Ramblin’ Tunes – Commentary – The Net Gate

Music Programme Stream Episodes

Ramblin' Tunes Playlist and Commentary

This playlist includes all episodes.

Episode	Title	Artist	Year	Commentary
Pilot	Sweet Home Alabama	Lynyrd Skynyrd	1974	Lynyrd Skynyrd a band from Jacksonville, Florida. From 1970 to 1972 they recorded at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama and wrote this song about their impressions and as a tribute to the studio musicians, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Neil Young had implied in his songs, "Southern Man" and "Alabama", that people in the American South were racist and stuck in the past. In response to those songs, Lynyrd Skynyrd sing about Southern pride and all the good things in Alabama. To know more about the legendary studios and artists you should watch the documentary Muscle Shoals (2013).
Pilot	California Dreamin'	The Mamas & The Papas	1963	This song from the Mama's and the Papa's is about longing to be in another place. (Mama) Michelle Phillips was living with her husband (Papa) John Phillips in New York and she felt homesick. Michelle was from sunny California.
Pilot	It Never Rains In Southern California	Albert Hammond	1972	Albert Hammond wrote this song with Michael Hazlewood in London, before they came to Los Angeles. He had never been in California when he wrote this song.
Pilot	Work Song	Nina Simone	1961	Nina Simone, one of a kind, imprisoned for robbing a grocery and condemned to work in a chain gang. (At the same time, she likens the heavy labor of breaking rocks to slavery, through which the song becomes a cry for emancipation as well.) Her music was often censored and sometimes even prohibited in the Southern states (by the Jim Crow laws).
Pilot	Giant	Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man	2019	Rag'n'Bone Man feels like a giant. Now he has another success after his breakthrough single called "Human".
Pilot	Gypsy Woman	Crystal Waters	2008	Crystal Waters is best known for this groundbreaking 1991 single “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)”. She wrote down what she had witnessed in Washington, D.C. A woman who had lost her job dressed all in black wearing make-up, singing gospel songs in front of a hotel. Crystal, daughter of jazz musician Junior Waters, had studied business and computer science and was employed at that time.
Pilot	When Am I Going to Make a Living	Sade	1984	The story has it that Sade wrote the song on the back of a cleaning ticket after she picked her clothes up from the cleaners. She had no money and she wrote down, “When Am I Going to Make a Living.”
Pilot	Busy Earnin'	Jungle	2014	Jungle, is a London based group founded by two friends and expanded to a seven piece band to turn the music from their laptops into a full and organic live experience. Busy Earnin' is directed at individuals who spend their existence working for money and neglecting other aspects of their life. It's about that fear of spending your life chasing a career you don't really want.
Pilot	Je veux	Zaz	2018	'Je Veux’, ‘I want’ is the debut single of the talented singer ZAZ, born Isabelle Geffroy. Her fifth studio album is called ‘Isa’ by the way. Her mother was a Spanish teacher and ZAZ toured in the early years 2000 with a basque group Izar-Adatz (Basque for "Shooting Star").
Pilot	The Race	Yello	1998	"The Race", a song by Swiss band Yello, released in April 1988,
Nine 2 Five	A Hard Day's Night	The Beatles	1964	It was Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr that used the expression first and later repeated by John Lennon in his book In His Own Write before ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ was used as a movie and song title.
Nine 2 Five	9 To 5	Dolly Parton	1980	This epic song from 1980 by Dolly Parton from the movie "9 to 5" speaks to the frustrations – and hopes – of the average working-class person and exposes the gender balance in the workplace. It didn't start any kind of movement at that time, but it did push the issue forward. The film is worth watching. Not only because it's a funny classic movie but also to better understand the statements and the sounds in the song.
Nine 2 Five	Morning Train (Nine To Five)	Sheena Easton	1990	Outside of the United States, Sheena Easton’s “Morning Train” was released as "9 To 5". Female songwriter Florrie Palmer wrote this song about how dull a woman’s life can be while she's waiting for her man to come home and show her a good time.
Nine 2 Five	The Worker	Fisher-Z	1979	Fischer-Z's band leader John Watts was still studying clinical psychology and working in mental institutions at the he wrote this song in 1979 about his father’s daily commute to London.
Nine 2 Five	Sixteen Tons	Tennessee Ernie Ford	1955	Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford was written in 1947 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Rosewood, Kentucky Merle Travis and based on the experiences of his coal-mining family. His brother, John Travis, who wrote him a letter quoting the sentence "It's like working in the coal mines. You load 16 tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt." and his father who told a neighbour, "I can't afford to die. I owe my soul to the general store," inspiring the lyrics: Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store.
Nine 2 Five	Chain Gang	Sam Cooke	1960	Chain gangs, were groups of prisoners linked together while performing physical labor. They were first used during the reconstruction of the south after the US Civil War as a way to utilize prisoners as free labor in rebuilding Southern states' infrastructure. Sam Cook wrote the “Chain Gang” in 1959 while on tour by bus, meeting a chain gang of prisoners in Georgia working on the side of the road.
Nine 2 Five	Let's Clean Up The Ghetto	Philadelphia International All Stars	1977	“Let’s clean up the ghetto” was released in 1977 and performed by the Philadelphia International All Stars who were a funk and soul collective including Dee Dee Sharp, Billy Paul, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, The O’Jays & Archie Bell
Nine 2 Five	Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)	Jay-Z	1998	Jay-Z’s ‘Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)’ is based on the song from the Broadway musical “Annie” where little orphan Annie is punished after she tried to escape. Just like Jigga, she tries to overcome her difficult circumstances.
Nine 2 Five	Living For The City	Stevie Wonder	1973	“Living For The City” by Stevie Wonder, who not only wrote the song but also played all the instruments on this song and also did all the vocals. The story of a young kid leaving his hometown in the south, where he has seen the hardships faced by his family, seeking for opportunities in New York City where he gets caught up in a different system of inequality that imprisons him and leaves him disillusioned.
Nine 2 Five	Movin Out (Anthony's Song)	Billy Joel	1977	Billy Joel's “moving out” from 1977 deals with working and lower-class New Yorkers to find a bigger and brighter future and get their own slice of the “American Dream.” Near the end of the recording is the sound of a car starting up and driving away, and it was actually the bass player’s (Doug Stegmeyer) 1960s Corvette that was used.
African Waves	In Zaire	Johnny Wakelin	1976	This song commemorates the "Rumble In The Jungle", the famous boxing match between world heavyweight champion George Foreman and Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.). The fight took place on October 30, 1974, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The location in Kinshasa was "le Stade du 20 Mai" (originally known as Stade Roi Baudouin) and now known as "Stade Tata Raphaël". You get to know much more about this event if you watch the American documentary film "We Were Kings" of 1996.
African Waves	A.I.E. (A'mwana)	Black Blood	1971	Believe it or not, this is a Belgian production. Black Blood with singer Steve Banda Kalenga from Lubumbashi in Zaire, was a Belgium-based, African group. They recorded « A. I. E. (A Mwana) », a cheerful family hymn, with a typical African disco rhythm, in 1975. The song was written by their creator and mentor Michel Jaspar, at that time a young airline pilot, born in Belgian Congo. Apart from the title, the lyrics are in Swahili. In 1981 it was covered by the London all-female trio Banarama.
African Waves	Africa	TOTO	1982	Toto keyboard player David Paich, at the beginning of the eighties, was deeply impressed by a TV documentary about the people in Africa suffering and dying. He tried to imagine how he would feel about if he was there and what he would do because he had never been in Africa when he wrote the song.
African Waves	The Boy in the Bubble	Paul Simon	1986	Forere Motloheloa an accordionist from Lesotho wrote the original song. Paul Simon recorded with his band at the Ovation Studios in Johannesburg in 1985. Simon wrote English lyrics and called it "The Boy In The Bubble" about his own observations that life is filled with so much potential (days of "miracle and wonder") but also so many challenges. Forere Motloheloa, plays the piano accordion, which is an accordion with piano keys on one side.
African Waves	Nelson Mandela	Special AKA	1984	Written by Jerry Dammers, "Nelson Mandela" was the first hit song specifically about the imprisoned South African political leader and apartheid government he fought against. Jerry Dammers, founder and keyboard player of the Special A.K.A., also known as The Specials, was inspired by the spirit and positivity of that African music. "Nelson Mandela" was the first hit song specifically about the imprisoned South African political leader and apartheid government he fought against. He had been imprisoned by the South African government since 1962 on charges of sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government. Unsurprisingly this song couldn't be played freely in South Africa, however it helped install optimism within the black community there. Prisoner no 46664 was finally released in February 1990 and became State President of South Africa in 1994.
African Waves	Scatterlings of Africa	Johnny Clegg & Savuka	1987	The original song is from the South African band Juluka and you listened to its successor band Savuka a multi-racial band formed in 1986 by Johnny Clegg (sometimes called "The White Zulu"). They mixed Zulu music with influences from rock and Celtic music. This song is "reflecting the myriad dislocations of South African society.".
African Waves	Ebony And Ivory	Stevie Wonder	1982	Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney was inspired by British TV comedian Spike Milligan playing on a TV show a segregated piano, on which the white and black keys were kept apart, in order to demonstrate how one couldn't work without the other. Despite it’s huge US and UK hit success in 1982, it has been named worst duet ever by BBC 6 Music listeners in 2007.
African Waves	Black And White	Three Dog Night	1972	“Black and White” was co-written in 1954 by American folk singer Earl Robinson. It was inspired by a US Supreme Court ruling that segregation in public schools is illegal. Pete Seeger, an American folk singer and activist first recorded it two years later. The original lyrics opening line, in reference to the court: “Their robes were black, their heads were white” was omitted in later version like this one by Three Dog Night from 1972.
African Waves	Khululuma	African Rhythm Travellers	2003	'Khululuma’ meaning luxury in Zulu was released in 2003 by the African Rhythm Travellers
On The Road	Jet Airliner	The Steve Miller Band	1973	Steve Miller recorded this song in 1977. “Jet Airliner” was written by blind American bluesman Paul Pena who taught himself the vocal techniques of traditional Tuvan throat-singing. He became known as "Cher Shimjerg " meaning “Earthquake” in the Tuvan language because of his amazingly deep voice. In 1999 Paul was named 'San Francisco's Tuvan Blues Ambassador' and since then, July 11 is 'Paul Pena Day'. The documentary Genghis Blues tells you all about it.
On The Road	San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)	Scott McKenzie	1967	John Phillips from The Mamas And The Papas wrote this as the unofficial anthem for the Monterey Pop Festival, near San Francisco, which he helped organising. It became one of the big Hippie hits during the Summer Of Love in 1967. Many peace activists and folkies wore flowers in their hair.
On The Road	On The Road Again	Canned Heat	1967	This was Canned Heat, with guitar player Henry Vestine a.k.a. "The Sunflower" and Alan Wilson playing the tambura that gives this song the psychedelic touch. Their hit “On the Road Again” is based on earlier versions of Chicago blues musician Floyd Jones and Mississippi Delta bluesman Tommy Johnson's song "Big Road Blues" from 1928.
