I got sucked into poking around in You Tube after I had heard a snippet of a song that ... I was tempted to say 'touched' me, but the truth be told, it ripped my heart out.

So ... the question is ... what are the songs that 'touch' 'something deep inside'?

I'll tell you the one that sparked this ... in a day or two <g>

I can recall it clearly.

I was in my car, everything I owned packed up and most of it on a truck. I was picking up my co-GM to drive to AmberCon, after which I'd head, not back to my home and family near Cincinnati, but east, to Concord NH and a new job. I didn't have a house there (I'd end up in a hotel for a month until that came together), I knew no one closer than 110 miles away from my destination.

And on the radio came Shawn Colvin's gentle, melancholy cover of the Talking Head's "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)".

"Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me around
I feel numb..."

Song gets me every time since then.

"Jungle Land", Bruce Springsteen

Ever since December 8, 1980.

I grew up on The Beatles. I remember when they first arrived in the US, Ed Sullivan, Beatlemania, the whole shmear.

And I remember the night. My girlfriend at the time (now my wife) had headed home, I was listening to WNEW-FM, 102.7, which was *the* NYC rock-n-roll radio station back in the '70s and '80s.

The DJ (Vin Scelsa, I believe) broke in with the news that John Lennon was dead, shot outside the Dakota. He then played the aformentioned song.

OK ... I have no idea why but every time I hear this song my eyes get all damp and stuff <sigh>

It's not the only one, but it was the one I was thinking of when I started this. I may add another song or two as time goes on <g>

The song that always moves/inspires me is 'Something Inside So Strong' about Mandela.

There are a couple of songs that always have that effect on me. Marillion's "Seasons End" is one. Porcupine Tree's "A Smart Kid" is another.

There are several Mostly Autumn songs that hit very hard, but knowing the back stories behind the songs is a big part of that. Some of their music is very personal.

This is one of the songs I was talking about a couple of posts back. It's dedicated to Howard Sparnenn (Olivia Sparnenn's dad), who was dying of a brain tumour at the time the song was written.

I had the pleasure of meeting Howard quite a few times; an amazing character, the sort of person you meet once and made you feel like you'd known him for years.

I've chosen the version from the live album recorded the following year, since I was in the audience for several of the shows they recorded.