I love singing in the car, dancing and listening to music, however quite often I get irate at the lyrics that are normalised. My kids now just know if the following song comes on there will be a maternal rant:

I’ll take a bullet for you – Davy Suicide

What more can I do?
What more can I say?I’ll take the bullet
For the right to save the pure
I’ll fall down to my knees
I’ll give you anything you need
I’ll hold you close to me before the bomb explodes
And when our ashes turn to stone
I’ll be there for you. For you

I have the feeling that when I sing along somehow the lyrics seep in even if we consciously dont invite them to. Even profoundly lovely songs can surreptitiously slide into co-dependancy. Loving is important, but there are many ways it can become tricky. I love ‘Someone you loved’ but the idea of someone not being there as you need them to be there to support you brings me questions. 

Someone you loved – Lewis Capadli

Now the day bleeds into nightfall

And you’re not here to get me through it all
I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved

So here are some songs that I’ve found that have a positive message of love, peace and non-attachment. The pyrics are philosophical, kind and sustainable. Its an ecclectic mix! If you are one of the young ones – please please send me some more modern stuff as it tends to be older folks music I’m finding!

I’ve made this into a youtube playlist (click to go straight there) so you can find them easily. Theyre in a different order to below. On the playlist they go from calmer and sensitive, through grittier and openhearted, to joyful and danceable!

• Anthem – Leonard Cohen
• Death with Dignity – Sufjan Stevens
• Thank U – Alanis Morrissette
• Resilient – Apalachia Rising
• Constant Craving – KD Laing
• Wonderful World, Beautiful People – Jimmy Cliff
• Imagine – John Lennon
• Where is the Love – Black Eyed Peas
• Keep Loving – Nimo
• Beautiful – Nimo
• Graduation – Nimo
• Galileo – Indigo Girls
• The Chain of Love – Clay Walker
• A Love Song to the World  – Grateful
• Universal Love – Edward Maya
• All Together Now – The Farm
• Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• Caravan of Love – The House Martins
• Harvest for the World – The Isley Brothers
• What the World Needs Now – Dionne Warwick
• It Aint What You Do – Fun Boy Three
• I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing – New Seekers
• Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
• Bad Day – Daniel Powter
• Little Wonders – Rob Thomas
• Gardener – Rebecca Riots
• Refuge of the Road – Joni Mitchell
• Call it Dreaming – Iron & Wine
• All We Are – Matt Nathanson
• Dream – Forest of the Trees
• Waterfall – James
• Do You Realize – Flaming Lips
• Feeling Yourself Disintegrate – Flaming Lips

Didn’t make it to youtube:

• I’m Yours – Jason Mraz: it’s lovely but seems a bit conflicted in lyrics
• From a Distance – Bette Midler: artistic differences!
• Love Shine A Light – Katrina & The Waves: artistic differences!

I’m thinking music for yoga and a free spine is up next!

Listography, Metafilter & Tricycle have loads more but I just took some favourites!