On The Road	A Horse With No Name	America	1971	Three sons of US Air Force personnel stationed in the UK, met in high school in London in the late sixties. They started the band called “America”, because they did not want anyone to think they were British musicians trying to sound American. Being stuck in rainy England, this song goes back to their childhood when traveling through the Arizona and New Mexico desert. But it is also inspired by Salvador Dali’s painting and stands for a metaphor to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place".
On The Road	(I'm A) Roadrunner	Jr. Walker & The All Stars	1966	"(I'm a) Road Runner" by Junior Walker & the Allstars is a one of the greatest R&B singles ever made. It first appeared on their debut album “Shotgun” in 1965 and because of its success was repeated on the following album. The record sleeve pictured a running bird similar to the Road Runner cartoon character, part of the successful Looney Tunes universe at that time.
On The Road	Midnight Train To Georgia	Gladys Knight & The Pips	1973	This song was originally recorded by Jim Weatherly as “Midnight Plane to Houston”. The song got written after a phone call with ‘Charlie’s Angels’ actress Farrah Fawcett telling she was gonna take the midnight plane to Houston to visit her folks. The song got renamed to "Midnight Train To Georgia" when Cissy Houston (Whitney Houston’s mother) recorded it. The rest is history.
On The Road	Come Fly With Me	Frank Sinatra	1958	Co-writer Jimmy Van Heusen had a passion for flying and wrote Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly with Me” specifically for Ol' Blue Eyes in 1958.
On The Road	Airport	Motors	1978	Airport by the Motors, was written by Scottish co-founder Andrew McMaster while living under the Heathrow flightpath.
On The Road	We Can't Fly (radio edit)	Aeroplane	2010	Vito de Luca, a Belgian club DJ and producer, better known as Aeroplane, created together with Belgian fellow DJ Stephen Fasano (The Magician), and Nicole ‘Coco’ Morier the single and album ‘We Can’t Fly’ in 2010.
Hard Times	Shout To The Top!	The Style Council	1984	The Style Council’s frontman and songwriter Paul Weller addresses in his song ‘Shout to the Top’ the turmoil in England at the time their Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, wanted to reduce the power of the trade unions.
Hard Times	Smalltown Boy	Bronski Beat	1984	The song “Small town boy” is a semi-autobiographical story of Jimmy Somerville, the lead singer of Bronski Beat. “Smalltown Boy” discusses the oppression and mistreatment of closeted gay youths in Scotland during the 1980s.
Hard Times	Parklife	Blur	1994	Damon Albarn, frontman of the band Blur, was inspired by the novel "London Fields” for Parklife. The song and video won numerous awards in England but went nowhere in the US (maybe it was too British). The band asked British actor Phil Daniels doing the verses as they were big fans of his film, Quadrophenia, where he played a young working-class mod, named Jimmy. Another mod that featured in the movie was Sting as “Ace Face” who had a job as a bellboy in a Brighton hotel.
Hard Times	While You See A Chance	Steve Winwood	1980	Steve Winwood had known success as a member of The Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith and Traffic. When he went solo and was living in rural England, Will Jennings wrote him this song in the spirit of the old English saying "Fake it till you make it."
Hard Times	Slippery People	Talking Heads	1983	“Slippery People” by the Talking Heads from 1983 could well be referring to the charismatic preachers and the congregations that they lead. The American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group The Staple Singers, with civil rights activist, Mavis Staples, recorded the song in 1984.
Hard Times	Feeling Good	Nina Simone	1965	Nina Simone’s mother was a Methodist preacher. Nina became an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her 1965 version of this Broadway musical song ‘feeling good’ became one of her best known songs. The message of joy and contentment after hard times translated well to Simone's vocal stylings.
Hard Times	365 jours	Oxmo Puccino	2009	Oxmo Puccino is a French hip hop musician born in Mali as Abdoulaye Diarra. 365 Jours deals with the perception of time with age: Born in the morning, major at noon, old at 8 pm.
Hard Times	I Need Never Get Old	Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats	2015	This is a song by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats from 2015 before he founded The Marigold Project that supports community and non-profit organisations working on issues of economic, racial and social justice.
Hard Times	Débranche	France Gall	1987	"Débranche" ("Loosen-up") by France Gall was released in the mid-eighties when she joined Chanteurs Sans Frontières and Action Écoles for the benefit of Ethiopia and other African countries where famine and drought prevailed. "débrancher" basically means "unplug" or "turn off", but it was also a trendy term in the 80's for "chill out" or "relax". This beautiful song was written by her husband Michel Berger, who was a songwriter and singer. Her father, the lyricist Robert Gall, wrote songs for Édith Piaf and Charles Aznavour. After they married on 22 June 1976,, Gall only sang songs written by Berger until his death in 1992.
Hard Times	This World Today Is a Mess	Donna Hightower	1974	Missouri born Donna Hightower settled in the sixties in France, then Belgium and finally in Madrid and won in 1971 the Costa del Sol International Song Festival.
Hard Times	Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves	Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin	1985	"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a modern feminist anthem, written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. It featured on both Eurythmics' and Aretha Franklin's albums of 1985.
Hard Times	Only the Strong Survive	Jerry Butler	1968	"Only the Strong Survive" is a song by Jerry Butler, a successful songwriter of numerous big R&B hits in the sixties.
Hard Times	Hey, Hey, Rise Up	Pink Floyd	2022	British rock legends Pink Floyd reunited to write their first new track in almost three decades “Hey Hey Rise Up”.“Hey, Hey, Rise Up”. It is inspired by Andriy Khlyvnyuk’s Instagram post. Khlyvnyuk – whose band BoomBox had performed with David Gilmour in 2015, had joined the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces and made a recording singing the Ukrainian folk song “Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow” while on the front lines in Kyiv against the Russian invasion. The track was recorded on March 30, 2022, and released a week later.
Hard Times	A Change Is Gonna Come	Sam Cooke	1964	A year after hearing Dylan’s “Blowing in the wind”, Sam Cooke wrote in 1964 “A Change Is Gonna Come”, a protest song to support the civil rights movement for Black Americans equality. The song was released as a single a few months after Cooke was fatally shot at a Los Angeles motel.
Hard Times	What's Going On	Marvin Gaye	1971	"What's Going On" was written by three Motown hitmakers and golfing buddies: Al Cleveland, Four Tops member Renaldo "Obie" Benson and singer Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye’s lyrics were inspired by stories his brother Frankie told him when he came back from the Vietnam War. "What's Going On" was an expression he used to greet his friends.
Hard Times	Mad World	Tears For Fears	1983	Tears For Fears' first UK hit ‘Mad World’ was written by Roland Orzabal when he was as a 19 year old unemployed boy living with his girlfriend in Bath, watching people go about their daily routine, having to work, nine to five, for a living.
Hard Times	Stand by Me	Playing for Change	2009	"Stand By Me" was the name of a gospel hymn written in 1905. Playing For Change, is a multimedia music project, founded in 2002, and featuring musicians and singers from across the globe. It’s aim is to connect the world through music.
Resist	A quién le importa	Alaska y Dinarama	1986	“A quién le importa” or "Who cares?" written by Carlos Berlanga and “Nacho” Canut in March 1986 and performed by the band ‘Alaska y Dinarama’ with singer María Olvido Gara Jova. The song became a gay anthem by the Spanish language-speaking LGBT community.
Resist	Controversy	Prince	1981	"Controversy" from American musician Prince in 1981. He could not understand the curiosity surrounding him at the time such as his sexuality, gender, religion, and racial background. “my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ” as well as a deep fascination with the afterlife and Judeo-Christian scripture, which he was constantly quoting
Resist	Diamonds	Rihanna	2012	“Diamonds” by Rihanna in 2012. The song's message is to embrace and love yourselves, to do what you love and what makes you happy."
Resist	I Got You (I Feel Good)	James Brown	1964	James Brown reworked the song “I found you” from 1962, added some instrumentation, and recorded this version of "I Got You (I Feel Good)" in October 1965 at the Criteria Studios in North Miami, Florida
Resist	Pressure Drop	The Maytals	1970	The Maytals frontman Toots Hibbert wrote Pressure Drop in the late sixties while his fellow Jamaican musicians had a hard time to make a decent living. He believed that if you do bad things to innocent people, then “pressure is going to drop on you”.
Resist	No Stress	Laurent Wolf	2008	“No Stress” recorded in 2008 by the French house producer and DJ Laurent Wolf, featuring Anggun, an Indonesian-born artist, entertainer and humanitarian activist. Anggun was not only UN Goodwill Ambassador but also joined the Belgian “Make A Wish” foundation to help children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Resist	Résiste	France Gall	1981	France Gall’s "Résiste" is a call to protect one's freedom of choice. Not to blame the political system, but to change the world little by little by changing yourself. It could be considered "feminist" and "revolutionary".
Resist	Resistiré	Duo Dinamico	1988	Inspired by Spanish novelist and Nobel Prize winner, Camilo José Cela's phrase “el que resiste gana”, "Resistiré" (in English: "I Will Resist") by Spanish group Dúo Dinámico from 1988, became the anthem of resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, being played in many cities and neighborhoods of the country to encourage the workers of the Spanish Health System.
Resist	I Saved The World Today	Eurythmics	1999	This hit from the Eurythmics (the duo of Annie Lennox with Dave Stewart) deals with the idea of all the problems and the million things to solve. The song from 1999 tells our mind can't cope with all that information and puts us at risk of many ridiculous mental problems.
Resist	Bright Side Of The Road	Van Morrison	1979	Van Morrison wrote the uplifting, almost spiritual song “Bright Side of the Road” in 1979 in answer to James Carr’ soul song, “Dark End of the Street” from 1967 (written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman). George Ivan Morrison was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on August 31, 1945; his mother was a singer, while his father ardently collected classic American jazz and blues recordings. At 15, he quit school to join the local R&B band the Monarchs, touring military bases throughout Europe before returning home to form his own group, Them. Plagued for some time by chronic stage fright.
Resist	White Room	Cream	1968	Cream in 1968 and "white room", one of the rooms in poet and writer Pete Brown’s apartment where he was trying to come to terms with various things that were going on.
Resist	Pills	Selah Sue	2022	“Pills” by the so talented Belgian pop and soul artist Selah Sue, born Sanne Putseys, telling her story about the numbing effects antidepressants can have on her.
Resist	Bad Day	Carmel	1983	“Bad day” from the band “Carmel” with singer Carmel McCourt, much appreciated by the French as the new Edith Piaf after the release of the album ‘Strictly Piaf’.
Resist	Survivor (blade runnaz remix)	The blade runnaz remix of destiny’s child’s song survivor.	2006	The blade runnaz remix of destiny’s child’s song survivor.
