Songs that Shift Your Spirits
Music is the most transcendent expression of energy that you experience in your daily life. Music is the language that bridges all dimensions of existence — intensely personal and gloriously communal — there is no complexity of thought and emotion that music can not communicate. Singing raises your vibration, activates your throat chakra, and tunes your heart. The beat has accompanied humanity’s practice of ritual ecstasy from the bonfires to the dance floors.
- What songs inspire you and fire you up?
- What songs make you want to drive with all the windows down, the speakers blaring, singing at the top of your lungs?
- What songs help you cry when you need to, release the anger and frustration in your body, dance you around your house like a fool, raise you up, wear you out, and remind you that you are alive?
What songs tell others something about you that you can’t put into words alone?
What would be the soundtrack to your blog?
This was a deceptively ambitious project! I thought it would be a simple post to create, but after two weeks of working on it, I had a massive list of 200 songs. One song recalls ten others, and the list grows with no end in sight.
So, for the sake of focus, I decided to limit my selections to the concept of a Shift Your Spirits soundtrack and to a number of tracks that might fit on a CD. But since we are now in the age of the MP3 and gigabyte iPods, I cheated a bit with a list whittled down to 25.
25 Songs that Shift MY Spirits
listed alphabetically by artist
Silent All These Years — Tori Amos
Hallelujah — Jeff Buckley
Cloudbusting — Kate Bush
Fields of Gold — Eva Cassidy
Heaven or Las Vegas — Cocteau Twins
Viva la Vida — Coldplay
Bea’s Song (River Song Trilogy) — Cowboy Junkies
Bring Me to Life — Evanescence
Rhiannon — Fleetwood Mac
The Feeling Begins — Peter Gabriel (from Passion - Music from The Last Temptation of Christ)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow — Judy Garland
Now That We Are Free — Lisa Gerrard (with Hans Zimmer from the Gladiator soundtrack)
Moon River — Audrey Hepburn (from Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
I Shall Not Walk Alone — Ben Harper
Every Grain of Sand — Emmylou Harris
Hide and Seek — Imogen Heap
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill — Lauryn Hill
The Water is Wide — Indigo Girls (with Jewel and Sarah McLachlan from Lilith Fair)
Into the West — Annie Lennox (Howard Shore from The Return of the King soundtrack)
The Mummer’s Dance — Loreena McKennitt
Sweet Surrender — Sarah McLachlan
Shine — Dolly Parton
Be With What Is — pH Balance
Today — Smashing Pumpkins
Where the Streets Have No Name — U2
Your Turn!
I’d love to gather absolutely tons of audience participation on this one.
If you had to make me a mix of 10 or 20 songs that shift your spirits, what tracks would make the cut? Leave a comment and share your songs.
If you have a blog, play this like a tagging game, create your own blog soundtrack and link back to this post.
PS — Talking to Your Spirit Guides Teleclass is about Half Full! Register now and join me this Saturday.
Contacting Your Spirit Guide 101
Free resources for Shift Your Spirits readers:
- Read the eBook by Slade Roberson especially for beginners who want to know who/what spirit guides are and how to communicate with them
- Listen to the mp3 preview of the Spirit Guide Attunement portion of the Talking to Your Spirit Guides class by Slade Roberson
- Try the meditation to Meet a Guide contributed by Jeff Lilly of Druid Journal
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61 Responses to “Songs that Shift Your Spirits”
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When I first began meditating at the age of 50, and then quickly connected to the spirit world, the song my God Band (yup, Slade, that’s what I named my angels and guides just yesterday–kinda funny that your post today would be about music) sent me “Simple Gifts” CONSTANTLY:
T’is the gift to be simple
T’is the gift to be free
T’is the gift to come down
Where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves
In the place just right
T’ll be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend
We will not be ashamed
To turn, to turn will be our delight
Till by turning, turning
We come round right
I think, now, that they were drawing a map of all the turning I would
be doing in the years ahead (they weren’t wrong), with the prediction
that I would come round right in the end.
I think a CD compilation would be fantastic…..great post, Slade. I’m sure all of us identify with music’s power to move us. Literally! I dance like crazy.
Being older than most of your readers, I grew up with the pop music of the 1960’s still being my favorite music. Most of it has nothing to do with spirituality. I love harmony in music and voices as my favorite type of music and singing. For years the Carpenters were one of my favorites. Then one day, I realized how sad I always felt when I listened to Karen Carpenter sing. I had no idea that she had an eating disorder and that her brother Richard had a drug problem until years later when I saw the movie of their lives after Karen died. I still love the harmony but don’t listen to them anymore unless I choose to feel sad. Music can have a profound effect upon my moods.
Well, if I’m asked I’ll say that the following songs are among those shifting my spirits (in no particular order). It differs a little from those listed here, as I’m from Europe (Austria) and young compared to the other posters here, only in my mid-20s.
The Force - John Kelly & Maite Itoiz
Ich bekenne meine Schuld - John Kelly & Maite Itoiz (not for the lyrics but the raw power this song wields)
Hoy comamos y bebamos - John Kelly & Maite Itoiz (song of the “carpe diem” type)
Que serà serà - Doris Day
Spanish Lady - Celtic Woman
Walking in the Air - Nightwish
Poison - Tarja Turunen
I have a dream - ABBA
Think of me - musical Phantom of the Opera
My Tourniquet - Evanescence
You - Evanescence
Restless - Evanescence
My Neighbour Totoro Soundtrack - Joe HIsaishi
Gott ist tot - Tanz der Vampire musical
phew, I could continue the list forevermore..
