Make a little birdhouse in your soul

I got a new MP3 player today, figured the 512MB Rio I got back in my MTB days has seen better. In fact my old roommate, fortunately worked on small electronics and pieced it together after I dropped it down the stairs at work -- twice.

So I'm going through all my MP3s doing housekeeping, and one was always at the top because it had a goofy file name. Good old They Might Be Giants "Birdhouse in Your Soul." So I grabbed my headphones and starting jamming out. I forgot how stupid happy this song makes me.

When I was living with friends the oldest daughter and I used to scream along to this song and laugh our butts off. You can't sing along, you must yell. It's good it's not on my MP3 player, I could likely embarrass myself hollering this song, and I don't embarrass easily, if ever.

So what are your stupidly happy songs? I'm sure I can't be the only one who has a song that puts them in a sing along and act goofy mood. For the record, Kenny Loggins "Footloose" does that to a point. My ex had this cheeseball sort of sarcastic dance he did to and that is still a good memory.

I love the title of this thread :) A birdhouse in my soul ya say..Cool

"Groove is in the heart" by Deeeee lite. I can't drive too it as i'd probably crash :o I do a funky dance to it & feel all grooooveeey when i hear it. " I couldn't dance for another..." I can hear it now..

"Counting the beat"by the swingers

"I see red" by Split Enz

I do have one that is really really bad but oh well.. "My own way" by Duran Duran (I'll have to watch Sing Blue Silver tonight)

"The Gambler"Kenny Rogers..I have to turn it up loud & sing along.

Am i showing my age? Many others but i could be here for a few days...

Hey, do you still do dirt?

I love "I See Red". Also "Ninny Knees Up."
Te Awamutu is beautiful in the springtime. Got to see the Finns' parents on the street there (not ON the street, just walking down the street) and again at a music festival watching Tim and Neil from the side.

Went to see TMBG at a bar back when they were just a small time thing, always have liked them. My son had a "triangle man" and "particle man" sweater when he was born that a friend made. Now that he's nearly college aged, he loves their music.

Ah, the 80's and 90's. Life was so simple when we were young and stupid.

I must investigate this "I See Red" song. I need to also add Adam and the Ants "Goodie Two Shoes." I think that my love of ska/big band helps, but that song, so happy, so good. I played trombone for a few years, it's my weakness. Oh, and anything from the Dead Milkmen. "B*tchin' Camaro," gotta love it.

Ugh, 8gigs, what was I thinking? Yeah, I've got a lot of music, but I don't want to bring all of it on rides with me. What do people do with those 30gig players? I won one at work, and promptly sold it because right after I bought my truck I finally managed to hit the rocks at the end of my driveway. I guess I could put all my stuff on there, but I'd rather not have to skip past stuff. I like David Bowie, but not sure he needs to come on rides with me.

My old MP3 player, I SWEAR it had a 6th sense and whenever I hit a big hill it would pull up Lo-Fidelity Allstars "Battleflag." Great climbing anthem I tell you!!! Not "wholesome" but it helps every time I hit the 10 and 20% hills to get back to my house.

Oh, I have so many favourites. They tend to rotate as to which is my "get up and yell"-favourite, though. My probably longest-lasting favourite feelgood one is "Walking on sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves, makes me grin just thinking about it :D
"I'm so excited", Pointer Sisters. Many songs by Louis Armstrong that just make me go all goofy-happy - "Hellzapoppin'" for example. I'm easily moved by music so listening to "downers" can be a bit hazardous. "Footloose" is good, haven't heard that one for a long time! "Atomic", "War child" and "Dreaming" by Blondie had me blissful on my bike for the longest time when I re-discovered them. Ditto "Kiss" by Tom Jones - terrific on climbs :D "Jungleland", Simple Minds. "Somebody bring me some water", Melissa Etheridge. "Electric co" and "I will follow", U2, concert version. "Ballroom Blitz", Sweet. "White wedding", Billy Idol.

Right now: "Let my people go-go" and "Big fat blonde" by Rainmakers are making me bounce around on my bike. And I just copied some new music to my player from a friend: "The new ****" (or something like that) Marilyn Manson, had me sprinting my heart out when I went running the other day. Which is nothing short of a small miracle.

I looooove the title of this thread. That'll be todays motto, I think. Build a birdhouse and invite the birdies in!

