T is for Tick Tock

T-Time After Time. This classic ballad has always held special significance for me. The imagery illustrated by the lyrics is haunting, and Cyndi Lauper has such a beautiful and unique voice. I love the forcefulness of the chorus, peaking with the almost screamed “I will be waiting.” The only instrumental element that dates this piece is the use of the synthesizer. And even its use is not overwhelming; in fact, the electronic elements contribute to the more atmospheric aspects of the piece.

The second hand unwinds.

Cyndi Lauper, “Time After Time,” She’s So Unusual, 1983

S is for Sublime Setting

S-Saturday in the Park. I love this song for many reasons. The first chords on the piano instantly infect me with happiness. The smooth vocals of Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera are a perfect complement to the horn section. In short, this is a groovy tune.

Can you dig it? Yes, I can.

Chicago, “Saturday in the Park,” Chicago V, 1972

R is for Raging Repeatedly

R-Runs in the Family. I love Amanda Palmer. Her lyrics are incisive and her style is balls to the wall. In “Runs in the Family” Palmer takes a not-so-delicate look at mental illness, citing different examples of friends who have peculiar “maladies.” The unifying excuse for such illness is the observation that it “runs in the family.” I have bipolar disorder and OCD: as it turns out, both of these illnesses run in my family. And while I can manage these maladies, I will never be entirely free of them. Isn’t that a comforting thought?

If wellness is this what in God’s name is sickness?

Amanda Palmer, “Runs in the Family,” Who Killed Amanda Palmer, 2008

Q is for Questionable Quirks

Q-Que Sera, Sera. This is my new theme song. I used to worry incessantly over things that hadn’t happened yet, continually obsessing and literally driving myself insane. In fact, I nearly worried myself right out of existence. Now, more than a year later, I realize how futile and meaningless such ruminations are. I have learned that there are certain factors of my life that I can control, but that much of what happens cannot be foreseen even by someone of my considerable psychic talents.

The future’s not ours to see…

"Que Sera, Sera," performed by Doris Day, written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston, 1956

P is for Proper Puffing

P-The Pot. I was fortunate enough to see Tool perform live while I was living in San Antonio. They put on a hell of a show. Each member of the band is so talented that I could probably sit here all day praising them. Instead, I’ll simply let you listen. “The Pot” is one of my favorite songs because of the melody, the shifting time signatures, and the syncopation. The lyrics take a poetic look at hypocrisy. The bass line seems almost disconnected from the rest of the piece. And I love how the melody is introduced a cappella.

Soapbox house of cards and glass so don’t go tossing your stones around…

Tool, “The Pot,” 10,000 Days, 2006

O is for Obvious Overtones

O-One. This has stood the test of time as my favorite U2 song. The lyrics are what I find most compelling: seemingly simple sentiments are conveyed in rather clever fashion. Some of my favorite quips include “Did I disappoint you, or leave a bad taste in your mouth?” and “It’s too late, tonight, to drag the past out into the light.” It is interesting that though the lyrics are often acrimonious, “One” has quite the mellow quality to it melodically. And, as with many U2 songs, it is also easy to sing along to…

Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?

U2, “One,” Achtung Baby, 1991

N is for Gnarly but Nice

N-No Time Soon. Some people were destined to sing. I certainly can’t see Cee-Lo Green doing anything but crooning his heart out. I enjoy all Gnarls Barkley pieces, but this one in particular struck me because I desperately needed an “n” song. At the beginning of the piece, the acoustic guitar is particularly effective. The song then cascades into a marvelous dissonance between Green and the back-up singers. No space in the song is wasted, and every note and sound effect has a particular piece to contribute to the entire aural experience. Listening to this song, I can’t help but reflect on my husband’s upcoming training and deployment. I must continually reassure myself that though he will be far away, my greatest fears for him will happen no time soon.

And I carry this, it’s heavy. And I miss you already…

Gnarls Barkley, “No Time Soon,” The Odd Couple, 2008