Anyways, have fun with the songs
Greetings from Austria!
Hi Slade,
I have my own list, which I will try to whittle down to a reasonable number and share here. I do love this idea, being introduced to new music. It is a window into each person that will participate and truly of gift of each one’s self. i think it is impossible not to know a part of someone when you touch each other through music.
One of the songs on your list struck me very profoundly, and a few things about it. Hallelujah. I can barely breathe when I hear Jeff Buckley sing that song. The composer of the song, Leonard Cohen, wrote many, many different versions of this song and there are verses not included in Jeff’s recording.
The one significant line I’d like to share here?
“There’s a blaze of light in every word”
What a cool article. I notice when I ‘forget’ to spend time listening to music (rather than just have it in the background while doing a bunch of other things) I miss it. I’ve been gravitating towards musical scores lately. I really love Vangelis(his score for the movie ‘The Mission’ is stellar.)
I also adore the score from the movie ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ mostly haunting vocals by Peter Gabriel. The score for the movie ‘Solaris’ is really good too.
Music for more sad/contemplative stuffs:
1. Thomas Newman’s ‘Any other name’ in the movie American Beauty. Very poignant.
2. Lisa Gerrard (of Dead Can Dance) her solo stuff is awesome and she did a lot of the Gladiator score as well.
3. The song Requiem for a Dream (Mozart - they used a derivative of this in the theme for the movie of the same name..)
4. ‘Have You Forgotten’ by The Red house Painters
5. ‘Last Goodbye’ by Jeff Buckley
6. Adagio In G Minor by Albinoni
7. Adagio for Strings (Barber) this song was once voted for saddest classical song I read somewhere:)
8. Air on a String (Bach)
9. Cliffs by Aphex Twin
10. I love You Goodbye by Thomas Dolby
11. Absolution by Gary Numan
12. Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush
13. Let’s Go Out Tonight by The Blue Nile
14 Breathe Me by Sia (they used this in the last scene in the show Six
Feet Under:)
15. Four Gnossiennes by Erik Satie
16. Baja by Sasha
17. The Pretender by Jackson Browne
18. Roads by Portishead
For fun crank up the music in the car:
1. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
2. Anything Anything by Drama Rama
3. Dead Man’s Party by Oingo Boingo
4. Valerie Loves Me by Material Issue
5. Pictures of Matchstick Men by Camper Van Beethoven
6. Hang Wire by The Pixies
7. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac
8. Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult
9. Circle by Big Head Todd and The Monsters
10. Metal by Gary Numan
11. Another Song About The Rain by Cracker
12. Wonderwall by Oasis
13. Black Metallic by Catherine Wheel
14. Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
And finally, we have our nice energetic/get the aggression out music:
1. Round and Round by Ratt (don’t laugh)
2. Blood, Milk and Sky by Rob Zombie
3. Man Size by PJ Harvey
4. Breed by Nirvana
5. Operate by Peaches
6. Miss World by Hole
7. Bring The Noise by Public Enemy
8. Worlock by Skinny Puppy
9. It Doesn’t Matter by The Chemical Brothers
10. Barracuda by Heart
11. Ultrasonic Sound by Hive
12. Thorns by Wumpscut
Inspiring/come have an International Coffee Moment With Me Music:
1. St. Teresa’ and ‘Lumina’ both by Joan Osborne
2. The Blowers Daughter by Damien Rice
3. Spiderwebs by Coldplay
4. Unicorn by Bel Canto
5. More Than This by Bryan Ferry
6. La Mer & Gone Still- both songs by Nine Inch Nails (instrumental and not like their other stuff)
happy happy joy joy music:
1. Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John
2. Island In The Sun by Weezer
3. Supersonic by Oasis
4. I Feel Good by Nina Simone
5. Hey Ya by Outkast
6. It’s Good To Be In Love by Frou Frou
7. Fugee La by The Fugees
8. The Passenger by Iggy Pop
9. When You Were Young by The Killers
I never tire of banquet music, too- baroque music, yes that’s really old school.
Wheeeee…
OOF! I have been listening a ton to Belladonna (Stevie Nicks) and Delerium lately too. Not like I haven’t added enough songs but good music for anyone to check out. I’m looking for new ipod music ideas from the responses here:))
OK, this was really hard for me to narrow it down to only 25 songs. Especially difficult to narrow down favorites by Tori, Bjork, Smiths and Radiohead, ouch.
