Gods to vampires, myth to religion, nature to the supernatural, or simply need to preserve yourself in song, this week we explore that age-old obsession with living forever, or at least a mighty long time
Read morePlaylists: songs about confidence
Neneh Cherry's taking a confident Buffalo Stance
From the plucky and cocky to the bold and brave, Beyonce to Blondie, Sparks to Stevie Wonder, this week’s guest Severin has picked two superb playlists from the nominations that will have your striding down the street
Read moreReflections on … songs about confidence. Is that OK?
Paws for thought: is confidence is what you see in yourself?
It's cleverer and sexier than brains or beauty. Musicians and performers have it spades – but in equal measure to insecurity. So this week let's explore songs all about wanting it, getting it, using it or losing it
Read morePlaylists: music that mentions, mimics or samples birdsong
The paradise tanager, an exotic songbird
Cuckoos to chickens, geese to gulls, a host of exotic birds and ascending on high with the lark and nightingale, this week's aural aviary expert Hoshino Sakura spies a beautiful set of musical calls from last week's topic
Read moreTweet, trill and warble: music that mentions, mimics or samples birdsong
The nightingale. A star singer of the bird world.
Spring has finally sprung, and to celebrate, let’s look at, from science to poetry, how the most natural and winged songwriters have inspired humans to make reference to their work in their own through music or lyrics
Read moreMorning glory? Songs about waking up
Don't be alarmed. Something to whet the whistle, darling?
From gloom to horny joy, scary or strange surprises to dire straits, this week let's explore all the lyrical and musical sides of regain consciousness in song, with some stimuli here from other forms – film and books
Read morePlaylists: songs about anonymity
That's not us.
Who are you? Who are they? Hackers to the hidden, secret societies to strangers in crowds, masked meetings to sexual liaisons, this week's playlists are superbly assembled by a famous but Anonymous figure
Read moreDiary of a nobody? Songs about anonymity
A scene from anonymous hacker thriller series Mr Robot, starring Rami Malek as the complex central figure
Whether feeling like a nobody, or actually being anonymous, from hackers to the lonely and helpless, from fame to unknown heroism, let's explore this contradictory feeling as expressed in lyrics, from spotlight to the shadows
Read moreEvery breath you take: songs featuring the harmonica
The sublime Stevie Wonder
It plays out like the voice, beautifully expresses emotion, can wail like a train and is popular across blues, rock, pop, jazz, classical and other genres. This week it's time to inhale deeply and get harmonious with the harmonica
Read morePlaylists: songs influenced by reggae, ska and rocksteady
Set the controls for 1972, but where next? It's the Mighty Two, Errol Thompson in Joe Gibbs' studio, and off on a musical journey from Kingston, Jamaica …
Who are the Mighty Two, and why are they in a tardis? Inspired by last week's nominations, guest playlist writer Uncleben takes us on fantastically influential musically journey through space and time
Read moreSerene syncopation: songs influenced by reggae, ska and rocksteady
The Wailers that global star, Bob Marley
This week we're searching out the effect of these core styles of 1960s Jamaican music on other genres across the globe, from punk to pop and rock, African to dance, and how they evolved. It's a very sound system …
Read morePlaylists: songs about travelling in time
Multiverse or multiple verse? Read on to travel and transcend musical dimensions …
Multiverse or multiple-verse? This week our playlists, from last week's topic, are presented a by time-travel scientist, who with skilful manipulation of reality from guest writer EnglishOutlaw, puts on a timeless playlist gig
Read moreSecond nature: songs about travelling in time
Who, what, where shall we go this week?
This week it's time to set the musical controls - to suggest songs that about time travel in the sci-fi sense, but also those that might move to another period in past or future in metaphor, memory and the imagination
Read morePlaylists: personal theme and entrance songs
Make your entrance here at the Bar. Strict door policy, obviously …
There's a big 2nd anniversary gig going on at the bar, but who will perform after all the songs and bands put forward last week? The Landlord invites you to witness the whole variety show, and also stay for a second stage afterparty
Read moreWhat's the next stage? Personal theme and entrance songs
Bette Midler making a low-key appearance …
Song Bar 2nd Birthday Special: Suggest music that could emphasise or illuminate an individual's character in any setting, not merely in theatres, films or sports halls, but in a fantasy world of work, pub, home or street
Read morePlaylists: songs featuring honorific titles
Sir Jake Thackray (honorary knight of the Song Bar, posthumously given)
King, Queen or Lord, Big Chief to Brigadier, Corporal and more, from a list of titles nominated as long as history itself, this week's playlist writer, Sir Severin, serves up superb lists that would honour any ears
Read moreDoctor, doctor! Bang goes the knighthood: songs featuring honorific titles
Arise Sir Rod? Mr Stewart gets the the nod, but here Prince William does the honours, not the Queen
Earls to Dukes, Your Honour to Your Excellency, Knights to Dames and Mr and Mrs, privilege or deserving, let's explore the meaning, use and tone of honorific titles in song lyrics and why society bestows them
Read morePlaylists: songs with provocative, strange or humorous titles
Mac users: Amon Düül II
Psychological perspectives to sexual proclivities, social commentary to downright silliness, our guest playlist writer attwilightlarks covers a large articulate range of the human psyche in the wordy titles from last week's topic
Read moreTitular spectacular: songs with provocative, strange, or humorous titles
A famously eye-catching Small Faces album, but there are many tasty song titles are out there …
Tantalising, striking, quirky, perhaps violent or sexually strange, offbeat, bizarre combinations of words, numbers or symbols and more, awful, wonderful, suggest songs that cry out to be heard and live up to their title
Read moreWe're on the fiddle: songs and music featuring the violin
The Cipriani Potter Stradivarius. Other models are available (if you've got a few quid)
Classical, folk, pop, rock, traditional or contemporary, Irish to Romanian, Hungarian to American to the far east, suggest music about or featuring this beautiful stringed instrument in a prominent role
Read more