Feelin' Good Again

Songs that help days like these

Last week I wrote about some of the saddest country songs of all time. This week I thought I'd change things up and write about some tunes that help me when the skies are darkest. I openly suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D (Thanks for that acronym, buttwads.) This time of year is when it starts to kick in. Summer is long in the rear view and Halloween has come and gone one more time. Now the TV blasts Christmas commercials incessantly and soon the radio will pump out 24 hour streams of holiday classics. After that its the long winter when springtime seems an intangible eternity away.

But that's why we have music. 

Whether we want to alleviate our pain or enhance a good feeling, a fun song that strikes the right chord can make all the difference. Here's a list of 10 of my favorite songs to make you feel a little bit better.

10) Feelin' Good Again - Robert Earl Keen

Written by Robert Earl Keen
From the album Walking Distance
Buy it on Amazon

"And I wished I had some money with 

which to buy a round

I wished I'd cashed my paycheck 

Before I came to town

But I reached into my pocket 

Found three twenties and a ten

It feels so good feelin' good again"

Have you ever been a down swing? Maybe lots of bad luck? Been away from home and loved ones too long? When that good feeling finally arrives, you can take a deep breath and realize you're back in a good place. That's this song right here. 

9) Down Home Girl - Old Crow Medicine Show

Written by Jerry Leiber, Artie Butler
From the EP Down Home Girl

Buy it on Amazon

"Girl you know that dress you're wearin'

Is made out of fiberglass

Every time you move like that, girl

I got to go to Sunday Mass"

Originally released by Alvin Robinson in 1964, this sweaty, funky jam was later recorded by the Rolling Stones on No. 2. For me though, Old Crow crafted the perfect version of this tune. This one always get my toes tapping. You can't help but sing along.

8) Good Day - Nappy Roots

Written by Nappy Roots
From the album The Humdinger
Buy it on Amazon

"We're gonna have a good day

And I fin to worry bout what noboy say

I'm still above ground that's the reason I pray

Got my car cleaned up now I'm ready to play

Make call to the sticks say I'm headin' dat way

Heard my cousin cookin out I gotta get me a plate"

I don't listen to rap as much as I once did, but Nappy Roots will always been one of my favorites. With Watermelon, Chicken and Gritz, the group painted a picture of life in Kentucky, both good and bad. Clever lyrics, insane hooks and talent all around. This song from the Humdinger is later on the discography, but it still makes me smile every time I hear it.

7) You May Be Right - Billy Joel

Written by Billy Joel
From the album Glass Houses

Buy it on Amazon

"You may be right

I may be crazy

But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for"

From the opening riff of this song, I just have to belt this one out as loud and obnoxious as I can. I fell in love with this song when I heard Garth Brooks sing it as his Central Park with Billy Joel. It seemed so unhinged for a pop song. It's kind of a punk record, written and recorded by the least punk guy of all time. It's cheesy, it's loud and I love it.

6) Alright Guy - Todd Snider

Written by Todd Snider
From the album Songs For The Daily Planet
Buy it on Amazon

"Well I get wild and I know I get drunk

It's not like I got a bunch of bodies in my trunk

My old man used to call me a no-good punk

And I still dont know why "

Todd Snider is the man. He does what he wants and records what he wants. He opened for John Prine and sought out to create songs that were both happy and sad at the same time. This though, to me at least, is an all out blast. Just a fun, well written tune.

5) In Spite Of Ourselves - John Prine & Iris Dement

Written by John Prine
From the album In Spite Of Ourselves
Buy it on Amazon

"He ain't got laid in a month of Sundays

I caught him once and he was sniffin' my undies

He ain't too sharp but he gets things done

Drinks his beer like it's oxygen

He's my baby

And I'm his honey

Never gonna let him go"

If I could encourage people who has never listened, to check out John Prine, then my work would be done. He's one of the two of three finest songwriters of all time. My opinion anyway. With Iris Dement's perfect voice and some of his craftiest lyrics, this is mood changer. 

4) Down Together - The Refreshments

Written by Roger Clyne and Paul "P.H." Naffah
From the album Fizzy Fuzzy Big And Buzzy
Buy it on Amazon

"We could both wear cowboy hats
And pretend that we could speak Italian
I could eat some gum and make my breath
So minty fresh to kiss you
Your breath will smell like wine, I like that a lot
Especially when I kiss you
And I could hit my funny bone real hard
And you could call me "sweetheart"

I love the Refreshments. Something about pop rock with a Mexican influence just hits the spot for me. This album is one of the most underrated of the 1990s. It plays like a greatest hits for a band you've never heard. This song is pretty much nonsense, but in the best way possible. It basically comes down to this: It doesn't matter what we do, as long as I'm with you. Love it!

3)Streets Of Bakersfield - Dwight Yoakam

Written by Homer Joy
From the album Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room
Buy it on Amazon

"Spent sometime in San Francisco

I spent a night there in the can

They threw this drunk man in my jail cell

I took fifteen dollars from that man

Left him my watch and my old house key

Don't want folks thinkin' that I'd steal

Then I thanked him as I was leaving

And I headed out for Bakersfield"

I remember this being one of the first songs I loved. In those days we had no fancy streaming music, so you had to listen to the radio and hope they played it. Homey Joy wrote the song in 1973 and it was recorded by Buck Owens. Then in 1988 Yoakam recorded it with the help of Owens and it became a smash. It's such a great story song and always connects with the line, "You don't know me but you don't like me."

2)Long Hot Summer Days - Turnpike Troubadours

Written by John Hartford
From the album Diamonds and Gasoline
Buy it on Amazon

"Well I got me a gal in Pecan.

She's a good ole' gal okay.

Oh she's sitting there waitin’ by a window fan.

On a long hot summer day."

If you can find a catchier song, then I tip my nonexistent hat to you. Written by the immensely talented John Hartford for his Mark Twang album, the song is ode to working on the river during the hottest heat of the summer. The Troubadours take the song and make it their own and it never fails to cause a sing along.

1)I'm Coming Home - Robert Earl Keen

Written by Robert Earl Keen
From the album Gringo Honeymoon
Buy it on Amazon

"I'm feelin' better since I got your card

I read it over and over when the road gets hard

Ain't nothin' better than your own backyard

I'm comin' home to you"

If you read my blog, and I keep it with it, you're going to realize my favorite guy right now is Robert Earl Keen. In the last year I've soaked up every thing Keen I could find. This track, along with the aforementioned "Feelin' Good Again," is an ode to getting back to the things in life that matter. In these uncertain days, we need those pieces of comfort. We need to feel at home and enjoy all the little moments that we take for granted. This song speaks to that.