After writing my post "The Positive Power of Music" the other day, I received some requests for a soundtrack to accompany the post. Since I wasn't quite sure where to begin, I took a look back to an interview I did with The Sassy Minx a few months ago (click the link to read the interview). In the interview, the sassy Miss Lisa asked, "What tunes would be on a PP soundtrack?" I remember receiving this question and being overjoyed. I love soundtracks so the thought of creating my own was amazing. But then I was surprisingly stumped when I realized that the soundtrack for my life wouldn't necessarily be the soundtrack for my blog. After all, up until the beginning of the year, I'd been living under quite a dark cloud of sadness and self pity. A lot of the songs I loved (and still love) wouldn't be fitting for a PP soundtrack. That sassy minx Lisa, by asking her question in the interview, nudged me to open up my iTunes and really think about what a PP soundtrack would be like. I created a blank playlist titled "Happy!" and got to work. I was pretty proud of the happy, positive playlist I came up with for the interview with The Sassy Minx and to it I've added a few tracks. I probably could have gone on and on with all of the songs I love and created a hundred song playlist but I thought twenty-five was a nice number (and fitting too since, after all, I am twenty-five). I really do believe that it's necessary to have both the negative and the positive in life, but, in this playlist I chose to focus on the most uplifting, inspiring, happy songs I could find. I hope you get a chance to check out some of these artists and their amazing songs.
Below you will find the Positively Present soundtrack, a collection of tunes that really speaks to me about being positive and looking for the good in almost any situation. Being positive and doing my best to live in the present moment isn't always easy and these are some of the songs I turn to when I'm feeling like giving up or giving in. In addition to listening the title and artists, I've provided links to their sites so you can learn more about them (or find their songs if you're interested in hearing them). I've also provided some of my favorite lyrics from each song. In some cases, those lyrics are the ones that keep me smiling. In other cases, those lyrics are only snippets of all of the wonderful words in the song. For many of these songs, it was hard for me to pick just a few lines since so many were magical, but I did my best to narrow it down to my favorite words. Words, after all, are my happy sounds. I hope you enjoy!
1. "Always Love" Nada Surf -- "To make a mountain of your life/Is just a choice/I never learned enough/To listen to the voice that told me/Always love/Hate will get you every time"
2. "Under That Cloud" Adrienne Pierce -- "I used to watch all the dark clouds form/I used to be drawn to that storm/Now I am never going back/Never going back under that cloud"
3. "Steer" Missy Higgins -- "The search ends here/Where the night is totally clear/And your heart is fierce/So now you finally know/You can control where you go/You can steer"
4. "Love Love Love" Tristan Prettyman -- "This life is a beautiful one/And though I’ve seen it comin’ undone/I know most definitely/That it all works out the way it’s meant to be"
5. "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" Jewel -- "Truth is stranger than fiction/This is my chance to get it right/Life is so much better without all of those pretty lies"
6. "Sweet Silver Lining" Kate Voegele -- "I may be weak/But I’m never defeated/And I’ll keep believing/In clouds with that sweet silver lining"
7. "Let Go" Frou Frou -- "Let go, jump in/Whatcha waiting for?/It’s alright ‘cause there’s beauty in the breakdown/So let go, just get in/Oh, it’s so amazing here/It’s alright ‘cause there’s beauty in the breakdown"
8. "Pig" Dave Matthews Band -- "I’m saying open up/And let the rain come pouring in/ Wash out this tired notion that the best is yet to come/While you’re dancing on the ground don’t think of when you’re gone/Love, love -– what more is there?"