Resist	When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going	Billy Ocean	1985	Billy Ocean’s single “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going” became the theme song for the 1985 movie “The Jewel of the Nile”, a romantic adventure comedy featuring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito.
at the movies	Theme From "Shaft"	Isaac Hayes	1971	"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971 for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie Shaft. The theme describes the character of John Shaft and Isaac Hayes became the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
at the movies	Across 110th Street	Bobby Womack	1973	New York City’s “110th Street” is the traditional dividing line between Harlem and Central Park that functioned as an informal boundary of race and class in the 1970s. The 1972’s movie title song, written and performed by Bobby Womack, was later featured in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 homage ‘Jackie Brown’.
at the movies	Everybody Needs Somebody to Love	The Blues Brothers	1980	This song was originally recorded in 1964 by one of the founding fathers of soul music, Solomon Burke and since then covered by many other artists. In the 1980 American musical comedy film “The Blues Brothers”, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” is sung by Saturday Night Live stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as The Blues Brothers.
at the movies	Ghostbusters	Ray Parker Jr.	1984	The movie “Ghostbusters”, co-written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, was released in 1984. Aykroyd had initially conceived it as a project starring himself and John Belushi, who died in 1982. The theme song, "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr., became a number-one hit.
at the movies	Don't You (Forget About Me)	Simple Minds	1985	Scottish rock band Simple Minds released their number one hit single "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in 1985. They had been reluctant to record the song which was written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff for the 1985 American coming-of-age movie “The Breakfast Club”.
at the movies	Pinball Wizard	Elton John	1975	The original song "Pinball Wizard" is written by Pete Townshend, member of the English rock band the Who, for their 1969 rock opera album “Tommy”. “Tommy” is about a "psychosomatically deaf, mute, and blind" boy who becomes a pinball champion and a religious leader. In 1975 Ken Russell produced the film version of the Who's rock opera Tommy where Elton John performs this song. It’s among the first films to be released with Dolby-encoded soundtracks.
at the movies	Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life	Monty Python	1979	Monty Python's Life of Brian, is a 1979 British comedy film telling the story of a young Jewish-Roman man who is born on the same day as Jesus, and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah. Some countries like Ireland, Norway and Italy banned the showing of the movie. Monty Python member Eric Idle wrote the song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" which appears at the end of the film. The rest is history ..
at the movies	Everybody's Talkin'	Nilsson	1968	“Everybody’s Talkin' ” sung by Harry Nilsson is the title song for the 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy”. Nilsson had earlier discovered this song written and performed by Fred Neil in 1966. Nilsson's version later also appeared on the soundtrack of the 1994 film “Forrest Gump”.
at the movies	You're the One That I Want	John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John	1978	This world hit was released in May 1978 as the second single from the Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture “Grease” with John Travolta as Danny Zuko, leader of the T-Birds, and his girlfriend Sandy Olsson, played by Olivia Newton-John. Rest in peace dear Liv. They were the subject of persistent romance rumours after they steamed up screens in 1978’s “Grease.” Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta never got physical while filming the movie musical, and instead went on to share a 44-year friendship that remained strictly platonic.
at the movies	Stayin' alive	Bee Gees	1977	Another world hit released in 1977 as the second single from the Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture “Saturday Night Fever”, featuring John Travolta as Tony Manero a 19-year-old Italian-American from Brooklyn, New York, who spends his weekends dancing and drinking at a local discothèque where he is king of the dance floor. “Stayin’ Alive”, written and performed by the Bee Gees, has a disco beat of 120 beats per minute which coincides the heartbeat of your heart when you're excited. A study on medical professionals found that the quality of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is better when thinking about the beat of "Stayin' Alive". Bee Gees manager and film producer Robert Stigwood had signed a million dollar deal with John Travolta in 1976.
at the movies	Flashdance...What A Feeling	Irene Cara	1983	American singer and actress Irene Cara Escalera (born in The Bronx, New York on March 18, 1959) co-wrote the song "Flashdance... What a Feeling". She had already become a star since her performance in the 1980 hit film “Fame”. For the movie “Flashdance” in 1984 she worked with Keith Forsey on the lyrics and Giorgio Moroder for the music composition.
at the movies	A Brand New Day (Everybody Rejoice)	The Wiz Stars	1978	The Wiz is a 1978 American musical adventure fantasy film directed by Sidney Lumet, featuring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.The story is based on the children's novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. The adapted 1978 movie version follows the adventures of Dorothy Gale, a shy, twenty-four-year-old Harlem schoolteacher who finds herself magically transported to the urban fantasy Land of Oz, which resembles a dream version of New York City. "A Brand New Day", also known as "Everybody Rejoice", is written by Luther Vandross.
at the movies	Over the Rainbow	Judy Garland	1939	At the age of sixteen, Judy Garland played the role of Dorothy Gale in the 1939 cinematic adaptation of The Wizard of Oz where she performed this ballad "Over the Rainbow". She received the Academy Juvenile Award for it. Fifteen years later she received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in “A Star Is Born”.
at the movies	Evergreen (Love Theme from"A Star Is Born")	Barbra Streisand	1976	"Evergreen" (also called "Love Theme from A Star Is Born") is the theme song from the the film “A Star Is Born”. Composer, performer and actress Barbara Streisand received an Academy, a Grammy and a Golden Globe Award for it. The 1976 version is a remake of the 1937 original picture, which had also been adapted in 1954 as a musical starring Judy Garland, and again in 2018 starring Lady Gaga.
at the movies	Hero	Family of the Year	2012	"Hero" is a song by American band Family of the Year and written by Joseph Keefe. It was used first in the 2012 comedy ‘Thanks for sharing’ and was prominently used in the 2014 epic coming-of-age drama ‘Boyhood’. Director Richard Linklater filmed from 2002 until 2013 the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr., played by Ellar Coltrane.
at the movies	In The Death Car	Iggy Pop	1993	"In the Deathcar" comes from the 1993 comedy drama “Arizona Dream” composed by Sarajevo born, Goran Bregović, starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis and Faye Dunaway. "In the Deathcar" is a variation of Enrico Macias song "Solenzara” sung by Iggy Pop.
at the movies	Car Wash	Rose Royce	1976	The Los Angeles-based group Rose Royce released in 1976 their Billboard number one single and movie theme “Car Wash”.
at the movies	Goldfinger	Shirley Bassey	1984	Welsh singer, Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey recorded the theme songs to three James Bond films: Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). The picture “Goldfinger” starring Sean Connery and with music by John Barry received the Oscar for Best Sound Editing.
City 2 City	Nutbush City Limits	Ike & Tina Turner	1973	"Nutbush City Limits" one of the last hits that husband-wife R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner released together August 1973. Tina Turner wrote it to commemorate the rural little village of Nutbush, Tennessee were she grew up.
City 2 City	Hometown Glory	ADELE	2007	Adele wrote this love song to her hometown of West Norwood, South London as a still-at-home teenager.
City 2 City	Goodbye Yellow Brick Road	Elton John	1974	"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, The titular road is a reference to The Wizard of Oz film and book series. Taupin expresses a desire to get back to one's "roots", to leave Oz and get back to his childhood farm in Lincolnshire.
City 2 City	Durham Town	Roger Whittaker	1969	"Durham Town (The Leavin')" is written by British singer Roger Whittaker. The song was released as a single in 1969. Its original title was "The Leaver". Roger was born in Kenya, lived in Ireland for ten years until 2006. He was very successful in Germany and moved to the south of France with his great love Natalie O’Brien.
City 2 City	Streets Of London	Ralph Mctell	1969	The song was inspired by McTell's experiences busking and hitchhiking throughout Europe, especially in Paris and the individual stories are taken from Parisians. McTell was originally going to call the song "Streets of Paris" but eventually London was chosen, because he realised there was another song called "The Poor People of Paris". McTell's song contrasts the common problems of everyday people with those of the homeless, lonely, elderly, ignored and forgotten members of society. McTell left the song off his debut album, Eight Frames a Second, since he regarded it as too depressing.
City 2 City	Georgia On My Mind	Ray Charles	1960	The song was written and first recorded in 1930 band leader Hoagy Carmichael for his sister Georgia Carmichael. Ray Charles, born in Albany, Georgia, made it a #1 hit and today it has become the official song of the state.
City 2 City	L.A. Is My Lady	Frank Sinatra	1964	“L.A. Is My Lady”, recorded in Los Angeles, is the title song of Frank Sinatra’s final solo studio album, released in 1984 and produced by Quincy Jones.
City 2 City	Down town	Petula Clark	1964	English singer Petula Clark and her first US hit "Downtown", written by Tony Hatch after he made his first trip to New York City in 1964.
City 2 City	Empire State of Mind	Jay-Z & Alicia Keys	2009	This song was originally from Brooklyn-native singer/songwriter Angela Hunte who lived in the same building where Jay-Z lived. Jay-Z penned new verses mentioning Angela’s place "560 State Street" and claiming “I'm the new Sinatra”.
City 2 City	New York, New York	Frank Sinatra	1979	Frank Sinatra’s 1979 version of the theme song "New York, New York" is amongst the best-known songs about New York City. It’s is written by John Kander and Fred Ebb for Martin Scorsese’s movie starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro and praising the "City that never sleeps".
City 2 City	Big City Life	Mattafix	2005	This song is about the hard life in a metropolitan city. It explains how living is hard, and how everyone's on the move. The British band Mattafix won with “Big City Life” the Polish ‘Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix‘ in 2006.
City 2 City	Bruxelles je t’aime	Angèle	2021	"Bruxelles je t'aime" (transl. Brussels I love you) is a song by Belgian singer-songwriter Angèle, born in 1995 in Ukkel as Angèle Joséphine Aimée Van Laeken. She composed "Bruxelles je t'aime" during the first COVID lockdown to express her love for her hometown where all her family and childhood friends live. The song was released in October 2021. While she might miss her home city, she mainly lives in Paris.
City 2 City	Il Est Cinq Heures, Paris S'eveille	Jacques Dutronc	1968	"Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille" (English: "It is five o'clock, Paris awakens") takes inspiration from song by Marc-Antoine Madeleine Désaugiers: "Tableau de Paris à cinq heures du matin" in 1802, Jacques Dutronc and Jacques Lanzmann modernised the lyrics with less soothing scenes of trucks, cars and strippers and reexamined familiar Parisian landmarks in the sixties. Thomas Dutronc, his son, recorded in 2007 “J’aime plus Paris”. In 2022 father and son recorded together a new version of "Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille".
City 2 City	Twist à Saint-Tropez	Les Chats Sauvages	1961	Les Chats Sauvages (The Wild Cats) with Dick Rivers (Hervé Forneri) on vocals was one of the first rock and roll bands in France formed in 1961. The song is a hymn to the crazy nights at Saint-Tropez, at that time a small port on the French Riviera.
City 2 City	Summer in the City	The Lovin' Spoonful	1966	Here’s another song talking about nightlife but in a big city during a hot summer. The Lovin’ Spoonful released “Summer in the City” in July 1966. Based on his younger brother Mark’s poem, founder John Sebastian wrote the song together with base player Steve Boone. They added sound effects to mimic the city noises.
City 2 City	Barcelona	Freddie Mercury	1988	The Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe requested her friend Freddie Mercury to write a song about her hometown Barcelona, which he did. Montserrat Caballe performed it at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games opening ceremony with Freddie Mercury’s vocals on a backing track since he had recently died from AIDS.
City 2 City	We're From Barcelona	I'm From Barcelona	2006	'I'm from Barcelona’ is a Swedish 29 member band from south of Sweden. The song "We’re From Barcelona" is an homage to the Spanish waiter Manuel, a character on BBC Television comedy series Fawlty Towers with John Cleese stating: "He’s from Barcelona".
