A beautiful Israeli friend, artist and dedicated to Buddhist meditation, invited me to pick some inspirational songs as she recently had started work as a DJ on a radio station. I looked through my CDs and made a list to send to her.
Music forms the voices of the Gods to uplift the heart of humanity. Music feeds the soul in a way inaccessible through the deluge of words, news, articles and studies. We live as ghosts without the culture of music where lyrics at a certain time have the power to shed light on events hidden from us in endless information and “how to books.”
We can employ unwisely music , such as excessive use of MP3 players, to block out the world, numb the senses that pays little respect to the musical artists from who nourish our lives. We need to dive very consciously into the communications of the Gods of Music, as the Gods transmit from the heavens.
It is worthwhile checking out all the lyrics on songs you love. Some songs bestow upon the listener the elements of the poetic form and sharp perceptions on the human condition.
Here is my list of 40 songs for inspiration and insight. The two albums I play currently with most frequency are:
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and Bon Iver’s For Emma.
In Alphabetical order.
Song. Artist. Nationality. Album.
- ALEXANDRA LEAVING. LEONARD COHEN. CANADA. 10 NEW SONGS
- BEAUTIFUL DAY. U2. IRELAND. ALL THAT YOU CAN’T LEAVE BEHIND.
- CANDLE IN THE WIND. ELTON JOHN. UK. THE VERY BEST OF
- CLANDESTINO. MANU CHAO. SPAIN. CLANDESTINO
- COME TOGETHER. THE BEATLES. UK. ABBEY ROAD
- CON TE PARTIRO. ANDREA BOCELLI. ITALY. ROMANZA
- FLUME. BON IVER USA.FOR EMMA.
- GATES OF EDEN. BOB DYLAN. USA. LIVE AT BUDOKON.
- GET UP, STAND UP. BOB MARLEY. JAMAICA. LEGEND.
- GURU BANDANA. ASHA BHOSLE. INDIA. LEGACY
- HALLELUJAH. LEONARD COHEN. CANADA. VARIOUS POSITIONS.
- HEART OF GOLD NEIL YOUNG CANADA. HARVEST
- HYMN TO THE SILENCE. VAN MORRISON. NORTHERN IRELAND. HYMNS TO THE SILENCE
- IF IT BE YOUR WILL. ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS. (UK) I’M YOUR MAN TRIBUTE ALBUM
- IMAGINE. JOHN LENNON. UK.LEGEND
- JAYA JHAGATAMBE. KRISHNA DAS. USA. LIVE ON EARTH
- KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU. ABBA. SWEDEN. GOLD
- LA TSHEPHILE MANG JUDITH SEPHEUMA. SOUTH AFRICA.WOMEN OF AFRICA
- LOSING MY RELIGION. REM (USA). BEST OF REM
- MISSISSIPPI. BOB DYLAN.USA. TELL TALE SIGNS.UNRELEASED.
- MR TAMBOURINE MAN. BOB DYLAN (USA). BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME.
- MY SWEET LORD. GEORGE HARRISON. UK. THE BEST OF GEORGE HARRISON
- NESSUM DORMA. PAVAROTTI. ITALIAN. THE ESSENTIAL PAVAROTTI
- NEVER DREAMED YOU LEAVE IN SUMMER. JOAN BAEZ. DIAMONDS AND RUST
- OFFERING CHANT. LAMA GYURME. TIBET. PLANET CHANT
- OH HAPPY DAY. LADYSMITH BLACK MOMBAZA. HEAVENLY.
- RAOUI (THE STORYTELLER). SOUAD MASSI (ALGERIA). RAOUI
- SAIL AWAY. ENYA (IRELAND). BEST OF ENYA
- SAVE TONIGHT. EAGLE-EYE CHERRY SWEDISH-USA. DESIRELESS.
- SEARCH FOR THE HERO. M PEOPLE. UK.THE BEST OF M PEOPLE
- STAY. JACKSON BROWNE. USA. VERY BEST OF.
- TEARS IN HEAVEN. ERIC CLAPTON. UK.
- THE FOOL ON THE HILL THE BEATLES (UK). MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
- THE MYSTIC’S DREAM. LOREENA MCKENNITT. CANADA
- WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS. ANNIE LENNOX SCOTLAND. DIVA
- WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. QUEEN. UK. GREATEST HITS
- WHERE DO THE CHILDREN PLAY? CAT STEVENS. TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN.
- WHERE IS THE LOVE? BLACK EYED PEAS. USA.
- WIYATHUL. GEOOFFREY GURRUMUL YUNIPINGU. AUSTRALIA) GURRUMUL
- YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL. JAMES BLUNT. ENGLAND. BACK TO BEDLAM.
Plus One Giant Leap – a remarkable album of world music.
Remember to listen to your music with total attention to open the heart to the Eternal.