Songs About Prodigals

Continuing my on-again, off-again series of posts featuring faith-based songs centered around a single theme, here's a small collection of tunes about prodigals. I wasn't able to find a music video or decent performance video for a few of the better ones here. In those cases, I substituted the highest-quality, audio-only tracks available. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Crowder  ~  "Lift Your Head, Weary Sinner (Chains)"

2)  Sidewalk Prophets  ~  "Prodigal"

3)  Jason Gray  ~  "The Golden Boy & The Prodigal"  (If you don't want to hear the story behind the song, skip to 3:38 in the video.)

4)  Sean C. Johnson ft. L-Squared & Kadence  ~  "Prodigal Son"

5)  Casting Crowns  ~  "Prodigal"

6)  Manafest  ~  "Avalanche"

7)  Lincoln Durham  ~  "Ballad Of A Prodigal Son"

8)  Amy Grant  ~  "The Prodigal (I'll Be Waiting)"

9)  Judah  ~  "Prodigal Son"

10)  The Gatlin Brothers  ~  "Prodigal Son"

11)  Chasing Delaware  ~  "Prodigal"

12)  Keith Green  ~  "The Prodigal Son Suite"

"Useless" Songs

These songs are good for nothing...but a listen. Indeed, many of the songs included aren't half bad (which means they're at least half good, if my math is correct). All of them have one thing in common: the word "Useless" in their titles. Enjoy?  ~  JH

1)  Imogen Heap  ~  "Useless"

2)  This Century  ~  "Young And Useless"

3)  Rose Redd  ~  "Perfectly Useless"

4)  Depeche Mode  ~  "Useless"

5)  Insomniac Folklore  ~  "Useless"

6)  Phil Fill  ~  "Words Become Useless"

7)  New Order  ~  "Guilt Is A Useless Emotion"

8)  A Sunny Day In Glasgow  ~  "In Love With Useless (The Timeless Geometry In The Tradition Of Passing)"

9)  The Fireflies  ~  "It's Useless"

10)  Cloud Nothings  ~  "Useless"

11)  Oingo Boingo  ~  "Can't See (Useless)"

12)  Tiny Animals  ~  "Useless"

13)  The Neopolitins  ~  "Useless Arguments"

14)  Elvis Costello  ~  "All This Useless Beauty"

15)  Suntears  ~  "Useless"

16)  Extra Blue Kind  ~  "Make Yourself Useless"

17)  Emmy J Mac  ~  "Useless Shade Of Man"

18)  Friska Viljor  ~  "Useless"

19)  Mikey Smith  ~  "Useless"

20)  Patty Griffin  ~  "Useless Desires"

Songs With Nationalities In The Titles, Vol. 3

People keep asking me when I'm going to post the "American" songs. All these other nationalities and not a single "American" song?!? Okay, I lied. Not one person has asked me that. But here are the "American" songs nonetheless. Part 3 of 3 in the series. Done and done. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Green Day  ~  "Last Of The American Girls"

2)  MKTO  ~  "American Dream"

3)  Carrie Underwood  ~  "All-American Girl"

4)  Skillet  ~  "American Noise"

5)  Counting Crows ft. Sheryl Crow  ~  "American Girls"

6)  Rihanna  ~  "American Oxygen"

7)  Don McLean  ~  "American Pie"

8)  Grand Funk Railroad  ~  "We're An American Band"

9)  Lady Antebellum  ~  "American Honey"

10)  Lenny Kravitz  ~  "American Woman"

11)  David Bowie  ~  "Young Americans"

12)  Estelle ft. Kanye West  ~  "American Boy"

13)  Bruce Springsteen  ~  "American Land"

14)  Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young  ~  "American Dream"

15)  The Henningsens  ~  "American Beautiful"

16)  Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP  ~  "We No Speak Americano"

17)  Dave Matthews Band  ~  "American Baby"

18)  Faith Hill  ~  "American Heart"

19)  Casting Crowns  ~  "American Dream"

20)  George Thorogood & The Destroyers  ~  "American Made"

21)  Sister Sledge  ~  "All American Girls"

22)  Phil Vassar  ~  "American Child"

23)  Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors  ~  "American Beauty"

24)  COLD  ~  "American Dream"

25)  The Guess Who  ~  "American Woman"  (Yes, this is the same song as the one by Lenny Kravitz above, but the two versions are distinctive enough to merit including both. Besides, this one is the original.)

