What songs by Prince or others connect with you INSTANTLY? These are songs whose words, instrumentation or rhythm seems to echo your own soul. Their impact is so deep that upon first listen, you felt like you were discovering something about yourself that had been present all along, under the surface. It doesn't have to be the entire song- it can be simply a measure or a single note that suddenly makes you pay VERY close attention.

I'll only list 10 for now:

Prince- Anna Stesia- those opening chords instantly zap me. The emotion and intensity just builds to a fevered pitch. What an elaborate spiritual expression!

Prince- Crystal Ball- The entire song is very intriguing with its many parts. In particular, the 16 frenzied measures before the line "My baby make me fast" about two thirds of the way through the song really zone me out.

Prince- 3 Chains o' Gold- The darker second half of the song with the anguished guitar lines and uproarious splendor really get to me.

Eurythmics- Don't Ask Me Why- the incessant incantation of "I don't love you anymore" at the end, coupled with the visual of Annie slowly rocking herself gives me chills every time.

Bjork- Isobel- there is just something about the rhythm and the jungle ambience of it all that send me.

Bjork- New World- the way she enunciates "to seee" really moves me- it is such a visceral outburst.

Blondie- War Child- the whole song basically turns me into an animal, and the ending chant has literally brought me to my knees!

David Bowie- Moonage Daydream- something about that gradually descending horn line and that pained guitar at the end that seem to me like the eternal struggle to survive.

New Order- World- there is just something about that piano that resonated in me upon first listen. The ubiquity of the whole song- how everyone can relate to struggling to attain and keep love- really speaks to me.

The Smiths- Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me- the moment when Morrissey switches to falsetto singing "goes on..." while the orchestral background continues to build blows me away.

I have many like this as well. I'll compile a list and get back with ya.

Another thing to had- listening to these songs is more than something casual, it is an individualized experience. Listening to these songs feels like soul-searching.

Endorphin Machine. No doubt. That opening kills me every time and I'm instantly in a fabulous mood and am usually filled with tons of energy.

Just Like Heaven, The Cure. Ditto. Not sure why, as it's a sad song, but I just feel good every time I hear it. Like a wave of contentment washing over me. It makes me smile. It feels like home.

Big Time Sensuality, Bjork. Ditto AGAIN! (Wow. This has become my anti-sad list all of a sudden. Guess that means I'm feeling better!) When I hear this song at a club, I lose myself completely. By the time I hear, "I don't know my future after this weekend, and I don't want to," I'm feeling that exact sentiment, so happy, so free, so perfect in the moment I don't want it to end.

And I don't know if ANYONE will remember this song, but Temple of Dreams, by Messiah. Yeah, I admit I was a raver back in the day. This was the song that started that whole era for me. The beats, the vocal track "Did I dream, you dreamed about me?" the pure energy. Pure techno bliss.

I guess when I think gutteral, or instant connection, it's the dance stuff. I feel it. Everywhere. Takes me to that place. You know what I mean...
[This message was edited Sun Dec 8 20:12:46 PST 2002 by CarrieMpls]

Prince-sometimes it snows in april-first time i heard it i was like "oh wow this is making me tear damn song@@!" lol...very special song to me.

No doubt-End it on this-it was never a single but shoulda been..."dont speak" is moving but this is such a great song i think its there best song ever. its one of my favorites songs by anyone

Pharcyde-Otha fish- i played this ALL the time

TRON said:

Me too, Tron.

Moonie, I thought I was the only one around here that thought this way.

I shall return.

I got so Many but By Prince"Annie Stesia""Ballad of Dorothy parker",If I was Your GirlFriend,When Doves Cry,Little Red corvette,She's always in my Hair,17 Days,.other Artists Michael Jackson"Billie Jean,I Can't Help It,Working Day&Night,Remember the time,Stranger in Moscow,I wanna be where you are,Got to be there,with His Brothers "Never can Say Goodbye,Let Me Show you the way too go,that's what you get for Being Polite,and others.Sam Cooke"A Change is Coming,Marvin Gaye"What's going on",Stevie WOnder"As,Living for the City,All I Do,Ribbon in the Sky,Do I Do,My Cherie Amour,Earth,Wind&Fire,That's the way of the World,Reasons,Can't hide Love,Love's Holiday,the Beatles Eleanor Rigby,Elvis Presley"supicous Minds,Can't Help Falling in Love,Frank Sinatra"Strangers in the Night,Luck Be a Lady,I've got you under my Skin.Donny Hathaway"This Christmas,Curtis Mayfield&Impressions"Choice of Colors,Gladys Knight&the Pips"Midnight train too Georgia,Al Green"Still In Love with you&So Many More.Great Topic

Moonbeam said:

Songs that connect with me instantly, aren't the ones that echo my soul. They have to grow on me.

Off the top of my head, one would be David Bowie's "Five Years". I like the way the song builds. And I love turning up the volume even more for the second half. The lyrics that stick out for me:
"And all the fat-skinny people
And all the tall-short people
And all the nobody people
And all the somebody people
I never thought I'd need so many people"

Prince's "Power Fantastic". I just think the whole song is beautiful.

Another is Madonna's "Oh Father". It's one of my all-time favorites of hers. The song has nothing to do with my situation, but I really feel what she's saying.

Raven said:

"Oh Father" is another one! Its haunting beauty is definitely moving!

Madonna's Live to Tell... For some reason, the rising effect in the intro of the song really moves me, but the best part of the song is after the musical break - when her voice comes back in with "if I ran away, I'd never have the strength to go very far"... that just sends chills up and down my spine...

