#but Billy Joel’s song brings back to pep also a great song

[independent-fics]

Whoop I was tagged by @werewolfsmile and @ghostlyarchaeologist to hit shuffle on my music and list the first ten songs! Thank you!

Spotless (ft. The Lumineers) - Zach Bryan

Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder

Carolina - Taylor Swift

Homesick - Noah Kahn

Valerie (Live, BBC Radio) - Amy Winehouse

Hey Driver (ft. The War and Treaty) - Zach Bryan

How Did It End? - Taylor Swift

7 Years - Lukas Graham

It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me - Billy Joel

Roslyn - St. Vincent and Bon Iver

And tagging as many people as I can!

@cardsagainstthelibrarians @nival-kenival @aardvaark @brierburrbrito @speedycollectorbluebird @123ohwell @hopecomesbacktolife and anyone else who wants to join!

[theravenouswriter514]

Day Seven of the 30 Day Writing Challenge

Today’s prompt is: “List 10 songs you’re loving right now.”

I know I keep stressing that I am more fond of older generations of things, but you guys are really gonna see what I mean with this one. Not many of these songs are gonna be younger than 30 years-old, because I genuinely don’t know many modern songs. Again, I’m not trying to be the “I’m not like other girls” type of person, I’m just being open and writing honestly. I’m going to do this one in actual list format, so here we go. These are in no particular order, because I can’t choose a favorite.

1. “The Show Must Go On” by Queen - I love this one for so many reasons. It is a very empowering song with a very optomistic beat, but it is also very sad to me. I can’t help but to think of how many times Freddie Mercury was absolutely drained from his illness, and yet, he stood strong and carried on with the show. It also doesn’t help that the song was also used in a very sad scene of a TV show that I adore. It was used in season 2 episode 6, I think, of “Cobra Kai” the Netflix series. Hey! A modern reference! I adore this show and it isn’t difficult to guess why. I mean it is a VERY well done spin-off of one of the best movie series from the 80s. I am just not a huge fan of “reboots” and “spin-offs” because a lot of the time they don’t capture the same vibe or magic of whatever the original may be, but since many of the original people are working on this series, they are making sure that the true “Karate Kid” magic stays the same. But you all didn’t come here for my review of a show. 

2. “I Am Not Afraid” by Charley Crockett - I am a sucker for good love songs. I am such a romantic, and good love songs just hit me directly in the heart. Whether I’m in love or not. This is just a simple love song about a person confessing to their love that they are not afraid of the good, the bad, and the ugly that is a relationship. It has a very relaxed mood that makes me feel like I’m in a rocking chair on a back porch somewhere. Crockett is a very talented artist. I just keep on finding new favorite songs of his. He is a modern artist, but he has a skill for making his songs fit into the same genre as the classic country that I grew up listening to. It is refreshing to me when I find an artist who is able to bring the older, more classic sounds back through genuine talent and not through computer generated sound and marketing. 

3. “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding - This song is so legendary! Listening to Otis Redding brings back many memories of me listening to my dad sing while he worked on things either around the house or outside. I had no idea what the songs were, but I just knew that if he was singing them then everything was going his way and nothing was frustrating him. I interpret this song as being the story of a young person being told by everyone around him what to do with his life. I feel like lots of people my age can relate to that message, because we are in the time of our lives where everyone else seems to know what is best for us. The only thing we can really do is sit (on the dock of the bay) and take life in as it comes to us. 

4. “I Don’t Want to be Alone” by Billy Joel - My mom is such a Billy Joel fan, and from a young age she got me hooked. I’ve known every word to “We Didn’t Start the Fire” since I was 12. This song, to me, feels like a real love story. Like one that could happen in reality. I interpret it as a woman giving a guy who had hurt her in the past another shot. She understands that she loves him, and he shows up because he loves her. She realizes that she is lonely without him. Joel has a way of making the stories in his songs seem so much more real. 

5. “Tennessee” by Johnny Cash - I have grown into such a Cash fan. I love how his voice always sounds so down to earth. Like you’re listening to an old friend tell a story. Songs about being happy with the path your life is on always bring me joy. Sad songs about hardship are wonderful and necessary, but I love the pure happiness that proud songs give off. Being from Tennessee myself, I am also always happy to hear a song about my home state. Tennessee pride is strong in this song. 

6. “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” by Chicago - I have been listening to a lot of Chicago recently. I haven’t found a song by them that I didn’t like. This song, in particular, tells me the story of a person who is very reserved and maybe finds it difficult to show emotion. I am a very shy and reserved person myself, and often times I find it very hard to show emotions to people I genuinely care for. Personally, I find this song very relatable and it tugs on my heart strings.

7. “The Long Way Home” by John Paul White - I am at an age where it feels like everyone is expecting so much greatness from me, including myself. I sometimes get far too caught up in trying to keep up with my “social clock” that It drives me batty. With my interpretation of this song, I am reminded that it is okay to take a different path in life, as long as I stay on the same journey. It reminds me that it is okay if I take my time and do things based on my own priorities. 

8. “Don’t Tell Me What Love Can Do” by Van Halen - This is another band that my mom got me hooked on from a very young age. I was so upset when I heard about our tragic loss of the legendary Eddie Van Halen. My interpretation of this song is a bit more comedic, and not nearly as deep as the other ones. I am the perpetually single friend in each of my friend groups. Being the single one gets strenuous when everyone is talking about how great their relationships are going, or everything their partners add to their lives. This song is kind of like a “stop rubbing my nose in it” sort of song for me. I find it kind of funny, because of course I support my friends and all of their happy relationships, but I also tease them all the time by telling them to quit bragging. 

9. “Somebody Up There Likes You” by Jackie Wilson - This is such a “feel good” song. A lot of Wilson’s songs just put a little more pep in your step, but this one never ceases to make me feel great. Recently, I have been rediscovering my own religion, and the religious references in this song just bring me joy. Whenever I am feeling down or like I need some religious encouragment, I listen to this song and dance things out. 

10. “Cold” by Chris Stapleton - I love Stapleton’s sound. Each of his songs sound like classic rock meets classic country and I really dig that. My dad loves him too, and anytime I hear him I think of my dad seranading me. Sometimes I need that, when I can’t visit him or when our family luck looks bleak. I also appreciate good piano and the riff in the beginning of this song makes me weak in the knees. I love it so much!  

There you have it, the ten songs that I am loving the most right now. I listen to a lot of music and my favorite songs change from week to week. I also have such a broad taste that spans over all genres, so those favorites vary even more. But at least I always have song recommendations for every occasion.