By Suzi
What Can A Song Do To You? ask The Unthanks. Just a fleeting few notes of a song can grab your attention, bring back memories. A lovely setting of a poem by Molly Drake, whose daughter, Gabrielle, recites the final verses.
What else can singing do, for the singer, for the listener? Canta Mais, says Tom Jobim. Sing once more. Feel the beauty, forget sadness, keep singing, sing in peace, sing beautifully in harmony.
Sing a Song, a song of love. Celebrate it, sing it loud, rock’n’roll it like Jackie Wilson. Don’t be shy.
The Persuasions send themselves up very gently, as they look back to 1955 when they were Looking For An Echo – ‘an answer to our sound, a place to be in harmony’. They looked for it in subways, lobbies, doorways, even in a bathroom – and claim that they ‘almost found’ it.
Camille is ambitious and determined. She’s looking for a Money Note, a high note which will make her rich and famous like Mariah Carey.
In Killing Me Softly, Roberta Flack is listening to a young singer and finding that his words resonate with her almost too much.
He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair.
Singing can communicate shared experience, but it can also inspire. Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl sees the world as a terrible place – he doesn’t want to ever have children. Then he hears a recording of the great Italian tenor, Enrico Caruso. The Night I Heard Caruso Sing tells how this changed his mind.
If you’re feeling disillusioned and alienated, if you find that heroes are not what they seemed, Lisa Germano suggests that you try Singing To The Birds. They won’t judge you, and it may just be that this helps to heal your pain and to find your true self.
Can anyone make a difference anymore?
Can anyone write a protest song?
People remember Paul Robeson for his beautiful voice, but may not know so much about his politics, which got him into trouble in McCarthyite America. Let Robeson Sing, plead the Manic Street Preachers.
Enya’s beautiful version of the hymn, How Can I Keep From Singing, really needs no further comment.
Chumbawamba recall Siegfried Sassoon’s poem about the end of World War I, when ‘everyone suddenly burst out singing’. Voices, That’s All celebrates the power and beauty of people singing together.
Marcia Griffiths’ joyous I Shall Sing signifies her intention to do just that ‘as long as I live’.
Finally, let’s join in with Sly and the Family Stone as they Sing A Simple Song. You might want to dance too.
Take in the Air A-List Playlist:
The Unthanks - What Can A Song Do To You
Tom Jobim - Canta Mais
Jackie Wilson - Singing A Song
The Persuasions - Looking For An Echo
Camille - Money Note
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly
Everything But The Girl - The Night I Heard Caruso Sing
Lisa Germano - Singing To The Birds
Manic Street Preachers - Let Robeson Sing
Enya - How Can I Keep From Singing
Chumbawamba - Voices, That’s All
Marcia Griffiths - I Shall Sing
Sly & The Family Stone - Sing A Simple Song
Breathe Out B-List Playlist:
Buckshot LeFonque - I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Shellac - Doris
Big Brother and the Holding Company, with Janis Joplin - Coo Coo
Richard Thompson - Happy Days and Auld Lang Syne
Cyndi Lauper - Hymn to Love
Alasdair Roberts - The Whole House Is Singing
Laurie Anderson - One White Whale
Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen
Paul McCartney - The Songs We Were Singing
Family - Larf and Sing
Bobby Bare - Singin’ in the Kitchen
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
The Unthanks - Blackbird
Christy Moore - Encore
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Take a chanson me: songs about singing. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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