Songs About "Us"

This may or may not be the first part of yet another "Opposites" music post – knowing me, I probably will follow it up with a collection of songs about "Them." For now, though, enjoy what I think is a really good set of songs, by both well-known and lesser-known artists.  ~  JH

1)  Snow Patrol  ~  "The Planets Bend Between Us"

2)  Sophie Ellis-Bextor  ~  "Today The Sun's On Us"

3)  Joe Jackson  ~  "Breaking Us In Two"

4)  Paloma Faith  ~  "Never Tear Us Apart"

5)  Passenger  ~  "What Will Become Of Us"

6)  Fallulah  ~  "Give Us A Little Love"

7)  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis  ~  "Can't Hold Us"  (I posted the official music video of this song a mere 3 months ago [on my original blog]. But I decided to include it here because it was interesting to see such a multi-layered song performed live – usually rap songs don't sound nearly as good in person as they do when they were recorded.)

8)  Sade  ~  "Nothing Can Come Between Us"

9)  B.o.B. ft. Taylor Swift  ~  "Both Of Us"  (Interesting collaboration between two über-talented, yet very different artists.)

10)  Christina Milian  ~  "Us Against The World"

11)  Daft Punk  ~  "Something About Us"

12)  t.A.T.u.  ~  "All About Us"

13)  Will Smith  ~  "Just The Two Of Us"

14)  Within Temptation ft. Tarja  ~  "Paradise (What About Us?)"  (Two powerhouse symphonic metal female vocalists in one song? Blisteringly intense!)

15)  Angel  ~  "Us"

16)  Regina Spektor  ~  "Us"

17)  Alabama  ~  "Angels Among Us"

18)  He Is We ft. Owl City  ~  "All About Us"

19)  STRFKR ~   "Bury Us Alive"

20)  Taylor Swift  ~  "The Story Of Us"  (Yeah, another song by Taylor Swift in the same post. What's your point? I like her, so what?)

21)  Joy Division  ~  "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

22)  Kelly Clarkson  ~  "People Like Us"

23)  Elvis Costello & The Roots  ~  "Walk Us Uptown"

24)  Joan Osborne  ~  "One Of Us"  (I have some issues with this song lyrically, but it's a surefire classic from the mid-'90s that belongs in this collection.)

25)  Keith Urban ft. Miranda Lambert  ~  "We Were Us"

"Rough" & "Smooth" Songs

At it again, eh? Yep. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Anna Nalick  ~  "In The Rough"

2)  Santana ft. Rob Thomas  ~  "Smooth"

3)  Bananarama  ~  "Rough Justice"

4)  Big Daddy Kane  ~  "Smooth Operator"

5)  Dreams So Real  ~  "Rough Night In Jericho"

6)  Michael Jackson  ~  "Smooth Criminal"

7)  ZZ Top  ~  "Rough Boy"

8)  Lake Street Dive  ~  "You Go Down Smooth"

9)  Paulini  ~  "Rough Day"

10)  Sade  ~  "Smooth Operator"

11)  Endangered Speeches  ~  "The City Is Rough"

12)  Shara Nelson  ~  "Rough With The Smooth"

13)  June Allyson, Mickey Rooney, & The Stafford Sisters  ~  "Treat Me Rough"

14)  David Garrett  ~  "Smooth Criminal"  (Two versions of the same song in one post? Yep, this is MJ's song, too – but violinist Garrett gives it a whole different sound and feel in his instrumental version.)

15)  Jennifer Knapp  ~  "Diamond In The Rough"

"New" & "Old" Songs

Why? Why more "Opposites" music posts? Because maybe, just maybe, I can't stop. No matter how hard I try. Enjoy?  ~  JH

1)  Flyleaf  ~  "New Horizons"

2)  Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton  ~  "You Can't Make Old Friends"

3)  Patti LaBelle  ~  "New Attitude"

4)  Black Mountain  ~  "Old Fangs"

5)  Céline Dion  ~  "A New Day Has Come"

6)  Neil Young  ~  "Old Man"

7)  Leeland  ~  "New Creation"

8)  Froggy Fresh  ~  "Same Old Kid"  (I'm not sure what to make of this one – the dude seems dead-serious, and his lyrics are pretty dang good, but the whole thing comes off like a parody of "real" rap – maybe not?)

9)  Paloma Faith  ~  "New York"

10)  Kenny Chesney  ~  "Old Blue Chair"

11)  Deadeye Dick  ~  "New Age Girl"

12)  Maps & Atlases  ~  "Old Ash"

13)  INXS  ~  "New Sensation"

14)  Ben Howard  ~  "Old Pine"

15)  U2  ~  "New Year's Day"

16)  Ólafur Arnalds ft. Arnór Dan  ~  "Old Skin"

17)  Alicia Keys  ~  "Brand New Me"

18)  Our Last Night  ~  "Same Old War"

19)  Wreckx-N-Effect  ~  "New Jack Swing"

20)  Brad Paisley ft. Alabama  ~  "Old Alabama"

21)  Tamar Kaprelian  ~  "New Day"

22)  Lupe Fiasco ft. Ed Sheeran  ~  "Old School Love"

23)  Yael Naim  ~  "New Soul"

24)  Redlight King  ~  "Old Man"  (Does this chorus sound familiar? Yep, they sampled Neil Young's song – see #6 above – but this song was sufficiently unique in its own right to merit inclusion here.)

25)  The Stylistics  ~  "You Make Me Feel Brand New"

Songs With Women's Names In The Titles – 1980 To The Present, Vol. 2

Well, this is it. Part 6 of 6 of songs with people's names in the title. If I missed your favorite song, you may now throw your barbs. Hopefully, though, with your help, I've covered most of the good ones. I hope you've enjoyed these as much as I've enjoyed compiling. If not, there's always next time...  ~  JH

1)  Aerosmith  ~  "Janie's Got A Gun"

2)  Yellowcard  ~  "Rough Landing, Holly"

3)  Marillion  ~  "Kayleigh"

4)  Blondie  ~  "Maria"

5)  Fur Patrol  ~  "Lydia"  (I was halfway through watching this video when I realized that all the band members are playing imaginary instruments – talk about slow!)

6)  Goodshirt  ~  "Sophie"

7)  Rancid  ~  "Ruby Soho"

8)  Dexys Midnight Runners  ~  "Come On Eileen"

9)  Elvis Costello  ~  "Veronica"

10)  Shawn Colvin  ~  "Sunny Came Home"

11)  Brooks & Dunn ~  "My Maria"

12)  Starship  ~  "Sara"

13)  Tommy Tutone  ~  "867-5309/Jenny"

14)  Plain White T's  ~  "Hey There, Delilah"

15)  Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers  ~  "Mary Jane's Last Dance"