City 2 City	Amsterdam	Jacques Bel	1964	The legendary grand Jacques Brel live in the Paris Olympia in 1964. He first wrote this song about the sailors sailors on shore leave situated in Belgian port of Zeebrugge, but moved to Amsterdam as "it sounded better to the ear".
City 2 City	On My Way to Harlem	Gregory Porter	2012	Gregory Porter born and raised in California by his mother who encouraged him: "Sing, baby, sing! He moved on and performed at Harlem club St. Nick's Pub.
OMG	One of Us	Joan Osborne	1995	"One of Us" is a song by American singer Joan Osborne written by Eric Bazilian, released on November 21, 1995. The song is about the personification of a God and how you would deal with it. Hence the many questions in the song. The lyrics end by “Nobody callin' on the phone 'Cept for the Pope, maybe, in Rome” – I wonder which number she dialled?
OMG	Superstar	Murray Head & Jesus Christ Superstar Original Cast	1973	Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera written by Tim Rice and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber about the psychology of Jesus and other characters. In 1970 they released it as a concept album featuring Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) singing as Jesus. In 1971 it came on-stage on Broadway and eventually in 1973 a movie was filmed in the Holy Land itself (in Israel) featuring Ted Neeley playing Jesus and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene. Jesus Christ Superstar was initially considered by some as ultimate blasphemy. Eventually it became a spiritual “Sesame Street” used to teach children spirituality since children can relate to the story and the music. For many it was their first theatre production to see.
OMG	I Don't Know How to Love Him	Yvonne Elliman	1973	Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene in the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” was one of the few cast members to have performed on the original record, original Broadway production and the movie. Both, Helen Reddy and Yvonne Elliman released the single "I Don't Know How to Love Him" in 1971 and concurrently reached the Top 40.
OMG	Are You Gonna Go My Way	Lenny Kravitz	1993	Maybe some of you are too young to have known Lenny Kravitz. However, this was one of his greatest hits. “Are You Gonna Go My Way” is one of the biggest anthems of the 1990s and also appears in video games like Gran Turismo and Guitar Hero. In the song, Lenny refers to Jesus Christ, as "the ultimate rock star." It's about how God gives choice to man about where to turn.
OMG	Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)	Kate Bush	1985	The song “Running up that hill” was originally titled "A Deal with God". British singer-song writer Kate Bush considered making "a deal with God" was more powerful than “a deal with the Devil” and can create a greater understanding between men and women. The song was first released in 1985, it got a remix in 2012 for the London Olympics and re-entered the UK Singles Chart as #1 in June 2022 after its appearance in an episode of the BBC series “Stranger Things”. It made Kate Bush at age 63 the oldest female artist to top the UK singles chart.
OMG	Laughing With	Regina Spektor	2009	Regina Spektor is a Russian Jew immigrated to New York. Sometimes she is really positive about religion and sometimes she can really be sarcastic about it. “Laughing With” she wrote a couple of years before she released the song on her album “Far” in 2009.
OMG	Whenever God Shines His Light	Van Morrison	1989	Whenever God Shines His Light is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and released on his 1989 album Avalon Sunset as a duet with Cliff Richard. the most manifest example of Morrison's Christian commitment, it works as a testament of faith. Have I Told You Lately is a romantic ballad written and recorded by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison in 1989. “Van the Man” wrote it as a prayer and relationship with God.
OMG	Reverence	Faithless	1995	'Reverence’ is the title song of the debut album of Faithless, released in April 1996. Frontman Maxi Jazz, born Maxwell Fraser, introduces himself as the Grand Oral Disseminator, or GOD … two years later he claimed GOD is a DJ. Jazz peacefully passed away on 23 December this year at age 65. Rest in peace Maxwell.
OMG	Lift Me Up	Moby	2005	“Lift me up” by Moby in 2005, singing the chorus line: "Lift me up, higher now, Ama.". God names such as Buddha, Jehovah, Allah, and Krishna, all have an 'ah' sound in common that Moby was trying to emulate. It’s about how religious leaders and political leaders play upon people's willingness to lose themselves in said atavistic, tribal, collective, irrational behaviour.
OMG	Life	Des'ree	1998	“Life” from and by Des’ree with lyrics and rhymes voted as the "worst ever pop lyric" in a 2007 BBC poll.
OMG	Stairway To Heaven	Led Zeppelin	1971	"Stairway To Heaven" is a legendary song from British band Led Zeppelin, featuring on their fourth studio album from 1971. Written by frontman Robert Plant with music composed by their lead guitarist Jimmy Page. It is one of the most famous rock songs of all time. Rumour has it "to have hidden messages" but maybe Plant was only inspired by books like “Magic Arts in Celtic Britain” and “The Lord Of The Rings” or recent events like the death of Janis Joplin. And then there was also the controversy about the song's opening riff compared to the instrumental song "Taurus" from the band “Spirit”.
OMG	Mercedes Benz	Janis Joplin	1971	"Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin, one of the last tracks she ever recorded as she died three days later, on October 4, 1970.
OMG	Sympathy for the Devil	The Rolling Stones	1968	"Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger wrote it inspired by the novel “The Master and Margarita” where the devil shows up in Stalinist Russia. He gives everybody what they want but no one believes he’s real. The Rolling Stones muses Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg played also a role in the conception of the song and not only for their backing vocals.
OMG	Personal Jesus	Depeche Mode	1989	Depeche Mode and “Personal Jesus” is from 1989. The lyrics are inspired by Priscilla Presley’s book about Elvis, her man and her mentor. Founding member, singer and guitar player, Martin Gore wrote the song.
OMG	It's a beautiful day	U2	2000	‘I’’s a beautiful day’ written by U2’s frontman Bono in 2000 is about losing everything but still finding joy in what one has. The lyrics were inspired by Bono's experience with Jubilee 2000, which was set up with the sole aim of urging politicians to drop the Third World Debt. R.E.M.'s frontman Michael Stipe wished he had written it.
OMG	Everybody Hurts	R.E.M.	1992	“Everybody Hurts” was written by R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry before he left the band to become a farmer. The “ultra melancholic ballad" from 1993 is an anti-suicide song reaching out to people who feel they have no hope and especially aimed at teenagers. Michael Stipe stated to be proud that R.E.M. created a song that actually saved lives.
OMG	Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down	Eiric Bibb, Rory Block & Maria Muldaur	2004	“Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down” is co-written by Eric Bibb and Charlotte Höglund. Songwriter Eva Charlotte Höglund, born (on June 9, 1964) in Sweden these days serves as pastor in a missionary community. In 2018, Eric Bibb recorded in Sweden with his wife Ulrika an album ‘PRAY SING LOVE’.
OMG	Human	Rag'n'Bone Man	2006	“Human” was released as a digital download on 21 July 2016 and won a Brit Award for British Single of the Year in 2018. Rag’n’Bone Man being “only human after all” and only the “Lord in heavens above” can resolve some of the issues people face.
OMG	We're Only People (And There's Not Much Anyone Can Do About That)	Father John Misty	2018	Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. “We're Only People” is the closing track of his 2018 album “ God's Favorite Customer” Father John Misty is known for his satire he puts in his songs.
OMG	Creep	Vega Choir	1992	I am not a Radiohead fan, so forgive me to present you a cover song by Vega Choir from Malmö in Sweden. Here’s looking at you Mark Zuckerburg! The original 1992 song “Creep” from Radiohead written by Thom Yorke, is supposed to be a happy song about "recognizing what you are" but it is also about social alienation. Yorke based this on a song called "The Air That I Breathe" which was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood in 1972. After "Creep" was released, Radiohead agreed to share the songwriting royalties, so this is credited to Yorke, Hammond and Hazlewood.
OMG	The Air That I Breathe	Albert Hammond	1973	“The Air That I Breathe” written and performed by Albert Hammond shortly after he moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Co-writer Mike Hazlewood stated it referred to the smog, for Hammond it referred to a girl that gave him shelter. Hammond recorded a Spanish version in 1976 called "Necesito poder respirar." The Hollies recorded the song in 1974 with success.
OMG	He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother	The Hollies	1969	“He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother” is a ballad written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. It was recorded in June 1969 at the Abbey Road Studios, with Allan Clarke on lead vocals and Elton John playing the piano. The title phrase goes back to “The Parables of Jesus” a book of 1884 and the story of a little girl carrying a big baby boy. Seeing her struggling, someone asked if she wasn't tired. With surprise she replied: "No, he's not heavy; he's my brother."
OMG	Run Shaker Life	The Voices of East Harlem	1971	The Voices of East Harlem was an African-American energetic young vocal ensemble of black adolescents (aged between 12 and 21). Founded as a community initiative in 1969, the group performed with top soul and R&B musicians and recorded four albums in the early and mid-1970s. Issachar Bates is the composer of this original Shaker dance song: "Come Life, Shaker Life" which has nearly identical lyrics as Richie Havens version (1967) "Run, Shaker Life". This recording is of the band’s performance in Ghana at the "Soul to Soul" soul and gospel music concert in 1971.
OMG	Brand New Christmas	Hot Chocolate	1980	Hot Chocolate probably made the most funky Christmas song so far with “Brand New Christmas”, a song from their 1980 album “Class”.
OMG	I'm Going All the Way	Sounds of Blackness	1993	"I'm Going All the Way" by Sounds of Blackness was released in 1993, a year before their very successful album “Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum “.
Wandering	Trains And Boats And Planes	Dionne Warwick	1966	“Trains and Boats and Planes” was written, arranged and conducted by Burt Bacharach with lyrics from Dave Hal. Dionne Warwick recorded her version of the song in 1966.
Wandering	Via Con Me	Paolo Conte	1981	Paolo Conte earned International acclaim in 1981 with his jazzy song “Via Con Me” (Come away with me). The Italian song includes references to nature and landscapes. The rhythm reminds me of a galloping horse. In 2022 a documentary titled “Paolo Conte, Via con me” was released.
Wandering	Voyage Voyage	Desireless	1986	Claudie Fritsch-Mentrop (born 25 December 1952), is the woman behind Desireless (oui, il faut le dire avec un accent français - French pronunciation: [deziʁlɛs]) and the International hit “Voyage Voyage”. This French song from 1986 has been covered in various languages. In Japanese by the female duo Wink and in Spanish by the Mexican boys-band Magneto.
Wandering	Marrakesh Express	Crosby, Stills & Nash	1969	"Marrakesh Express" written by Graham Nash while he was still a member of the English rock band The Hollies but released by the band Crosby, Stills and Nash (CSN) in May 1969. Nash describes in the song his train ride from Casablanca to Marrakesh during his holiday in Morocco in 1966.
Wandering	City To City	Gerry Rafferty	1978	Gerry Rafferty released in 1978 an album titled “City To City” with a couple of numbers inspired by his long distance commuting. The album was released outside the UK with a slightly higher pitch than the actual recording speed. In this title song the night train is carrying Rafferty home to his daughter Martha.
Wandering	I.G.Y.	Donald Fagen	1982	The song ‘I.G.Y.’ is a look back at the “International Geophysical Year” from 1957 to 1958 (the year of the World Exposition in Brussels) of scientists trying to improve the world through technology. Musically, this is also the brilliant opening track to his 1982 album, The Nightfly from Donald Fagen. Donald Fagen describes a futuristic world like a transatlantic tunnel (Ninety minutes from New York to Paris: More leisure for artists everywhere) and cities fully powered by solar energy.
