Chicken Soup for the Soul
A Collection of Feel-Better Tunes
It’s officially sick season, and I’ve unfortunately been struck down with a bit of a cold. In lieu of a full blown article today, I just wanted to share some tunes that feel like Chicken Noodle Soup to me, healing and warm and happy for the soul!
“Busy Doin’ Nothin’” by The Beach Boys
This is a more recent find for me, thanks to a lovely comment under my article on Burt Bacharach’s “Hasbrook Heights” from a couple weeks ago. While I think there’s very few of us who can resist a good Beach Boys song, I think my resistance is lower than most. This one has been stuck on repeat for me (like a LOT), striking a great balance between a relaxing, swinging rhythm and a hypnotic melody line. When combined with conversationally intimate lyrics, the product is a sweet little song that is fit for any occasion.
Paper Mache by Dionne Warwick
If you know me, you know I love Dionne. While I could listen to her songs for hours on end, “Paper Mache” is one that always brings a smile to my face. It has the same gentleness as my other favorite of hers, “Windows of The World”, but speaks of an idealistic society, a happy place where “the world smells sweet”. The backing vocals she provides for herself are perfectly placed, and this may be the best use of a xylophone the world has ever seen in a song!
“Angela (Theme from Taxi)” by Bob James
I’ve put this song in my general information articles before, but it’s high time I actually talk a little about it. Taxi is a TV show I used to stay up late to watch, a set of DVDs in my house that’s so thick the disc holders can’t even keep it together. This is probably my favorite TV theme song ever, as it holds a genuine feeling that isn’t the slightest bit cheesy or faked. I use “Angela” everywhere. To go to bed when I can’t fall asleep. To blast in the house when I wanna hear the keyboard at full volume. To relax when I have to drive in pouring rain or incessant snow. Its truly a utility song, one that I think is one of the most precious ever made.
“Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1” by The Flaming Lips
My sister and I often bring up this song as a classic from our childhood. My Mom used to play this album on the weekends, and it has this power to just instantly make me smile when I hear it. It’s a tune that leaves nothing to the imagination, keeping the mind occupied with different electronic elements while telling a high stakes story about a girl who has to fight evil pink robots. “Yoshimi Pt. 1” seems to have a melancholy feel about it, with a somber chord progression driving the entirety of it. Yet to me it feels hopeful and reminds me of happy times, and therefore its one of the songs I hold closest to my heart.
“Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” by B.J. Thomas
B.J. Thomas, you will always be on my mind. I consider him to be one best singers I’ve ever, and I could listen to him forever. In fact, Mr. Thomas was the subject of my very first article here on Ear Bites, a piece accurately called “A Love Letter to B.J. Thomas”. I have lots of favorites from him, but I think the one that fits the theme most is none other than the classic “Raindrops Keep Falling On my Head”. Let’s be honest — any song that features ukulele just doesn’t have the capacity to be anything other than sweet. Thomas has voice that could move mountains, and yet his gentle delivery on this tune perfectly compliments the challenged yet optimistic narrator. Brighter days will come, and I believe it because B.J. told me so. Simple as that!
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