Hello all, and welcome to another addition of What I'm Listening To! This month, I decided to lean in on St. Patrick's Day, but more specifically, the "Luck of the Irish". As such, I tried to scour the "musicverse" and find 5 songs that are about just that: Luck. Hope you all enjoy!
"Lucky Man" - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer were one of the most influential alternative rock groups of the 1970s, and their hit song "Lucky Man" is such a great track. It is a more sorrowful melody, as the man they sing about in the song, had everything, but was killed while fighting in a war. As this track came out in 1970, it's easy to link this song to the Vietnam War, where thousands of men left their lives to fight overseas, but never returned.
"Luck Be a Lady" - Frank Sinatra (Best of Vegas)
What can be said about Frank Sinatra that hasn't already been said? One of the best crooners and voices of the last century, Frank Sinatra had a prolific career spanning decades, with so many hits. One of my all time personal favorites has to be "Luck Be a Lady". The background big band music is just so good in setting the tone for this song, and Frank's vocals are spot on.
"Lucky Star" - Madonna (Madonna)
This is the first time I think I've dipped back into an album, but I'll make an exception for Madonna any time. This song isn't so much about luck, but moreso the person she is singing about is such a bright light for her. When she even thinks about this person, it makes her day better. However, if I were the person she was singing about, I would consider myself so lucky!
"The Gambler" - Kenny Rogers (Daytime Friends - The Very Best of Kenny Rogers)
Growing up, I didn't listen to country music (except that couple of years in 1995-1996...thanks Garth Brooks!). That said, I knew who Kenny Rogers was, and for me, this is my favorite song of his besides "Desperado". The lyric that gets quoted the most from this song has to be "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em", and that mantra has helped me with several nervous hands of poker.
Daytime Friends - the Very Best of Kenny Rogers
"You Got Lucky" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Greatest Hits)
The real lucky thing about Tom Petty is he has so many tracks that it's easy to find a song for every season. This track actually could have been put onto last month's blog post, as it deals with a breakup. The premise of the song is that Tom Petty is telling his ex that she can go and see if the grass is actually greener elsewhere. Tom loves her, but if she wants to go, then go and find happiness elsewhere, but be warned, that it may not be better than what she already had.
That'll do it with this month's post, but if there's themes or ideas you have, please let me know! I'm all ears.
