Music connects. It inspires. It moves us ? both physically and emotionally.
Have you ever heard a song and found yourself transported to a different time and place in your mind? Maybe you haven?t heard the song for decades, and when the beat begins ? you are amazed to find you remember every sound. Every word. You can vividly remember singing the song at some point in your life. The sights. The sounds. The people you were with. And even the emotions come flooding back.
This is what music does.
Music can be therapeutic. It can be healing.
Some of my earliest memories include music. Since I was a young girl, listening to the music my parents would play throughout the house ? I have found joy in the rhythm. In the beat. In the words. In the melody. I can remember sitting for hours in front of my little plastic record player, playing the Rose Petal Place record, Disney songs and stories, and one of my favorite songs ? Upside Down by Diana Ross.
So what did I do when anxiety was threatening to take hold this week? I returned to something that has brought me joy, comfort and encouraged emotion and tears throughout my lifetime. I created a playlist of songs that speak to me. Songs that take me to the places in my mind and heart and spirit that I need to go. Songs that bring joy. Songs that bring hope. And songs that bring tears.
And in hopes that it may bring you the same – joy, comfort, hope, or the tears that are sometimes necessary ? I wanted to share my playlist with you.
- Touch of Grey – The Grateful Dead
- Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder
- Rescue – Lauren Daigle
- The Times They Are A-Changin – Bob Dylan
- Waste – Phish
- Blessings – Chance the Rapper
- Lean on Me – Bill Withers
- Just Be Held – Casting Crowns
- I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
- Hold On – Wilson Phillips
- It’s the End of The World As We Know It – R.E.M
- Yesterday – The Beatles
- Love – We Are Messengers
- We Are The World – U.S.A. For Africa
- Oh My God – Jars of Clay
- You’ve Got a Friend – James Taylor
- Three Little Birds – Bob Marley & The Wailers
- Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
- The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
- Clocks – Coldplay
- I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself – The White Stripes
- Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong United
- Rainbow – Kacey Musgraves
- Just Breathe – Pearl Jam
- Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
- Look Up Child – Lauren Daigle
- Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da – The Beatles
- Life on Mars? – David Bowie
- My Sharona – The Knack
- The Promise – When In Rome
- Til Kingdom Come – Coldplay
- Everybody Hurts – R.E.M.
- Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) – Chris Tomlin
- Red Red Wine – UB40
- What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
- Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue
- So Far Away – Dire Straits
- I’ll Stand by You – Pretenders
- The Promise – Sturgill Simpson
- All By Myself – Eric Carmen
- Don’t Cry (Original) – Guns N’ Roses
- Traveling Alone – Jason Isbell
- Manifesto – City Harmonic
- Don’t Panic – Coldplay
- Amazing Grace – Jerry Garcia
- Dear Theodosia (Hamilton) – Leslie Odom, Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Stand by Me – Ben E. King
- Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
- Hey Jude – The Beatles
- Fire and Rain – James Taylor
- Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
- So Far Away – Carole King
- You Will Be Found (Dear Evan Hansen) – Ben Platt
- Invitation Medley: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/I Surrender All/I Have Decided to Follow Jesus – Anthem Lights
- Helpless – Neil Young
- Let’s Go Crazy – Prince
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
- Two More Bottles of Wine – Emmylou Harris
- Mother – Kaycee Musgraves
- How He Loves – Dave Crowder Band
- I Need You to Survive – Hezekiah Walker
- The Rose – Bette Midler
- Time is On My Side – The Rolling Stones
- Morning Dew – The Grateful Dead
- Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
- After The Gold Rush – Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton
- Don’t Come Around Here No More – Tom Petty
- House Party – Sam Hunt
- Hello Walls – Willie Nelson
- Broken Hallelujah – Mandisa
- God Turn It Around (Live) – Church of the City featuring Jon Reddick
Click here for the playlist on Amazon Music in its entirety.
I hope you enjoy listening to these songs. If you have any that have brought you comfort during this time, please let me know. I would love to add more songs to my list, and to hear what kind of music moves you.
No matter what the day may hold – let’s keep encouraging one another. Let’s keep singing. Let’s keep worshipping God above. And most definitely – let’s keep dancing.
It’s good for the soul.
I would love to here what you think. Please feel free to comment below.