You know I’m always out here. Looking for it.
But. Oh my.
Sometimes it feels impossible to find.
Usually, I find hope in stories. Often, in poems. Or in Books. The garden. Or the woods. Sometimes, I find hope in the words of a song.
Over the weekend, I heard this one. One of my favorites from way back . . .
==
It got me thinking . . .
We had so much fun creating our Summer Vibes playlist back in June . . . that maybe . . . we could create another one! Maybe it would make us feel a little bit better if we could put our heads together and create another playlist . . . the Looking for Hope playlist.
I’ve started the list with these 8 songs that always make me feel more hopeful, a little more upbeat:
- (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding from Elvis Costello
- Imagine from John Lennon
- Three Little Birds from Bob Marley and the Wailers
- I Won’t Back Down from Tom Petty
- It’s My Life from Jon Bon Jovi
- Lean on Me from Bill Withers
- Here Comes the Sun from The Beatles
- Don’t Stop Believin’ from Journey (because can you be from Michigan and not?)
Now, it’s YOUR turn!
Please let me know what songs make you feel better; which songs sound like HOPE . . . to you. (Give me your suggestions in the comments, or send me an email.) I’ll build a playlist from our collective suggestions (our collective hope) and share it here later this month.
Let’s look for hope . . . together.
Great idea. How about the Pointer Sisters’ Yes We Can Can?
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In by The Fifth Dimension.
Nothing I love more than a good playlist! How about these: Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root, I’ll Take You There by The Staple Singers, These Are the Days by Van Morrison, Try Everything by Shakira, The Change by JoJo, and Beautiful Anyway by Judah & the Lion
I listened to Three Little BIrds so often while recovering from surgery. It got me through!
Another I love is Michael Franti’s Bomb the World. The lyrics tell it like it is, but the message is still peace.
What a Wonderful World-Louis Armstrong
Lean on Me-Bill Withers
You’ve Got a Friend-James Taylor
Downtown-Petula Clark
Garden Song-Pete Seeger or Arlo Guthrie
My #1 song that makes me feel upbeat/cheerful/hopeful … Penny Lane, by the Beatles! Here are some others: Rock Me On The Water, Jackson Browne; We Are Family, Sister Sledge; Under Pressure, Queen w/David Bowie; Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye; Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper; I’m Still Standing, Elton John; Lean on Me, Bill Withers; Carry on My Wayward Son, Kansas, and Mockingbird, James Taylor & Carly Simon.
This Must Be the Place by Talking Heads and more recently by Ivan Neville.
You Get what You Give by the New Radicals
Snow is Gone by Josh Ritter
Getting Ready to Get Down by Josh Ritter
Try a Little Tenderness (Otis Redding)
A Change is Gonna Come (Al Green)
Colour My World (Chicago)
Feels So Right (Alabama)
Love this idea!
Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder
Everyday (song) – Dave Matthews Band
Fight Song – Rachel Platten
Stronger – Kelly Clarkson
Dream On – Aerosmith
Love this.
Have a Little Faith in Me—John Hiatt
Sh-Boom—The Chords
99 Luftballoons—Nena
59th St Bridge—Simon & Garfunkel
We Built this City—Jefferson Starship
Jump—Van Halen
Happy—Pharrell Williams
Danny’s Song—Loggins and Messina
🩵
Beautiful Noise – Neil Diamond
Family – Joe Walsh
One Day at a Time – Joe Walsh
Calypso—John Denver
Oh! I love this idea. I feel more hopeful already. There are great/hopeful songs here. I have a few candidates (not already mentioned) that always make me feel hopeful:
Freedom by Jon Batiste
I can see clearly now by Jimmy Cliff
Before Barbed Wire by George Winston
Somewhere over the rainbow by Eva Cassidy
I’ m eager to hear the full list. Thank you, Kym.
I’m not the best music buff but “It’s a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. I also like “Morning Has Broken.” There is something about a new day that means a new start.
The Israel Kamakawiwo’ole version of Over the Rainbow.
The first song that sprang to my mind was Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come (and that change might actually happen if more people lived by Harry Styles Treat Everyone With Kindness!)
Great idea… thank you for gathering this all! XOXO