Wandering	Last Train to Clarksville	The Monkees	1966	"Last Train to Clarksville" was released as the Monkees's debut single on August 16, 1966. It as well featured several times in the band's television series. Because of their TV series, the lyrics remained rather vague meaning it did not explicitly refer to the Vietnam War or army base. Anyway, the story goes they replaced the initial city name Clarkdale by Clarksville because it sounded better. Musically, the songwriting duo Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was inspired by the Beatles, in particular their hit at the time "Paperback Writer".
Wandering	Last Train To London	Electric Light Orchestra	1979	"Last Train to London" is a song from the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It appeared on their disco-inspired successful album Discovery in 1979. Band leader, writer and producer Jeff Lynne was inspired by the time they spent on trains going back and forth from their home town Birmingham to the various TV and radio stations in London.
Wandering	Enjoy the Ride	Morcheeba	2008	Here is some good advice from Morcheeba: “Enjoy the Ride”. Guest vocalist Judie Tzuke wrote the inspiring lyrics like “The day that you stop running Is the day that you arrive”. Tzuke, sticked to her Polish name, and seemed to be familiar with traveling titles. Her first album of 1997 was called “Welcome to the Cruise”. “it’s about accepting who you are in the moment and not trying to distract yourself with everything else – gaining a new understanding of yourself and life.
Wandering	Homeward Bound	Simon & Garfunkel	1966	“Homeward Bound” the American duo Simon & Garfunkel’s second single (after “The Sound of Silence”) in 1966. Paul Simon wrote this song at age 22 when he toured small folk clubs in England and was stuck at a train station. Peter Carlin used the title for his book 'Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon’ released fifty years later in 2016.
Wandering	Adieu Sweet Bahnhof	The Nits	1984	“Adieu Sweet Bahnhof” by Dutch band The Nits in 1984. The title translates “Farewell Sweet Railway Station”. Sitting in a train back to Paris, arriving at the Gare du Nord upon arrival what do you do? Take the metro or jump into a taxi?
Wandering	Joe Le Taxi	Vanessa Paradis	1987	“Joe Le Taxi” is a big hit from Vanessa Paradis when she was still a young teenager (14). The songwriter Estèva Roda Gil used the life of the lesbian Portuguese Maria-José Leao Dos Santos, who he met in a Parisian club and who was a night shift taxi driver. At the beginning of the song you hear Paradis’s destination is “Barbès” which used to be one of the cheapest districts of Paris with a large immigrant population.
Wandering	Low Rider	War	1975	“Low Rider" is a song written by American funk band War in 1975. The vocals are from saxophonist Charles Miller, A low rider is a customized car with a lowered body initially designed by Mexican-American youth in Los Angeles, California, to cruise as slowly as possible,
Wandering	Route Nationale 7	Lunabee	2008	The Belgian “Lunabee” won a cover contest (organized by the Tilt festival & CQFD (Inrocks)) in 2008 with this version of "Route Nationale 7" from Charles Trenet. Trenet drove many times the 996 Km long RN7 that links Paris to the south of France. Lunabee added a dash of salt and a good dose of carbon dioxide to his composition of 1955. Today, most people use the motorways ‘sur l’autoroute des vacances’.
Wandering	Une Belle Histoire	Michel Fugain	1977	Michel Fugain et Le Big Bazar with one of the many songs written by Pierre Delanoë, Un beau roman (Une belle histoire). The romance of two people crossing each other along the motorway. One heading home to the foggy (hazy) north, the other going south.
Wandering	Born To Be Wild	Steppenwolf	1968	“Get your motor runnin' and Head out on the highway” "Born to Be Wild" by the American-Canadian rock band Steppenwolf. The song featured (during the opening credits) in the 1969 road movie “Easy Rider“ about two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South, carrying the proceeds from a cocaine deal.
Wandering	Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time)	Elton John	1972	Rocket Man" (officially titled "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)") is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. Taupin based it on The Illustrated Man, a 1951 collection of 18 science fiction short stories by American writer Ray Bradbury. One of them, “The Rocket Man”, presumably situated in decade 2020-2030 is about a boy missing his astronaut father who often goes to space for periods of three months and is only home for a few days. His mother is no longer attached to her husband for she knows that some day he won't return home.
Wandering	Major Tom (Coming Home)	Peter Schilling	1983	One-hit wonder Peter Schilling, born in Stuttgart, Germany with "Major Tom (Coming Home)" from his 1983 album, ‘Error in the System’. Schilling first released the songs in German: Das Original war “Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst – translated: completely detached)" und das Album ‘Fehler im System’. The song is a retelling of David Bowie's classic (1969) "Space Oddity". Schilling formed in 1995 a new band the Space Pilots and released several remixes of his hit. His songs often feature science-fiction themes like aliens, astronauts and catastrophes. Synthpop was a popular genre in Europe those years …
Wandering	Magic Fly	Space	1977	Space was a French group, created around Didier Marouani (Ecama) and Roland Romanelli, acclaimed for their 1977 synthpop hit “Magic Fly”. The composition initially was for the credits for a program on the first French TV channel, requested by the astrologer Élizabeth Teissier in early 1977. In the official video clip (https://youtu.be/ZavwtJxmqJI) they perform in space suites, no wonder they inspired their compatriots of Daft Punk.
Wandering	Le vent nous portera	Noir Désir	2001	“Le vent nous portera” from the French rock band Noir Désir. The song from 2001 evokes the story of two inseparable characters, whose memories will fly away forever. “Le vent nous portera” meaning “the wind will carry us”. The peaceful style is marked by the participation of Manu Chao on guitar and Akosh S. on bass clarinet marked.
Wandering	Sailing	Rod Stewart	1975	Rod Stewart, as a fan of the Sutherland Brothers, put a cover of their song ‘Sailing’ on his album ‘Atlantic Crossing’, which he recorded in 1975 (at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio). Writer Gavin Sutherland explained the spiritual meaning of the song: "it's an account of mankind's spiritual odyssey through life on his way to freedom and fulfilment with the Supreme Being."
Wandering	Leaving on a Jet Plane	John Denver	1969	John Denver wrote this song at age 23 during a layover at Washington Airport in 1966 as "Babe I Hate To Go". His producer Milt Okun convinced him to rename it as "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in 1967. Okun was also producer of the folk group ‘Peter, Paul and Mary’ and they recorded the song the same year on their LP “Album 1700”. Denver released his version in October ‘69 which caused ‘Peter, Paul and Mary’s belated success. In December ‘69 their version of "Leaving On A Jet Plane" became their only No. 1 single as well as their final top 40 pop hit.
Wandering	I Don't Wanna Die In an Air Disaster	Albert Hammond	1974	Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Albert Hammond wrote “I don't wanna die in an air disaster” when he was young and pretty in 1974. The same year he also released “I’m a train” and one year later he sang “Rivers are for boats to take us sailing, One day we will” …
Wandering	Night Boat To Cairo	Madness	1979	"Night Boat to Cairo" is a song by British ska/pop band Madness from their debut 1979 album One Step Beyond.... Keyboard player Mike Barson composed it as an instrumental, but lead singer Graham McPherson (Suggs) added lyrics. The band often closes their concerts with this song.
Wandering	Vesoul	Jacques Brel	1968	"Vesoul" is a song written, composed and performed by Jacques Brel, released in 1968 on his album “J'arrive”. Brel stayed twice in a hotel in the city of Vesoul in France and was so grateful that he dedicated a song title to it. The song is a mix of musette and swing where Jacques Brel is accompanied by the accordionist Marcel Azzola, The story goes that Brel only had ten minutes left at the recording studio, just enough for two takes. In the second and final take, Marcel Azzola was asked to add a few musical and rhythmic variations from which comes Brel’s expression "chauffe, Marcel, chauffe”.
Wandering	Wand'rin Star	Lee Marvin	1970	"Wand'rin Star" is a song written for the Broadway musical comedy “Paint Your Wagon” of 1951. For the 1969 movie, Nelson Riddle orchestrated and arranged Lee Marvin’s version of the song. The soundtrack became a success and "Wand'rin Star" topped the UK charts in March 1970.
Wandering	Andando	Sidestepper	2000	Sidestepper is a Colombian band from Bogota D.C. started in 1996 by English DJ/producer Richard Blair (born 17 June 1965, London). Richard Blair collaborated with Toto La Momposina. who had arrived in Paris in 1979 as a refugee and performed extensively in Europe, particularly France and Germany. Totó la Momposina, the “Queen of Cumbia”, has dedicated her life to represent the music of Colombia’s Caribbean coastline, where African, indigenous Indian and Spanish cultures mingle to create a unique musical tradition. This original song ‘Andando’ was released on a compilation album ‘Nirvana Lounge - Ethnic Lounge’ in 2003.
Wandering	Spanish Stroll	Willy Deville	1977	“Spanish Stroll” was taken from the 1977 album Cabretta by Mink Deville. Willy Deville, a macho dandy, blended the tracks with the unique New-York Spanish flavour.
Wandering	Walking In Memphis	Marc Cohn	1991	"Walking in Memphis" from the American singer-songwriter Marc Craig Cohn (born July 5, 1959). According to Cohn, the song is "100 percent autobiographical", about a Jewish gospel-music-lover and about more than just a place; it's about a kind of spiritual awakening, one of those trips where you're different when you leave.
Wandering	Home on Monday	Little River Band	1977	"Home on Monday" is a song by the Australian Little River Band, released inv1977. Songwriter Glenn Shorrock sings about the “Las Vegas Hilton”. This hotel was initially ‘The International Hotel’ that opened on July 2, 1969 and where Elvis Presley performed on July 31,1969, the first show of what would become a seven-year run at the hotel. More details about the 636 consecutive sold-out shows you get in the 2022 biographical drama film ‘Elvis’.
