To mark 80 years since that key day, this song topic is not only about those events – the landings, the battles, the individuals, the big stories, but also in a wider sense about the very idea of D-Day, of those moments where it's really do or die, or in some cases do and die, where necessity means you must be decisive and take action
Read moreWhat's left behind? Songs about legacy
Honest legacy? Park (bench) your musical heritage here …
How will you leave it, or be left? It’s a profound idea to think of how we’ll be remembered, or forgotten, as material, ethereal and emotional remains, or what others might leave to us. So let’s widen our musical legacy with some more song ideas on this topic …
Read moreI know why the caged bird sings: songs about or expressing empathy
Maya Angelou: “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”
I feel for you. Reach out and I’ll be there. This week we’re seeking song-related understanding and connection the form of songs about empathy, and though it’s different perhaps also little secondary sympathy, in form or content
Read moreMeet me in the middle? Songs about compromise
John, Yoko and Paul. Compromise is a divisive but potent issue …
It’s all about the C-word in song, but does it strengthen or weaken us? Does it hold society together or kill artistic integrity? You can’t always get what you want, but can you give a little, take it a little? Can we work it out, or just do it my way?
Read moreWhere did it all go wrong? Songs about crisis …
Don’t do it, Father Dougal …
… and how can it all go right? This week let’s see if we can make musical manoeuvres in the current climate, causes and cures for crises, whether they be political social, economic or personal
Read moreNotes for the NHS: songs about nursing and healthcare
NHS founder Nye Bevan visits Park Hospital, Davyhulme, Manchester, in 1948.
This week we’re giving it the special treatment to mark the NHS 70th anniversary, but also looking for music that mentions any kind of medical care, especially nursing, and its emotional effect in lyrics
Read moreJoint effort? Let's weed the stoned grass: songs about marijuana / cannabis
Louis Armstrong liked a good blow now and then
Mary Jane to hash, pot to pipes, it's time to take a toke on songs that hit on this long-established recreational drug and painkiller, from its many names to the effect it has on mind, society and music
Read moreThink on: songs about intelligence
What does it mean and how does it feel to be clever, smart, savvy, canny, brainy, or have clout? Or the opposite? What is emotional and musical intelligence? It's time to play out these ideas in song
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