Mary Magpie's "Ten Best Songs Of All Time"
Lately, I haven't been interested in any new music. No recent hits have really tickled my fancy. My playlist for the past month has been a collection of older tunes, and they're all my favourite songs ever.10. "At Least I'm Not As Sad"- fun. It's one of the most brilliantly composed songs of all time. The mishmosh of sounds and instruments all meld together into a sea of gorgeous sound. The most powerful line is: "Nothing is sacred. I don't keep friends, I keep acquainted. I'm not a prophet, but I'm here to profit, that's all, I'm gone! That's my life, nothing is sacred. I don't fall in love, I just fake it."
9. "Why Am I The One" (Acoustic)- fun. A) Why is Nathan Ruess not on Broadway. B) Why is the acoustic not the only version? It's shockingly perfect. This raw, stripped down version is far superior to the original. I've fallen in love with it, and it's the best song off of Some Nights.
8. "Masterpiece" (Acoustic)- Bayside. The acoustic blows the original out of the water. It almost brings me to tears and gives me the chills listening to it now and writing this. Raneri's voice is stunning. This line is pure poetry: "I swear if I could take your pain, and frame it and hang it on my wall, maybe you would never have to hurt at all."
7. "Peace Out"- Say Anything. It's the best track on their self-titled. It strays from the path of their angsty anthems and veers away from the sassy judgemental songs that make me love them so. Here, they're more human. Here, it's a song full of metaphors, similes, and silly allusions (including one about Dahmer). Bemis' voice is flawless, and it's reminiscent of old old old SA.
6. "Lenders In The Temple"- Conor Oberst. The guitar is mind-blowing, they're some of the greatest lyrics Oberst ever wrote in his solo career. "Erase yourself and you'll be free" is insanely powerful. I didn't like this tune till recently; I typically skipped over it on shuffle, and now I regret it. Musically, it's gorgeous. I love it. I hope he does it live when I see him, that'd be great.
5. "We Are Nowhere And It's Now"- Bright Eyes. This song really changed my life. It was the first Bright Eyes song that ever really inspired me and opened my eyes. I'm forever grateful because of this. It's all because of just one simple line: "She took a small silver wreathe and pinned it onto me. She said, "This one will bring you love." I don’t know if it’s true, but I keep it for good luck"
4. "Ask"- The Smiths. Catchiest tune, hands down. You cannot sit still while it's playing, I promise you. This is my favourite song to spaz about to and play really loud and it instantly boosts my mood. One can't be in a bad mood playing this song.
3. "Number Five With A Bullet"- Taking Back Sunday. This is the greatest anthem ever. Whenever I hear it I just want to yell out the words. It's the best teen angst song of all time- it has glimpses of punk, but is much more progressive indie. Its' wicked catchy and just makes me want to dance. I'm praying they're doing it live on the TAYF10 Tour.
2. "Bowl Of Oranges"- Bright Eyes. Beautiful, beautiful lyricism. I can't say anything more, because I'm almost brought to tears. Here are the best lyrics in the tune: "Your eyes must do some raining if you are ever going to grow. When crying don't help and you can't compose yourself, it is best to compose a poem, an honest verse of longing or simple song of hope."
1. "Southern State"- Bright Eyes. This has to be one of the greatest songs of all time- this is my favourite and has been for the past few months. Something about it gives me the chills. It's so easy to get lost in. Especially the live version; Oberst's voice is absolutely gorgeous. It's one of those songs where you close your eyes and you're teleported into a state of euphoria. That's so rare, and I'm so happy that I found it here.