Bjork- I miss You
Tori Amos-Putting the Damage On
Neutral Milk Hotel- In the aeroplane over the sea
Martha Wainright- Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole
Tindersticks- Trouble Every day
The Decemberists- We both go down together
Fiona- Never is a promise
The Pixies- Vamos
Mirah- Cold cold water
Antony and the Johnsons- Hope There’s Someone
Interpol- Obstacle 1
Jeff Buckley- Hallelujah
Little Jimmy Scott- Sycamore Trees
Mazzy Star- Fade into you
Sufjan Stevens- Lord God Bird
Yeah yeah yeahs- Date with the Night
Fleetwood Mac- Tusk
The Smiths- How soon is now
Gary Jules- Mad World
Bjork- Headphones
MIA- Paper Planes
Skip James- Devil Got my Woman
Radiohead- Street Spirit OR No Surprises OR Videotape OR Karma Police
10,000 Maniacs- Because the Night
Nina Simone- Never Tired of Loving you
Into The Mystic–Van Morrison
More to come…. just had to get that one out.
The Weight–The Band
You Can’t Always Get What You Want–Rolling Stones
Knocking on Heaven’s Door–Bob Dylan
A Pirate Looks at 40–Jimmy Buffett
Redemption Song–Bob Marley
Moondance–Van Morrison
American Pie–Don McClean
Baba O’Riley–The Who
Let It Be–The Beatles
Imagine–John Lennon
Couldn’t leave these out….
Stairway to Heaven–Led Zeppelin
Bohemian Rhapsody–Queen
Jesus is just Alright–Doobies
Old Man–Neil Young
Respect–Aretha Franklin
SWEET HOME ALABAMA–Lynyrd Skynyrd
Nuff said. Let the music play….
As a I worked toward a ‘list’, I decided it could only really be done by process of elimination. (At least by me) And I wasn’t having much success! To say there are favorites would be a lot unfair.
So what I did instead to compile, was to take what struck me today, or things I naturally lean to on a regular basis to provide whatever state I’m in currently. Some of the criteria I used - recent listening, never tire of listening, evocative, haunting, supportive, meditative, relative to my life and the most compelling or memorable in these moments. Some are individual songs, some entire recordings, all are things that speak to me, of me, for me.
NovaMenco - Tigris palace
Patty Griffin - Forgiveness
Bradfield - Buddha Spirit - Original adaptations of Tibetan Buddhist Mantra
Barbra Striesand - Hello Dolly
Azam Ali - Lasse Pour Quoi
Gillian Welch - Caleb Meyer
Govi - Abundance
Anonymous Four - Love’s Illusion
Svensson - In the Move
Eric Clapton - Running on Faith
Singh Kaur - This Universe
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - Live at the Quick
Carole King - Lay Down My Life
Il Divo - Unbreak My Heart
Glenn Gould - Bach / The Goldberg Variations
Jackson Browne - The Birds of St Mark
Desree- Little Child
Jesse Cook - Cancion Triste
Simon & Garfunkle - The Dangling Conversation
David Darling - Cello Blue
The Rolling Stones - Mother’s Little Helper
Natalie Merchant - Because the Night
Robert Gass & On Wings of Song - Enchanted
George Winston - Autumn
Peter, Paul & Mary - A’ Soalin
Philip Glass - Choosing
The Beatles - Help
What songs inspire you and fire you up?
I don’t know if this is quite what you meant, but when I need pure physical energy (like when I have housecleaning chores to do or packing or something) I put in Adam Ant’s greatest hits. That stuff will seriously get you movin’.
What songs make you want to drive with all the windows down, the speakers blaring, singing at the top of your lungs?
Tori Amos’s Marys of the Sea, oh my God, that one needs to be sung LOUD!
What songs help you cry when you need to, release the anger and frustration in your body, dance you around your house like a fool, raise you up, wear you out, and remind you that you are alive?
When I need to really bawl, I put in John Lennon’s Mother. But that’s only in cases of extreme emergency; I don’t recommend that song for everyday listening!
When I want to dance I put in XTC’s I’m The Man Who Murdered Love. That’s a struttin’ song! Oh–it’s the middle of the song! Also Circle Sky by the Monkees. It’s practically punk!
What songs tell others something about you that you can’t put into words alone?
This strikes me as a very odd question. Perhaps because music is so personal to me, and goes into my brain at such an unconscious level, I wouldn’t wantany song to tell someone else about me. This is probably just my extreme introvert alignment, though.
My blog soundtrack? Pretty much all Monkees right now, ha!
Twenty-five songs that shift my spirits? Hmmmm. In no particular order:
1. Starship Trooper by Yes. My all-time, hands-down favorite song ever. Something about it is just so numinous; no matter how many times I’ve heard that song, or how many hours it’s been on infinite repeat on my CD player, I still get a rush when I hear those opening chords. It is magic, old and deep, and I feel it coming from my bones and reaching far, far back into my memory. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s cosmic, or something.
2. The Beekeeper by Tori Amos. This is a song of the Crone, the Dark Goddess, the end of autumn and the certainty of death. So gorgeous.
3. Greenman by XTC. The first time I heard it I thought, Holy, holy, holy. They have such good male energy to them (something I find sadly rare in this world). Also, the best Maypole-dancing song ever.
4. Anything by Throwing Muses, though their music is like a fever dream and you have to be careful with it–if you’re on the way up it will make you fly; but if you’re on the way down, it’s a nightmare.
5. All of Weird Al’s catalogue. His stuff I’ve used when I’ve felt very, very bad, when I’m depressed or anxious or whatever. I use it like a prescription, almost–I will deliberately put Weird Al in until I feel better. Depending on how bad I feel, it may take some time, but it always works eventually.
