Heart Songs

The reason for this post can be found here. It's crazy how much of this list I already had. My songs follow in chronological order as they affected me. The stories behind some of these are more interesting than they appear! And this list could be much (so much) longer...

He’s Still Working on Me – Joel Hemphill: The first song I can remember hearing. I sang it with my mother in church as a duet when I was four or five. I remember hiding behind the pulpit, and she has it on tape somewhere.

I Think We’re Alone Now – Tommy James & The Shondells: The only songs that I knew of when I was a kid were oldies and church music. I used to play my mom’s records and she didn’t have many that I liked. This was one.

Unchained Melody – Elvis Presley: Same as above, only this record was blue and Elvis was my favorite.

Down Under - Men At Work: I loved the Crocodile Dundee movies and Australia, so I love this song.

Under the Sea – Little Mermaid Soundtrack: Memorized the movie in one summer, wore out the soundtrack.

She – Green Day – 8^th grade: I did a lot of “screaming in silence”.

No Diggity – Blackstreet: Played on the radio on my first date alone with my first boyfriend, at the ripe old age of 15.

Shake For Me – Stevie Ray Vaughan: The song that made me pick up a guitar in the first place. It gave me chills down the spine, the works.

Lenny – Stevie Ray Vaughan: What love feels like.

Love Hurts – Nazareth: Second boyfriend, “puppy” love, guitarist who I like to think dumped me because I had the potential to be better than his stoner self was on the guitar. Anyway. He thought playing this song while he dumped me was going to help.

Undone-Sweater Song - Weezer: I’m taking guitar lessons and loathing pop music. My best friend loves it, especially Backstreet Boys, N’Sync and Weezer . We were working at the movie theater together and at night we’d drive around in her old car and sing to this at the top of our lungs. This song was our compromise.

Abracadabra – Steve Miller Band: Somebody released a pop (new) version of this song, I stuck to the old. And debated the merits of the old (rock) vs. the new (pop) at my co-op job with one of the other employees…constantly.

Who You’d Be Today – Kenny Chesney: One of the girls I worked with was killed in a car accident when we were (both) 17, seniors, and worked at the movie theater. A guy friend of mine was driving the car and had to have security in the hospital; he received death threats for awhile after. I will never forget being at the visitation and signing the casket; and that to (my) knowledge, she died without Christ.

The Unforgiven – Metallica: Spoke directly to my rebel self. Especially the never free part. And it sounded good cranked up on the car radio in the summer, with the windows down.

Crazy Train –Ozzy Osbourne: Spent some time with a heavy metal garage band. Their pride and joy were two full stacks of Marshall amps and their goal was to master “Crazy Train”. Every day for a month I heard Crazy Train over and over and over. And tried to get me to be their singer, but really, no one can sing over those amps.

Whiskey In the Jar – Metallica: Garage, Inc. came out while I was hanging with the band. I love this song. I like the way it sounds and the story. And, it was good to listen to in the car that summer.

Freedom – Jimi Hendrix: How I felt after graduation.

Graduation (friends forever) – Vitamin C: Overplayed on the radio my senior year. The DJ played it at prom and they played it at graduation. I am (still) sick of it.

Underneath Your Clothes – Shakira: As far as I know, the significance of this song is still a secret between myself and someone else, so I’m going to keep it that way.

Anything But Mine – Kenny Chesney: Reminds me of when I met Kenny (not Chesney) and how I felt after.

Honky Tonk Badonkadonk – Trace Adkins: How my “nephew that was” will most likely remember me. My youngest (former) SIL used to tease me about my Badonkadonk. The funniest part was when my nephew (who was 4) would try to sing the song. He got caught up on the badonkadonks, so it always came out “Honky Tonk badonkadonkdonkdonk”. Bittersweetness.

Did I Shave My Legs for This? – Deana Carter: Marriage is like this, sometimes.

Fly – Dixie Chicks: He had already flown the coop; I just had to come to terms with it.

Good Enough – Evanescence: The reason for this one is complex.

Startin' With Me – Jake Owen: Who wouldn't change some things? Sometimes, the things we regret are our fault.

I’m Not Who I was – Brandon Heath: I’m not who I used to be, and there are so many people that I wish could see this change in me, and the reason why, but who may never will.