Wandering	Heartbreak Hotel	Elvis Presley	1956	Elvis Presley’s "Heartbreak Hotel" recorded with his band, The Blue Moon Boys, ‘Mr Guitar’ Chet Atkins, and the pianist Floyd Cramer in January 1956.
remains	Black Man in a White World	Michael Kiwanuka	2016	Michael Kiwanuka’s song is about his lack of self-esteem because he never really felt fitted in with the stereotypes of black culture.
remains	Going Back To My Roots	Odyssey	1994	"Going Back to My Roots" is a 1977 song by Lamont Dozier, a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the songwriting and production team responsible for much of the Motown sound. The song was written for the African-American market and touches on the matters of self-identity, family, and soul fulfilment.
remains	Alors on dance	Stromae	2009	“Alors On Danse” or “So we dance” the breakthrough single from Stromae in 2009. Wonder-boy Stromae was born as Paul van Haver in Etterbeek, Belgium as son of a Flemish mother and Rwandan Tutsi father. Stromae established himself as sort of a vocal activist and more songs about existential angst and personal trauma’s would follow. Recently, he was awarded as best male artist in France at the “Victoire de la music” for his latest album “Multitude” after a nine year career break.
remains	Fade to grey	Visage	1980	British band Visage and “Fade to grey” released in 1980. Frontman Steve Strange was assisted by the Belgian French spoken Brigitte Arens. Chris Payne wrote this song along with Visage band members Billy Currie and Midge Ure. Family is the key to staying colourful. If you lost the “joix de vivre” without human touch…you eventually may lose your purpose and fade to grey.
remains	Human Nature	Michael Jackson	1982	The song demo was initiated by Toto band members. Steve Porcaro was inspired by bringing comfort to his daughter’s bad experience at school. His fellow keyboard player David Paich added some synthesizer strings to it. The demo got into the hands of producer Quincy Jones and the rest is history.
remains	Don't Look Back In Anger	OASIS	1995	“Don't Look Back In Anger” by OASIS in which the Gallagher brothers recall St Patrick's Day when their Mum would take their picture beside the fireplace to send it to Grandma in Ireland. Noel looked grumpy in these photos, so she told him to take that look from off his face. As stated once by Noel Gallagher, his alcoholic father "beat the talent into him". The song became an anthem of solidarity after the Manchester terrorist attack. Three days after the suicide bomber killed 22 people at the Manchester arena, people gathered in the city centre to observe a minute of silence in honor of the victims. Following the silence, the crowd started singing this tune in an act of camaraderie.
remains	My Father's Eyes	Eric Clapton	1998	Eric Clapton was raised by his grandparents and lost his son Conor in 1991 at age 4. In his song “My Father’s Eyes” of 1998 he tried to describe the parallel between looking into the eyes of his son and seeing the eyes of the father he had never met.
remains	Father & Son	Cat Stevens	1970	Stevens’ father, Stavros Georgiou, owned a restaurant in London, hoping his son Steven would join his family business. But Steven Georgiou pursued a music career. In 1965 he changed his name to "Steve Adams" then to Cat Stevens and adopted the name “Yusuf” when he converted to Islam in December 1977.
remains	Seven Seconds	Youssou N'Dour	1994	"'7 Seconds' is about the first positive 7 seconds in the life of a child just born not knowing about the problems and violence in our world." Three different languages were used in this song: English, French and Wolof, which is a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania.
remains	Born under a bad sign	Richard Hawley	2005	Richard Hawley was born in January 1967, in Sheffield, England. “Born Under A Bad Sign” is one of the lovely retro sounds that Hawley, as the crooner, masters. He tells the story of someone who has had an eventful life and who’s partner needs reassurance, commitment.
remains	Why	Annie Lennox	1992	This was the first single Annie Lennox released after the 1990 breakup of Eurythmics, (her duo with Dave Stewart). She had recently become a mother, her father had died, and she was just getting going as a solo artist.
remains	Les Enfants De Mes Enfants	Claude-Michel Schönberg	1976	“Les Enfants De Mes Enfants” a song from French singer and musical composer Claude-Michel Schönberg. The lyrics go “The children of my children, running in the fields in the middle of the Milky Way, will tell of me while mocking, our grandfather was a singer in a wild and lying World”.
remains	Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)	Pink Floyd	1979	Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) taken from Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera The Wall. Bassist and songwriter Roger Waters reflected on how schooling had been playing a part in his life and ended up with this protest song (against corporal punishment, and rigid and abusive schooling).
remains	Gangsta's Paradise	Coolio	1974	Coolio and "Gangsta's Paradise" of 1995 with a sample of Stevie Wonder’s "Pastime Paradise" and why it has no profanity in it. The song is linked with the autobiographical picture “Dangerous Minds” where Michelle Pfeifer plays the role of LouAnne Johnson, a former marine, teaching a high school class of tough, sullen teenagers.
remains	Games People Play	Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra feat. Marc Almond	1968	“Games People Play” is the bestselling book published in 1964 by Psychiatrist Dr. Eric Berne which uncovered the dynamics of human relationships. The song "Games People Play" written, composed, and originally performed by American singer-songwriter Joe South in August 1968 is a protest song against various forms of hatred, hypocrisy, inhumanity, intolerance, and irresponsibility, in both interpersonal and social interactions between people. Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with vocals by Marc Almond (known from Soft Cell) released this version on their album “Moving Out to the Country” in 2006.
remains	Everybody Wants To Rule The World	Tears For Fears	1985	Tears For Fears’ band member Curt Smith explained that “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” is about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes.
remains	We Didn't Start The Fire	Billy Joel	1989	“We Didn't Start The Fire” from Billy Joel in 1989 is a stream-of-consciousness list of events that Billy Joel felt his generation, the baby boomers, was not responsible for. A lot of the references are to the Cold War (US vs. Russia), a problem his generation, the baby boomers, inherited.
remains	Golden Years	David Bowie	1975	The song utilises elements of 1950s doo-wop and the multi-tracked vocal refrain resembles the Diamonds' 1958 single "Happy Years". The main guitar riff is based on the 1968 Cliff Nobles and Company song "The Horse". Rumour has it that David Bowie wrote the song for Elvis Presley, who just returned a note wishing Bowie good luck.
remains	Superstition	Stevie Wonder	1972	"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, playing Hohner clavinet, drums and Moog Synth Bass. The track was intended for Jeff Beck, who was brought in to play some guitar parts on the album in exchange for a song. Wonder wrote this about the dangers of believing in superstitions. Some of the bad luck superstitions he alludes to include walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror (said to bring seven years of bad luck), and the number 13.
remains	Nothing Rhymed	Gilbert O’Sullivan	1970	According to Irish singer-songwriter O'Sullivan, he wrote the song after seeing film footage of starving children in Africa (during the Nigerian Civil War) on television for the first time. He started as a drummer in a band called Rick's Blues, founded by Rick Davies who later founded Supertramp and who taught O'Sullivan how to play both drums and piano. Hence his style of piano-playing, which often utilises a distinct, percussive piano pattern. O'Sullivan has explained "My left hand is hitting the high hat and the right hand is the snare.
remains	Dreamer	Supertramp	1974	This song was composed by Supertramp’s singer Roger Hodgson on his mother’s Wurlitzer piano at 19. “Dreamer" appeared on British band Supertramp successful album of 1974 “Crime of the Century”. This song is about a guy with big dreams who is incapable of acting on them, so they never come true.
remains	Blame	Gabriels	2021	Gabriels and “Blame” from 2021. The band is named after St. Gabriels Avenue, the street in Sunderland, England that producer Ryan Hope grew up on. They fuse musical styles such as gospel, doo-wop and jazz. Their special recording technique creates a vintage sound with the stunning gospel vocals of Compton’s Jacob Lusk. When examining our life’s problems, we hastily assign blame. 'This happened because of this…' The song ‘Blame’ seeks to examine the construct of not only fault and shame, but take a deep dive into the world of addiction, and indulgence.”
remains	Heaven Is a Place on Earth	Belinda Carlisle	1987	The song is about peace of mind and the hopeful idea you can make your own heaven on your own patch (in your comfort zone). Belinda Carlisle was the lead singer of the all female band the Go-Go’s. The song features Thomas Dolby on keyboards, and among the backing singers were Michelle Phillips (of the Mamas and the Papas) and the song’s writers, Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley.
remains	To My Father's House	The Les Humphries Singers	1970	Englishman Les Humpries lived and worked in Hamburg, Germany, and formed ‘The Les Humphries Singers’ in 1970. “To My Father's House”, a passage from the Bible set to a snappy tune, was their biggest hit in 1970.
remains	Who'll Come With Me (David's Song)	The Kelly Family	1980	The Kelly Family is an Irish-American family music group. In 1965 they settled in Spain and in the seventies the Kelly Kids popularity increased in Spain. They play a repertoire of rock, pop, and folk music, and sing fluently in English, Spanish, German, and Basque. After signing a record contract in Germany their first major chart hit came in 1980, with the song "Who'll Come With Me (David's Song). Family father Dan Kelly, wrote the lyrics for the instrumental composed by Vladimir Cosma. His twelve year old son John Kelly performed as lead singer.
remains	Beautiful People	Melanie	1969	Melanie Safka (Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk), an American singer and songwriter, born 3 February 1947 in Astoria, New York City, USA. She was a flower child of the Flower Power era and had her breakthrough at 18 during the Woodstock festival. The inspiration for "Beautiful People" came during a New York City blackout that happened in Melanie's childhood. "It was dark," Melanie said. "There were old people in the building. (OK, maybe they were in their 40s, but they seemed old at the time.)" Melanie handed candles out during the emergency. "The evening was magical," she recalls. "It was anything but cold and uncaring, which was New York's reputation. Days after the blackout, on the subway, I was thinking, 'beautiful people caring from the heart.'"
remains	In My Life	Beatles	1965	“In my Life” a masterpiece by Lennon–McCartney with George Martin delivering the piano solo bridge. Autobiographical lyrics talking about people from Lennon’s childhood and younger years.
remains	One day like this	Elbow	2008	Elbow’s lead singer Guy Garvey had the chorus line lyric for several years in his diary: "one day like this a year would see me right". The band’s 2009 BRIT Award and 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony appearance gave the single an extra boost into the charts.
remains	The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan	Marianne Faithfull	1979	“The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan” was originally recorded by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show in 1975. Shel Silverstein wrote this song, which is about a woman who lives a comfortable, middle class lifestyle, but goes crazy. In 1979 English singer Marianne Faithfull released her version with a happy end interpretation of the song. The woman gets taken away by "the man who reached and offered her his hand" and in a "long white car" (an ambulance) rides along to a psychiatric hospital.
remains	Everybody's Got To Learn Sometimes	The Korgis	1980	Korgis’ member James Warren on vocals and bass, at the time, was very into Buddhist philosophy. Back in 1980 he pleaded in this song to break away from your social conditioning (oops how is this possible today) and to look at the world as if you were looking at it for the first time without any preconceptions. The lyrics are about changing fundamentally the way we look at life, the way we look at other people. Change your heart and look at the world with completely fresh eyes, not with the eyes of our social conditioning.
remains	I Shall Be Released	Nina Simone	1968	With "I Shall Be Released" Bob Dylan wrote his very own ‘prison song’. In 1967 he recorded it first in collaboration with the Band during the Basement Tapes sessions. Four years later in 1971 Dylan recorded an new version with altered arrangement and lyrics. Nick Cave once told he thinks Nina Simone sings other artist’s tracks better than her own. Indeed, in her version of Dylan’s song she is again moving like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.
remains	Green Green Grass Of Home	Tom Jones	1966	Nashville songwriter Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. wrote in 1964 this song that was inspired by a crime scene in John Huston’s film noir “The Asphalt Jungle” of 1950. “Green Green Grass Of Home” was Tom Jones' biggest hit in the UK. Welshman Tom Jones learned the song from Jerry Lee Lewis, while staying in New York in 1965. But there exist of course many other cover versions and interpretations in different languages: Afrikaans ("Groene Velde Van My Land"), Czech, Danish ("Det grønne græs"), French, German (‘Der Weg zurück nach Haus'), Portuguese (“Os Verdes Campos Da Minha Terra”), Serbian ("Zelena trava doma mog"), Swedish ("En sång en gång för länge sen") and so on, and so on. I couldn’t find a Spanish version though … In 1967 Dalida called it “Les grilles de ma maison” (the gates or bars of my house) while Nana Mouskouri (and Les Compagnons de la Chanson) called it "Le toit de ma maison" (the roof of my house). Maybe Dalida felt more imprisoned after attempting to take her life.
remains	New World In The Morning	Roger Whittaker	1971	On the album with the same name, Whittaker seems to be obsessed by mornings. He’s got four consecutive titles: “Early One Morning”, “Morning Please Don’t Come”, “New World in the Morning” and “Good Morning Starshine”.
remains	What A Difference A Day Makes	Esther Phillips	1975	“What a Diff'rence a Day Made", also recorded as "What a Difference a Day Makes" is a song with a long history. It was originally written in Spanish by María Joaquina Grever, a Mexican songwriter, in 1934 with the title "Cuando vuelva a tu lado". American songwriter Stanley Adams translated the song into "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes". Orquesta Pedro Vía first recorded it in 1934. Thirty years later in 1964 it was recorded by the Trio Los Panchos with Eydie Gormé. Meanwhile, in 1959, Dinah Washington won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance with her version of the song. It was Esther Phillips that made her comeback in 1975 with this disco version.