6. One of the most comforting and compassionate songs I’ve ever heard: Whatever Gets You Thru The Night, John Lennon with Elton John. Do it wrong or do it right, ’salright, ’salright.
7. Listen To The Band, by the Monkees. I don’t know why, but that one always gets some kind of melancholy wanderlust going in me, and pushes me to change things.
8. Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel. Another wanderlust song, with some kind of Otherworld feel of coming home at long last to it. And it’s in 7/8!
9. Supper’s Ready by Genesis. And I mean the above-mentioned Peter Gabriel version of Genesis, not that Diet-Caffeine-Free-Phil-Collins-On-Lead-Vocal 80’s Genesis crap; I’m talking serious prog-rock here. Also a very numinous song that evokes something magical. Apocalypse in 9/8 is just astonishing.
10. Sullen Girl, by Fiona Apple. The whole album (Tidal) is appropriately named; it always feels like I’m underwater in the High Priestess’s realm (from Tarot) when I hear that album, but especially that song.
11. Bluebird by Buffalo Springfield. Happy on the surface I guess, but very melancholy underneath; something about this one also gets me sighing and longing for deep change, or deep adventures or something.
12. 49 Bye Byes Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Well the whole of that first album is very evocative for me, and of course Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is really wonderful as is Guinnevere too, but there’s just something about this song. I’m noticing a lot of these spirit shifting songs for me evoke feelings of magic that feel like memories and are very deep, almost like past-life memories or something. It’s old. I don’t really know how to describe them (which I guess is the whole point of music, right?)
13. Dame Fortune, by Andy Partridge. Because it’s properly a prayer to the Goddess. I adore Andy Partridge.
14. Steeleye Span’s version of Padstow. The second-best Maypole dancing song ever. Merry merry merry!
15. More Peter Gabriel; his “newest”, the entire album Up. Darkness (the first song) has me traveling through a dream-wood, the labyrinth, the tangled Underworld, to the center of things, where the Dark is seen and acknowledged and embraced, and I am transformed.
16. Jig Of Life, by Kate Bush. That jig in the middle is the most Otherworldly faery song I have ever heard. It’s frightening almost. The whole album (Hounds of Love) has a magical feel to it too.
Well that’s sixteen anyway; I don’t know if I can think of any more off the top of my head. But when I really want to cleanse myself out emotionally, I will go play music for an hour or so on the piano, mostly Chopin. That will definitely get your spirit shifted!
I also wanted to agree with Irishdancer that there is something about ABBA’s I Have A Dream that strikes me, too, especially when she sings, I’ll cross the stream. Something very deliberate and measured, some choice made. And crossing running water is traditionally how you get malevolent spirits off your track.
Oh man. Interesting questions. Okay, at the top of my list I would have to put “The Earth the Air the Fire the Water” by Libana. I can listen to that and sing it for days on end, and it always lifts me way, way up. I’d also have to include some songs that you have: “The Mummer’s Dance” and “Silent All These Years.” (”Hide and Seek” wouldn’t quite make it, though that may just be because I don’t own it myself.) More Loreena McKennit… it’s hard to choose, but I think I’d go with “Kecharitomene” and “Standing Stones” (always makes me cry).
Also, the Indigo Girls songs “Closer to Fine” and “Galileo.” “The Infanta” by the Decemberists. “Crocodile Man” by Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer. Uh… can I put a whole additional CD on here? Hey, it only has 10 tracks, so I’m still under 20! That album would be “Tir Aur/The Golden Land” by Ceredwen.
Heh, now I want to make a playlist comprising only these songs. I think I shall, in fact.
Oh wait! I forgot Dar Williams! “The Christians and the Pagans.” Such an awesome song.
I’m in. There are so many songs that Shift My Spirits (or in my case, transport me Between Old and New Moons).
Off the top of my head: Ayreon - Pain. Doesn’t seem exactly uplifting on the surface, but it is for me whenever I’m feeling really powerless.
Other than that I’d have to say one of Beethoven’s crazy piano sonatas.
Vitor
If I had to pick just one theme song of my life, it is — hands down — “I’ve Seen Fire and I’ve Seen Rain” by James Taylor.
Second on my list of most loved/inspiring songs is a Carole King song (also made famous by Sweet Baby James) called “You’ve Got a Friend.”
Third on my list is “Imagine” by John Lennon.
Then “Seasons of Love” by the cast of Rent, “Children Will Listen” by Bernadette Peters (from Into the Woods), and “Close Every Door” sung by Donny Osmond in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
And — being a Gen-X-er — I mustn’t forget “Purple Rain” by Prince, “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Tears for Fears, “Manic Monday” by The Bangles, and “99 Luft Balloons” by ??? (Help! I can’t remember who sang that!!)
Call me old fashioned, though, with this next choice: “Counting My Blessings” by Bing Crosby (in White Christmas).
Last but not least, I am a coinsure of all versions of the Christmas classic “Oh Holy Night.” I love all Christmas music, as a matter of fact, and I usually start listening to it by September. Yes, I’m one of those people!
Hope this helps add to the collective!
Love & Light,
Jewels
Oh — almost forgot:: the Rolling Stones classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Love it!