9. "Nolita Fairytale" Vanessa Carlton -- "I walk the streets with a song in my head/We ebb and we flow so/Got my toes and my pup at the foot of my bead/The heart always seems to know/Take the glitz back/I want the soul instead/’Cause I’ve found some kinda fairytale"
10. "Pony (It’s OK)" Erin McCarley -- "You deserve a smile with no regret/Oh, look at you, kicking off your shoes/Dancing for the world to see/You got the power to believe/Open up and sing and go be free and fly away"
11. "The Resolution" Jack’s Mannequin -- "There’s a lot that I don’t know/There’s a lot that I’m still learning/But I think I’m letting go/To find my body; it’s still burning"
12. "Silver Lining" Rilo Kiley -- "And I was your silver lining/As the story goes/I was your silver lining/But now I’m gold/Hooray, hooray, I’m your silver lining/Hooray, hooray, but now I’m gold"
13. "Snow (Hey Oh)" Red Hot Chili Peppers -- "When it’s killing me, what do I really need?/All I need is to look inside/Hey, oh, listen to what I say/Come back and listen to what I say/The more I see, the less I know/The more I like to let it go"
14. "This Is My Now" Jordon Sparks -- "I am made of more than my yesterdays/This is my now and I am breathing in the moment/As I look around/I can’t believe the love I see/My fears behind me/Gone are the shadows and doubt/This is my now"
15. "Least Complicated" Indigo Girls -- "So what makes me think I could start clean-slated?/The hardest to learn was the least complicated/I’m just a mirror of a mirror of myself/All the things that I do/The next time I fall/I’m gonna have to recall/It isn’t love/It’s only something new"
16. "Half-Assed" Ani DiFranco -- "Just show me a moment that is mine/It’s beauty blinding and unsurpassed/Make me forget every moment that went by/That left me so half-hearted/'Cause I felt it so half-assed"
17. "Dashboard" Modest Mouse -- "Well, it could’ve been, should’ve been, worse than you would ever know/Oh, the dashboard melted but we still have the radio/it could’ve been, should’ve been, worse than it had even gone/Well, the car was on block, but I was already where I want"
18. "Fingerprints" Katy Perry -- "Don’t give up/Don’t give in/Build your house on the rock/Not in the sand, in the sand, in the sand/It’s my life and I’m not sitting on the sidelines watching/It pass me by/Gotta make my mark/Gotta run it hard/I want you to remember me"
19. "I Will Be Grateful For This Day..." Bright Eyes -- "So I am writing my own ending/I let my pen bleed black or blue/And I will color in the meaning/It will be gold and green and true/And I'll learn to love my new discovered proof/I'll be grateful for this day/I will be grateful for each day to come"
20. "Whatever It Is" Ben Lee -- "And you're dreaming, and you're dreaming, and you're dreaming/I turn to you and say,'Awake is the new sleep, awake is the new sleep/So wake up. And do it, whatever it is. Just do it, whatever it is'"
21. "What Are You Waiting For?" Gwen Stefani -- "Naturally, I'm worried if I do it alone/Who really cares, causes it's your life/You never know it could be great/Take a chance cause you might grow"
22. "Imperfect Is the New Perfect" Caitlin Crosby -- "I don't wanna look like you because you're too perfect/And i don't wanna fill your shoes because it's not worth it/Don't fit the mold, I am real/too colorful to conceal"
23. "Don't Panic" Coldplay -- "We live in a beautiful world. Oh, all that I know/There's nothing here to run from/And there, everybody here's got somebody to lean on"
24. "Happy" Natasha Bedingfield -- "Got my dreams, got my life, got my love/Got my friends, got the sunshine above/Why am I making this hard on myself/When there's so many beautiful reasons I have to be happy"
25. "A Praise Chorus" Jimmy Eat World -- "Things are never gonna be the way you want/Where's it gonna get you, acting serious?/Things are never gonna be quite what you want/Even at 25, you've gotta start sometime"
Thanks for checking out the Positively Present playlist. If you want to listen to the songs right now, check out Positively Present on Blip. I enjoyed doing this so much that I may post playlists periodically. Thinking about music and lyrics is one of my favorite things to do (if you haven't noticed from the way I use music in almost all of my posts!) so this was a joy of a task for me to take on. As much as I love sharing my music with others, I also love hearing about music too. Old songs, new songs, favorite songs -- I love to hear what other people are listening to. So, I bet you know what my questions of the day are going to be now, don't you?
What songs would be on your soundtrack?
What are some of your all-time favorite songs?
Ahh..Modest Mouse. One of my favorite bands ever. Also, Nada Surf is so underrated it isn't even funny. I really need to check out the other songs you have selected as well Dani, looks like great stuff! You have rather fine taste I might add. :) Thanks for the great list!