Funky Beach	Walking On Sunshine	Katrina & The Waves	1983	English rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Kimberley Rew wrote “Walking on Sunshine" for his rock band ‘Katrina and the Waves' in 1983. In 1997, Katrina and the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom with another of Rew’s composition "Love Shine a Light".
Funky Beach	Happy	Pharrell Williams	2013	Pharrell made the world “Happy” in 2014 with this feel-good anthem. The song soared to #1 in 35 countries—it was the best selling song of 2014. Originally, Pharrell intended Cee Lo Green to sing the song—but things didn’t work out. “Happy” is repeated 56 times over the course of the song.
Funky Beach	H.A.P.P.Y. Radio	Edwin Starr	1979	"H.A.P.P.Y. Radio" is a 1979 disco song written, produced and recorded by soul singer Edwin Starr.
Funky Beach	Yeke Yeke	Mory Kante	1987	Guinean recording artist Mory Kanté released “Yé ké yé ké" in 1987 as a single from his album “Akwaba Beach”. The lyrics are in Mandinka and adapted from a traditional song called "Yekeke". 'Yekeke' is the sound that young girls, approaching the age of marriage, make when they dance and flirt with each other through music.
Funky Beach	Poppa Joe	Sweet	1971	The Sweet and ‘Poppa Joe’ in 1971 is one of the many songs by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. The Sweet, with their blond haired frontman Andy Scott and talented bass player Steve Priests, is one of the best glam rock bands of the seventies.
Funky Beach	Sunflower	Glen Campbell	1977	"Sunflower" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. It was released in June 1977. Neil Diamond did not release his own version of this song until late 2018, when it was included the release of his 50th Anniversary Collectors Edition 6-CD set.
Funky Beach	Good Vibrations	Beach Boys	1966	Glen Campbell played lead guitar on the final recording of ‘Good Vibrations’. Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love wrote the lyrics as a kind of a flower power poem. Brian Wilson composed it while on LSD, which explains why the song is the musical embodiment of a spectacular acid trip. The unusual, high-pitched sound in the song was produced using an electro-theremin.
Funky Beach	Sunshine Superman	Donovan	1966	More sixties psychedelic pop from Scottish singer-songwriter "Sunshine Superman": Donovan. Session guitarist Jimmy Page (The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin) played the lead guitar, employing an innovative use of the volume control on his guitar for the repeating figure during the verses.
Funky Beach	All I Wanna Do	Sheryl Crow	1993	Sheryl Crow closely based her lyrics of this song on the poem "Fun" by Wyn Cooper, which starts with the phrase “'All I want do do is have a little fun before I die." "All I Wanna Do" was her breakthrough hit and won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Funky Beach	Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In	The Fifth Dimension	1969	This song "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is a medley of songs taken form the 1967 American Tribal Love Rock Musical "Hair" and released as a single by American group the “5th Dimension”. This song was one of the most popular songs of 1969 worldwide and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group in 1970. In the documentary "Summer of Soul" about the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, the story behind the unusual way they stumbled into recording "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In," is told by band members Billy Davis Jr. and his wife Marilyn McCoo.
Funky Beach	Funkin' For Jamaica (ft. Toni Smith)	Tom Browne	1980	"Funkin' for Jamaica (N. Y.)" is a 1980 single by jazz trumpeter Tom Browne with vocals performed by Toni Smith (Thomassina Carrollyne Smith), who also helped compose the song. . The single is a memoir of the neighbourhood in the New York City borough of Queens where Browne was born and raised. Browne got the idea for the song while he was at his parents' home.
Funky Beach	Dreadlock Holiday	10cc	1978	10cc’s Internationally acclaimed reggae hit "Dreadlock Holiday" from their album, Bloody Tourists of 1978. The song lyrics are inspired by real experiences in Barbados and Jamaica.
Funky Beach	Kingston Kingston	Lou & The Hollywood Bananas	1978	The Belgian project “Lou & The Hollywood Bananas” added in 1978 some ska style to their reggae hit “Kingston Kingston”. The lyrics go: “C'est l'hiver à Paris - Paris la pluie et l'ennui - Mais ici plus d' soucis“ meaning: “winter in Paris, rain and boredom but here no worries” Lou Deprijck is the mastermind behind ‘Two Man Sound’, ‘Plastic Bertrand’ and ‘Viktor Lazlo’, one of the “Hollywood Bananas”.
Funky Beach	Three Little Birds	Bob Marley & The Wailers	1980	Bob Marley based the song “Three Little Birds” on his observations around him, such as the pretty canaries flying around his home.
Funky Beach	Sunshine Reggae	Laid Back	1982	"Sunshine Reggae" is a song written and recorded by Danish electronic music duo Laid Back. It was originally released as a single in 1982 and released on their second album Keep Smiling (1983).
Funky Beach	Jamaica Farewell	Harry Belafonte	1956	Many of Harry Belafonte’s hits are Caribbean folk songs. The lyrics of "Jamaica Farewell" were written by Lord Burgess (Irving Burgie), an American-born, half-Barbadian songwriter. It is about the beauties of the West Indian Islands. The line "ackee, rice, saltfish is nice" refers to the Jamaican national dish.
Funky Beach	Isla en el Sol (Island In the Sun)	Julio Iglesias	1981	Harry "King of Calypso" Belafonte wrote "Island In The Sun" about simple life on a Caribbean island. The island is a fictional Caribbean one named Santa Marta. Julio Iglesias adapted the song in Spanish for his 1981 album ‘De Niña a Mujer’ (English: From a Child to a Woman) dedicated to his daughter Chábeli.
Funky Beach	La Isla Bonita	Madonna	1987	"La Isla Bonita" or "The Beautiful Island" from Madonna in 1987. She considers it a "A tribute to the beauty and mystery of Latin American people." The location of San Pedro is unclear and goes from a Los Angeles’ neighbourhood to a Belize district. European tourists may know "La Isla Bonita" as La Palma, the most beautiful of the Canary Islands!
Funky Beach	El mismo sol (ft. Jennifer Lopez)	Álvaro Soler	2015	"El mismo sol" (English: The Same Sun) is a 2015 summer hit of Spanish-German singer-songwriter Álvaro Soler. This Spanglish version feature additional lyrics in English and vocals by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez. The lyrics convey an intense will to enjoy and love life, have fun, and travel.
Funky Beach	Vacances, J'oublie Tout	Elegance	1982	“Vacances, J’oublie Tout” by French one hit wonder “Elegance” in 1982. The title says it all: “on holiday, I forget about everything”.
Funky Beach	On The Beach	Chris Rea	1988	"On the Beach" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea that was first released in 1986 and re-recorded in 1988. It is inspired by the Spanish island Formentera off the coast of Ibiza where Rea married his wife Joan Lesley."
Funky Beach	You Are The Sunshine Of My Life	Stevie Wonder	1972	With "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" Stevie Wonder expressed his devotion to his wife Syreeta Wright. Earlier, in 1970, Syreeta had written the lyrics for “"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours". The male vocalist who first sings on the track is Jim Gilstrap, and the female singer who follows is Lani Groves - both were backup singers in his band. Stevie is the third singer heard on the track.
Funky Beach	Mykonos	Fleet Foxes	2008	“Mykonos” by the American indie folk band Fleet Foxes in 2008. The Greek LGBT-friendly island Mykonos's nickname is "The Island of the Winds", due to the very strong winds that usually blow on the island or it it because its vibrant nightlife?
Funky Beach	The Speak Up Mambo (Cuéntame)	The Manhattan Transfer	1977	The original version of “The Speak Up Mambo (Cuentame)” was released in 1955 by Cuban bandleader Al Castellanos and his Orchestra. The Manhattan Transfer scored a world hit with it in 1977.
Funky Beach	Here Comes The Sun	The Beatles	1969	George Harrison found the inspiration for "Here Comes the Sun" during spring of 1969 in Eric Clapton’s garden in Surrey, England and completed the lyrics while on holiday in Sardinia, Italy. The song featured on the Beatles album Abbey Road of the same year.
Funky Beach	Soley Soley	Middle Of The Road	1971	“Soley Soley" is a song by Scottish band Middle of the Road, released as a single in August 1971. The song is written by Spanish musician Fernando Arbex (founder of Los Brincos) and and recorded in Spain.
Funky Beach	Kokomo	The Beach Boys	1988	“Kokomo" by the Beach Boys (without Brian Wilson) from the 1988 film Cocktail. The group later recorded a Spanish-language version of with participation from Wilson. The song is written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher and describes two lovers taking a trip to a relaxing place on Kokomo, a u topic island off the Florida Keys. In addition to the fictional Kokomo, the song also makes references to many real Caribbean islands, including Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas, Martinique, and Montserrat.
Funky Beach	So Nice (Summer Samba)	Bebel Gilberto	2000	Brazilian bossa nova singer Bebel Gilberto is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. “So Nice” or “Summer Samba” (originally "Samba De Verão") created by the brothers Marcos and Paulo Sérgio Valle in 1964 became first a world hit in1966 for the “Walter Wanderley Trio”. Bebel Gilberto recorded the English version on her 2000 album Tanto Tempo
Funky Beach	Waters Of March (feat. Oleta Adams)	Al Jarreau	1997	Antônio Carlos Jobim wrote "Waters of March" (Portuguese: "Águas de março"). The inspiration comes from Rio de Janeiro's rainiest month where the rains of March mark the end of a Brazilian summer. Al Jarreau’s version, with vocals by Oleta Adams, features on the 1997 compilation album ‘A Twist of Jobim’.
Funky Beach	In The Summertime	Mungo Jerry	1970	"In the Summertime", released in 1970, is the debut single by British rock band Mungo Jerry. Written and composed by the band's lead singer, Ray Dorset, the song celebrates the carefree days of summer.
Funky Beach	Summertime	Billy Stewart	1966	In his teens Billy Stewart won a talent singing contest performing George Gershwin’s “Summertime” but it was in 1966 that he recorded this "scat-singing style" cover. The drummer for Stewart’s recording was Maurice White (founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire). Billy Stewart’s version became the most successful recording of “Summertime” in the 20th Century.
