“Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind (1997)

Before I bloviate about drugs yet again, let me tell you how much I love this song musically. It’s tight, melodic, energetic, and has some truly tasty guitar playing, layered on like expert masonry, intricate yet rock-solid.

And the frenetic energy of the song fits the honest lyrics about the drug crystal meth. It’s a cheap drug widely available, and it traps otherwise good people. This is one of those drugs that takes you too far away from who you are, with the danger of becoming a lost soul, feeding needs you never had before.

Please, sweetheart, stay away from it, or at least be very wary of it. It’s bad news.

“Doing crystal meth
Will lift you up until you break
It won’t stop
I won’t come down”

(Thanks to BurningSwade6 for the great YouTube upload with lyrics!)

“War Pigs” by Black Sabbath (1970)

Anyone into hard rock will tell you how awesome Black Sabbath was. They were the godfathers of heavy metal, the pioneers of hell-raising. This song was their protest against the Vietnam war, and war in general. They knew the truth: regular folks fight and die in wars planned by rich people who risk nothing.

“Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor”

Powerful stuff. And as true today as it was 40 years ago. Turn it up.

Time to Shift Gears

I’m going to head away from the safe world of pop now. Gradually. A few more uplifting songs, a few more challenging ones.

Maybe I’ll tell you what I know about rap music, which isn’t much, but might get you started. Or maybe I’ll start with Norwegian Death Metal, of which I know nothing (but you know you’re 25% Norwegian, so maybe you can teach ME someday).

Or maybe I’ll just stop trying to categorize everything and show you what music I think will expand your horizons, as it did mine.

“Loro” by Pinback (1999)

As much as I’d like, there’s no way a mere mortal can keep track of all the wonderful music being made right now. I encourage you to seek it out. Visit independent record shops, ask the “misfits” at school for suggestions. Don’t rely on TV or the radio for good music. It’s rarely there.

And if you look for it, you might find a band as terrific as Pinback. This song swoons. It elevates you, settles you down, elevates you again. It’s like a musical anti-depressant.

I really do believe that music has healing power.

Thanks to Breatheandfeel for the amazing, well-choreographed images

“This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush (1989)

Anyone who knows me well will tell you how much I love Kate Bush’s music. She’s known for combining her music with theater and dance, but I just adore her music. We have all of her albums, and they are all terrific.

I first heard her music while “in university” (British for “when I was in college”). And it blew me away. It’s a bit challenging, wonderfully expressive, and absolutely honest. It mesmerized me, and I’m glad it did. Because her music followed me through my life.

This track was one of her biggest “hits” in the U.S., mostly because of its inclusion on the soundtrack of “She’s Having a Baby” (a damned fine film, by the way). Her music was never really picked up by the corporate tin ears in the U.S., which is such a shame.

Not only did she write and perform the song, she directed this video as well. It’s intense, and makes use of some nice cinematic touches, like the continuous shot of the husband driving his wife to the hospital.

Imagine a birth gone wrong. Someone facing a terrifying truth.

Ms Bush captures it all. Because she’s a master of relating human emotions. And that’s why I adore her music.

“I know you have a little life in you yet
I know you have a lot of strength left”

“Message to My Girl” by Split Enz (1984)

I first heard Split Enz when I was in college, which is a perfect time to absorb and revere music, adding it to the soundtrack of your life. They had at least one hit in the U.S. (“I Got You”), but unless you bought their albums, you would have missed out on some glorious songwriting. These New Zealanders made wonderful music, then morphed into another terrific band, Crowded House, which I’m going to post up here soon.

I love the frank expression with this song, and the terrific way it builds from verse to chorus, a beautiful flow of energy and emotion. This track never fails to move me. Reason #12,347 why I love music.

Oh, and this isn’t a message to a “girl,” but a woman, a lover, who meant a great deal to someone. Or at least that’s my take. And let’s face it, “Message to My Girl” is a lot easier to sing than “Message to a Great Woman Whom I Respect Dearly and With Whom I Wish to Have Another Chance.”

