!
The songs that give you goosebumps,
make you want to sing,
the one's that bring you to tears,
tickle your funny bone,
or wow you in any way whatsoever.

Please include the complete song title,
and artist, cd title, whatever....
even lyrics, or links.

I just know you could all compile a superb performance line up for me.
I am deeply grateful for any help you may enlist on my behalf here.

Oh yes,
My set up includes two keyboards,
(one a digital piano, the other with drum kits, and assorted sounds),
and of course a microphone.
So no heavy metal please!
(unless you feel it is somehow adaptable? reworkable?)

thank you, thank you, thank you.....
Stacey.

 

[methylatedghosts]

woops nevermind - I didn't read properly.

I'ma try that again:

For what you want you might like to get hold of Robbie William's "Swing When You're Winning" (not SING when you're winning)

Mack the Knife is GREAT for what you want - you can make really smooth and quiet or crank it up and go all-out big-band jazz.

Europa (Earth's Cry, Heavens Smile) by Santana is great and the ending allows for much improvisation if you felt like it.

Finally, look at One For My Baby on that Robbie Williams album. I have the music which I could scan and email to you

 

[blackout]

thanks methylated!

I'll check out the santana for sure.

What I am really after here is "NON-jazz" music.
(jazz STANDARDS I know!)
I'm looking for diversity of style and impact.

Good (non-jazz) songs for improvising however,
are also a REAL PLUS!

and Gee! if you're willing to email me music,
AWESOME!

 

[blackout]

Note to everyone....

Just the song title is enough.
I will research the rest.
Don't want to overcomplicate this for anyone.

 

[ChristineES]

I love the song "Here Comes The Sun" by the Beatles. It is not a Beatles song that most people decide to cover and it is just so lovely. The version by Richie Havens may be better for you to copy than the original. And since it is not a Lennon/McCartney Beatles song, Michael Jackson doesn't own it.

A real crowd pleaser may be Stairway To Heaven. The song may have been over done in the past though.

The 70s group Kansas always had some deep songs- Carry On Wayward Son, Point of Know Return, The Wall, or Dust in the Wind. Great songs all of them.

 

[Comet]

Oh wow, where to start.... hmmmmm. Songs that aren't jazz, etc..

I'd say some of my all time favorites with good lyrics and ones people tend to like but forget would be:

80's Era-
"Life In A Northern Town" by Flock Of Seagulls? I think that is who it is by. Most know that song when they hear it and go, "Oh wow I love this song, I forgot about it!" (DOH, just found it: Dream Academy!)

"Mayor Of Simpleton" by XTC. That is the band that Andy Partridge (yes, of the partridge family was in). Oranges and Lemons is the album, I think

Random Stuff:

"100 Years" by Five For Fighting. Just a nice mellow song with good lyrics

"Pardon Me" by Guido Toledo. Good luck with that one! Garage band with 5 year old piano player from Kansas City! (just found it: Beat Together is the album!)

"Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve

(Boy I could name a million songs, but I'll stick with ones that people like and forgot about)

Country:

"I Love A Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'll stop now...

 

[Comet]

OOOO! OH!

"The Dance" by Garth Brooks if you really want country that people like

and I have to add the mostly forgotten John Cougar Mellancamp song, "Little Pink Houses".

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Les Miserables: Empty Chairs and Empty Tables

There´s a grief that can´t be spoken
There´s a pain goes on and on
Empty chairs at empty tablesNow my
friends are dead and gone.

Here they talked of revolution
Here it was they lit the flame
Here they sang about tomorrow
And tomorrow never came

From the table in the corner
They could see a world reborn
And they rose with voices ringing
I can hear them now
The very words that they had sungt
Became their last communion
On the lonely barricade at dawn

Oh my friends, my friends, forgive me
That I live and you are gone
There´s a grief that can´t be spoken
There´s a pain goes on and on

Phantom faces at the window
Phantom shadows on the floor
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will meet no more
Oh my friends, my friends, don´t ask me
What your sacrifice was for.
Empty chairs at empty tables,Where my
friends will sing no more​

 

[Comet]

I love Les Mis as well Yet, after rereading your OP and your equipment....

I'd have to re-reccommend:

"Mayor Of Simpleton" by XTC. That is the band that Andy Partridge (yes, of the partridge family was in). Oranges and Lemons is the album, I think

"100 Years" by Five For Fighting. Just a nice mellow song with good lyrics

Both easily done with just a couple keyboards.

