This’ll be the last one for now you’ll be glad to know.

I know all the words to lots of songs. It’s practically a hobby of mine, learning lyrics. But there’s one song in particular that I was genuinely proud of being able to learn all the words to. It is Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day.

I was proud partly because I was younger at the time and, amazingly, slightly weirder. But mostly it’s because it’s 9 and a half minutes long, and is split into five sections, each completely different musically and lyrically. And it’s a really really fucking good tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA8v3B1SxR0

(Incidentally, I actually know the words to every song on this album. I will undoubtedly be speaking more about this later…)

Wow, this is the hardest one for me so far. I don’t really know.

OK, I’ll unleash my inner geek, why not?

You may or may not know of Portal. It’s a video game, and a fucking amazing one at that. I have literally never heard a bad word said about it by anyone. Which is just insane. I don’t think anything else in the history of ever has ever been so well recieved.

Anyway, there’s an amazing song at the end of it called Still Alive, which is sung by the main bad guy/girl/robot. Usually game songs are just throwaway things, but Still Alive crops up now and then in the oddest places. And it always reminds me of Portal. Funnily enough…

This is kind of a stupid one, huh? Still, it gives me an excuse to link you to the final boss battle and, crucially, the song itself. Watch it, you won’t be sorry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teLDBp9YK_k

I AM GOING TO CHEAT AGAIN.

For two years of my life, said life and a certain genre of music were pretty much inseparable. It was the one and only time where the contemporary trend in chart pop music aligned pretty much exactly to my musical tastes. It had never happened before, and it has never happened since. Two short years.

The years were 2006 and 2007. When I tell you that the album that defined these years for me was released in January 2006, you’ll know what genre I mean.

In January 2006, Britain was engulfed by Arctic Monkeys fever.

It spread. Hundreds, it seemed, of bands who shared a similar ‘indie’ sound popped up. The Automatic. Kaiser Chiefs. Bloc Party (who were, admittedly, a little earlier but in the same vein). Razorlight. Fuck knows who else, but there were lots. The airwaves were filled with poppy guitar music. And I loved every second.

Since then, urban music’s kind of taken over again. Undoubtedly there’ll be a new rock band in a few years time who’ll take pop music back in a direction I prefer again.

Anyway, I’ve gone off point slightly. The years are important - 2006 and 2007. They were the two years I was at Brockenhurst College, doing my A Levels. And, as I’ve said here and there, probably the two best years of my life. When I listen to any music in that style, I’m transported back to the grassy knolls out front, the Hard Brock cafe, hours spent in English, History, Media classes. Amazing.

The song that started the craze for me was this one. It’s still one of my favourite songs and it seems to actually have been getting around a bit again recently, which is slightly odd. It’s the Arctic Monkeys, of course, with I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor. I really love the low-fi video as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK7egZaT3hs

NEXT

Hahaha, this is going to sound a bit weird.

I can say with an absolute certainty that this track is my mum’s favourite song. She denies it, saying it’s something else (Unchained Melody, usually), but when I tell you that she’s worn out two CDs just listening to this, you must understand the strength of my conviction.

The song is Love Is All Around, specifically the Wet Wet Wet version. It reminds me of my mum. Here it is, as if you haven’t heard it enough times in your life already.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQQ6SfPZggw

NEXT

This one’s kind of easy, but I don’t know why. I’m also cheating a bit again. Songs don’t tend to make me sad, because I’m an emotionless arsehole presumably, but there are certain songs that I only really like listening to when I’m feeling blue.

Top of my list is This Charming Man by The Smiths. It just kind of accidentally happened to be that, mind you, it wasn’t really a conscious decision. And as far as Smiths songs go, it’s actually relatively positive! Good song, mind you, the guitar lick especially.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGnjrTkv1gs

NEXT

Tribute, by Tenacious D. Because it’s very funny, as are most of their songs. I can’t not be happy when listening to it, because it’s excellent. Also, the video is amazing. You haven’t lived until you’ve watched it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4an3rpucSos

Sorted.

NEXT

This one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSryWcRD_tw

I dare not even speak its name for fear that it will invoke some kind of demon from the ninth circle of hell desperate to overtake humanity by forcing us all to put our hands up for no good reason.

This comes a close second. Christ knows what they were thinking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwQZQygg3Lk

NEXT

I don’t have one favourite song. It’s like asking me to choose between my kidneys or my spleen. In other words, it’s not something that’s so important to me that I’ll die if it’s not part of me, but, y’know, I’d like to have them all the same.

I don’t know if that analogy made sense but I am tired and bored and I don’t care.

Anyway!

I’ve managed to narrow it down to three. Again, I don’t care that I’m breaking the ‘rules’. The first is In My Life by The Beatles, which is just a beautiful, beautiful song with a fabulous guitar hook and gorgeous lyrics. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI0Q8ytD44Y

Good, innit?

My second is Up In Arms by the Foo Fighters. It’s an album track from The Colour and the Shape, and it’s fabulous. I love how it starts slow, almost like a ballad, and then there’s a drum fill, and then it goes FUCKING MENTAL. It’s great fun. I can only find a live version on YouTube, but it’s good enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFYB3qN7A0A

Last but not least is Helicopter by Bloc Party. Just because it’s awesome. I can’t think of any other way of describing it. It. Is. Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R6S5CJWlco

NEXT

I am bored, so I thought I would do this, breaking the main rule as I go. If you are unfamiliar with this ‘game’, you write things about songs on set themes. These. 

Day 01 - Your favourite song
Day 02 - Your least favourite song
Day 03 - A song that makes you happy 
Day 04 - A song that makes you sad
Day 05 - A song that reminds you of someone
Day 06 - A song that reminds you of somewhere
Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a certain event 
Day 08 - A song that you know all the words to
Day 09 - A song that you can dance to
Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep 
Day 11 - A song from your favorite band 
Day 12 - A song from a band you hate 
Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure 
Day 14 - A song that no one would expect you to love 
Day 15 - A song that describes you 
Day 16 - A song that you used to love but now hate 
Day 17 - A song that you hear often on the radio
Day 18 - A song that you wish you heard on the radio
Day 19 - A song from your favorite album
Day 20 - A song that you listen to when you’re angry 
Day 21 - A song that you listen to when you’re happy
Day 22 - A song that you listen to when you’re sad
Day 23 - A song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24 - A song that you want to play at your funeral
Day 25 - A song that makes you laugh
Day 26 - A song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27 - A song that you wish you could play
Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29 - A song from your childhood 
Day 30 - Your favorite song at this time last year

You’re meant to do one a day, but I ain’t going to be getting anywhere near that shit. So I’m just going to do a few now, until I’m bored and maybe carry on at a later date. Or maybe not. Who the fuck cares?

Alright. So. Here we go…

It’s occurred to me that if you’re coming onto Tumblr, this post will be the first one you see, but it’s the last one I’m writing. There’s four altogether. Five now, I guess. I recommend you look at the first one, uh, first - it’ll be four below this ‘un, which’ll explain a few things. Then if you want to read the others, feel free. You might learn some stuff about me you never knew! Cool, huh?

I might try and keep this updated a bit more frequently, but no promises. I’ve had fun at any rate even if no-one’s interested in what I have to say :)