Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Discuss any aspect of Soul Asylum, their music, and the band's members.
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Homesick
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Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by Homesick »

Hearing any song by Soul Asylum probably cheers up every fan, but are there any songs that seem to cheer you up just a little bit more than the others?

For me, two such songs are Can't Even Tell and Easy Street. They aren't melodically quite as cheerful as some tunes that you could hear on the radio, but it's really their themes that make you appreciate them. Whereas a typical "feel-good" song tries to paint everything in bright colors, what the lyrics to these songs communicate is in essence that just being alive is cause for celebration—and it's hard to argue with a message like that! Maybe it's not always as picture perfect as you would like, but it's all the more realistic for it.

On a related note, Tea and Sometime To Return can always help get your pulse up whenever you're feeling passive. "Get up and do something!"
Jakob Kallin, webmaster of EnterTheSoulAsylum.com

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zany
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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by zany »

most seem to put me in a moody/thoughtful/brooding mood honestly. but back in the day listening to GDU album over and over felt sort of like 'home' if you know what i mean. like if we were on family vacation and i was having an awful time and family was driving me nuts i'd listen to it and pretend i wasn't there.

i'll have to give the cheer-up question some thought and post back again later!

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AlyssaJones
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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by AlyssaJones »

Well, hearing any of their songs on the radio would cheer me up, cuz I'd be like, "Oh jeez, it's Soul Asylum!" but that never happens around here. It makes me kinda mad that they get no airplay. When Van Halen was coming to Pittsburgh, WDVE plugged it for three weeks straight and played like ten Van Halen songs a day, but when Soul Asylum came they didn't even bother to dust off Runaway Train. I mean sure, Van Halen is MUCH more popular than Soul Asylum, but........ nevermind, I'm getting off topic here. What was it that you asked? Oh yeah, SA songs that cheer you up.

Well let's see... I definately agree with you on Can't Even Tell. That's probably my very favorite song of theirs if I have to pick just one.
"We lived through another day, it's a good excuse to celebrate, take a number, knock on wood, we'll find a reason to feel good."
It's one of those songs where if I'm all stressed out and feeling like crap, I just listen to it and think to myself, "Oh, you'll be alright."

And you're right, Sometime to Return is a great one too. It's like caffeine only in the form of a song. :D

Okay, what others? Brand New Shine usually cheers me up. It's just a happy, fun song and it's one of my favorites to sing along to.

There's lots of songs that make me happy because they're very... what's the word I'm looking for? Uh... pleasant, that's it. Ones like New York Blackout, Grounded, and Hopes Up are always nice to listen to.

I dunno, almost all of their music can cheer me up somehow. This probably sounds dumb, but for me their music is kind of an emotional saftey net. No matter how I'm feeling, whether I'm incredibly pissed off, crying my eyes out, or anything in between, their music evens me out and it makes me feel at home.

Today was the first day of school and I was in a pretty crummy mood this morning, so while I was sitting around waiting for my friends to show up, I took out my MP3 player and got Dave, Dan, and Karl to make me feel all better. Then the fucking principal showed up and threatened to confinscate it if I didn't put it away. I pretened to, but as soon as he walked away I turned it back on, but I hid it in my sweatshirt and only put in one ear bud, but the ******* caught me again with it. It's so funny how he thinks people actually take him seriously. Next time it happens I'm just gonna tell him no and ask why I can't have it. I honestly think he only came up with this anti-MP3 player policy to make high school even more miserable. (You're probably laughing right now and thinking "oh, typical teenager" but if you knew him you'd understand.) Not that that had anything to do with Soul Asylum, I'm just pissed off about it.

ANYWAY... Another SA song that cheers me up is Masquerade. I like it because it always makes me laugh out loud when he says, "so let's just fucking get it done." Also I can really relate to it cuz I absolutely hate parties.

Alright, I think I'm done talking now. Sorry for the pointless rambling.
Last edited by AlyssaJones on Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

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philipgar
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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by philipgar »

When I get down in a funk, I actually tend to listen to Wilco's album being there, and wallow in the funk. It's a really depressing album in parts, and lets me think about it. I've done this for years now (over 10 years now I think). However, when it's time to cheer up, and get over it, there is only one album to do the job: And The Horse They Rode In On. Something about it just makes things better. I can't stay sad or depressed when listening to it. It's strange how this album does this for me, but somehow, it just does.

Phil

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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by mystic_spiral_3 »

AlyssaJones wrote:Well, hearing any of their songs on the radio would cheer me up, cuz I'd be like, "Oh jeez, it's Soul Asylum!" but that never happens around here. It makes me kinda mad that they get no airplay. When Van Halen was coming to Pittsburgh, WDVE plugged it for three weeks straight and played like ten Van Halen songs a day, but when Soul Asylum came they didn't even bother to dust off Runaway Train.

