Songs About Hills & Valleys, Vol. 3

Last but definitely not least (because there's an Ed Sheeran song here – hello!), Vol. 3 (of 3) in my Songs About Hills & Valleys series. Ready...set...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Ed Sheeran  ~  “Castle On The Hill”

2)  Dionne Warwick  ~  “(Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls”

3)  Bruce Cockburn  ~  “Hills Of Morning”

4)  Fountains Of Wayne  ~  “Valley Winter Song”

5)  U2  ~  “One Tree Hill”

6)  Needtobreathe  ~  “Valley Of Tomorrow”

7)  Kate Bush  ~  “Running Up That Hill”

8)  Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters  ~  “Tin Pan Valley”

9)  The Decemberists  ~  “Grace Cathedral Hill”

10)  LP  ~  “Death Valley”

11)  Fats Domino  ~  “Blueberry Hill”

12)  k.d. lang  ~  “The Valley”

13)  Peter Gabriel  ~  “Solsbury Hill”

14)  House Of Heroes  ~  “In The Valley Of The Dying Sun”

15)  Celtic Thunder ft. Damian McGinty  ~  “Come By The Hills”

16)  The Veils  ~  “Out From The Valley”

17)  Dolly Parton  ~  “Sugar Hill”

18)  Bruce Hornsby & The Range  ~  “The Valley Road”

19)  Thao Nguyen  ~  “Hills”

20)  Christafari  ~  “Valley Of Decision”

21)  Kevin Costner & Modern West ft. Sara Beck  ~  “I Know These Hills”

22)  Duran Duran  ~  “The Valley”

23)  Katie Melua  ~  “Gold In Them Hills”  (Yes, this is the same song as the Ron Sexsmith one in Vol 2. But this version was far too gorgeous not to double-list.)

24)  The Stranglers  ~  “Valley Of The Birds”

25)  PJ Harvey  ~  “On Battleship Hill”

Songs About Hills & Valleys, Vol. 2

Because life is full of "Hills" & "Valleys," here's another set of songs about them. The first one here is one of my all-time favorites. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  LIGHTS  ~  “Cactus In The Valley”

2)  Iron Maiden  ~  “Run To The Hills”

3)  Jeannie C. Riley  ~  “Harper Valley P.T.A.”

4)  Ron Sexsmith ft. Chris Martin  ~  “Gold In Them Hills”

5)  Bread & Wine ft. Ben Smith  ~  “Mountain To Valley”

6)  Jackson Browne  ~  “A Child In These Hills”

7)  Andrew Bird  ~  “Valleys Of The Young”

8)  The Rocket Summer  ~  “Hills And Valleys”

9)  Mudhoney  ~  “Beneath The Valley Of The Underdog”

10)  Johnny Cash ft. Flip Wilson  ~  “Oklahoma Hills”

11)  Laura Marling  ~  “The Valley”

12)  Thom Yorke  ~  “Harrowdown Hill”

13)  Townes Van Zandt & Nanci Griffith  ~  “Tecumseh Valley”

14)  Neil Young  ~  “Mansion On The Hill”

15)  Dawes  ~  “Peace In The Valley”

16)  Kathy Mattea  ~  “Agate Hill”

17)  Steve Hackett  ~  “Valley Of The Kings”

18)  Calamity Jane Cast ft. Doris Day & Howard Keel  ~  “Black Hills Of Dakota”

19)  Midnight Oil  ~  “In The Valley”

20)  George Ezra  ~  “Angry Hill”

21)  Joe Bonamassa  ~  “The Valley Runs Low”

22)  Weezer  ~  “Beverly Hills”

23)  Dolly Parton  ~  “Blue Valley Songbird”

24)  Gorillaz  ~  “On Melancholy Hill”

25)  Eisley  ~  “The Valley”

Songs About Hills & Valleys, Vol. 1

In every lifetime, there are hills and valleys – high point and low points. This set of songs, and the ones in the two volumes to come, will cover all the bases. Enjoy?  ~  JH

1)  Tauren Wells  ~  “Hills And Valleys”

2)  Nneka  ~  “Valley”

3)  Led Zeppelin  ~  “Over The Hills And Far Away”

4)  Marina And The Diamonds  ~  “Valley Of The Dolls”

5)  The Weeknd  ~   “The Hills”

6)  The Head And The Heart  ~  “Down In The Valley”

7)  Julie Andrews  ~  “The Sound Of Music”  (The memorable refrain goes: “The hills are alive with the sound of music…” Close enough for government work.)