Posted by: Dayne | TheHappySelf.com | July 24, 2009 at 09:55 AM
Yay! Great idea Dani.
These aren't my favorites, but I just like these right now.
Death Cab for Cutie - The Sound of Settling is a great song.
Joe Ramones - What a Wonderful World
Posted by: John | July 24, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Dayne - Modest Mouse is awesome, right? Such a unique sound! And I completely agree that Nada Surf is underrated. I have a feeling that will change at some point! I hope you like some of the other tunes on the list as well.
John - Love both of those songs! They are awesome. Death Cab is one of my favorites though most of their songs are sad (or maybe that's just because I was sad when I used to listen to them a lot more...). Thanks for sharing some songs that you're into right now.
Posted by: positively present | July 24, 2009 at 11:17 AM
I recognize some of those tunes!
Nada Surf's cover of the Beatles "All You Need is Love" was the song my sweetie and I played for our wedding recessional...LOVE IT!
Posted by: Peggy | July 24, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Hooray, another Ani DiFranco fan! So many of her songs have inspired me to be positive, I could make a list! I'm also a fan of UK band, The Clientele - wonderful, inspiring and very poetic lyrics. I love your soundtrack - I'll definitely take a look at the other ones you mentioned that I haven't yet heard. Thanks Dani!
- Laura
Posted by: The Journal of Cultural Conversation | July 24, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Peggy - Yay! :) Those you don't recognize you should check out because you might like them. I've never heard that cover before but I'll definitely have to check it out because I love Nada Surf and that song!
Laura - Ani DiFranco is my idol. I seriously think she's so awesome. Listening to her music (which I started doing when I was in college) actually changed my life in many ways. I'm so glad to know you're a fan too! :)
Posted by: positively present | July 24, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Nice list Dani. I would add Jesus Jones: Right Here Right now to that list :). But I might be a bit older than you so I may have musical tastes slightly different. I'll definitely be adding those to my download list.
Posted by: Srinivas Rao | July 24, 2009 at 12:58 PM
I love music!
A few of my all time favs are:
"See a light" by Bob Mould
"Closer to fine" Indigo Girls
"One tree hill" U2
"Under the milky way" The Church
"Invisible sun" Police
Mostly, I am stuck in the 80's with much of my music...but this was the decade that defined me.
Posted by: Caroline | July 24, 2009 at 01:27 PM
what a wonderful collection. this makes me want to make a soundtrack list of my life, too. and yay, you like coldplay! :D
Posted by: Meream | July 24, 2009 at 01:44 PM
Oh yeah...I turned on the Today Show because it's Friday and they always have some hot musician singing. It was Katy Perry. Talk about someone who took the world by storm. She said she has a goal to make it or get out of the music industry by age 25. She's 24! Hey great list and great exercise!
Posted by: Tess The Bold Life | July 24, 2009 at 01:48 PM
What a fun idea.
My most recent fave song is the Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"!
Posted by: Vi | Maximizing Utility | July 24, 2009 at 01:51 PM
It was so spooky you should post this because I've had an idea for this kind of post in my mind for quite some time. Another synchronicity that just doesn't surprise me anymore :) Thank you for sharing this, Dani.
Posted by: Chania Girl | July 24, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Oh yay! I love finding new happy songs for my yoga classes. Least Complicated may be my all time favorite song, since high school!
Posted by: Michelle @ Find Your Balance | July 24, 2009 at 04:09 PM
This is so fun, Dani! Thank you! I can't wait to listen to all of your playlist picks!! :)
Posted by: Jodi at Joy Discovered | July 24, 2009 at 07:04 PM
Srinivas - That sounds like a great song to add to the list! Good suggestion. Hope you like the songs I picked out here. :)
Caroline - So glad to hear you love music too! I've only heard of one of those (the Indigo Girls -- glad to know you're a fan too!) and I'm looking forward to checking the others out. Thanks for sharing them!
Meream - Coldplay is awesome! One of my other favorites is "The Scientist" but I cry almost every time I hear that one so I didn't think it would be appropriate for PP. Haha. You should definitely make a soundtrack and feel free to share it with me. I love new music!
