mirror ball 33: musical joy

A song that always makes me happy: 

(click on the titles that are in bold for links)  

Jay:

Clearly, you thought of this one after reading "Sophie's Choice".

Some off the top of my head:

-Supreme's "Stop! In the Name of Love" (One of the first recordings I remember hearing)
-Mozart's "Laudate Dominum"
-Mahalia Jackson's "Elijah Rock"
-Rhianna's "Umbrella" (for the nasty percussion)
-Emmylou Harris "Pancho and Lefty" (my first Emmylou)
-Just about any waltz, such as:
this
this
and this.

Expect further updates and additions.  Hourly.

Benjamin:
Grateful Dead.  No matter what kind of mood I'm in, the Dead make me feel happy.

Dave D.: 
I do have a track that always makes me happy. ‘A Touch of Grey’ by the Grateful Dead. In the 60s and 70s when they were at their peak I was never really into them. Don’t know why…just didn’t here much of their work probably, but I recently discovered this and love it. As a man who is nearly 60 and finding it harder and harder to carry off the ‘blonde’ thing, I’ve given up. So this song really speaks to me. I defy anyone out there not to love it too after a few hearings. Happy New Year to all. 

Kristine: 

happy songs. there are so many but, i recently listen to  69 love songs by the magnetic fields (in full) and what makes me smile is "the luckiest guy on the lower east side".

it is so simple and silly and when it runs through my head i sing out loud with a smile on my face 

John:
These days when I need a smile I blast George Michael's "Freedom." Watching the video at the same time makes it that much better. 

Tanya:
Always, when I hear "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, it makes me smile huge and cry at the same time.  I absolutely love that song!! 

Garris:
Any and every time I hear or have the privilege to sing "The Blues Had A Hold On Me...But They Ain't Got Me Now" with Tracy Nelson....it just makes me exuberantly happy. Her voice is pure full on flat out joy to me. 

Chris H.:

Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver.

When I was a kid my Dad would sit around and play guitar... this was one of my favorites... I'd sing with him. 

Lori:

Any song off of Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy album. It's the sound of teen freedom - when I got my driver's license and drove down the road alone for the first time blasting the album. Electric. 

Steve:

There are so many. Here's one:

Tres Deseos, from the "Dance With Me" soundtrack. 

Val L.:

There is soooooo much. A lot by Mozart because when I was a child there was a lot of classical music around our house.

Anytime I hear Love by Nancy Adams, I get a smile on my face. Blue Grass in general because it brings me back to my hillbilly roots, anything by Nanci Griffith- something about her voice (although it can also make me instantly cry). And Dyre Maker by Zeppelin... that song- wow! Makes me happy and sumptin' else ;-) 

Whitney:

Definitely Edward Sharpe's new song "Home". I really like it and it makes me feel free and happy. 

Valerie:

Easy! I must be on vacation that I can answer this one already. Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill. Don't think the video is my favorite, but this is the mix I belted out with whenever it played on the creaky little cassette player in the desert heat. Yessss. 

Dan:

"Don't it make my Brown Eyes Blue" by Crystal Gayle:

Now it's not for the song itself -- cause it has that ear worm quality...

But any time I hear it I think of my mom - It was around the time that the song came out in 1977.

Mom was working in the kitchen doing something and I was in the living room. I could barely make out the words - she was almost humming them.

"...but honey ... I do.." 

Then with building intensity...

"Donuts make my brown eyes, Donuts make my brown eyes...(big finish) Donuts make my brown eyes blue!"

I came around the corner and said with 16 year old pop wisdom:

"mom - the lyric is "DONT IT make my brown eyes..."

And she replied

"It made sense to me."

And that's why when ever that song plays on an oldie station or pops into my head - I smile - and think of donuts...

I don't know when I've been so blue
Don't know what's come over you
You've found someone new
And don't it make my brown eyes blue

I'll be fine when you're gone
I'll just cry all night long
Say it isn't true
And don't it make my brown eyes blue

Tell me no secrets, tell me some lies
Give me no reasons, give me alibis
Tell me you love me and don't let me cry
Say anything but don't say goodbye

I didn't mean to treat you bad
Didn't know just what I had
But honey now I do
And don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes blue

(repeat final three lines twice)