On this page, I've listed my top ten songs of all time.  Putting this list together involved trawling through my collection of music, listening to the songs and deciding which ones to include.  I don't think I've had quite so much fun for a very long time!  After much debating and listening, I've managed to find ten songs that could rightfully be called all-time favourites.  The criteria for a song to be an "all-time favourite" were very simple:

1. The song is one for which I know all the words, and can sing along to when it's played;

2. The song helps to brighten up a dark day - bad moods clear when listening to the song;

3. The song still provides pleasure after having known it for many years;

4. The song is so good that after hearing it once, I need to hear it again straight afterwards.

5. The songs evokes pleasant memories.

Narrowing down a choice of several thousand tunes to only ten proved to be easier than I thought it would be.  While there are many "good" songs in my collection, only a few meet the criteria listed above.  Having said that, there are a number of tunes that didn't make it into the top ten, but only by a narrow margin.  For example, as I type this, I'm listening to "Don't Dream It's Over" by "Crowded House".  On a different day, this might have made it.

So, in reverse order, my top ten songs are:

10:  Eels - My Beloved Monster and Me      Lyrics and Full Song

9:  Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining     Lyrics and Full Song

8:  The Beatles - Hey Jude     Lyrics and Full Song

7:  The Stone Roses - Waterfall     Lyrics and Full Song

6:  The Beautiful South - Love Is     Lyrics and Full Song

5:  Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish     Lyrics and Full Song

4:  The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park     Lyrics and Full Song

3:  The Beatles - It's all too Much     Lyrics and Full Song

2:  Alphaville - Forever Young     Lyrics and Full Song

1.  The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever     Lyrics and Full Song

More explanation of these choices is given below.  You can download the whole tune by clicking on the link at the end of each description.  To download the tune to hard disk, right-click and choose "Save As" from the menu..

10:  Eels - My Beloved Monster and Me

I first heard this song while watching "Shrek" with a good friend of mine in Virginia, USA, and that song stood out as being a brilliant piece of rock combined with tunefulness and sweet (but uninspiring) lyrics.  It was this song that convinced me that "Shrek" is a pretty damn decent film to watch - in fact, for me, this song is the best part of the film. 

Note that the version of the song referred to here is NOT the same version that appears in "Shrek".  Personally, I think that this is a better version.

Download the song here

Lyrics:

My beloved monster and me
We go everywhere together
Wearing a raincoat that has four sleeves
Gets us through all kinds of weather

She will always be the only thing
That comes between me and the awful sting
That comes from living in a world that's so damn mean

My beloved monster is tough
If she wants she will disrobe you
But if you lay her down for a kiss
Her little heart it could explode

She will always be the only thing
That comes between me and the awful sting
That comes from living in a world that's so damn mean

La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
 

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9:  Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining

This is a song that is full of meaning for me - for many reasons.  I first heard it on a television sports show (Soccer AM) shown over here in England.  When I heard it played, I realised that I was listening to a great tune - and fortunately, the presenters of the TV show gave the title and artist, so I was able to go out and by Hour of the Bewilderbeast  - the album from which the song comes.

Download the song here

Lyrics:

Faith pours from your walls drowning you calls
I've tried to hear you're not near
Remembering when I saw your face
Shining my way pure timing
Now I've fallen in deep slow silent sleep
It's killing me I'm dying

To put a little sunshine in your life

Soleil all over you warm sun pours over me
Soleil all over you
Warm sun

No thins slick fallen rift
Came like a gift
Your body moves ever nearer
And you will dry this tear
Now that we're here and grieve for me not history
But now I'm dry of thoughts wait for the rain
Then it's replaces sun setting

And suddenly we're in love with everything

Soleil all over you warm sun pours over me
Soleil all over you
Warm sun

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8:  The Beatles - Hey Jude

Another great song.  My mother tells me that she used to sing this to me when I was a boy, to try to help me get to sleep.  Anyone who hears my mother sing now might dispute how it could possibly send anyone to sleep, but, being a good son, I believe her.  Whenever I hear this now I always sing along with the refrain.  The Beatles did a great version of this song live on the David Frost show.

Download the song here

Lyrics:

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7:  The Stone Roses - Waterfall

The Stone Roses were probably the leaders of the so-called "Manchester Sound" revolution that came about in the late 80's and 90's.  This is my favourite of all the songs they produced.  Not always known for their tuneful and melodic compositions, this goes to show that they can do both when they try.  Groups such as Oasis owe a lot to The Stone Roses.

Download the song here

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6:  The Beautiful South - Love Is

Probably the longest song that The Beautiful South have done, the song lasts for over 7 minutes.  I first heard this song on a cassette tape that my brother gave me, and decided on the first hearing that it was my kind of song.  Like many Beautiful South tunes, the melodies are great but the lyrics are a little more offbeat.  Nevertheless, a worthy member of my all-time top ten.