One more that always makes me cry: “Daniel” by Elton John. (Also love “Rocket Man” and “Blessed” by him.) Okay, I’m shutting up now…
My top ten list changes with my moods and the processes I am going through at the time but there are some artists who are like old friends that I keep coming back to, like:
Andrea Boccelli
Mozart
Lisa Gerrard
U2
Neil Diamond
Nitin Sawhney
Shweta Jhaveri
Dusty Springfield
Vaughan Williams
Beethoven
Hi Slade
Just 10-20 songs! Mmmm - Angels (Robbie Williams); My Way (Frank Sinatra/Elvis Presley/il Divo); Walk On; You Can Leave Your Hat On (Joe Cocker); Amazed (Lonestar); It’s In His Kiss (Cher); Copperhead Road (Steve Earle); Top Gun Anthem; Wonder of You (Elvis Presley); Imagine (John Lennon); How Do I Live (Trish Yearwood); Maggie & Tonight’s The Night (Rod Stewart); We Are the Champions (Queen) - just to think of a few!
Thanks Slade, I feel better just hearing these songs playing in my memory banks.
1. Mixed up world - Sophie Ellis Bextor
2. Looking for Love (Dave’s found you radio edit) - Karen Ramirez
3. Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits
4. Erase/Rewind - The Cardigans
5. Falling Like Rain - Tina Turner
6. The Big Sky - Kate Bush
7. Tinseltown in the Rain - The Blue Nile
8. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
9. Dance for me - Mary J Blige
10. Wow - Kylie Minogue
11. The Girls - Calvin Harris
12. Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac
13. If Anyone Falls - Stevie Nicks
14. Dress You Up - Madonna
15. World in Motion - New Order
16. Ready for the Good Times - Shakira
17. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
18. Golden Years - David Bowie
19. Duelling Violins - Ronan Hardiman (Taken from Feet of Flames)
20. Filling up with Heaven - The Human League
21. Cleaning Windows - Van Morrison
22. Paid my Dues - Anastacia
23. Control - Janet Jackson
24. Secret Garden - Bruce Springstein
25. Trick of the Light - Mike Oldfield
26. Two Months Off - Underworld
27. Alright - Janet Jackson
Hope having 27 is not cheating but I could have added so many more. Really enjoyed doing that, as I have gone through my cd collection and listen to songs that I have not heard in ages. Thank you. :0)
Amazing lists! I saw tons of great tunes. Here is a MUST for me, first one I thought of, and one no one else has mentioned:
Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum
“Goin’ up to the spirit in the sky.
That’s where I’m gonna go when I die.
When I die and they lay me to rest
I’m goin’ to the place that’s the best.”
Yeah baby!!! (and I don’t believe in traditional concepts of heaven and hell at all, but still, this song is awesome).
I found some good songs reading the comments section.
http://www.theenhancelife.com/2006/11/songs-to-ponder.html
Is a post I wrote about how we can relate and ponder on certain songs.
Shamelle
Wow, so much to choose some, so I’ll give you a top 3:
1.) “Across the Universe” - The Beatles
2.) “And Now We Test the Powers of Our Observation” - The Bad Plus
3.) “Lilac Wine” - Jeff Buckley
All powerful pieces for me - “used” in different scenarios, but all bringing into a spiritual place. Thanks, Slade.
The Music - Strength In Numbers
Plump DJS - Theme X
Hercules & Love Affair - Blind
=^.^=
hi Slade - you are an inspiration! Rock on ~
Good Day Sunshine - the Beatles
Tonight I Want To Cry - Keith Urban
Toss The Feathers - the Corrs
Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
Start It Up - Robben Ford & the Blue Line
End of the LIne - the Traveling Wilburys
I’ve Got My Mind Set On You - George Harrison
Little Boxes - Malvina Reynolds
If I Ever Leave This World Alive - Flogging Molly
Pink Cadillac - Natalie Cole
Every Kind of People - Robert Palmer
The Last Sunrise - Jace Vek
Love Sneakin Up On You - Bonnie Raitt
Southern Cross - the Eagles
Cartoons and Candy - Bruce Hornsby
Everybody Wake Up - Dave Matthews Band
Took me a while to think about this. So i decided to make a list of songs that Move My Soul, Right Now. I loved everybody’s lists and brought many old favorites back to mind.
(1) Let It Be …. The Beatles
(2) Imagine …. John Lennon
(3) Gimme Shelter …. The Rolling Stones
(4) Forever Young …. Bob Dylan
(5) A Whiter Shade Of Pale ….. Procol harem
(6) One Love ….. Bob Marley
(7) God Bless The Child …. Billie Holiday
(8) Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood …. Nina Simone
(9) Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What a Wonderful Life…Israel KamaKawiwo’ole
(10) Here Comes The Sun … The Beatles/Harrison
(11) Sin City…. The Flying Burrio Brothers/Gram Parsons
(12) It Was’nt God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels …. Kitty Wells
(13) Porland Oregon ….. Loretta Lynn/Jack White
(14) Losing My Religion…. R.E.M.
(15) Wipe Out!…. The Ventures
(16) Louie, Louie! …The Kingsmen
(17) Johnny Appleseed ….Joe Stummer and the Mescaleros
(18) Isolate …. Bender
(19) Sheep go to heaven, Goats go to Hell. ….. Cake
(20) 300 m.p.h. Outpour Blues. …… The White Stripes
Thanks for this Inspirationl Fun.