Tess - Katy Perry is great. I know she's not the best singer in the world, but she has a great presence and I really enjoy her song "Fingerprints." It has such a great message behind it!
Vi - Glad you liked it! That's a great song. It puts me in the mood to smile and dance. What could be better than that? It's a really great one for this too because it's definitely got a message about thinking positively.
Chania Girl - We're always on the same page, aren't we!? You should do a post like this. I'd love to see what your soundtrack would have on it. :)
Michelle - That's great! I hope some of these work for your yoga classes. :) I've loved "Least Complicated" since high school too! It's SUCH a great song and, really, so true. A lot of the hardest things to learn in life -- such as being happy, for example -- are actually the least complicated concepts.
Jodi - It's great to hear that you like the post! Hope you enjoy checking out the songs too. :)
Posted by: positively present | July 24, 2009 at 09:23 PM
I can't believe it's a song list where I actually did know any of the songs. I know a lot of the bands, but actually hadn't heard any of the songs. Setting up your Blip.fm thing was cool so I could check it out.
Here's a few from my lists ...
For happiness ...
- Feeling Good, by Michael Buble
- Moondance, by Van Morrison
- Fantasy, by Earth Wind and Fire
- You Aint Seen Nothin' Yet, Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- Sing, by The Carpenters
For general get my groove on ...
- Crazy Train, by Ozzie
- Low (Apple Bottom Jeans), by Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
- Lit Up, by Buckcherry
- Bullet with Butterfly Wings, by Smashing Pumpkins
- Down with the Sickness, by Disturbed
Lately, Ten Million Slaves by Otis Taylor, is addicting. When I hop in my Jeep, I play that and it feels like I'm making a getaway :)
Posted by: J.D. Meier | July 24, 2009 at 10:56 PM
I'm Walking On Sunshine!
Posted by: Jannie Funster | July 25, 2009 at 01:03 AM
Hi Dani
So many great songs are here. I am going to have to take sometime to go through them all.
Thanks for sharing.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Posted by: Giovanna Garcia | July 25, 2009 at 01:51 AM
Hi Dani .. how wonderful .. for someone who is musically challenged .. I love it and all sorts, especially as my mind has opened. Great you've just posted it .. as I'm loading and starting to use my ipod .. so I'll be back to take your ideas, and the other great readers' ideas .. brilliant for me!
I look forward to setting up blip.fm per JD .. and I love Jannie's words "I'm walking on Sunshine" .. great to start the day ..
Excellent - just what I needed ..have a good weekend ..
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters
Posted by: Hilary | July 25, 2009 at 04:00 AM
Daniiiii:)
How are you this fine saturday morning? :)
Yeah music is a wonderful thing isnt it:)
Some songs just light up your day and mood no matter what state you are in!
I cant believe it, you left out the coolest 'make happy' song in the world!
"Wonderwall" by Oasis. Its such an amazing song, and put it on and sing with it as loud as you can, I promise it will make anyone feel so much better:))
Have an awesome day!
Diggy
Upgradereality.com
Posted by: Diggy - Upgradereality.com | July 25, 2009 at 06:12 AM
fun fun fun, Dani!
thanks for introducing me to so many great songs AND Blip!
my fav feel good songs are:
oya como va - santana
all she wants to do is dance - don henley
the secret o' life - james taylor
stay - jackson browne
roll with it - steve winwood
closer to fine - indigo girls
Posted by: lisa | July 25, 2009 at 07:28 AM
Dani, this was fantastic! The soundtrack is playing right now. I love it.
Posted by: Stephen Mills | July 25, 2009 at 07:47 AM
J.D. - Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur! God, I love that song! Haha. It put me in a good mood just thinking about it. I haven't heard all of that many on your list and I'm looking forward to checking them out. I noticed that most of yours are guys and most of mine are girls so maybe that's why you didn't know them. I hope you check 'em out and enjoy! :)
Jannie - Great one! I love that song!
Giovanna - You're welcome! :) I hope you enjoy checking them out. You can listen on Blip where I've posted them all.
Hilary - Thought you might enjoy this! :) I hope these help you build up the collection on your iPod. Blip is great. It's free and you can listen to all sorts of great music. Definitely check it out!
