Some "Old School" Emo Music...

[revid]

Inspired by tasyfa's (among others) recent post, here are a few of my favorite emo songs. Just to be a little different, the newest of these dates to 10 years ago, the oldest, River, is 35 years old--1971. (Which amazes me to realize that!) Just goes to show that emo wasn't invented with Jimmy Eat World. :-)

Edit: OK, I added a Green Day Song from 1998.

River - Joni Mitchell The saddest Christmas carol ever written, but so beautiful. If you only download one, this is it.

Backstreets - Bruce Springteen A deep, layered song about a relationship ended by infidelity, made more poignant by Bruce's tortured growling voice.

A Long December - Counting Crows I listened to this song over and over one December when I was in a bit of a sub-clinical depression a few years back. But my favorite line was always ...maybe this year will be better than the last...--a glimmer of hope.

Lightning Crashes - Live How can a song about a woman dying in childbirth not be sad? But even more than the lyrics, the melody is just so evocative by itself.

Driving With The Brakes On - Del Amitri Del Amitri was a Scottish pop/folk/rock group from the 90s that only achieved cult status in the US. Have you ever known that you should break up with someone, but you just can't? I always loved Justin Currie's beautiful throaty voice, but even more so on this song.

Heart of the Matter - Don Henley Most you are familiar with this actually uplifting song about finally coming to terms with a relationship that ended badly.

Alison - Elvis Costello Perhaps my favorite song about unrequited love. Billie Joe Armstrong will be performing at a tribute show for EC in May and I am praying he does this song (and we get a recording of it of course).

Redundant - Green Day I didn't see any Green Day on anyone's list. This is, to me, the song that fits in this category the best.

Comments

[leighrowena.livejournal.com]

"River" is absolutely one of the loveliest, saddest songs ever. Cheesily enough, it was used in an episode of "Alias" three years ago in the best context it ever could have been used, and I've loved it ever since. My mom is a giant Joni Mitchell fan. "Case Of You" is one of her favorites, and I cannot help but cry the minute "Both Sides Now" starts.

Lovely emo list, my dear. Definitely worthy of a bucketful of tears!

[feels-like-fire.livejournal.com]

Who did "Both Sides Now" first, Judy Collins or Joni Mitchell? The version I grew up with was by Judy Collins so I got really confused when they played the Joni Mitchell version in "Love, Actually". *giggles*

[leighrowena.livejournal.com]

You know? That's a great question! I just looked it up and found this one credit - that neither of them wrote it. The site I found said it was written by Clannad & Paul Young. My search was pretty quick, though, so that may not be totally right. But who recorded it first? I'm not sure at all.

I was going to reference the scene in "Love, Actually," though, because I bawl my eyes out every time. That song + Emma Thompson = an amazing use of one minute of screen time! Just heartbreaking.

[feels-like-fire.livejournal.com]

And you know, that scene fucking kills me because those two? Could be my parents. Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson's characters in that movie are the reason I'll never show it to my mom despite the fact I think she'd love it otherwise. And that was always one of my mom's songs, so...yeah. Eeeek.

[leighrowena.livejournal.com]

Oh I am with you on that. I think it's why the scene moves me as much as it does. That one moment, in which she smooths the sheets over the bed in an effort to regain her composure, with that very mom-like need to keep her mind together and not crack, yet she still does? It's like watching my mother's entire being in one short moment.

So I can completely understand where you're coming from there. My parental situation is a little different from the Rickman/Thompson characters, though, so I can only imagine how much more powerful and sad it can be when you identify that much more with the story! Plus, the Joni never helps with the not crying.

[revid.livejournal.com]

Both Sides Now was written by Joni Mitchell, and first appears on her album Clouds from 1969. It's probably been covered 80 kazillion times.

[leighrowena.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Mary!

[revid.livejournal.com]

I could have put up a half dozen Joni Mitchell songs alone. I narrowed it down to River & Last Time I Saw Richard, but Case Of You was on the short list. That first line...Just before our love got lost...

[leighrowena.livejournal.com]

I'll admit that it took me a little while to warm up to Joni. My mom would always kind of push her down my throat a bit, but then I got older was a bit more willing to actually listen to her, not to mention understand it a bit more. The first line is beautiful, but I really love the whole metaphor of the song: "I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet." It's not what you'd think the song is about from the title. Plus, her voice is just angelic.

[revid.livejournal.com]

What until I break out the Dylan and the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. :-)

[revid.livejournal.com]

Umm...or "Wait"...either way.