Maybe we could do this again sometime?
I did enjoy it!
Ginger
What a great post! And what a great pile of replies!!
For me there’s one song that always does it — one play and I’m flying. Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir.
Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face… Stars to fill my dreams… I am a traveler of both time and space… Secret elders of a gentle race… Talk of days for which they sit in wait, when all will be revealed…
Oh, wow.
As for my own blog soundtrack — you folks ever heard of Pandora? I’ve created a “Druid Journal station” that has lots of stuff I love — no Zeppelin, but much more in the new age, flute, Native American drumming, forest mist sort of thing that I love. Go over to my Pandora profile page (http://pandora.com/people/firefly.jelly) and click on “Druid Journal Radio.”
As a follow-up, I am reminded — again — that it seems as though songwriters and musicians from the last 30 years have such a profound, even daring, spirituality.
It’s almost as if THEY’RE channeling. I watched the Sundance special on
Leonard Cohen last night….Lord, that man is a prophet.
@ jeff Lilly- bookmarked the page on Pandora. Yay! I just found that site and it is fantastic. Thanks.
1 -lift me up to the spirit in the sky
2ANgel -Sarah Mcglaughlan
3.Oh what a wonderful world-Loui Armstrong
4.good sunshine Beatles
5.Unchained melody-Ritchous brothers
6In the living years -Mike & the Mechanics
7.I will laways love you -Whitney Houston.
8You;ll never walk alone …
9.You are my hero- Celine Dione
10 Buttewr fly Kisses ?
11True Colours Cindy LAuper
12.Silent Night
13amazing grace
14 Seasons in the sun
15i did it my way-Frank sinatra
16 Would you lay with me in a field of stone
17will you remember me _Sarah Mclaughlan
18.peace.John Lenno
19Audl-lang sign (?) spelling
20 Its too late to apologise _
Hello my list is:
Celine Dion - I”m Alive, taking chances, the power of a dream,
U2 - beautiful day,
anything by John Denver:)
Fleetwood mac Rhiannon , Sarah,
John Secada - not sure of the name
George Michael - cowboys and angels?
Sarah - just another miracle
theme song from the incredibals
Brian Adams - Here I AM! from the movie Spirit.
This concept is so true…it’s my signature workshops on Theme songs! they are incredible aren’t they.
Shooting Star - Bad Company
Eye of The Tiger - Survivor
To Where You Are - Josh Groban
The Other Side - Don Conoscenti
Rhythm of The Heat - Peter Gabriel
The Poison Glen - Clannad
Imagine - John Lennon
Norwegian Wood - Beatles
Let It Be - Beatles …. Aww darn - ANY Beatles
Wind of Change - Scorpions
Desiderata - Les Crane
After the Gold Rush - Prelude
Moon River - Andy Williams
Greensleeves - Moody Blues
Ah Leah - Donnie Iris
Higher - Creed
Still You Turn Me On - Emerson, Lake, Palmer
Mama - ll Divo
Vincent, Starry Starry Night - Julio Iglesias
Beyond the Sea - Kevin Spacey
In the House of Stone and Light - Martin Page
Last Song - Edward Bear
Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks
Walking in Memphis - Mark Cohn
What’s the Frequency Kenneth - REM
Everybody Hurts - REM
Moondance - Van Morrison
Awwwww this was fun reading everyone’s music.
I only had to turn on my MP3 player. I LOVE music.
Shooting Star - by Bad Company and
Everybody Hurts - by REM have been LIFE
savers for me in my life.
I got another one that’s been playing in my head lately:
Surrounded - Dream Theater
“He stands before the window
His shadow slowly fading from the wall
And from an ivory tower hears her call
“Let the light surround you”"
“One” - U2
“Salisbury Hill” - Peter Gabriel
“One Sweet World” - Dave Matthews
“It’s Amazing” - Aerosmith
“Heart & Soul” - George Harrison
“Let it Be” - Beatles
“Where are you Going” - Dave Matthews
“Kathy’s Song” - Eva Cassidy
“Love Song” - Tessla
“How Great thou Art” (hymm)
“Amazing Grace” (hymm)
“Lord’s Prayer” (hymm)
Blessed be the tie that binds” (hymm)
“All I want” - U2
“Man in the Moon” - R.E.M.
“Best of what’s around” - Dave Matthews
“Here comes the sun” - George Harrison
“Morning has broken” - Cat Stephens
“Moonlight Sonata” - Beethoven
“We only just begun” - Karen Carpenter
Ah, Slade, the song inspired by ‘Big Ideas’ of course!!
Your readers can find ‘Shift Your Spirit’ at http://www.myspace.com/jlynettediaz
xoLynette
[...] Shift Your Spirits: Songs that Shift Your Spirits [...]
Wow, thanks for these songs! I just had a great stroll down memory lane as I replayed in my head all my favorites from the above. Mine would include:
Age of Aquarius - 5th Dimension
My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
What The Fuss - Stevie Wonder
Mood Swings by Mood Food the whole CD (love it!)
Stop the World and Melt with You - the Cure
Dust In The Wind- Kansas
Love your songs. I want this song played @ my funeral.