Raven said:

'5 years' is one of my all-time fav'rite songs...

as for a song that connected with my soul from the get-go recently...'avalanche' pretty much stops me ev'rytime it's on...no matter what i'm doin i have to give it my full attention..and it hurts me ev'rytime...

I'll come back to this thread.

But first;
The Question of U
The first time I heard that drum thump in my belly (live at the Nude tour) it totally drove home the point of a journey that can be sensual and spiritual at the same time.

When Doves Cry
Heard it, got me hooked on the blending of styles. An understated gospel voice in an empty rock song using new wave synths blew me away.

Kate Bush
Wuthering Heights
Literature into popmusic. The intensity grasps me everytime, just like that entire album; The Kick Inside

David Bowie
Sound And Vision instantly transports me to my parental house. It has the power to make me remind those days. The album is taken from Low, my fave Bowie album.

Wendy & Lisa
Why Wait For Heaven, becuz of the itensity, the msessage. I like all their albums, but Eroica is their best front to back album; the album that has got quality throughout.
And courtesy Nicholas, the song I think is called Viste, but as he did not gave me any songtitles...
This song captures all the happiness of their music. Oh my... I love it, thanks Nicholas (WHERE ARE YOU?)

More laters...
[This message was edited Mon Dec 9 0:25:30 PST 2002 by gooeythehamster]

bump

I really like this thead. More reponses, please...

Disorder by Joy Division. I can't even begin to describe how this song makes me feel. My hair stands up, I fly around the room, I sing, I scream. The combination of the simple guitar riff, the transcendent solos, tragic lyrics and that effect that sounds like bending sheet metal sends me into orbit. It's a really sad song but the energy and the sound of it make it cathartic instead of depressing. Maybe my #1 song of all time.

Ceremony by New Order. The last song by Joy Division and the first song by New Order, it bridges the gap between the two bands perfectly. The perfect tribute and starting point. This song gives me the strangest feeling when I listen to it. Like extremely hurt by Ian Curtis' death but also triumphant that they carried on. As you can see, I like songs that make me feel several emotions at once.

Subterraneans by David Bowie. Probably my favorite instrumental song ever. It's trippy, gothic, organic, and beautiful. It reminds me of mourning someone's death. The low vocal harmonies and the syllable singing in the breakdown make my jaw drop. When I think of guttural, this is what comes to mind.

Sweet Sweet Intuition by Bjork. A plea to tune into your instincts. This is a common theme in her work but it's more convincing here than on any of her other songs. "What makes you tick? Try to remember. All that you've learned. Try to forget it. Fuck logic fuck logic. Bravo to instinct. And sweet intuition honey." The organ work could only be done by someone with a doctorate in that instrument, it's that precise and complex. Nothing sounds like this song.

Disintegration by The Cure. Probably my favorite song of theirs. Come to think of it, most of these are among my most cherished by anybody. His singing just gets more fractured and manic as the song progresses. I love the propulsive bassline and breaking glass. The song just goes on and on as do Robert Smith's lyrics that never repeat. Even at 8 minutes or whatever, I've been known to play this song for hours at a time.

Overcome by Tricky. As soon as I heard this song live, I became a fan. I knew nothing about him before seeing him open for PJ Harvey. But after that show, I've been collecting ever since. Martina's vocals are gorgeous. And the music takes you into the jungle without it being "jungle music". The beats, the synths, the breath noises all make it very primal and sexy.

The Cross - live by Prince. Possibly my favorite live Prince moment is his performance of this on the Sign "O" the Times and Lovesexy videos. It's so simple and so good. I love Prince's no frills rock songs and this is the king of them all. Even with its strong spiritual message, people who don't necessarily relate to the song are moved by it. Prince wrote the most convincing contemporary Christian song by a secular artist ever!
[This message was edited Thu Dec 12 2:23:02 PST 2002 by TRON]

bump.

Right now, the songs Xenophobia and Extraodinary both from the 1st ONA Live CD are creeping through my soul and bringing a big smile to my face! Also Dorothy Parker from It Ain't Over.

Ya'll may think this is crazy, but Michael Jackson's song "Don't Walk Away" from Invincible (which many see as weak run of the mill ballad) is really grabbing me and won't let go when I hear it lately. Something about the orchestral arrangement and the pain in his vocals, as well as the subject matter. I just think it's such a moving song. I wish others would see that in it.

I'll try harder and maybe I'll have more later...

jtgillia said:

"don't Walk away" is Screaming for a Film for it too come out of IMHO.

Moon, I haven't forgotten about your thread. I'm still compiling my list of songs. Hopefully by this weekend I'll be done. It may sound like a ton of songs, but it's not really. I just want to describe as accurately as possible my reactions to them.

Supernova said:

I'm working on another list, myself!

I thought of a few more...

I've Got Dreams to Remember- Otis Redding. The heartache and pain in his voice reaches right into stomach and nearly guts me. Love the old school back-up vocals also. And the horns. And everything about it. So, so heartwrenching.

And also Daddy I'm Fine by Sinead O'Conner. A powerful I-love-being-a-single-woman-and-I-love-who-I've-become anthem of sorts. By the last frantic verse:

I'm glad I came here to London
I've had myself some big fat fun
and I have even made some mon
I have the most angelic son
my baby daughter is golden
and I do what I like for fun
and I am happy in my prime
Daddy I'm fine

I feel ecstatic, happy and somehow blessed to be me. How many songs do that for you?