I saw Annie Lennox at the Grammys and she reminded me of it.
Here he is as the desk clerk in Mystery Train.
When I was in fourth grade my class went on a field trip to the local orchestra's children's concert, and one of the pieces they performed was the Farandole from Bizet's "L'Arlésienne Suite No.2." Half a century later, I am still moved by listening to it.
In a very different vein, my mother loved Frank Sinatra, and the one song I remember from that time was One For My Baby. It was the first kind-of-blues song I ever heard, and fifty years later it still speaks to me, much more deeply now that it did then. In my music appreciation classes one assignment I sometimes give the students is to compare/contrast this song with Billie Holliday's Strange Fruit, in both cases how the music reflects the message of the lyrics. It usually works as a good first step away from pop garbage towards what they could hear if they really listened to classical music--for which I can in part thank my mother.
The Route 66 theme.
That’s an easy one. Pretty much anything by The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. Little celebrations of American fun and freedom.
Poetry In Motion from around 1960.
Round and Round by Perry Como
Catch a falling Star by perry Como
Lots of the do-wop bands from 1955-1964. Music went to crap when the Beatles landed.
Mexicali Rose by Gene Autry, NOT Bob Wills.
San Antonio Rose by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
I’m Felling Bad by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
All of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Operas.
I had them all memorized by the fifth grade and used to do a one-girl show of the best songs.
Now i write FReeper-Style parodies to the songs:
“I am the very model of a Michael Moron Liberal”
” Tort Lawyer” (To the Tune of “Tit Willow”)
“Whe i was a lad in Boston Town (About John Kerry)
“I’ve got a little List” about liberals we could live without.
“My Object all sublime” (about the Supreme Court)
etc.
Ernie Ford Sixteen Tons
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you’re around
Oh, baby, when I see your face
Mellow as the month of May
Oh, darling, I can’t stand it
When you look at me that way
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you’re around
Oh, darling, when you’re near me
And you tenderly call my name
I know that my emotions
Are something that I just can’t tame
I’ve just got to have you, baby
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down
I just lose control
Down to my very soul
I get hot and cold all over
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
I loved “The Streets of El Paso” by Marty Robbins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UVVS5-9HvA
And “Who Do You Love” gave me nightmares. I’ve never been sure whose version it was. Seems like it should have been about 1966.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olnbwZxjcbI
Just about anything by The Four Seasons.
I think one of the first songs I was really conscience of when I was a child was the Beatles’ “Penny Lane”, and it’s always been one of my favorites.