All day long I have been working on hope and intention. My collective guides are once again teaching me about turning my negative thoughts to positive ones and to move my intentions into manifestation. A song was running in the background of my mind as I was reading inspirational material. So today the song that is shifting my spirit is “Dare you to Move” by Switchfoot. I played it on youtube and it brought life to goosebumps. (chuckle) Thinking it was a nudge by my loving guides.
The Dance Electric - Prince
The Cross - Prince
Heaven - Prince
I Would Die 4 U - Prince
Uncertain Smile - The The
Forty Six & 2 - Tool
The first piece of music that enters my mind is 100,000 Angels by Bliss. Love and synchrony take many forms. Everyone can relate to something.
THE PRAYER
Charlotte Church and Josh Grobin
Truly an inspired piece of music…
I recently discovered another: Orinoco Flow by Enya (or the cover by Celtic Woman).
Here is my partial list in no particular order : ) … Enjoy!
Music … the soul elixir!
Snow Patrol … The Lightning Strike
Snow Patrol … Open Your Eyes
Syntax … Pride
Syntax … Bliss
Pearl Jam … Arc
Peter Gabriel … Shaking The Tree
Peter Gabriel … Secret World
Alanis Morissette … Underneath
Alanis Morissette … Precious Illusions
Ambulance Ltd … Yoga Means Union
Coldplay … Life In Technicolor (music version)
Seal … Love’s Divine (Acoustic Version)
Seal … My Vision
Eddie Vedder … Hard Sun
Pearl Jam … Throw You Arms Around Me
Pearl Jam … Inside Job
Sheryl Crow … I Shall Believe
The Killers … All The Things That I’ve Done
Genesis … Suppers Ready (as mentioned above Peter Gabriel version!)
Yes … Perpetual Change
Jeff Buckley … Hallelujah
Pearl Jam/The Who … Love Reign O’er Me (both versions!)
Pearl Jam … Release
U2 … Bad
Krishna Das … Hara Hara Mahadev
Wow! This is too perfectly timed! I just sat down to set up a song list for a CD I’d like to record before I turn 40 (in August). It consists of songs that I wrote but cover songs that I adore as well. Yes it is far too difficult to pick ten or less to represent all that we are and do. One of my favorite quotes covers it; “I could no sooner pick a favorite star in heaven.”
Here goes:
Angel- Sarah McLaughlin
O mio babbino caro- various singers have covered this well
Dancing Queen- Abba
September-Earth, Wind and Fire
Cry me a River- Billie Holiday
December of ‘63-Four Seasons
I’m Yours- Jason Mraz
1234 I love you- Plain White T’s
Can’t buy you anything but love- Ella Fitzgerald
My Romance-couldn’t pick my favorite artist
Wasted Time- Eagles
Summer, Highland Falls- Billy Joel
I love these days-Billy Joel
Harmony-Elton John
Love Lies Bleeding/Funeral for a friend- Elton John
What Hurts the most- Rascal Flatts
Sorry for the extended list but honestly as a singer/songwriter it’s excrutiating to pick only a handful, actually it must be for anyone, ah, the ego was writing for a moment. Thanks for this wonderful site!!
Raquel
Hello There! How cool to be able to look through all these lists of music. Some of these songs got me reminicing
Anyways, here is my contribution: Anything from Enya or Enigma. Their music just takes my mind to another level - literally…..
Leisl
How could I forget to include “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison? Love it!
There are some amazing artists on these lists… But, C’mon- are we all getting *old* or what?!
Great artists/music to run or drive to: Si Begg / Industrialyzer / The Advent
Great artists/music to relax with: Thievery Corp. / Kruder and Dorfmeister / DJ Food
For me, this music is pure sound energy unencumbered by the heavy weight of words.
Big hugs,
J. Henry
The voice is also very much an instrument. In fact the Sufi’s saw both voice & dance necessary in opening the chakras and thus reaching higher states of consciousness. The “Mystic Rose”(very close?) found here is a pure example of that.
But yes, I know what you mean with a lot of ’story telling’ in music. Have you listened to Micheal Hedges? (lots can be found on YouTube).
and yes… we are getting a lot Older! lol!
OnE LoVE
G
I love to put my ipod on shuffle because I think God sometimes has control of the play list
Just today I experienced a wonderful testament to God’s protection over me, and when I put my ipod back in my ears the song “Lullaby” by Josh Groban was playing. To me a lullaby symbolizes love, nurture and protection. I started to tear up in the moment but was in a situation where I didn’t want to cry. So I said, “God, I love you and Thank you for this song! I’m so grateful!…but I can’t cry right now… so know that my heart is leaping but help me to settle my shell so I can stay strong”. Immediately my ipod changed to “Get your freak on” by Missy Elliot (which always makes me laugh and dance all silly like 
Slade,
I had an Experience on Saturday playing at an open mic while I’m here in the States. I played ‘Shift Your Spirit” and was approached by a woman later on who handed me a note. I won’t go into it, other than to say the song touched her at a time when she needed to hear that message.
Her response helped me too. Music heals and it works both ways.
“Shift Your Spirit, And Fly”
Thanks again for the inspiration!!!
xoLynette
Lynette!
How cool is that for both of us?!
Thanks for telling me. Made me smile.