More thoughts from the birdhouse in ma souuul....wweeeeee(excuse the music choices k..:o, I'm not into newish stuff)


Umm Smurf..if you do put any of these on your Ipod thing..just don't tell anyone..

"Mickey"By Toni Basil
"There will never be another tonight", "Kids wanna rock", "Touch the hand", "Remember", "This Time", "Can't Stop This Thing We Started"..Bryan Adams.
"And we danced" The Hooters
"Funky Town" Pseudo Echo
"Sex Bomb" Tom Jones
"Bad Medicine", "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Keep The Faith" Bon Jovi
"Bang A Gong"& "Some Like it Hot"-Power Station..(ok, it's really because I visualize the videos and like Andy Taylor :o)
"Pinball Wizard" Elton John
"Venus"Bananarama :o
"Whole Lotta Love"Led Zep (well ok, pretty much anything by Led Zep)
"New Orleans is Sinking", "The Hundredth Meridian", "Little Bones", "Twist My Arm"-The Tragically Hip
"Face The Face"Pete Townshend
"End of The LIne" The Travelling Wilburys
"Cryin over You", "Standing In the Dark", "It Doesn't Really Matter"-Platinum Blonde
"Love is"Alanna Myles


I see quite a few closet kiwi expats (?) are possibly coming out of the woodwork! TeAwamutu hey...

If you create playlists, then you can choose one before you start out and be reasonably confident you won't have to skip through a lot of songs.

Or you can just do like DH, and put EVERYTHING in the mix, comedy bits, random movements of classical pieces, new wave punk, bluegrass, Zappa, 60's rock, etc., and just let it come up as it will. Drives me nuts. :cool:

But to the thread topic - you know the song that pops into my head immediately is The Cars' "Just What I Needed," partly because I like the song, but mostly because it always brings back a memory of eating lunch on the Statehouse lawn one summer afternoon in the mid '80s.

There was a guy with his Walkman on, by the looks of it homeless and very high, dancing and singing along loudly to the music in his headphones, oblivious to what all the suits eating lunch were thinking. When I think of happy music, I always think of that guy. :)

Nellie the Elephant by Toy Dolls :D

Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk
And said goodbye to the circus
Off she went with a trumpety-trump
Trump, trump, trump
Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk
And trundled back to the jungle
Off she went with a trumpety-trump
Trump, trump, trump

I loooooove Nellie the Elephant! I actually started a Pandora station with The Toy Dolls as one of the "seeds." My friends introduced me to it and yeah it's a great spazz out and sing along song.

I actually used to have a really great remix of "Sex Bomb" sometime back. It might even be in my record collection from my DJing days.

Wow - where do I start? Probably everything on my Ipod! But to name few:
Blues Brothers Soundtrack (the movie)
Louis Armstrong “What A Wonderful World”
John Denver - most everything he did I like, mostly cuz I can play them on my guitar!
Emmylou Harris’ “Ballad of Sally Rose”
Soundtrack to “Benny and Joon”
Crunch Granola Suite - Neil Diamond vintage song
Ooops! Showing my age now- LOL!

I have lots of weird songs that make me happy, but I LOVE They Might be Giants. I had that cassette and wore... it... out. I'm going online right now to download some TMBG songs.

"Istanbul was Constantinople now it's Istanbul not Constantinople been a long time gone, Constantinople, now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night... "

I love "Make a Little Birdhouse in your soul!" and "Mexican Radio". Plus that song about Snack Crackers, I don't even have a clue what they are talking about. There is a song that is locally popular a duet that has some really perverse lines. Sorry, makes me laugh to no end. It isn't cheerful though like the ones you speak of which make your butt wiggle in delight. :p

Hey, Amanda, that song is "In Spite of Ourselves" sung by John Prine and Iris DeMent.

John Prine is one of my faves for snappy, bouncy little tunes that stick in my head ("Leave the Lights On" always cracks me up). 'Course, a lot of his songs will also break your heart.

Leave the Lights On (first verse):

Feeling kind of bony
On the telephoney
Talking to Marconi
Eating Rice-a-Roni
Nominated for a Tony
For acting like a phoney
Watching Twilight Zoney
On my forty-two inch Sony
This is just a long song
It ain't no poem
Leave the lights on till your baby gets home


PS I love-love-love They Might Be Giants!!! That whole album (Flood) is one gem after another.

Just about anything by Jimmy Buffett.

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Originally Posted by Aint Doody

Just about anything by Jimmy Buffett.