Diggy - Wonderwall is a great one! I love that song. It's been awhile since I've listened to it so I'll have to pull it back up on my iPod. Thanks for mentioning a great happy song!
Lisa - You're welcome! I hope you like 'em -- and Blip too. It's amazing. I know some of the ones you mentioned (LOVE Indigo Girls!), but not all of them so I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the suggestions!
Stephen - Awesome! :) So glad you like it.
Posted by: positively present | July 25, 2009 at 08:43 AM
What a fun post (and I second Chania Girl's comment on synchronicity --- I JUST finished a draft inspired by you and your love for music!).
I think Fiona Apple writes incredibly well and poetically when it comes to relationships (usually ones that don't work, though).
For happy songs, I love love love:
Love is Everywhere I Go - Sam Phillips
Modern Nature - Sondre Lerche
My Little Corner of the World - Yo La Tengo
Question - Old 97's
The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson
Australia - The Shins
Enjoy your weekend!
Posted by: Megan Bord | July 25, 2009 at 09:08 AM
Hi Dani. What a great idea for a post! Off the top of my head I would pick an older song to start: "Live Every Minute" by Ali Thompson of Supertramp. I also like Chumbawamba, you know that one... "I get knocked down, but I get up again..." I like jazzy, upbeat fun tunes; the kind that I have to get up and dance to... or at least tap my foot to if I'm out in public.
Posted by: Davina | July 25, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Megan - I can't wait to read your post on the topic of music. You have GREAT taste. I don't know all of the songs you mentioned but I love Sondre Lerche. I saw him live and it was AMAZING! The only one I don't know is Sam Phillips and I'm definitely going to have to check him/her out. :)
Davina - You've mentioned two songs that sound perfect for this post! I'm not familar with the first one, but it sounds like I'd like it. I'm going over to iTunes to look it up now. :)
Posted by: positively present | July 25, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Wow! Dani,
What a great list of Happy Happy songs to uplift the mood. Will have to save this list for future reference.
Posted by: Zeenat {Positive Provocations} | July 26, 2009 at 09:23 AM
These lines from the Beatles "Let It Be" always spoke to me powerfully about the reality of faith:
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be...
Posted by: Paul Maurice Martin | July 26, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Love. This. Post.
Ok, happy music!
- "We're Alive" Paul Van Dyk
- "Let Go" Paul Van Dyk
- "Transformers" Gnarles Barkley
- "Let it Rain Down Love" Freemasons featuring Siedah Garrett
- "Don't Give Up" Josh Groban
- "Konichiwa B*tches" Robyn
- "Perpetual" VNV Nation
- "Ride A White Horse" Goldfrapp
Posted by: Hayden Tompkins | July 26, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Zeenat - Thanks for the comment! :) I'm sure if you come back to these songs when you're feeling down they'll lift you right up.
Paul - What a great song to mention! I completely forgot about that one but it's perfect for this post. Thanks for bringing it up.
Hayden - Thank you! So glad you love it! And thank you so much for sharing all of the songs with me. I don't know that many of them and I'm excited to check them out. New music is the best! :)
Posted by: positively present | July 26, 2009 at 12:46 PM
I'm a little late on this post but...I have been reading your blog now for the past couple months and love it! I actually found out about it because I was trying to find lyrics to The Weepies "I Was Made for Sunny Days" and you were the only page that had them!
From then on I look forward to songs you post for "Words to Live By". If I don't already have it, I download it and fall in love with it. I am so glad you put together this soundtrack as well. I love learning new music, especially ones that veer toward the positive side (like you, the songs I immediately go to when asked to make a mix are generally not as "happy", although not necessarily sad either.)
Thanks again for your blog, I thoroughly enjoy it :D
Posted by: Dana | August 29, 2010 at 09:05 PM
Dana - So glad you found the site by searching for such a positive song! And I'm even more glad to hear that you love the "Words to Live By" section. Your comment on this post has reminded me that I think I'm due for another Positively Present soundtrack post! Stay tuned for that!
Posted by: positively present | August 30, 2010 at 06:50 AM