Download the song here

Lyrics:

Ooh you care, you really, really care
From the first 12" I made to the colour of my underwear
Ooh you know, you really, really know
Inside, outside in, from head to toe

But where were you in the colder days?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know
And where will you be in years to come?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know

So don't beg and don't plead
You can't have the heart you made bleed
You're in love with fame
So whilst we love, please don't scream my name

You're my friends, my only real friends
But I'd like to know where you'll be when the party ends
I remember your face the dance was slow
"Easy" by The Commodores and you said 'no'

But where were you in colder days?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know
And where will you be in years to come?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know

So here's an invitation to this caring nation
25 years from now will you come my cremation
Sherry or beer, family and friends
Will you be there? Will you be there?
No fame, no fortune, no name in lights
Will you be there? Will you be there

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5:  Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish

A song that's rather similar to the previous one, in that the melodies are stunning, but the lyrics are a little offbeat.  And yet, for some reason, they just work together perfectly.  It seems that I'm attracted to great tunes and weird lyrics!

Download the song here

Lyrics:

The keys to your heart open the door to the world
You've got to give me two days
And woman I'll make you a girl

Sometimes you've got to rewind to go forward
There's some good times around the corner
But have you fed the fish today?
Have you made your wish today?

I need a new eiderdown
I want some binoculars
Don't want to be obvious
I want to surprise myself
I've killed all the mockingbirds
I've wrestled the octopus
I came out with extra arms
To carry your baggage

Sometimes you've got to rewind to go forward
There's some good times around the corner
But have you fed the fish today?
Have you made your wish today?

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4:  The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park

A splendid psychedelic tune that conjures up images of LSD-laden kids tripping out and enjoying all sorts of wonderful fantasies and dreams.  Perhaps the song makes me think about all the things I never tried in my youth.  "I feel inclined to blow my mind" must rank as one of the great lyrics in rock music history.  Great melodies once again.  I nearly included "Lazy Sunday", also by the Small Faces, in my top ten.  What a great group they were.

Download the song here

Lyrics:

Over bridge of sighs
To rest my eyes in shades of green
Under dreamin' spires
To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been

What did you do there?
I got high
What did you feel there?
Well I cried
But why the tears there?
I'll tell you why
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful

I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun

Tell you what I'll do (what will you do?)
I'd like to go there now with you
You can miss out school (won't that be cool)
Why go to learn the words of fools?
What will we do there?
We'll get high
What will we touch there?
We'll touch the sky
But why the tears then?
I'll tell you why

It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful

I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun

It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
Ha! It's all too beautiful

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3:  The Beatles - It's all too Much

Another weird off beat song, courtesy of George Harrison.  For me, some of the best songs produced by the Beatles are the ones where they try to rock things up a bit - "Helter Skelter" is another song that features highly in my list of favourites.  And yet, when they do try to produce grunge, one can still recognise the Beatles sound in there!

Download the song here

Lyrics:

It's all too much, It's all too much

When I look into your eyes, your love is there for me And the more I go inside, the more there is to see

It's all too much for me to take The love that's shining all around you Everywhere, it's what you make For us to take, it's all too much

Floating down the stream of time, of life to life with me Makes no difference where you are or where you'd like to be

It's all too much for me to take The love that's shining all around here All the world's a birthday cake, So take a piece but not too much

Set me on a silver sun, for I know that I'm free [ Lyrics provided by www.mp3lyrics.org ] Show me that I'm everywhere, and get me home for tea

It's all to much for me to see A love that's shining all around here The more I am, the less I know And what I do is all too much

It's all too much for me to take The love that's shining all around you Everywhere, it's what you make For us to take, it's all too much

It's too much.....It's too much

Too much too much too much (fade to end)

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2:  Alphaville - Forever Young

A true anthem by Alphaville, which would certainly appeal to those who think it'd be better to die young than live forever!  This song also happens to be a favourite of my brother, and for once I have to commend him on his good taste!  The chorus is sung with great energy, and I can never resist the urge to join in.

Download the song here

Lyrics:

Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while
Heaven can wait were only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you going to drop the bomb or not?

Let us die young or let us live forever
We don't have the power but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music's for the sad men

Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders were getting in tune
The music's played by the madmen

Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever

Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why don't they stay young

Its so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth is like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever

So many adventures couldn't happen today
So many songs we forgot to play
So many dreams are swinging out of the blue
We let them come true

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1.  The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever

So, we've reached the song that I consider to be my all-time favourite!  I stated above that I tend to be influenced by great melody and odd lyrics.  Well - this one has odd lyrics and an odd tune!  And yet, it has that intangible quality that makes it a delight to hear again and again.  I've known this tune for the best part of 20 years, and the pleasure of listening is not diminished.  Maybe that's the reason why The Beatles were the greatest rock and roll group in the world.

Download the song here

Lyrics:

Let me take you down, cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real, and nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever

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