Mike's 104 Songs to Hear Before You Die: Song #2

A gate to another world (Photo by Mike)

So you know those Songs. The Songs that need to be spelled with a capital "S." The Songs that you couldn't live without, that define your life, your must have Songs. Maybe you don't and I'm crazy, but I have them. They are the songs that give me goosebumps, or make me instantly happy and need to jump around, or fully capture the depth of my melancholy.

I have over 13,000 songs on my iPod, with most of them rated, and only 104 are rated 5 stars. The system is not objective. These are not songs that necessarily have historical consequence, although some do, and some only do in the history of my life. They are not the most cutting edge, nor are they necessarily the best written or best played. They are, however, the songs that I consider to be the cream of the crop for my life. If you haven't, come up with a list of songs you consider to be must-haves.

So this is the first in a series of installments about my favorite songs. The title says "Song #2" because I already did a post about one of the songs, "Muzzle" by The Smashing Pumpkins. I will probably just put the list on random to pick which song to talk about in the future, but as I was listening today the song I'm about to talk about came on and I just felt compelled to start with it because I talked about a very similar (but not as good) song a couple days ago.

Sufjan Stevens - Vito's Ordination Song

Who: Sufjan Stevens, (who played over 20 different instruments on this album) with a few friends.

What: Vito's Ordination Song

When: 2003 on "Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State." I first heard the song soon after its release, thanks to John87 if I remember correctly.

Where: Michigan?

Why: The song itself has a beautiful calming pace, with the drums shuffling along, lazy trumpets, and plucking banjo building over the course of 7 minutes. At first listening the meaning of the lyrics may not be readily apparent, but knowing Sufjan Stevens it becomes clear that the words are about an all-loving, omnipotent God. Sufjan is singing words of comfort- a God who has always known you, is with you always, wears your clothes, "and your jacket, too." And the final touch is to let you know He has a plan for you. I can't think of a more simple way to convey trust in God than Stevens' words:

"Rest in my arms,
Sleep in my bed,
There's a design
To what I did and said."

He repeats them for over 3 minutes-- it's a mantra that fills you with a total sense of ease, relieves you of stress, lays you down in a bed made of trust. I think if you have a passing sense that there is a God, this song should be the first one you put on when things feel like they are falling apart. It's a reminder that the screw-ups and pitfalls are leading you somewhere: I hope it's true and I hope you believe it the way Sufjan does, the way I do.

I always knew you in your mother's arms
I have called your name
I've an idea placed in your mind to be a better man
I've made a crown for you; put it in your room
And when the bridegroom comes there will be noise
There will be glad and a perfect bed
And when you write a poem, I know the words
I know the sounds before you write it down
When you wear your clothes I wear them too
I wear your shoes and your jacket too
I always knew you in your mother's arms
I have called you son
I've made amends between father and son
Or if you haven't one, rest in my arms
Sleep in my bed; there's a design to what I did and said
Rest in my arms, sleep in my bed
There's a design to what I did and said