 

[Willamena]

How many times did you call me?
And I knew it was late
I left everybody
But I never went straight
I don't claim to be guilty
But I do understand
There's a Law
there's an Arm
there's a Hand

Now my heart's like a blister
From doing what I do
If the moon has a sister
It's got to be you
I'm going to miss you forever
Though it's not what I planned
There's a Law
there's an Arm
there's a Hand

Now the deal has been dirty
Since dirty began
I'm not asking for mercy
Not from the Man
You just don't ask for mercy
While you're still on the stand
There's a Law
there's an Arm
there's a Hand

I don't claim to be guilty
Guilty's too grand
There's a Law
there's an Arm
there's a Hand

That's all I can say, baby
That's all I can say
It wasn't for nothing
That they put me away
I fell with my angel
Down the chain of command
There's a Law
there's an Arm
there's a Hand

Leonard Cohen, The Law

 

[UnityNow101]

I. The Crimson Sunrise
(Instrumental)

II. Innocence
I remember a time
My frail, virgin mind
watched the crimson sunrise
Imagined what it might find
Life was filled with wonder
I felt the warm wind blow
I must explore the boundaries
Transcend the depth of winter's snow
Innocence caressing me
I never felt so young before
There was so much life in me
Still I longed to search for more
But those days are gone now
Changed like a leaf on a tree
Blown away forever
into the cool autumn breeze
The snow has now fallen
and my sun's not so bright
I struggle to hold on
with the last of my might
In my den of inequity
viciousness and subtlety
struggle to ease the pain
struggle to find the sane
Ignorance surrounding me
I've never been so filled with fear
All my life's been drained from me
The end is drawing near....

III. Carpe Diem
'Carpe diem, seize the day'
I'll always remember
The chill of November
The news of the fall
The sounds in the hall
The clock on the wall ticking away
'Seize the Day'
I heard him say
Life will not always be this way
Look around
Hear the sounds
Cherish your life while you're still around

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying."

We can learn from the past
But those days are gone
We can hope for the future
But there may not be one
The words stuck in my mind
alive from what I've learned
I have to seize the day
To home I returned
Preparing for her flight
I held with all my might
Fearing my deepest fright
She walked into the night
She turned for one last look
She looked me in the eye
I said, 'I Love You...Good-bye'

"It's the most awful thing you'll
ever hear."
"If you're lying to me..."
"Oh, you dearly love her."
"...just have to leave... all our lives."
"Seize the day!"
"Something happened.
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may."
"She was killed."

IV. The Darkest of Winters
(Instrumental)

V. Another World
So far or so it seems
All is lost with nothing fulfilled
Off the pages and a T.V. screen
Another world where nothing's true
Tripping through the life fantastic
Lose a step and never get up
Left alone with a cold blank stare
I feel like giving up
I was blinded by a paradise
Utopia high in the sky
A dream that only drowned me
Deep in sorrow, wondering why
Oh come let us adore him
Abuse and then ignore him
No matter what, don't let him be
Let's feed upon his misery
Then string him up for all the world to see
I'm sick of all you hypocrites
holding me at bay
And I don't need your sympathy
to get me through the day
Seasons change and so can I
Hold on Boy, No time to cry
Untie these strings, I'm climbing down
I won't let them push me away
Oh come let us adore him
Abuse and then ignore him
No matter what, don't let him be
Let's feed upon his misery
Now it's time for those to deal with me

