Mongo Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 My daughter got an MP3 player for her birthday and doesn't know how to fill it so... as the resident techie in the house... I get the task of filling her head with stupid ("I can't live without you" - OH PaleeEEse) lyrics and solid grooves. I've made a point of telling my kids several times of one of my faviourite quotes; "Anything too stupid to be said is sung" - Voltaire I can handle the solid grooves but I was looking for "Think for yourself" or "Explore the world" music. Lennon's Imagine certainly fits the bill. What do you all suggest? Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted July 8, 2009 Super Moderator Share Posted July 8, 2009 Faithless by Rush. Here are the lyrics. I've got my own moral compass to steer by A guiding star beats a spirit in the sky And all the preaching voices - Empty vessels of dreams so loud As they move among the crowd Fools and thieves are well disguised In the temple and market place Like a stone in the river Against the floods of spring I will quietly resist Like the willows in the wind Or the cliffs along the ocean I will quietly resist I don't have faith in faith I don't believe in belief You can call me faithless I still cling to hope And I believe in love And that's faith enough for me I've got my own spirit level for balance To tell if my choice is leaning up or down And all the shouting voices Try to throw me off my course Some by sermon, some by force Fools and thieves are dangerous In the temple and market place Like a forest bows to winter Beneath the deep white silence I will quietly resist Like a flower in the desert That only blooms at night I will quietly resist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 How old is she anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted July 8, 2009 Super Moderator Share Posted July 8, 2009 How old is she anyway? I was wondering that too. As much as I like Lily Allen's F*ck You song, I wouldn't recommend it for a little kid...not even the "edited" version (but that's just me), even though it is a great song that should make people think. Also, as you can see from my sig, there are some Jimmy Buffett songs that are about things other than margaritas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I also recommend anything by Rush. They have some great songs like Freewill and Natural Science. Also, anything by Bad Religion although would that be too blasphemous for a little kid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CelticWhisper Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Well, let me preface this by saying I'm a metalhead and so my suggestions will stem from my interests. You could also try "Soul Society," "III Ways to Epica," or...well, anything from the Epica or The Black Halo albums by Kamelot. Also anything by the band Epica (inspired by the Kamelot album, but a different band...a little confusing, I know) would be good. "The Last Crusade" is a particularly delicious indictment of the institution of the church for wrongs committed against the world. Musicianship by the aforementioned bands is also really good. Perhaps Kamelot a bit more than Epica, but both are excellent overall. If she's old enough to read between the lines and not just take lyrics literally/at face value (something that most modern pop does NOT encourage people to do), there's Angtoria's "God Has a Plan For Us All," but I'd suggest previewing that one first. It's pretty dark, and considering the subject matter (religious lies told to a young girl to excuse molestation by a priest) you might opt not to put that one on there. Also, look into the album "Remagine" by After Forever. There's a lot of "realize your dreams" messages in their music that's totally independent of religion and focuses a lot on matters of clarity of thought, determination, willpower, etc. Music isn't always as intricate as Kamelot's, but there are definitely solid grooves to be had. Aside from that, there's Dream Theater, Pagan's Mind, Therion, Symphony X, and Blind Guardian for more compositional excellence. Dream Theater has particularly complex music which is generally good for stimulating neural activity, but they are RIAA-signed so if you don't want to support the music-industry lawsuits of late, you may want to take a pass on them. Therion's good for anyone with any interest in mythology, both ancient and modern. Their music incorporates lots of stories of gods, heroes, and other such figures from just about every mythos you can think of, and does so without any pretense of actual belief in them - it's pure culture-appreciation with no indoctrination involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Good suggestions. Thanks! She's 11 but I don't want to choose music that talks down to her. We don't listen to much music around the house because my wife only likes artists such as Celine Dion or Roch Voisine so we compromise on silence or the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. My daughter has no idea what's out there beyond Disney soundtracks. I want to expose her to a variety of music including Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Eagles, Simon & Garfunkle and Queen and some quirky/cheesy POP tunes like Da Da Da by Trio . I'm also compelled to put Glen Miller's String of Pearls on there too. I won't load Pavarotti's Con Te Partiro but I might not be able to resist loading The Flower Duet even though I know what she'll say at first... "DaaaaDeeee!!" I'll let her discover head banging rock music on her own. In that mix I also wanted something thought provoking too. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 I just thought of this... George Benson(author and preferred version) / Whittney Houston- The Greatest Love of All fits the bill. I love that song; it means alot to me. Quote - ""Everybody's looking for a hero, they all need someone to look up to. I never found anyone who fulfilled that need. A lonely place to be, so I learned to depend on me." That's the kind of thinking I encourage. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocksandstuff Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I'll second "They Might Be Giants", any of their "grown up" music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Sleater-Kinney has some pretty good stuff. A very good song is Happily Ever After by the Brobdingnagian Bards. It is very funny and ends with the princess slaying the dragon herself and riding off without the prince. