It is almost a year since we made this huge leap in our lives so to celebrate 1 year of change… time to make a mixed tape!! Here are the top 10 songs from our song library that seem to fit to what we are trying to accomplish; at least in the way that we interpreted them. I realized part way though that I had actually included 11 songs and I didn’t want to cut any out.
10b) Conor Oberst – Moab
To us this is a song about escape. When you lose your way, lose your priorities, hit the road, and rediscover what is really important and have some fun.
Trying to decorate their lives
Taking measurements for some new look they want
So from 1-10, 10′s exactly what I am
0 being everything I’m not
Tell me what you like
Is it less than 5?
Is it less than 5?
There’s nothing that the road cannot heal
10a) Sam Roberts – Brother Down
This is a pretty cool song. In our eyes this song is saying that it is OK to question how you are living your life and say that this is not right. Get your priorities in line and don’t let your life pass you by.
Got my brother down ’cause it’s nothing to me
Rich man crying crying cause his money is time
Poor man smiling cause he knows he ain’t blind
I think my life is passing me by
9) Annie Lennox – A Thousand Beautiful Things
Simple meaning for us. There is so much to see and do in your life so don’t close your eyes and miss out on what you were destined to experience.
The world was meant for you and me
To figure out our destiny
(a thousand beautiful things)
To live
To die
To breathe
To sleep
To try to make your life complete
(yes yes)
So …
Light me up like the sun
To cool down with your rain
I never want to close my eyes again
8) Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Everyone who knows me would know that I would sneak in an Elton John song into this list. This of course was written by Bernie Taupin who sees things a lot more like we do (at least at the time that the song was written) then the life of excess Elton John is famous for. The Yellow Brick road represents to us the path to take to get rich and live the high life. We will take a more relaxed simple life closer to nature. The city can survive without us.
Where the dogs of society howl
You can’t plant me in your penthouse
I’m going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I’ve finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road
7) Cat Stevens – Where do the Children Play?
What is the cost of progress? How much is too much? We decided to take a step back from the busy working life, slow down, and watch our children play.
But will you keep on building higher
’til there’s no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?
I know we’ve come a long way,
We’re changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?
6) Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
This is a Joni Mitchell song but we like the Counting Crows version. We are trying to get back to nature and away from the culture of making decisions for economical gain and without much thought of the long term consequences. When we lived in the city we missed being surrounded by nature.
They took all the trees
Put ‘em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see ‘em
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
5) Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
Get lost with your chosen companions and enjoy the moment.
Those three words, are said too much, they’re not enough.
If I lay here, if I just lay here
Would you lie with me, and just forget the world.
Forget what we’re told, before we get too old
Show me a garden that’s bursting into life.
4) Crosby, Stills, and Nash – Southern Cross
This has always been one of our feel good songs due to this lyric. Again we are interpreting the song to our feelings and not necessarily the way the song writers meant. I remember our first night after flying to the Cook Islands on the start of our 14 month Honeymoon and we sat and watched the southern sky and we understood that we were in for something big. Last summer while sitting on our patio with our feet up watching our kids run around the yard, we understood why we came this way.
When you see the Southern Cross
For the first time
You understand now
Why you came this way
‘Cause the truth you might be runnin’ from
Is so small.
But it’s as big as the promise
The promise of a comin’ day.
3) Sarah McLachlan – Ordinary Miracle
When you have kids you start to see again how amazing the things you take for granted really are.
And always make it home by spring
It’s just another
Ordinary miracle today
When you wake up every day
Please don’t throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
‘Cause we are all a part
Of the ordinary miracle
2) Eddie Vedder – Society
Beautiful song and one I play a lot when I need to refocus on what we are doing. Prioritize you life to make sure you are heading towards the right goals. If you do not like the path of the mainstream then get out and go a different direction.
We have a greed, with which we have agreed…
and you think you have to want more than you need…
until you have it all, you won’t be free.
Society, you’re a crazy breed.
I hope you’re not lonely, without me.
1) Jack Johnson – Upside Down
A year ago we called this our theme song for our lifestyle change and it still fits. We are still in the process to turning our life upside down to find the lifestyle we want to live. It is a great feeling and I hope it lasts the lifetime of everyone in our family.
I wanna turn the whole thing upside down
I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found
I’ll share this love I find with everyone
We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s song
I don’t want this feeling to go away
Wow Love the selection but the Jack Johnson is the best. discovered him a while back..
Truly, truly inspiring Lisa and Martin! Thank you! As I listen to the songs you have chosen I am busy dreaming big dreams and making big plans! Great way to start a Monday – again Thanks!