VI. The Inevitable Summer
(Instrumental)

VII. The Crimson Sunset
I'm much wiser now
A lifetime of memories
run through my head
They taught me how
for better or worse, alive or dead
I realize there's no turning back
Life goes on the offbeaten track
I sit down with my son
Set to see the Crimson Sunset
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
Many years have come and gone
I've lived my life, but now must move on
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
He is my only one
Now that my time has come
Now that my life is done
We look into the sun
'Seize the day and don't you cry,
Now it's time to say good-bye
Even though I'll be gone,
I will live on, live on.'

~~~"A Change of Seasons". Dream Theater.

One of my favorite songs of all time by Dream Theater. It is a rather lengthy track, clocking in at over 23 minutes total, but it is truly a work of art from one of the greatest bands of all time. Give it a listen. You will not be disappointed.

 

[mcteethinator]

I apologize, most of my favourite songs are rap songs.

Simple Minds - Oh Jungleland
Very emotional piece. One of my favourites.

Oh jungleland
They call you home sweet home
You make me feel so sad, to leave here all alone
But there is a kid called hope
And hes holding out his hand
He sees the northern lights
Above this highrise land
Oh jungleland
Oh jungleland
Oh jungleland

Sepultura - Roots Bloody Roots
I think this is a very emotionally intense song about colonialism and the effects on it's inhabitants. That's how I interpret all that growling anyway. Plus it has a hypnotic guitar riff.

Madvillain - Strange Ways
i think this is a good commentary on the situation of the world today.

They pray four times a day, they pray five
Whose ways is strange when it's time to survive
Some will go of they own free will to die
Others take them with you when they blow sky high
What's the difference? All you get is lost children
While abortion **** up behind the desk it costs billions
To blast humans in half, into captured arms
Only one side is allowed to have bombs
It's like making a soldier drop his weapon
Shooting him, and telling him to get to steppin'
Obviously, they came to portion of his fortune
Sounds to me like that old robbery/extortion

YouTube - Madvillain - Strange Ways

Wu-Tang Clan - A Better Tomorrow
This song is about the negative effects of gangs and the like.

[Inspectah Deck]
Yo, this goes for all my brothers and sisters locked down
For all my peoples incarcerated, for those who ain't make it

Yo, in the housing, thousands seen early graves
Victims of wordly ways, memories stays engraved
All my live brothers, is locked down with high numbers
The young hunger, blind to these lies, they die younger
In this New World the Order slaughter men, women, and children
Ten feet gates surround the building keep us sealed in
The projects, lifeless like a vietnam vet
Constant war, sever threats of enemy conquest
Crooked cops comb my building complex that's in the rumble
Streets are like a jungle, can't let my cypher crumble
Vivid thoughts, Devils resort to trick knowledge
They kick garbage, lust for chicks and quick dollars
I know the pain the game bring, I did the same thing
Spaced out in the staircase, performing a sting
It's hard to keep control, I bless those who seek a scroll
Trying to reach a whole nation and break the sleeper hold
Not a role model, I walk a hard role to follow
I sold bottles of sorrow then chose poems and novels
The gospel was told, some souls it swallowed whole
Mentally they fold, and they eventually sold
their life and times, deadly like the virus design
but too, minute to dilute, the science is mine

You can't party your life away
Drink your life away
Smoke your life away
**** your life away
Dream your life away
Scheme your life away
Cause your seeds grow up the same way

[Masta Killa]
A voice cries from the wilderness of the North
A representation of the families that lost one
all victims of incarceration
Or other divisions of the family structure
Youths are injected with serums that leads
to skin irritations, babies being born with
disfigurations, experimentations
On their faces there bear world relations
of mothers that carry the pain
of blood stained streets where sisters mourn and wail
Big brothers been slain from hails of gun fire
It lightly begins to rain screams of terror
are hidden by the passing trains
This can't be little Hussein, his uncle cried
As he drops to his nephew's side, holding his cane
Just give me a name, of who has inflicted this
bitter sickness, and left us to witness

[U-God]
Yeah, yo
Curses from war, innocent blood spills for days
Soothe in godly ways, hands, solemn in praise
Tree of life, more precious than Wu is golden game
The wise self flourish inherit, Halls of Fame
Crime visions in my blood got me, locked in prison
While we die hard living people whine about religion, vision
Blow, spin, and sin and killing what's revealing
It's a never ending battle with no ending or beginning, listen
Zero process, progress, become the hunted
America's most wanted, good life flaunted, want it
Some love the speed, some satisfy a need
Some want to be down, young gun seed, jungle breed
The stronger speed, someone die, someone bleed
One flew astray, and then caught my little seed
Can it be, the ice have us trife life, made me grab the knife
The righteous man would be within these stripes pipes
Take in my energy, breath and know the rest
Cause the good die young and the hard die best

You can't party your life away
Drink your life away
Smoke your life away
**** your life away
Dream your life away
Scheme your life away
Cause your seeds grow up the same way
Cause your seeds grow up the same way
Cause your seeds grow up the same way

