thebadPoll: Song for a desert island

Now before I get started with this re-inauguration of thebadPoll, let me clarify something: this is a different type of thebadPoll that's entirely comment-driven. The old fashioned voting one will be back next week. This actually started out as a 'what song would you like played at your funeral?' post… but I felt that I risked sounding way too morbid for a cheerful late-summer Saturday evening.

My question to you is simple: which song would you pick if you had to pick just one song? Imagine yourself on a desert island, with only one song to accompany you… what would it be? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below… if you comment with a YouTube/similar link, I'll add the video to this post.

My choice: it was a difficult decision, but currently I lean in favour of I'll Be Your Mirror, by Lou Reed, performed by Nico and the Velvet Underground. It's a near-perfect love song with great guitar that still manages to pack some poetic punch. Here's a video, in case you didn't already know this fantastic piece of music.

From Sophie:

From Than:

From Algernon:

From El Primo:

From Mike:

September 19, 2009 | Music, Polls

Comments

9 Responses to “thebadPoll: Song for a desert island”

Sophie on September 19th, 2009 7:52 pm

For the desert song, I have lots of songs in my head, so I wouldn’t have only one.
As for the funeral, it will definitely be 'Eulogy for a black man', written by Kev Carmody, sung by the Pigram Brothers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-AgvUEVm4
(this live version is all there’s on youtube, but I like the recorded one better)

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jonathan on September 19th, 2009 8:20 pm

It's difficult, as I always want to listen to what I'm really into at the moment. That changes, so I'd just have to hope that whatever is cool with me this week would survive repeated listenings.
With that in mind, here's a song by Bonny 'Prince' Billy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jP1PliAiuc
Or was it Raekwon? I often get them confused.

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Tom on September 19th, 2009 8:27 pm

It's off Will Oldham's new album, no? Yes, this is a time-relevant choice. I suppose the question could have been "What tune gets you going right now?".

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Algernon on September 19th, 2009 8:54 pm

For the island, I choose the whole "The Dark Side of the Moon" LP (not CD).

As for the funeral, Henry Purcell's Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary would be great. Or maybe "That's Death", sung by Eric Idle. I'm not sure

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Tom on September 20th, 2009 11:49 am

@Algernon – no full albums allowed! It has to be a song.

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Algernon on September 20th, 2009 12:35 pm

Well then… Shine on You Crazy Diamond

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"el Primo" on September 20th, 2009 1:52 pm

for a desert island it would have to be a really long tune and preferably very hypnotic. otherwise you would get sick of it very quickly. so i would go for a live version of 'follow the leader' or 'sister ray' by the velvet underground, or perhaps 'bel air' by can:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irRZygMDCmo

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Mike on September 20th, 2009 7:42 pm

Hi Tom, we never did have that beer earlier this year but I hope we can put that right soon. I check your site now and again and had to share this song. I heard it for the first time at the end of the Wire season 3 and it hooked me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcl40sIGN1s

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Tom on September 20th, 2009 7:56 pm

@Mike – You're absolutely right… how about next weekend? Hope all's well in the MotoEspaña business!

@El Primo – Sister Ray is a great choice. I could probably spend years trying to work out all the fuzzy lyrics. I'll Be Your Mirror is a short song, but that's one of its great qualities: every time it ends, I think "again! again!".

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