Funky Beach	Don't Worry, Be Happy	Bobby McFerrin	1988	"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a song by American musician Bobby McFerrin, released with the 1988 movie Cocktail. The inspiration for the song came from a Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual master, poster. The song won the1989 Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Funky Beach	La ballade des gens heureux	Gérard Lenorman	1975	"La Ballade des gens heureux" (translation: The Ballad of the Happy People) is a song by Gérard Lenorman, released in 1975 with lyrics by Pierre Delanoë. French singer-songwriter Gérard Lenorman (born 9 February 1945) was born in Normandy as the son of Madeleine Lenormand and an unknown German soldier.
Funky Beach	Joy	Apollo 100	1971	"Joy" is a 1971 instrumental pop hit record by ‘Apollo 100’. Apollo 100 was founded by British arranger and multi-instrumentalist Tom Parker. “Joy” is a contemporary interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.
Sweet Sunset	Night Rider	The Electric Blues Band	2018	This song features on a compilation CD I got from my late neighbour.
Sweet Sunset	Stardust	Nat King Cole	1957	Bandleader Hoagy Carmichael composed the classic ‘Stardust’ after giving up his law career in 1927 and it was Mitchell Parish who wrote two years later the wonderful lyrics. Nat King Cole's released his version in 1957 and got renewed success with it in 1993 when it featured in the movie ‘Sleepless In Seattle’.
Sweet Sunset	Slow	Rumer	2010	The British singer songwriter Rumer with 'Slow’ from the album ‘Seasons of My Soul’. Rumer stated once in an interview she believes in angels. He is one from Elcho Island.
Sweet Sunset	Wiyathul	Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu	2008	Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter Gurrumul with a beautiful song inspired by his love for his people and homeland: Elcho Island. ‘Wiyathul’ (longing for place) is sung in Yolŋu. Yolngu culture in north-east Arnhem Land - a heartland of Aboriginal culture and land rights - is among the oldest living cultures on earth, stretching back over 40,000 years. Yolngu people speak a dozen dialects of a language group known as Yolngu matha. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu sang in Galpu, Djambarrpuynu, Gumatj - and, occasionally, in English. Even if you can’t understand the language, you can relate to the emotion. Blind from birth, Geoffrey was a long-time member of the Saltwater Band, a talented Aboriginal outfit from Elcho Island, before he developed a solo career.
Sweet Sunset	For All We Know	Donny Hathaway	1972	Soul legend Donny Hathaway (a.k.a. Donny Pitts) with the classic "For All We Know", first published in 1934, with music by J. Fred Coots and lyrics by Sam M. Lewis.
Sweet Sunset	Fragile	Sting	1987	“Fragile” Sting from the 1987 Album: Nothing Like The Sun. As Sting stated once: “… every time something happens, it seems an appropriate song to play …”
Sweet Sunset	Fields Of Gold	Eva Cassidy	1996	The original of ‘Fields of Gold’ is by Sting, but Eva Cassidy's voice and the way she changes the rhythm elevates it to the next level, so gifted that she did not need extra vibrato, electronics, background singers etc. The song is recorded live at the Blues Alley nightclub, Georgetown, Washington, D.C. in early January 1996. It was the last album recorded by Cassidy before her death in November 1996.
Sweet Sunset	Jesus To A Child	George Michael	1996	In January 1996, George Michael released "Jesus to a Child", his melancholy tribute to his deceased Brazilian lover Anselmo Feleppa.
Sweet Sunset	If	Telly Savalas	1974	Hollywood actor Telly Savalas, best known at the time for his iconic role in the detective series Kojak released in 1974 a spoken word cover of a Bread song ‘If’.
Sweet Sunset	Calling You (Bagdad Cafe/Soundtrack Version)	Jevetta Steele	1988	The terrific American gospel singer Jevetta Steele sings Bob Telson's "Calling You" from the 1988 movie soundtrack of Bagdad Café.
Sweet Sunset	The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face	Roberta Flack	1972	'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ was the breakthrough hit for Roberta Flack when it won in 1973 the Song and Record of the Year Grammy awards. Originally written by folk singer Ewan MacColl in 1957 for his lover, Peggy Seeger.
Sweet Sunset	Mad World	Gary Jules	2001	Gary Jules covered the Tears for Fears hit ‘Mad World’ for the 2001 movie Donnie Darko.
Sweet Sunset	To Love Somebody	Scott Matthew	2013	Australian singer Scott Matthew describes himself as a ‘Quiet-Noise-Maker’ with a passion for ballads. In 2013 he released the covers-album UNLEARNED with ‘To Love Somebody’ from the Bee Gees in 1967.
Sweet Sunset	Need Your Love So Bad	Fleetwood Mac	1968	In 1968, Peter Green with Fleetwood Mac recorded a version of the song “Need Your Love So Bad”, written in 1956 by the brothers William Edward “Little Willie” John and Mertis John Jr.
Sweet Sunset	I'd Rather Go Blind	Chicken Shack	1969	"I'd Rather Go Blind" was first recorded by Etta James in 1967. Chicken Shack released its version in 1969 with vocalist Christine Anne Perfect before she married Fleetwood Mac’s bass player John McVie.
Sweet Sunset	Ooh Baby Baby	Linda Ronstadt	1979	The classic Tamla Motown hit "Ooo Baby Baby" is written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore and in 1979 Linda Ronstadt (the most successful female singer of the 1970s) put her "stamp" on the song. Ronstadt's touring band members Don Henley and Glenn Frey formed the Eagles shortly after playing on her 1972 self-titled album. Ronstadt was very supportive, encouraging Henley and Frey to form the group even though it meant losing some of her best talent.
Sweet Sunset	Desperado	Eagles	1973	"Desperado" by the Eagles was a touchstone in bringing this kind of song to the rock genre. Linda Ronstadt recorded and released it on her 1973 album Don't Cry Now a few months after the Eagles' Desperado album was issued. In 1975, Ronstadt performed shows with the Eagles singing lead vocal on Desperado.
Sweet Sunset	Angel	Sarah McLachlan	1998	"Angel" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan inspired by articles about musicians turning to heroin to cope with the pressures of the music industry, in particular the overdosing and death of Smashing Pumpkins keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin in 1996.
Sweet Sunset	Into My Arms	Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	1997	“Into My Arms" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a love ballad written by Nick Cave in rehab after consecutive relationship break-ups in 1997.
Sweet Sunset	More Than Words	Extreme	1991	"More Than Words" is a song by American rock band Extreme from March 1991. A sweet, pure acoustic ballad written by singer Gary Cherone and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt that proves that sometimes less really is more.
Sweet Sunset	Albatross	Fleetwood Mac	1969	After his brief tenure with the Bluesbreakers Peter Green recorded three studio albums with Fleetwood Mac before LSD and illness derailed his talent. In 1968 he created the instrumental ‘Albatross’, Fleetwood Mac’s first UK No. 1 hit. From start to finish, this song contains only two guitar chords: Emaj7 and F#m. Similarities can be found in Chuck Berry’s instrumental ‘Deep Feeling’ of 1957.
Sweet Sunset	I'm Not In Love	10cc	1975	10cc’s Eric Stewart’s dilemma to tell his wife he did love her without saying the three word phrase resulted in the 1975 track ‘I’m Not In Love’. It took over 256 vocal dubs to create the tsunami of voices. Kathy Redfern, the secretary of Strawberry Studios, whispered the vocals of "Be quiet, big boys don't cry" as if they had a phone call.
Sweet Sunset	Hijo de la luna	Mecano	1987	"Hijo de la Luna" (English: "Son of the Moon") is a song by the Spanish band Mecano. Written by José María Cano it refers to a tragic Romani legend. Mecano with singer Ana Torroja and brothers Nacho and José María Cano, was one of the most successful pop bands of Spain formed in 1981 (they were part of the countercultural movement La Movida Madrileña) and active until 1992.
Sweet Sunset	Riverside	Agnes Obel	2010	"Riverside", referring to the river Spree in Berlin, is a song by Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel, using water as a border between one world and another during people’s transformation.
Sweet Sunset	Suzanne	Leonard Cohen	1966	Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen wrote a poet in 1966 inspired by Suzanne Verdal, a dancer living at the waterfront of Montreal harbour. Later, Cohen met Suzanne Elrod who gave birth to his two children, Adam and Lorca. After Judy Collins had recorded the song first it was Cohen’s debut single.
Sweet Sunset	L'Eté Indien	Joe Dassin	1975	"L'Été indien" (French for "Indian summer") from 1975 is American/French singer Joe Dassin’s biggest hit. In the song he reflects with fond memories of his lover, who he met during an Indian summer, but with whom he has now lost contact. The song was based on the song "Africa" by Toto Cutugno (originally released by Toto Cutugno's band Albatros).
Sweet Sunset	Perfect Day	Lou Reed	1972	Lou Reed’s description of a romantic ‘Perfect Day’ in 1972, produced by David Bowie.
Sweet Sunset	Roxanne	George Michael	1999	The Parisian red light district of Montmartre worked inspirational for Sting in October 1977 when he wrote this song. 'Roxanne’ by The Police covered by George Michael in 1999.
Sweet Sunset	(You're Gonna Look) Good In Blues	Tony Joe White	1991	“Good In Blues”, written and performed by Tony Joe White, a song from his successful album “Closer to the Truth” from 1991.
Sweet Sunset	Song for Guy	Elton John	1978	"Life... Isn't ever-y-thing", a song for Guy Burchett, a messenger for Rocket Records, Elton John's label, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1978.
Sweet Sunset	Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue	Crystal Gayle	1977	American country musician Crystal Gayle recorded "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" in Nashville on October 27, 1976 (in one take). Writer Richard Leigh received a Grammy Award for "Best Country Song" for the song in 1978.
Sweet Sunset	Let it be me	The Everly Brothers	1959	For the Everly Brothers, “Let it be me” was the first song they did not record in Nashville. It was done in New York as one of the first pop songs to use a string section - eight violins and a cello were used. The song is an adaptation of French singer Gilbert Becaud’s 1955 song "Je t’appartiens" (I belong to you).
Sweet Sunset	Backdoor Man	Viktor Lazlo	1984	Viktor Lazlo (real name: Sonia Dronnier, born 7 October 1960) is a French-Belgian singer who took her stage name from a character in the 1942 film Casablanca. She sings in French, English, Spanish and German. “Backdoor Man” is written by Boris Bergman (a.k.a. John Kipoor) and composed and produced by Alain Chamfort.
Sweet Sunset	Wonderful Tonight	Eric Clapton	1976	Eric Clapton wrote this beautiful song for his future wife Pattie Boyd while she was trying on dresses upstairs. In the time she had taken to get ready Clapton had written the song. A win/win story you could say. Not sure if she dressed in red that night …
Sweet Sunset	The Lady In Red	Chris De Burgh	1986	Chris De Burgh remembers what his wife Diane was wearing when they first met and shared it with us in 1986.
Sweet Sunset	Ain't No Sunshine	Eva Cassidy	1996	“Ain't No Sunshine” was written by West Virginia soul star Bill Withers in 1970. Eva Cassidy recorded her version in 1996 before she died later that year at the age of 33. The song was four years later released on an album called “Time after Time”.
Sweet Sunset	Time After Time	Miles Davis	1985	In 1983, Rob Hyman and Cyndi Lauper wrote the number one hit "Time After Time". In her memoir, Cyndi Lauper wrote that the most honoured she ever felt was when Miles Davis covered her song in 1985.

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