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+1

And Fool in the Rain. I love that song:)

CA

As long as Ed Robertson is singing, I'm happy. Careless Whisper.

Karen

Not exactly stupid-happy--more like stupid-angry--but when the Pogues "Sickbed of Cuchulainn" comes on my iPod in the middle of a run or walk with the dog, my legs automatically break into a jig. I can't stop them, and I'm sure I look like an idiot, but I think my Irish blood reaches up and strangles my free will and I end up dancing.

Sarah

Thanks for starting this thread. I just downloaded "Flood" from TMBG and about 10 other songs. I've gotten reacquainted with lots of songs from my past that bring back great memories. I'd forgotten about TMBG for so long. Thanks for making my day!

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Originally Posted by Tri Girl

Thanks for starting this thread. I just downloaded "Flood" from TMBG and about 10 other songs. I've gotten reacquainted with lots of songs from my past that bring back great memories. I'd forgotten about TMBG for so long. Thanks for making my day!

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No problem! I'm going through CDs I've ignored for years and burning stuff I forgot how much I loved!

Okay, and my other insane happiness song is Ween "Push th' Little Daisies." I was driving out to Hood River to do some mountain biking on a gorgeous day and that came on. I had never heard it before and it just filled me with glee.

Oh god, some of these songs are so goofy it's embarrassing! I had to go through my MP3 list in and pick out the ones I always sing to. :D

Happy Hawaii - Abba
Ventura Highway - America
Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart
Dizz Knee Land - Dada
Roll To Me - Del Amitri
Take Me In Your Arms - Doobie Brothers
Workin' For A Livin - Huey Lewis & The News
Skin And Bone - The Kinks
Smooth Operator - Sade
Mas Tequila - Sammy Hagar
Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon
Let's Go To Vegas - Faith Hill
Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks & Dunn
Suds In The Bucket - Sara Evans

Ahh..I don't want to let this thread die as i just love the title..So cool to have a birdhouse in yer soul :)

I have some more songs...:o

"Sunshine of your love"-Cream
"Baker Street"=Gerry Rafferty
"Rock n Roll ain't noise pollution", "Back in Black", "TNT"-Accadacca (What AC/DC's called in Australia...)
"Run to the hills"-Iron Maiden
"Wham Rap"-Wham! (oh dear this is a baaaaad early 80's song..video is hilarious...:o)
"Sultans of Swing"-Dire Straits
"Gimme Some Lovin"- Spencer Davis Group
"Lola"The kinks
"Rock of Ages", "Photograph"-Def Leppard
"Jeremy", "Alive"-Pearl Jam
"To be with you"-Mr Big
"Night the lights went out in Georgia", "Fancy", "Heart won't lie", "Is there life out there?"-Reba
"Angie", "Mother's little helper", "under my thumb", "Honky tonk woman", "waiting on a friend", "Miss you"-The stones
"Paradise City", "Patience"-Guns n Roses
"You''re the voice"John Farnham

"Fairy Feller Master's Stroke", "Funny How love is", "Tenement Funster", "39"-Queen (I can't decide...I just keep the whole Queen mp3 collection on random when in the car..)

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

Plus that song about Snack Crackers, I don't even have a clue what they are talking about.

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"Camel Walk" by Southern Culture on the Skids? Great song, even though it makes no sense at all!

Sarah

Since Birdhouse in your soul has already been covered...

I also like Whistling in the Dark..

Currently Happy Songs:

Mele Kalikimaka
You and I - Ingrid Michaelson
You Can't STop the Beat from Hairspray
Dancing Queen -and Happy Hawaii - ABBA
I LOVE Ben FOlds, he's my fave... but I'm not sure which ONE is my fave. Currently I have a lot of fun listening to his song EFFINGTON.
Single LAdies (even though I'm not) by Beyonce
Gonna Be - Proclaimers
Little Willy - sweet
Lookin' Out my Backdoor - CCR
Sister Kate - Ditty Bops

There are a bunch of other songs that I like. That's just a short list. I've probably forgotten some.

TMBG also has a super happy song called Ikea. About the store. That and Birdhouse both are supper happy-making. Others....

The Window Washer song by BNL (don't know the exact title). Not quite happy, but I love it anyway.

Love You Madly - Cake
Stick Shifts and Safety Belts - Cake
Million Dollars BNL

There's a song on the radio right now that is super happy and makes me excited every time I hear it: Say Hey by Michael Franti. Happiest. Song. Ever.

