Day 21: Oh. . . Happy Day. . .

The banality of today's topic is nauseating. A song that you listen to when you are happy (barf). Super interesting (yawn). But I've come so far in this challenge, worked so hard, reached for those stars, and what not. It would be totally lame-sauce to quit now. So I guess today we will focus on all things warm and fuzzy-rainbows, leprechauns, kittens dressed as bunnies, ice cream sundaes, jordan almonds, pastel colored marshmallows, etc. . . The topic of the day? A song that you listen to when you are happy.

The distinction here being; a song listened to when already happy, not listened to to obtain happiness. The fleeting nature of emotional "happiness" makes todays task a bit tricky. In true lady form, I tend to be a bit emotionally tumultuous naturally. However, I do find myself in a blissful state of sublimity from time to time. And when I am happy, the whole world is happy, and this is what we listen to:

A TOP THREE LIST OF MY HAPPY SONGS!!!!

3. Starship "We Built This City"

It doesn't involve too much thinking. It's super fun and pop-y. I love pretending that I had some hand in building a city on rock and roll. It seems super satisfying/gratifying to build a city on rock and roll. I don't really understand why all cities aren't built on rock and roll. If I were President I would create a mandate specifying that all new cities must be built on rock and roll (and some old stupid cities would have to be rebuilt on rock and roll as well-I'm looking at you Lincoln, Nebraska)

Bonus, timing the high notes is a fun game.

2. Nappy Roots "Aw Naw"

A delightfully enjoyable song about what life is like as a country boy. Not only does this song bring back blissful memories of my youth (I was not a "country boy" I just listened to this song. . . a lot), it is also incredibly fun to sing along with, you know, because there are so many fun singing/rapping styles. Plus, who doesn't love big fat wheels?

1. The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations"

This is my all time favorite happy song. I think because it has just an ever so slight tinge of heartbreak/sorrow which creates an aesthetically pleasing dynamism. It's not cheesy. It's melodic. The Beach Boys rule. It's just a really wonderful musical composition. It's a really nice song to have stuck in your head. I recommend it.

Next Up:

A song you listen to when you're sad

Day Three: A Song To Be Happy To

There are a lot of songs in this world that make me happy. Maybe thousands. Maybe hundreds of thousands! Today, all I have to do is just choose one of them. Thankfully the wording is “happy” not “happiest” or else there would have been much more deliberation. As it goes, I can be lazy and just pick any old song that makes me happy.

Today’s song is a doozy. She has been making me happy for a few years now, ever since I saw her performed duet style at Tailgate Sports Café’s Karaoke night in Minneapolis by two thugged out white dudes. It was the most random and awesome merging of unlikely space, people, and song I’d ever experienced. Since that fateful evening of years past this song has been popping up in my life at random intervals, in all situations, making me sublimely happy.

So here it is: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishin’ in the Dark”

It’s probably the Minnesotan in me but I totally romanticize late spring/early summer and, big surprise, so does this song. I love that it totally manages to capture the exact feeling of a summer evening spent with a person you deeply care about. It’s not about fishing really; it’s about being outside on a warm evening, falling/being in love, and appreciating the stars. I’ve totally experienced nights like this and I’ve never even been fishing (as an adult, although I’m sold on it as a concept, thanks NGDB).

Lyrics

Fishin in’ the Dark

By Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Lazy yellow moon coming up tonight
Shining through the trees
Crickets are singing
And the lightning bugs are floating on the breeze
Baby get ready

Across the field where the creek turns back
By the old stump road
I’m going to take you to a special place
That nobody knows
Baby get ready
Ooo ooo ooo

You and me going fishing in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows
Down by the river in the full moon light
We’ll be falling in love in the middle of the night
Just moving slow
Staying the whole night through
Feels so good to be with you

Spring is almost over and the summers comin’
The days are getting long
Waited all winter for the time to be right
Just to take you along
Baby get ready

And it don’t matter if we sit forever
And the fish don’t bite
Jump in the river and cool ourselves
from the heat of the night
Baby get ready

Ooo ooo ooo

You and me going fishin in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows
Down by the river in the full moon light
We’ll be falling in love in the middle of the night
Just moving slow
Staying the whole night through
Feels so good to be with you
And me going fishing in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows
Down by the river in the full moon light
We’ll be falling in love in the middle of the night
Just moving slow
You and me going fishin’ in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows
You and me going fishin in the dark

More songs that make me happy:

• The Beatles-Paperback writer

• Dock of the bay-Otis Redding

• Belinda Carlisle -Heaven is a place on earth

• Elton John-Tiny dancer

• Prince-Seven

• George Michael-Faith

• Lupe Fiasco-Go Go Gadget Flow

• Big Tymers-Still Fly

• Fats Domino-I’m walking

• The Who-Pinball Wizard

• Queen-Bicycle Race

Next up: A song that makes you sad