Today was the first day of school and I was in a pretty crummy mood this morning, so while I was sitting around waiting for my friends to show up, I took out my MP3 player and got Dave, Dan, and Karl to make me feel all better. Then the fucking principal showed up and threatened to confinscate it if I didn't put it away. I pretened to, but as soon as he walked away I turned it back on, but I hid it in my sweatshirt and only put in one ear bud, but the ******* caught me again with it. It's so funny how he thinks people actually take him seriously. Next time it happens I'm just gonna tell him no and ask why I can't have it. I honestly think he only came up with this anti-MP3 player policy to make high school even more miserable. (You're probably laughing right now and thinking "oh, typical teenager" but if you knew him you'd understand.) Not that that had anything to do with Soul Asylum, I'm just pissed off about it.
May I recommend WYEP 91.3? That was my favorite station in Pittsburgh and they do play SA sometimes. I used to call them up and request songs other than RT and I usually got them.

When I was in high school, I remember kids sneaking in walkmans and using only one ear bud. I did not do that because in addition to being a nerd, I'm also a goody-goody. :) :geek: Though I did sneak my walkman to school once (but didn't play it) because after school my mom was taking me to the store to buy the LYDLS tape and I wanted to listen to that on the way home.

I'll have to answer the actual question after I give it some more thought.

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zany
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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by zany »

ok i have 'an' answer because really to pick just one is too hard without going through and listening to all of them.

yesterday i totally crashed an hour before all our friends were meeting up to go to the uconn football game and i wasn't grumpy but just totally out of it and sleepy. so i dragged myself upstairs to change for the game and put on bittersweetheart and within a few seconds i was very energized and cheerful and singing and bouncing around while changing and gathering my stuff etc. so i pick that song. for now!

as an aside, when i'm really depressed i listen to bob marley's 'three little birds' on Repeat. "every little thing is gonna be alright" it usually helps at least a little. but it doesn't make me cheerful, just neutralizes sadness.

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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by CrazyLittleWoman »

There are a lot of SA songs that cheer me up and make me feel happy whenever I hear them. Now, I am distinguishing "cheer you up" from "get you through" because those are two different lists for me. For cheering up, I tend to prefer the songs that propel me off my feet and get me moving.

These are probably pretty obvious picks, but here goes.

Bittersweetheart, of course. Although when you think of it, it's an odd choice for cheering oneself because underneath the witty turns of phrase and the lively music, it's a song about being continually and inevitably disappointed by romantic love. Yet, I find it cheering -- even without visual aids. ;)

Hopes Up is another great one. And To My Own Devices, although not a raucous tune, always makes me smile.

Sometime to Return and Easy Street are other obvious picks because the music is so joyful.

I start smiling the minute I hear the opening notes of both Somebody to Shove and Without a Trace. There's something about the aggressiveness of Shove that is energizing.

Last but not least, Slowly Rising. Again, I find the aggressiveness of the song cheering.

Soul Asylum sure knows how to put the fun in loneliness, alienation, and disappointment! :)
"Dave Pirner was the coolest motherfucker to wield a low-strung telecaster who isn't called Keith Richards." -- Ginger (Wildhearts)

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zany
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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by zany »

if you don't have the visual aides you have to dance aroun and create your own.
part of the cheering process.

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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by Twiddly Dee »

There are quite a few SA songs that make my happy. Every time I hear Twiddly Dee, it makes me want to get up and do a hoe-down. The video to I will Still be Laughing always brings a smile to my face just watching everyone crack up to Daves joke (wearing skates...In JULY!!!!) LOL

I do have to agree with you Laura Bittersweetheart is an odd choice but with the upbeat music always raises my happiness level.

Stand up and be Strong has not only been a pick me up but also more of a motto for me in the last year. For my best friend who finally stood up to her philandering husband when she didn't think she was strong enough to do it alone, For my husbands uncle who put up a strong fight against Leukemia, even though in the end he lost, and to my other best friend who is being strong even though she lost her dad and brother on the same day. So everytime I hear - when your lifes a mess, just remember your blessed, it brings a smile to my face, because I just think...yeah it could be alot worse.
Don't want to be bored no more..
I know theres so much more

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Re: Which Soul Asylum songs cheer you up?

Post by sheryl »

They really don't. SA was never music I went to to be cheered up, although it has often been music I went to to feel connected. Now though it just depresses me because it's been so long since I've seen them.

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