8)  Caedmon’s Call  ~  “Valleys Fill First”

9)  Mark Knopfler  ~  “Hill Farmer’s Blues”

10)  Jimi Hendrix  ~  “Valleys Of Neptune”

11)  Celtic Woman  ~  “Hills Of Ireland”

12)  The Civil Wars  ~  “From This Valley”

13)  Passenger  ~  “House On A Hill”

14)  Big Country  ~  “Thirteen Valleys”

15)  Nightwish  ~  “Over The Hills And Far Away”

16)  Stevie Nicks & Chris Isaak  ~  “Red River Valley”

17)  The Tallest Man On Earth  ~  “Over The Hills”

18)  The Monkees  ~  “Pleasant Valley Sunday”

19)  Emmylou Harris & Mary Black  ~  “Green Rolling Hills”

20)  Widespread Panic ft. Derek Trucks  ~  “Surprise Valley”

21)  Coldplay  ~  “Violet Hill”

22)  Elvis Presley  ~  “Peace In The Valley”

23)  David Bowie  ~  “Up The Hill Backwards”

24)  Mississippi John Hurt  ~  “You Got To Walk That Lonesome Valley”

25)  The Pretty Reckless  ~  “House On A Hill”

“Optimistic” Songs

Are things looking up? They always are if you're an optimist! I'm not, but some people are. For those who are, these are positively for you! Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Blues Traveler  ~  “Optimistic Thought”

2)  Emma Pollock  ~  “The Optimist”

3)  Elvis Costello  ~  “The Fall Of The World’s Own Optimist”

4)  Natalie Cole  ~  “Optimistic Voices”

5)  Paul Dempsey  ~  “The Great Optimist”

6)  Elsa & Emilie  ~  “Endless Optimism”

7)  City and Colour  ~  “Grand Optimist”

8)  Article 9  ~  “The Optimist”

9)  Alesana  ~  “Fatal Optimist”

10)  South Pacific Cast ft. Mitzi Gaynor  ~  “Cockeyed Optimist”

11)  Wanderwild  ~  “Optimist”

12)  David Byrne & St. Vincent  ~  “Optimist”

13)  Zoe Keating  ~  “Optimist”

14)  Rob McGuinness  ~  “The Optimist”

15)  Paramore  ~  “For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”

16)  Buju Banton  ~  “Optimistic Soul”

17)  The Electric Swing Circus  ~  “The Penniless Optimist”

18)  Radiohead  ~  “Optimistic”

19)  Sounds Of Blackness  ~  “Optimistic”

20)  FM Static  ~  “Boy Moves To A New Town With Optimistic Outlook”

“Pessimistic” Songs

I wish I could tell you that I am an "always look on the bright side" kind of person. But I'm not – I'm a pessimist and a worrywart. If you're like me, you're sure to enjoy these songs. If you're less of a Debbie Downer, then the next post ("Optimistic" Songs) will suit you just fine.  ~  JH

1)  Bad Religion  ~  “Pessimistic Lies”

2)  Bing Crosby ft. Gloria Jean, El Brendel, Charles Winninger, & Nana Bryant  ~  “The Pessimistic Character”

3)  Stone Sour  ~  “The Pessimist”

4)  Janna Pelle & The Half-Steps  ~  “Refreshingly Pessimistic”

5)  In Flames  ~  “The Chosen Pessimist”

6)  Pryti  ~  “The Pessimist”

7)  Alkaline Trio  ~  “I, Pessimist”

8)  Theaudience  ~  “A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed”

9)  Through A Glass, Darkly  ~  “Pessimism”

10)  Trummors  ~  “Pessimistic Bluebird”

11)  FooFoo Juice  ~  “Pessimistic Girl”

12)  Club 8  ~  “My Pessimistic Heart”

13)  Parabelle  ~  “Pray To The Pessimist”

14)  Soulframe  ~  “Pessimism”

15)  Blackwood Jack  ~  “The Pessimist”

16)  King Orchid  ~  “Pessimism”

17)  Wesley Jensen  ~  “Never Trust A Pessimist”

18)  Lannen Fall  ~  “My Sweet Pessimist”

19)  Lunasuit  ~  “Pessimistic Brand”

20)  Heyoka  ~  “And The Pessimist Fled”