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShallowByThyGame Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Presuming your daughter is young, I present to you: http://www.skeptic.com/junior_skeptic/mixtape2009/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_raven23 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire Every damn line is a Wikipedia search for modern history (shhhh don't tell her it's educational, just encourage her to wiki each subject) Pink is pretty good. She tends to go for empowerment and rejection of "traditional" female stereotypes. Music is a good venue....but the BEST is for her daddy to do "non-girly" activities with her. Playing catch, tinkering in the workshop, re-landscaping the yard... show her that gender has nothing to do with physical activity or capability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughtyhamster Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Oh, Tracy Chapman is amazing and deals with race issues. I was listening to her first album when I was your daughter's age, and was very moved. Tracy Chapman is a good choice, and also Sara Brightman ( the lady who played as the first Christine in Phantom of the Opera). Also it might seem like a strange choice but the Xena:Warrior Princess soundtrack I have gets me into an uplifted mood though its supposed to be a modern interpretation of ancient Greek music. It's mostly instrumental, but any of the songs with lyrics are in Bulgarian ( which is more similar to ancient Greek than modern Greek is).I found a site with the translations of the songs into English, but in the Bulgarian they are very touching and sometimes can being a tear to the eye ( like Lucy Lawless singing a funeral song). Still, it's very fascinating and spellbinding as the women who sing the songs put a lot of emotion and action into the music even if you don't understand what they are singing. The choir of women who sang on the Xena soundtrack also have other albums which have a lot of emotion packed into the lyrics. Also Depeche Mode has some good songs such as Blasphemous Rumors and Personal Jesus. Not sure if an 11 year old would get the idea behind the lyrics though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Davka Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 My own teenaged daughters have learned a whole lot from creating Pandora stations, and from listening to the ones I've created. I highly recommend Pandora for the eclectic listener. I'm an oldies freak myself, so I'll suggest these: - Pink Floyd, especially Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. - Early Yes, "long distance runaround" and the like. - Jethro Tull's "My God" album. and of course the following gem, which might not be what she wants on her iPod but needs a good listen anyhow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qt33i3lOfA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I've found that Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Tori Amos, Janis Joplin, Alanis Morissette, and Toni Childs have some solidly freethinking and feminist songs. Donna Summer's "I Will Survive" kicks serious ass, especially for countering the whiny helpless female "he's gone and I can't live without him" crap out there. Christina Aguilera has some good ones for that too - "Underappreciated", for instance. I have a Chicks Kicking Ass playlist and a Blasphemy playlist; I'll post them if you're interested. Not every song is appropriate for an 11-year-old girl but there are still some good ones in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Davka Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 And we can't forget the classic Kids Rock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentLoner Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 And we can't forget the classic Kids Rock: ROFL Sorry, can't resist adding to that: Getting back to the subject, I'd reccomend Within Temptation. Excellent group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loren Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I saw a lot of great suggestions that other people beat me to, like Yes, Sinead O'Connor, Jethro Tull, Tori Amos and Pink Floyd. I saw from your mention of opera that you might be interested in introducing her to a bit of classical type stuff. I'd suggest Beethoven and Vivaldi. I can also remember being introduced at ten years old to Miles Davis's Sketches Of Spain. It blew me away, and has been a favorite ever since. Others: Phish Peter Murphy Tears For Fears (This one might actually be more like the sort of thing she'd like right off the bat and not have to learn to like.) You're a good dad! (That's not a band name, it's a comment from me.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagan Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Crosby, Stills, and Nash: Teach Your Children; Wooden Ships Peter, Paul, and Mary: Where Have All The Flowers Gone; Lemon Tree; Blowing in the Wind; The Marvelous Toy; The Cruel War; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ Fuego ♦ Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 How about classic 1950s rock? I don't know what kids of her age think of that kind of music now. It was the rage after American Graffiti came out, and then with Happy Days. Here is the list I compiled and use. Plays for 14 hours... Doo wop! oldies.txt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shion Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I'll second Pink Floyd any day of the week. Momentary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell are two of my favorites: they are lighter than the Wall. Inkubus Sukkubus (if the pagan thing doesn't bother you) Green Day Serj Tankian/ System of a Down Brobdingnagian Bards: just about any of their stuff is good and funny Wierd Al They Might Be Giants: Awesome stuff The Prids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabula Rasa Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 You might want to put this one on the mp3 player as a humorous metaphor for refusing to give into superstition, Jumpin' Gene Simmon's cover of "Haunted House" HAUNTED HOUSE Jumpin' Gene Simmons I just moved in my new house today Movin was hot but I got squared away Bells started ringin and chains rattled loud I knew I'd moved in a haunted house Still I made up in my mind to stay Nothin was a gonna drive me away When I seen somethin that gave me the creep Had a one big eye and two big feet I stood right still and I did the freeze And he did the stroll right up to me Made a sound with his feet like a drum Sayin you'll be here when the mornin comes Say yes I'll be here when the mornin comes I'll be right here and I ain't gonna run I bought this house now you know I'm boss Ain't no haint gonna run me off In the kitchen my stove was a blazin hot The coffee was a boilin in the pot The grease had melted in my pan I had a hunk of meat in my hand From out of space there sat a man On the hot stove with the pots and pans Say that's hot I began to shout He drank the hot coffee from the spout He ate the raw meat right from my hand Drank the hot grease from the fryin pan He said to me now you better run And don't be here when the mornin comes Say yes I'll be here when the mornin comes I'll be right here and I ain't gonna run I bought this house now you know I'm boss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulQ Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I can't believe nobody's suggested XTC's Dear God. That needs to be there. EDIT: Here's the video: 2nd EDIT: They're no one hit wonder band; they had other greats that belong there as well, such as the Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS1oZYFaVII Yeah, I'm an XTC fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 If your daughter enjoys Disney soundtracks, I'd highly recommend her the soundtrack to the Broadway musical Wicked, which is a prequel/reimagining of The Wizard Of Oz told from the perspective of the Wicked Witch Of The West. Quote from my favorite Wicked song, Defying Gravity I'm through accepting limits''cause someone says they're so Some things I cannot change But till I try, I'll never know! Too long I've been afraid of Losing love I guess I've lost Well, if that's love It comes at much too high a cost! I'd also recommend Nightwish and if you're looking for more godless music, there was a recent episode of the Reasonable Doubts podcast where they listed some recommendations of good godless music. It's episode 44 and they start listing the godless music towards the end: http://doubtreligion.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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