Reading My Way Around the World

Monday, 7 January 2019

Feel good songs and Mondigreens

One of the new singing groups I'm working with have asked for a run of feel good songs and I thought I'd put the question out there - what are your favourite feel good songs?  What makes you want to sing along at the top of your voice and chase the blues away?   Is there a song that just gives you a happy fix?   It fascinates me how different we all are and I'd love to hear your choices.   One of my most favourite happy songs is Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys - that just lifts my heart as soon as it comes on - or the Last Train to Clarksville by the Monkees, although the subject matter of that isn't at all happy, the song has such a lift in it.

And have you songs that you haven't a clue what the lyrics are but you can't help singing along at the top of your voice? ..... Do you know the second line of Blinded by the Light?  wrapped up like a doose among a runner in the night!!!! lol   I'm deliberately not looking it up cos we have such fun trying to figure out if anyone actually knows it.

You know, those misheard lyrics are called Mondigreens.

According to Wikipedia -
Coined by Sylvia Wright in Harper’s Magazine (The Death of Lady Mondegreen, Nov 1954) from a mishearing of a line in the Scottish ballad The Bonnie Earl O' Moray: "They have slain the Earl O' Moray, / And laid him on the green" (misheard as “Lady Mondegreen”).
And it is now defined as a misheard lyric which gives it a new and humorous meaning ... 

A classic one is in the song, the Black Velvet Band.  The line goes "with her hair hung over her shoulder, tied up with a black velvet band" - for years people thought the song went "with her hairy tongue over her shoulder "  LOL

So what's your feel good song(s)?  Let me know and help me compile a good comprehensive list.

By the way, there's a story that Judy Garland, before filming the scene above, disappeared from the set for 13 days and came back having lost a load of weight and had to be refitted for her costume for this final scene.  Now there's dedication to image for you.


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12 comments:

  1. Susan Smith7 January 2019 at 20:47

    That's wonderful being asked to do something like that. I've 2 favourite songs that I sing along with, mainly because my Dad & I used to, when I was little & I still do. One is 'The Yellow Rose of Texas & the other 'Catch a Falling Star' by Perry Como. Not sure who sang the first one. Have fun & take care.

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  2. Aril7 January 2019 at 21:03

    Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel even though the lyrics aren't on a happy topic!
    Arilx

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  3. Julie8 January 2019 at 11:04

    I Love to Boogie - T Rex .... that's gets the foot tapping and blood pumping.

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  4. Unknown9 January 2019 at 10:08

    how about 'raindrops keep falling on my head'

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  5. retirementreflections9 January 2019 at 12:41

    Here are the top ten "feel good songs" according to Forbes. I agree with #3!

    10. Katrina & The Waves - Walking on Sunshine

    9. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

    8. Jon Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer

    7. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

    6. The Monkees - I'm A Believer

    5. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger

    4. Billie Joel - Uptown Girl

    3. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations

    2. Abba - Dancing Queen

    1. Queen - Don't Stop Me Now

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  6. Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond9 January 2019 at 22:22

    Hi Fil! Thank you for joining us at #MLSTL and I think Donna from Retirement Reflections has the perfect playlist for me in her comment. I'm not sure I can add to her list. Have a great week!

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  7. Jo Tracey9 January 2019 at 22:58

    My fave feel good song is "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble. I love a good mondigreen. One of the music trivia programs that used to be on Australia telly (Spicks and Specks) had a category each week on them. There's a Vance Joy song I love called "Riptide" where he sings the words "and they come unstuck" yet all I hear is "and the car won't start". Visiting from #MLSTL

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  8. Leanne10 January 2019 at 07:53

    Anything by ABBA, the Beach Boys, Queen - so many choices and I'm impressed with Donna's list! Good luck making your choices and thanks for linking up to MLSTL - I've shared this on my SM :) and hope you enjoy visiting and commenting on some of the other links.

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  9. Christina Daggett11 January 2019 at 16:26

    I really enjoy your music, Fil! Glad to have found your blog!

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  10. Fat Dormouse13 January 2019 at 14:02

    Although the lyrics are a bit naff, I find that Pharrell Williams' "Happy" always cheers me up. And Elbow's "One Day like this" as well.

    Fat Dormouse (https://fatdormouse.wordpress.com/)

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  11. Mother and Daughter13 January 2019 at 15:10

    I love Donna's list from retirementrefelctions. I read over her list and started singing each one.

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  12. Kezzie13 January 2019 at 17:31

    This is a lovely idea! One song I adore is one I teach my year 3's- it is 'Tomorrow the Fox'- an old song by Thomas Ravenscroft. I also love Kookaburra for the same reason. At church, I always love singing 'Blessings and honour, glory and power' (I believe it is called The Ancient of Days'- it always makes me feel happy). I adore this Judy Garland song- so happy! We also love 'You shall go out with joy!'

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