Songs for Smiling

• Lori Palminteri
• Uncategorized
• October 15, 2016

This list was actually much harder to narrow down than I thought.  There are so many songs that make me happy (who knew?)!  But these are definitely some of my favorites that can almost instantly make me groove.

15. Hold On To Your Heart – Man Man

“Hold on to your heart
Even when your body’s bitter”

I saw Man Man open for one of my top 10 favorite bands, The Shins.  While I was dubious about their on stage theatrics, as soon as I heard this song I loved it.  The message is simple and powerful.

14. WOW – Beck

“It’s my life, your life
Live it once, can’t live it twice”

There is really no denying the genius of Beck.  This guy is unbelievably talented.  I’ve always been a fan, however, when I first heard WOW, I hated it.  I was like, “what the fuck kind of garbage is this?”  But I continued to listen to it, and after the sixth or seventh time, it clicked, and now it’s one of my favorite songs.  I can’t not bop to this song.

13. At Home – Crystal Fighters

“I never thought I’d see you again,
I never thought I’d get to be with my best friend,
never thought I had to tell you again,
never thought I had to tell you how I lost my mind again.”

I’m pretty sure this isn’t a happy song, but it makes me happy none the less.  I think it’s about lapsing out of a depression, and finding your way back, which is beautiful, but the melody makes it really seem more of an upper than it actually is.

12. Godhopping – Dogs Die In Hot Cars

“I’ve learnt that indecision only brings no joy
So much joy to a fickle little world
That every night I do TV, film my own self CCTV
And there’s panic on the street when it’s not around”

Here’s a band that made one of my favorite albums and then disappeared.  Oddly enough, this song is about pretending to be happy and/or not really knowing how to, and getting back to basics.  I love this band so much.

11. Love Today – Mika

“I’ve been crying for so long
Fighting tears just to carry on
But now, but now, it’s gone away”

If I had to pick one song to describe mania, it would be this song.  There’s so much to love about Mika, and not just because he’s beautiful and sings like Freddie Mercury, but his songs are really rad, and he’s on my short list to see live.

10. Easy Way (Acapella) – For the Foxes

“Am I ever gonna see it
The only the place that I’ll ever want to be
Is here”

Every self help you’ll ever read will tell you the secret to happiness is living in the moment.  So skip the self help books because they all suck and just listen to this song, and be happy in that moment.

9. Say Hey (I Love You) – Michael Franti & Spearhead

“My momma told me don’t lose you
‘Cause the best luck I had was you
And I know one thing
That I love you”

Besides being one of the worst music videos I’ve ever seen, this song brings me so much joy.  It instantly brings me back to the deck of my former home on Long Island, where good music was always playing, and seeing both my Mom and Dad grooving to this song on a summer day, BBQing, drinking beer, and chilling with people you love.

8. Daydream Believer – The Monkees

“Cheer up, sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean
To a daydream believer
And a homecoming queen”

This song always delights me because my Mom sang it to me so frequently growing up (my name is actually Lori Jean).  This song has been in my life for as long as I can possibly remember, attached to it, warm memories.

7. Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum

“Prepare yourself you know it’s a must
Gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that when you die
He’s gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky”

When this song came on during “Guardians of the Galaxy,” my face lit up.  Never has there been a more jovial song about death.  How does an atheist like myself love a song about worshiping Jesus?  First off, it’s a great song, no matter what your beliefs are.  Second, I think this song embodies what I always wanted church to be growing up, instead of what it actually was.

6. Jump In The Line – Harry Belafonte

“Senora, she’s a sensation
The reason for aviation
And fellas, you got to watch it
When she wind up, she bottom, she go like a rocket”

It’s true if it weren’t for Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice,” this song probably wouldn’t be on this list.  But I’m glad it was, because this song is so much fun.  It’s just a fun song.  And I dance to this song in my apartment alone sometimes.

5. Real Love Baby – Father John Misty

“I want real love baby
Ooh, don’t leave me waiting”

Just listen to this song.  You’ll love it.

4. Ride On Right On – Phosphorescent

“But take your greedy hands
Lay them on me”

Here’s a song that makes me want to have a sex and eat cookies in bed (with someone). It’s great and groovy and puts me in good spirits.

3. Extraordinary Machine – Fiona Apple

“But I’m good at being uncomfortable, so
I can’t stop changing all the time”

There are few people in this world I’d rather be than Lori Palminteri.  Fiona Apple is one of those people.  She’s so talented, cool, and awesome.  While most of her music tends to lean toward the melancholy side (probably why I love her so), this one is amazing.  Fiona Apple, you are an extraordinary machine.

2. The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens

“Hush, my darling, don’t fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.”

How could you listen to this song and not smile?  You are completely dead on the inside if this song doesn’t bring you joy.  I have a very early memory of myself, my brother, sister, and mom taping this song off the radio on a cassette tape.  And then my brother and sister and I would play this song and dance around our room.  Even over 20 years later, I still remember that day, and how we thought singing along was hilarious.

1. You Get What You Give – New Radicals

“Don’t let go
You’ve got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don’t give up
You’ve got a reason to live
Can’t forget
We only get what we give”

This song is like an uplifting prep talk.  Every time it comes on Sirius XM’s Lithium (or 90’s on 9), I get so excited like I won the lottery.  Because I always seem to forget how much I love this song.