Songs With Nationalities In The Titles, Vol. 2

Here's part 2 in what will be a 3-part miniseries featuring songs with nationalities (or demonyms) in their titles. This time, it's "Italian," French," "German," "Russian," "Indian," and "Chinese" songs, plus a few one-off songs with other nationalities in the titles. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Dean Martin  ~  "Mambo Italiano"

2)  Billy Joel  ~  "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant"

3)  Fergie  ~  "Be Italian"

4)  Caro Emerald  ~  "Excuse My French"

5)  Camera Obscura  ~  "French Navy"

6)  Joan Jett and the Blackhearts  ~  "The French Song"

7)  The Passions  ~  "I'm In Love With A German Film Star"

8)  Margot & The Nuclear So And So's  ~  "German Motor Car"

9)  Rihanna  ~  "Russian Roulette"

10)  Sting  ~  "Russians"

11)  Sinead O'Connor  ~  "A Perfect Indian"

12)  Manic Street Preachers  ~  "Indian Summer"

13)  Lily Allen  ~  "Chinese"

14)  R.E.M.  ~  "Seven Chinese Brothers"

15)  Joni Mitchell  ~  "Chinese Cafe / Unchained Melody"

16)  Neon Indian  ~  "Polish Girl"

17)  The Beatles  ~  "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"

18)  Frankie Smith  ~  "Double Dutch Bus"

19)  Chris De Burgh ft. Elissa  ~  "Lebanese Night"

20)  The Bangles  ~  "Walk Like An Egyptian"

21)  The Vapors  ~  "Turning Japanese"

22)  Ernest Tubb  ~  "Filipino Baby"

23)  The Seekers  ~  "I Am Australian"

24)  Dream Theater  ~  "Peruvian Skies"

25)  Michael Jackson  ~  "Liberian Girl"

Songs With Nationalities In The Titles, Vol. 1

This latest music miniseries was suggested by my friend, Daniel Entzminger – and a great idea it was, too. Each song in this series features a nationality (or demonym, if you will) in its title. First up, we have a collection of "Canadian," "Mexican," "Irish," "English," "Greek," and "Spanish" songs. Some really good stuff here, both newer and older – I'm sure you will enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Blues Traveler  ~  "Canadian Rose"

2)  Gordon Lightfoot  ~  "Canadian Railroad Trilogy"

3)  Andy Williams  ~  "Canadian Sunset"

4)  Jim Reeves  ~  "Blue Canadian Rockies"

5)  Smokie  ~  "Mexican Girl"

6)  Concrete Blonde  ~  "Mexican Moon"

7)  Wall Of Voodoo  ~  "Mexican Radio"

8)  Van Morrison  ~  "One Irish Rover"

9)  Morrissey  ~  "Irish Blood, English Heart"

10)  The Pogues ft. The Dubliners  ~  "The Irish Rover"

11)  Adam Lambert  ~  "Broken English"

12)  Vampire Weekend  ~  "California English"

13)  Matchbox 20  ~  "English Town"

14)  Sting ft. Branford Marsalis  ~  "Englishman In New York"

15)  The Wombats  ~  "Greek Tragedy"

16)  Rufus Wainwright  ~  "Greek Song"

17)  Toni Braxton ~  "Spanish Guitar"

18)  The Clash  ~  "Spanish Bombs"

19)  The Doors  ~  "Spanish Caravan"

20)  Elton John  ~  "A Word In Spanish"

21)  Chris Isaak  ~  "Blue Spanish Sky"

22)  Jimi Hendrix  ~  "Spanish Castle Magic"

23)  Willie Nelson & Ray Charles  ~  "Seven Spanish Angels"

24)  Ben E. King  ~  "Spanish Harlem"

25)  U2  ~  "Spanish Eyes"