User blog:The Zog./ZEG'S TOP 10 FAVORITE SONGS

I was reliving some blog nostalgia, and came across the ancient times of August 2015. I saw all my top 10 blogs and figured I oughta get back into them. So, here are my top 10 favorite songs of all time, in no particular order.

Rules here is only one song is allowed for each artist, or else the whole list would be Gorillaz or David Bowie.

#10
Leningrad, by Billy Joel.

It was a bit of a tough choice for this one, I had a pretty big Joel phase, but I'd say Leningrad is probably my favorite song of his.

The song's about a real life Soviet named Viktor, whose father died during the Siege of Leningrad. After that, he's taken by the Red Army, then becomes a circus clown addicted to vodka, as any other Soviet would. Then it just sort of transitions to saying how life in the Cold War-era North Eastern US sucked a buncha dicks.

From the music to Joel's soothing voice, this will always be a favorite of mine.

#9
Elton John's Rocket Man.

The backup vocals during the chorus is what solidified this choice for me.

So, what's the song about? A guy complaining that he's an astronaut. Yeah, that's relatable. Oh no, I have to go to space repeatedly! I can't keep getting these Medals of Honor! Oh what would my mother think of me, with my big fat NASA checks and international recognition! Fuck you Elton, damn.

#8
I Miss You by Blink 182.

Talk about a bunch of goddamn bitches. Move on you cock, you're Blink 182! You could have a three year old if you wanted! Well I mean, you shouldn't like a three year old like that but...eeeehh, let's just get on to what's the songs about.

A guy broke up with someone and is now singing about her. Big shock he misses her. Has there been a breakup song where the singer was like, "Fucking whore I'm glad it's over"? That'd be a welcome change.

#7
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, by Paul Simon.

Paul Simon is a smart motherfucker. He was part of Simon and Garfunkel, the guy knows a thing or two of how to take harmony and turn it into pure gold. Couple his voice with a bunch of Nigerians or something, BOOM! How could that fail?

What's it about? Uh...I dunno. Apartheid? Fancy shoes? Fuck if I know.

#6
Little Sister by Rufus Wainwright.

The song sounds good, that's all I can say. Alright? Don't you fucking judge me!

What's the song about? Patriarchy I guess. Do I look like Wikipedia to you woman?! Something about wigs and pianos, I really have no clue.

Look, it's a confusing song, but I like it. This is my list, fuck you.

#5
The Scientist, by Coldplay.

In case you haven't notice, I'm a fan of "sad songs". Y'know, guitar, violin, piano, soft spoken but powerful voices in harmony.

What's the song about? Science, evidently.

Fun fact, I actually heard this song years ago on Newgrounds when I was like 7, some dumbass little Mario flash where it's like, "You don't get second chances." In fact, hang on, I'm gonna go find it. I'm literally going to stop typing and go find it.

Here, I found it. I actually found it. Take a look for yourself.

#4
Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen.

Ever have that moment where you listen to a fantastic song and you're like, "Damn I can't wait for this guy's new stuff!" and you find our he's dead? That didn't really happen to me with Queen, nor is it related to why I like this song, I was just curious.

What's the Bohemian Rhapsody about though, you say? I have no fucking clue. The band members of Queen don't even know what the song's about! Freddie just wrote it down, and they sang it. Simple as that.

#3
The Sounds of Silence, by Simon & Garfunkel.

Yeah, I'm kind of cheating considering I already put a Paul Simon 'solo' on this list, but fuck you, my list. I said, the man fucking knew harmony, and no song better demonstrates this than Sounds of Silence. You can look up the song with the vocals isolated, and when you hear Simon's part, you'll be surprised, and you'll appreciate the song a bit more. The effort it took, the quality by which they cloaked this. Then again, major-minor harmony is pretty hard to fuck up.

What's the song about? A lot of things really, JFK, the war in Vietnam, the general unrest of the late 60s that spilled violently into the 1970s, and the general discourse of America, in a era of change not many were prepared for.

#2
On Melancholy Hill by Gorillaz.

I could have easily filled this list with Gorillaz songs, but where's the fun in that?

From the angelic background vocals, to the mysterious synth-esque sounds, to the beautiful track and voice work, Melancholy Hill is a beautiful work.

What's it about? It's about that odd feeling you get sometimes, sometimes it's serene other times it's too odd to be good. Like you feel deflated, at peace, your soul is tired, you're on the melancholy hill.

And now, for my #1, all time favorite song....

#1
I Can't Give Everything Away, by David Bowie.

We see a lot of stars in our lifetime, some old, some new. Some shine brighter than others. You know that, eventually, every star has to disappear. But when one that shines more uniquely fades, the sky doesn't feel the same without it. Especially when it orbited a solar system of other uniquely shining stars that brought us a galaxy of wonder that we still look in awe at today.

David Bowie, aside from being my favorite singer of all time, was one of the greatest artists of all time. The styles and methods he pioneered are still in use, and continue to be among the most influential in the modern music industry.

Why do I love, not like, love, I Can't Give Everything Away? Is it because it's the last song Bowie every recorded? Is it because it has a nice music video? No, it's because this is literally the perfect song.

Every single solitary note is perfect, from the synth, to the soft electric guitar, to the beautiful harmonica blazing in the background. The instant, quite literally the instant this song begins you're sucked into this world of just beautiful noise. It makes you feel warm, and after the cacophony begins spreading the warmth you find yourself swaddled in the serenade of a deep, caring voice. It sounds like it holds so much emotion, as if this was the build up all an entire life's worth of work. You feel his pain, his knowing that something is very wrong. The chorus continues, and repeats, but each time you get a little bit more accompaniment, until it's as if every soul in Heaven is playing some sort of instrument, and playing it beautifully. All effort is released, in a beautiful, harmonized word, "Away!" and it sinks into you: it's over.

You're left just sort of thinking about how someone's whole life can boil down to a single point, regardless of what they've ever done. They say people only remember the beginning and the end of something, and Bowie's 'end' could not have been more perfect. What's the song about? It's about a man, grappling with mortality, as he realizes that he could've done more, though he has done a lot, and while he has made his peace he is still conflicted, the prospects of death and ceasing to have any sort of impact in the world. He can't just burn out, even if it must happen one way or another, he can't give everything away, not now, not yet. As the refusal grows larger and larger, it finally ceases, and we're left with the beautiful marvels of the things that proceeded it.

In a way, the whole thing is a clear metaphor for Bowie himself. He might not have been scared, or refused to accept it, but some irking of botherance kept sneaking its way into his mind. He couldn't just leave us all behind like this, he had to be grander.

And boy, was he.