Big hearted songs

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So much of pop music is self-centred even when it's not being mean spirited.

What are your favourite songs where the singer just oozes magnanimous warmth to another?

'Let's Hear It For The Boy' - Denise Williams
'You Didn't Have To Be So Nice' - The Lovin' Spoonful

That kind of thing.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 4 September 2003 23:48 (twenty-three years ago)

"Thank You Friends" - Big Star
"Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy" - Guided By Voices

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Friday, 5 September 2003 00:11 (twenty-three years ago)

lucksmiths "guess how much i love you"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 5 September 2003 00:12 (twenty-three years ago)

The New Radicals "You Get What You Give"

― Famous Athlete, Friday, 5 September 2003 00:26 (twenty-three years ago)

"Imagine" by John Lennon, no just kidding. Christina Aguilera has a new song that's about not calling girls bitches, and 'Beautiful'. Or do you think that is just money-grabbing balladeering.

― flower child (flower child), Friday, 5 September 2003 00:36 (twenty-three years ago)

no i think "beautiful" is sincerely big-hearted.

"Reach Out Of The Darkness" by Friend and Lover, when they sing "I Think It's So Groovy Now That People Are Finally Getting Together" it makes Jr Snr sound grumpy

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 5 September 2003 00:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Cat Power's "Good Woman" is big-hearted, even though it's a breakup song. That recognition that, if they stayed together, they would become unhappier people, therefore meaner people. She wants them to be better than that.

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 5 September 2003 00:59 (twenty-three years ago)

'you've made me so very happy' - blood, sweat & tears

― lauren (laurenp), Friday, 5 September 2003 01:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Although even an eighth-note of it puts me into a puppy-kicking rabid frenzy, "Shiny Happy People" could definitely be called "big-hearted".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 5 September 2003 01:19 (twenty-three years ago)

And in the category of big-hearted songs that don't annoy me apeshit, here's your nominees:

*"Everyday Sunshine" by Fishbone
*"Roam" by B-52s
*"All is Full of Love" by Bjork
*"Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone
*"Come Together" by The Beatles (er, Lennon)

And the winner is...

*ODB circa 2000 wanders on stage, hilarity ensues*

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 5 September 2003 01:19 (twenty-three years ago)

"Get Together" by the Youngbloods

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 5 September 2003 01:25 (twenty-three years ago)

"Lean on Me" - Bill Withers
"That's What Friends Are For" - Dionne Warwick

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Friday, 5 September 2003 01:34 (twenty-three years ago)

fairways 'close to me'
all of the nice man album, frances macdonald might be the warmest person on the planet.

― keith (keithmcl), Friday, 5 September 2003 01:48 (twenty-three years ago)

"Human Being" - New York Dolls
"Let Nothing Come Between You" - Warren Zevon
"Lean On Me I Won't Fall Over" - Carter U.S.M. Actually, I could probably name a half-dozen more Carter songs off the top of my head. Which is another reason I've always liked them so much.
"Up Around The Bend" - CCR

and, of course...
"Johnny Carson" - The Beach Boys. Although that's addressed to a very specific 'another'.

Finally, I'm genuinely surprised that someone would name Big Star's "Thank You Friends". That song has always struck me as being at least half-sarcastic...exactly what have his friends made "probable" for Alex here, anyway? But maybe this is just something I read in from the context of the whole album.

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Friday, 5 September 2003 02:05 (twenty-three years ago)

"Dum Dum Boys" Iggy Pop!

― flower child (flower child), Friday, 5 September 2003 02:29 (twenty-three years ago)

'sing another song, boys' by leonard cohen. (i know that's not really what you meant n., but that's all i could think of.)

― youn, Friday, 5 September 2003 02:44 (twenty-three years ago)

"Without my friends I'm in chaos" well where are you now, Alex? Oh right! CHAOS! Yeah I think the tone of his voice is pretty hateful, too, but outside of that album it might sound very gracious, I'll never know.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 5 September 2003 02:53 (twenty-three years ago)

two very different choices that spring immediately to mind:

"History Lesson Pt. II" -- Minutemen
"A Better Man" -- Clint Black

also "18 Wheels of Love" -- Drive-by Truckers

a nice song in this vein on an album by a Memphis band called Lucero due out next month (on Tiger Style) is "Tears Don't Matter Much" where each verse is a tribute to musical comrade.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Friday, 5 September 2003 03:12 (twenty-three years ago)

i thought of a real answer: 'thank you' by the pale fountains. and 'my rival' by alex chilton.

― youn, Friday, 5 September 2003 03:12 (twenty-three years ago)

That song has always struck me as being at least half-sarcastic...

Yeah the song's certainly ironic, but a lot of the bitterness comes from context rather than the song itself. At least that's how I hear it. And there's the weird tension between Chilton's ambivalence and the upbeat backing vocals... I find the song oddly uplifting (maybe cathartic wld. be a better description), even if it's taken as sarcasm.

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Friday, 5 September 2003 04:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I love 'My Rival', but I thought it was about being deeply jealous of your ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. Wouldn't 'Take Good Care of My Baby' be more appropriate here?

― flower child (flower child), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Paul Westerberg-- Dyslexic Heart

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Bob Dylan - Forever Young

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Friday, 5 September 2003 07:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Judas Priest "Take on the World"
Queen "We Are the Champions"
Metallica "Whiplash"
REO Speedwagon "Let's Be-Bop"

― dave q, Friday, 5 September 2003 07:22 (twenty-three years ago)

jonathan richman to thread

― adam b (adam b), Friday, 5 September 2003 08:46 (twenty-three years ago)

'Didya Give The World Some Love Today, Baby?' by Doris.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Friday, 5 September 2003 09:01 (twenty-three years ago)

ARE Weapons - "Don't Be Scared"

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 5 September 2003 12:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm starting to get the feeling that "Alex Chilton" and "Big-Hearted" are two concepts that have never shared a bathroom and kitchenette, if you get my drift. How about "Bangkok"? "No Sex"? C'mon baby, fuck me and die!

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Friday, 5 September 2003 15:21 (twenty-three years ago)

"baby let your heart out" royal city

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 5 September 2003 15:55 (twenty-three years ago)

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