“And there’s nothing quite as real
as the touch of your sweet hand.
I can’t spend the rest of my life
buried in the sand.”

“I’m the Man Who Loves You” by Wilco (2002)

This song comes from what I think is one of the best records of the decade, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” by Wilco. It’s a fantastic record. Raw, experimental, emotional, accessible and magnetic.

And mostly joyful, like this song, a simple declaration of love. It doesn’t get much better than this. I’ll let the song speak for itself:

“If I could you know I would
Just hold your hand ’til you understand
I’m the man who loves you!”

(Huge thanks and respect to hoganfan for the great quality upload and for being what seems to be an awesome dad to a beautiful daughter.)

“Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson (1988)

I said I was going to concentrate on “pop” music for a bit, and I couldn’t do that without posting something from the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson. Mr. Jackson created undeniably great music, smashed barriers, and touched millions of lives around the entire planet. That’s not a lie. He is revered all over the world.

Sadly, that’s been overshadowed by the parasitic press, the social vultures, and the countless, mindless idiots who value sensation over substance.

“Innocent until proven guilty” doesn’t mean much in the public eye. And celebrities sometimes bear the brunt of that. Yeah, he was eccentric, but I believe he was merely misunderstood.

But aren’t we all? I mean, if the press was digging into your garbage for “dirt,” wouldn’t that piss you off? Or at least make you feel violated in some way?

Anyway, I can’t pick just one song to represent Mr. Jackson’s work. You should listen to it all. But I’ll pick one of my faves as a start: “Man in the Mirror.” Great song, great message, and great gratitude from me for the sonic tonic.

I think we should replace “Happy Birthday to You” with this song. If we all reflected on this message—at least once a year—maybe the world would be a better place.

“I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself
And then make a change”

(thanks to jennifer95828 for the upload to YouTube with lyrics)

“Souvenir” by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1981)

This is another track and band that picked me up through some rough times. I was late to know OMD and their expansive, synth musings. But ten years after this was recorded, I used it to relax, to contemplate, and to get out of my head, if only for a while.

I know, it sounds dramatic. Maybe I’ll never be able to describe how much music has helped me survive this proverbial mortal coil. I mean, not literally. So much.

OMD had a big hit in the US, “If You Leave,” but they had many more hits in Europe (and to me, that’s usually a solid endorsement). They were one of the first bands to prove you could make good music with synthesizers and electronic instruments. At the time, the technology was primitive compared to today, and many felt that synthesizers would never be anything more than cold, abrasive gimmicks for the soundtracks to low budget science fiction films.

I think the lush and organic textures of this track completely disprove that assertion. At least it did for me.

Anyway, just imagine your old man, lying on his cot, treasuring even 20 minutes of music like this when he could get it. Hiding his extra AA batteries to power his escape.

I still remember how much I had to fast forward side one of the cassette to get me to this track, so I could hear it before the rare, short bursts of solitude would end.

(thanks to FallingDown08 for the YouTube upload)

“Timeless Melody” by The La’s (1990)

The La’s were a British band who made this one album, “The La’s,” released in 1990. The band broke up after this record, which is a shame, because this is one tight, glorious set of music. It had one big hit in the U.S., “There She Goes,” but all the tracks are terrific. I particularly like this one. Why? Well, it makes me feel good.

“If you look in your mind
Do you know what you will find?
Open your mind”

There’s so much to latch onto: the solid beat that sometimes surprises you, the multiple melodies and lush harmonies that beckon you to join in, the smart, upbeat vibe. What can I say? It makes me feel good!

I just realized that this and the last post of pop/escapist music are both from 1990. That’s about when I first heard them. That’s about the time of Desert Storm, when your lonely airman of a dad, armed with a portable CD player, was looking for some kind of escape.

If I could say anything to The La’s and the others behind this record, it would be simple and sincere: “Thank you!”