If I Could Only Have ONE Song.....

Bah! One song! I think I'd probably go stark raving mad!

Sorry, sorry, better explain!

I have been asked by Angels and Urchins blog to chose the one song that if it genuinely was the day the music died (thanks Don McClean, but it's not you), I would have to rescue from what I can only imagine would be a gigantic Doctor Who alike vortex of sound and musical notes.

This is so hard I cannot tell you. I know, I know, I say that whenever I'm tagged, but can someone please tag me in a Meme about favorite chocolate? That would be easy-all of it. Or favorite shoe size- mine? No, oh OK then.

So, I had a look through the CDs. In this house, the vast majority of surface space, floor and shelving is not taken up by ornaments, but by every format known to man of music- vinyl (remember them?) in 12 and 7 inch, Tapes (yeah we have those too) many of which are from my school days when friends would make up and swap compilations that we would painstakingly put together for each other (no one does that anymore, so sad) and CDs. There's even some of those mini disc things floating around somewhere. My phone contains music, its literally everywhere. The desk I'm sitting at currently houses not just my computer, but a mixing desk and Ed the Elders "Sacred Turntable of Musical Joy", which not only are the children not allowed to touch, but I'm not allowed to touch.

So, I cannot do it. I cannot, physically think of one- and the meme baton has been passed to me and I'll cheat if I want to (in my defense, Ed the Elder looked physically pained and is still sitting here trying to think of one, or even two).

So I can have two! One for me, and one for young me too. No I'm not a Gemini with a split personality trait, but Oh, I don't know call me on it below! Tee hee!

But now I'm thinking of 3. Damn this is so hard I am going to give myself a headache.

Right here we are. Top 2. Sorry!

A Change is Gonna Come- Sam Cooke

Beautiful, beautiful song, recently (very well) covered by Seal on his Soul album. But I'd heard it about 8 years ago. I'd obviously heard the Royal Mail adverts which used another of his amazing songs "You Send Me", but being a kid at the time, I had no idea who sung it or when.

The first time I heard any of his music properly was when Ed jumped in the car we had at the time after a trip around Maidstone in Kent, near were we lived, with an album called "The Man and His Music". I had no idea who it was, but the vast selection of comments inside from the Womacks, Muhammed Ali, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin and Keith Richards speaking about him so highly made me want to listen to it the minute we got home.

The album itself is the only album that Ed the Elder will put on the turntable, and listen to all four sides of. That is high praise indeed.

The song itself, as I said, was covered by Seal, and nearly everyday that I went by bus to see Ed the Littler when he was in hospital for so long, one version or the other would play on my headphones.

It calmed me.

Like anytime the medical people who eventually put my boy back together and left me with the little tearaway I have now, would not give me a positive answer, or look solemnly about him or one of the other tots, this record gave me hope. It stirred in me the feeling that, change would happen.

I know Mr Cooke's reasons for singing the song were very different to what I used it for, he was seen as some as a "Black Bob Dylan" (But trust me this man did not need others to sing his songs for them to click), but I'm sure it's a song that has been pinned to many a souls cause, as an almost hymn like affirmation that change will inevitably happen. A kind of modern day Amazing Grace for the not so religiously inclined.

That's the song for me now.

The song for me, then is this one- and Ed the Elder nearly spat with Muso derision at it. Good job he wasn't drinking coffee at the time as he probably would have! I think he'd like me to point out, that even though he introduced me to the first choice, I made this one up many years ago.

You Got The Love (the 1997 version) The Source Featuring Candi Staton.

Yes, I know many will think its just a cheesy dance tune. But I love it.

In fact, there are two versions of this song- the one from Ed the Elders standing in a field days, and the one I remember from the Human Traffic soundtrack (and Kiss hits 1997!). This is the version I like, as its more atmospheric.

Its not so much the backing I like, although it fits its purpose well. Its the lyrics.

We are blessed with many love songs by decade- from when I was born in the 80s I think songs like The Power of Love, or Sweetest Taboo sum up the 80s musical stylings well.  In the 70s I am reliably informed by font of knowledge Ed that Joan Armatrading's offering from 1976 Love and Affection is another, although I think in terms of love songs from that decade I would've chosen Blondie, Denis.

So to me, You Got the Love, whose lyrics are missed by people who ignore it due to its dance music roots, is the love song of the 90s.

And the last decade- can't sadly think of one- there were too many break up songs!

You Got the Love means the world to me as the lyrics are close to my heart- Ed and I have had our personal ups and downs, but in times that are hard, he's there- hence, You Got the Love (to see me through to complete the lyric).

So there you go. I don't wish to inflict that pain on anyone else, but I am going to chose Wendy at Wendy Wife for it.

May I suggest a few......

Songs narrowly missing out

Pink Floyd Wish You were Here, Genesis Ripples, and any Blondie. Literally any. Oh and Specials.... I'll get me coat!