Oh my... I think I gotta print this thread to do some massive searching on iTunes for song clips. I'm getting ready to teach Spinning at my gym and have been having a mental block of what to play for these people to make their legs "spin happy". Having songs that make a person just "happy" for starters is step in the right direction.

I'm drawing a blank on my own contribution to the thread atm (see what I mean:mad:).

Please, carry on:p...

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Originally Posted by chatterbox

TMBG also has a super happy song called Ikea. About the store. That and Birdhouse both are supper happy-making. Others....

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Are you sure you're not thinking of Jonathan Coulton? He has a very similar sound and Pandora introduced me to him when I created a TMBG station. Here's a clip:

http://www.pandora.com/music/song/jonathan+coulton/ikea

And yes it makes me pee a little in my pants laughing when I hear it.

extraordinary -- better than ezra
spell on you -- Marylin Manson
barbeque stain -- tim mcgraw
lean back -- (i don't know who sings it)
bobby mcgee -- janis joplin

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding
It's Raining Men--The Weather Girls
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere--Alan Jackson

and as others have said
What a Wonderful World--Louis Armstrong
anything by Jimmy Buffett

La la alaaaa...birdyhouse in ma souuul...

Sex on fire-Kings of Leon
When the Generals talk, blue sky mine, US forces, forgotten years, Power & the Passion, short memory
Brian May-Back to the light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo

:p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJErrp4eOw

Acid 2000 by fat boy slim, Lance rides Alpd'Huez. This vid made me love this song!
Also,' stoned in love' chicane heat( with tom jones) This one is good for hills. Not happy but butt kicking. Its a love song gone wrong bit I like to imagine that its some body hot, telling me "your not in love with me, your in love with the hill! how can I compare?!"

Have you done as smuf asked?

Billy Joel-Still rock n roll to me, just the way you are
Queen-doing alright
John Butler Trio-Better than, used to get high
Tom Petty-Breakdown
Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman-Time to say goodbye

Woodstock..:cool:

I'm bumping up this thread. I have found loads of songs I've forgotten. I'm making a new list of "pump it up" songs for my dance classes so if anyone has more to add, I'd love it.

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Originally Posted by smurfalicious

I got a new MP3 player today, figured the 512MB Rio I got back in my MTB days has seen better. In fact my old roommate, fortunately worked on small electronics and pieced it together after I dropped it down the stairs at work -- twice.

So I'm going through all my MP3s doing housekeeping, and one was always at the top because it had a goofy file name. Good old They Might Be Giants "Birdhouse in Your Soul." So I grabbed my headphones and starting jamming out. I forgot how stupid happy this song makes me.

When I was living with friends the oldest daughter and I used to scream along to this song and laugh our butts off. You can't sing along, you must yell. It's good it's not on my MP3 player, I could likely embarrass myself hollering this song, and I don't embarrass easily, if ever.

So what are your stupidly happy songs? I'm sure I can't be the only one who has a song that puts them in a sing along and act goofy mood. For the record, Kenny Loggins "Footloose" does that to a point. My ex had this cheeseball sort of sarcastic dance he did to and that is still a good memory.

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That's my cell phone ringtone for my boyfriend :D I love that it's a song from the perspective of a blue canary night light. TMBG rules!!!

My happy songs are:
"500 Miles" by the Proclaimers
"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" by The Flaming Lips
"Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang
"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen
"Army" by Ben Folds
"Kate" by Ben Folds
"Hey Ya" by Outkast

:up:

Sweet thread!

for me, its

"The Linus and Lucy Song"

(that's the piano bit that Linus keeps breaking into in A Charlie Brown Christmas and is the theme song for most of the Charlie Brown specials)

It's an instrumental, but I hum the tune a lot :)

"Call Me" - Blondie
"Believe" - Cher

Love to run on the treadmil to these.

For me, by far, it is "Love Shack" by the B-52's.

I can't stop dancing and smiling when I hear that song!! :D:D

Lynette

*bump*

had to think of this thread and it's wonderful title when I was trying to beat the Christmas blues yesterday. I have emotional, stirring favourites too, (so much that they're hazardous to listen to in public), but these two are def. my favourite Christmas happy songs:

"All I want for Christmas is you" - Mariah Carey
"Santa Baby" - Eartha Kitt

and "Rocking around the Christmas tree" isn't bad either.