[RZA]
Y'all *****es love dances, and pulling down your pants
while your man's on tour, your spending up his advances
Your friends ain't ****, all they do is drink, smoke, and [oops something naughty]
The whole projects is trapped in stench
You either high school drop-outs, one to three cop-outs
Fifteen years old, shorty *** and top out
Ninety-nine cent beer drinking [something naughty]
******* so much your [something naughty]
New World Order slave trade, minimum wage, better cage
Can a devil fool a Muslim nowadays
Inside my lab, I'm going mad
Took two drags off the blunts, and started breaking down the flag
The blue is for the Crips, the red is for the Bloods
The whites for the cops, and the stars come from the clubs
or the slugs that ignites, through the night, by the dawn
Early light, why is sons fighting for the stripe

[Method Man]
As we dwell through this concrete hell, calling it home
Mama say, take your time young man and build your own
Don't wind up like your old dad
Still searching for them glory days he never had
So many bad want to scheme for American dream, no more kings
The cash rule everything now, we going down
These babies looking up to us, it's up to us
The Million Man March MC's, get on the bus
But envy, greed, lust, and hate, separate
Though the devil mind state blood kin cannot relate
No longer, brothers, we unstable
Like Cain when he slew Abel, killing each other

You can't party your life away
Drink your life away
Smoke your life away
**** your life away
Dream your life away
Scheme your life away
Cause your seeds grow up the same way
Cause your seeds grow up the same way
Cause your seeds grow up the same way

These are of a more serious, commentary nature but I have a lot of favourite toe-tapping songs as well. But I think I've recommended too many already.

 

[Aasimar]

Elton John, Levon:

Levon wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
`cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town

Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spend his days counting
In a garage by the motorway

Chorus

He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day
When the new York times said God is dead
And the wars begun
Alvin tostig has a son today

And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon

Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly

And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leaving Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies

Chorus

 

[Aasimar]

Phil Collins, In the air tonight (Highly recommend :

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
Ive been waiting for this moment, all my life, oh lord
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord

Well, if you told me you were drowning
I would not lend a hand
Ive seen your face before my friend
But I dont know if you know who I am
Well, I was there and I saw what you did
I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off the grin, I know where youve been
Its all been a pack of lies

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
Ive been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord
And Ive been waiting for this moment all my life, oh lord, oh lord

Well I remember, I remember dont worry
How could I ever forget, its the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you dont fool me
The hurt doesnt show; but the pain still grows
Its no stranger to you or me

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord...

 

[Guitar's Cry]

"Bat Out of Hell," by Meatloaf.

 

[methylatedghosts]

"Save me - Queen

Beautiful solo piece with just a piano as accompaniment

 

[PureX]

Please check out Patty Griffin's music. She is an amazing contemporary singer/songwriter. She also plays piano with some of her songs. Here are a few songs from her latest CD "Children Running Through":

Oh Heavenly Day - an upbeat blues song
Up to the Mountain - an amazing homage to Martin Luther King
Someone Else's Tomorrow - an scary musical poem about the passing of time:

(from "Someone Else's Tomorrow)

"The tall and the tiny ships on the water
Farther and farther, floating away
Will never return now, all wooden and burned out
They echo and groan now in their salty graves
All the memories fade, send the the ghosts on their way
Tell them they've had their day, it's someone else's tomorrow
Someone else's tomorrow"​

Crying Over - a sort of anthem about people's persistance in searching for love.
Burgundy Shoes - a song remembering her mom.

Some of her other piano songs:

Kite Song - a spiritual vision
Peter Pan - song about a past love.
Nobody's Cryin' - a song of hope for a lost love.

 

[blackout]

Keep em comin!

Thanks all!

So far on the definite (NEW) lineup....

*Comfortably numb (Pink Floyd)
*Stairway to heaven (Zeppelin)
*Carry on Wayward Son/Dust in wind "medley" (Kansas)
*Sweetest Tabu & Smooth Operator (Sade)
(Gunna TRY) *Superstition (Wonder)
*Josie (Steely Dan)
(maybe)* Purple Rain? (Prince)
(Purple Haze doesn't work w/out ele. guitar.
I tried.
maybe one day I'll learn to play bass pedals and guitar
at the SAME TIME.)

Oh yeah... almost forgot the Phil Colins.
(great suggestion)
*Comin in the air &/or *Take a look at me now.

I see some new suggestions here...
and have yet to FIND some of the other songs listed here.

OH and youTube, has become my best resource for this endeavor.
If any of the songs you list here are on youTube...
would you consider taking a minute to include the link?

youTube and lyrics.
that's all I need.
I just figure it out by ear from there.

Thanks so much!

 

[PureX]

I added what links I could find to YouTube.

 

[blackout]

I added what links I could find to YouTube.

You're SOOOO Awesome.
(Listening to "Heavenly Day" right now!)