Wow, I have been going through the posts on this site and I must say that I enjoy all of the articles I have read so far. This one in particular caught my attention. I have had many experiences in my life where something is not in balance and I may have brought more stress to myself then necessary, where the song playing on the radio when I turn on the car will ensure me instantly that everything will be ok. There have been other instances where I will be thinking a certain thought or asking a question inside my head and the next song will be the answer. Example of that one; I had been stressing myself out over tasks I needed to get finished in the time frame I wanted. I’m sort of a get everything now type of girl, lay-a-way is my worst nightmare! I was beginning to become irritable and anxious thinking I wouldn’t have time to “do it later” or later is “too long from now!” I hopped in the car and the first song I heard was “Patience” by Guns n Roses. So now when ever I start over stressing the “chaotic” factors of life I just start whistling that song and magically I feel better.
Often I will be thinking about a person and a song that reminds me of them plays shortly after (normally with people who have passed) Sometimes I have woken up with a song stuck in my head so I’ll listen to it through out the day, or continue to only sing/whistle a certain part out loud.
As for my list (since this is topic anyway…)
In no particular order! =)
1. Patience-(obviously)-GNR
2. In the air tonight- Phil Collins (always gives me the chills)
3. The sound of silence- Simon and Garfunkel
4. Anything by Queen (Mercury had such emotion)
5. Call me- Shinedown
6. Island in the sun- Weezer
7. Medicine and Gasoline- Lucky Boys Confusion
8. Invincible- Crossfade
9. Until the end- Breaking Benjamin
10. Forever- Papa Roach
11. Far behind- Candlebox
12. There you’ll be- Faith Hill
13. I swear- All-4-One
14. End of the road- Boyz II Men
15. I get it- Chevelle
16. Through the fire and flame- Dragonforce
17. Rapture- Hurt
18. Don’t cry- GNR
19. Tears in heaven- Eric Clapton
20. Everlong- Foo Fighters
21. Bullet proof skin- Institute
22. Ring of fire- Johnny Cash
23. Open arms- Journey
24. First time- Lifehouse
25. Silhouettes- Smile Empty Soul
That’s just a small list off the top of my head. I I actually racked my brain over this I would have a mini book! lol
Slade,
I love the topic! My top 20 Shift My Spirits songlist:
1. Silence - Delerium featuring Sarah McLachlan
2. Flowers Become Screens - Delerium featuring Kirsty Thirsk
3. It’s a Beautiful Day - U2
4. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
5. Troy - Sinead O’Connor
6. Never Be Mine - Kate Bush
7. Stranger - Clan of Xymox
8. Under the Milky Way - Lords of the New Church
8. Looking from a Hilltop - Section 25
9. Winter Kills - Yaz
10. Drink Before the War - Sinead O’Connor
11. Vox - Sarah McLachlan
12. Sadeness - Enigma
13. Bring Me Back to Life - Evanescence
14. In the End - Linkin Park
15. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
16. Hotel California - The Eagles
17. Winter - Tori Amos
18. Just Remember I Love You - Firefall
19. Sara - Fleetwood Mac
20. In A Lifetime - Clannad featuring Bono
Great vibe-it-up game, Slade. Thanks. I just added a few of yours to my own playlist, which is here: http://www.playlist.com/lifeblazing
Where to begin!
Here are a few:
Enjoy the Silence- Depeche Mode
Song to the Siren- Tim Buckley (or the Paula Arundell cover)
Adrian- Mason Jennings
The Knot Comes Loose- My Morning Jacket
World Without Tears- Lucinda Williams (particularly live at the Fillmore version)
Don’t Dream It’s Over- Crowded House
Song to The Moon- Dvorak
How Will You Go- Crowded House
The Wings- Gustavo Santaolalla
Sparks- Coldplay
Woo, awesome post Slade, and it seems from the comments that it really inspired many others to get into the music of upliftment
I really love your taste too! I love everyone of those songs and artists except Dolly Parton, and pH balance (both of whom I’ll check out shortly!) - Thanks man.
This reminds me of a post I wrote you might like called ‘Focus Wheel Mixtape’
http://spiritsentient.com/focus-wheel-mixtape
Hey Slade,
I blogged about this today (and linked to here). Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Slade,
The songs that raise my spirits are as follows in no partocular order.
Smile written by Charlie Chaplin, You Raise Me Up as performed by the BH(a)GMC, A Day in the Life of a Fool as performed by Jack Jones, All the Things You Are as perfomed by Ella Fitzgerald, Amigos Para Siempre as perfprmed by Jose Carerras and Sarah Brightman, Do I Love You as performed by John Barrowman, Elusive Butterfly as performed by Val Doonican, Hushabye Mountain from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, In the Still of The Night by Cole Porter
Secret Kingdom by Sherman and Sherman, Losing my Mind from Follies
Nobody does It Better by Carly Simon, Serenata as performed by Sarah Vaughan, So In Love by Cole Porter, The Desert Song by Sigmund Romberg, The Shadow of Your Smile as performed by Matt Monro, It’s Better with a Band by Barabra Cook, This is My Song by Petula Clark, You LIght Up my Life as performed by Roger Whittaker and You are my Heart’s Delight by Romberg and Hammerstein.
Best Wishes
David