Welcome to Another Saturday Night of music, memories, and conversations.
This is not a Thanksgiving diary. Not everyone likes the day, it has some weird bullshit mythology, and then there’s the family reunion aspect that isn’t pleasant for everyone. But I do like having a day to focus on gratitude. I wrote a Bookchat a couple of weeks ago on the topic, and there are quite a few books about how focusing on gratitude can improve your health, both mental and physical. Also, I recently experienced an outpouring of donations so I could afford dental work — in case any of those folks are here : Thank you, you are awesome!
I found some songs expressing gratitude, I bet you know some. In my research, I found this from Billboard that has songs from many genres, and some going way back.
Love this quote about gratitude:
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”
― James Herriot , All Creatures Great And Small
Here’s You’re The Best Thing About Me by U2. Because yes, I am incapable of writing about music without including my boys. Legend has it that Bono was eating with someone he was working on a charity project with; and the man said to Bono’s wife Ali that meeting her was the best thing about working with Bono. Ali Hewson is very involved in charity projects herself, especially Chernobyl Children. She has actually driven supply trucks herself taking aid to affected areas.
You're the best thing about me
The best thing that ever happened a boy
And Landlady
And I’ll never know
Never know what starving poets meant
Cause when I was broke
It was you that always paid the rent
This is true — before U2 made it big, Ali was the one with a day job.
A friend who is a Bruce Springsteen fan suggested Better Days
These are better days, baby
Yeah, there's better days shining through
These are better days, baby
Better days with a girl like you
And of course the epitome of thank you songs, Natalie Merchant’s Kind and Generous:
One more quote about gratitude:
“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters And Papers From Prison
Gentle reminder: Please continue to put the name of your selection in your comment along with your song. Those of us on our phones? We really appreciate it.
So, put your quarter in the slot and your song in the comments.
You know how this works — This is your Saturday night jukebox and the party starts... NOW~!