They say you’re most creative when you’re nearly asleep or just waking up. This somewhat lucid dream state is one of my favorite feelings. Hard to achieve since I usually just fall asleep right away lately since I’m knee deep in post-High School graduate summer vacation and I stay up till 6am.
However, a couple days ago I was lying down with my iPod on shuffle through my surround sound in my room just thinking about things when I started to drift off. I fell asleep for a good hour or so and wake up to hear The Beta Band’s “Wonderful” from their album Heroes to Zeros. I’ve always liked The Beta Band, but only really listened to their compilation The Three EPs. While I’m drifting in and out of my waking up phase I really get into the groove of “Wonderful”. It’s a real simple song. Straight forward lyrics that deal with the typical man loving a girl subject area, but something trance like about the manner in which it is sung (long droning notes) combined with the excellent pacing that the band is known for creates, in my opinion, the best song to wakeup to. Put me in an excellent loving mood right from the get go. I actually got up and fed my fish. They usually go several days without food, and they should thank The Beta Band for putting me in such a caring mood.
This got me thinking, what other songs are excellent “waking up to” songs? Anything that can get me to take care of my basic responsibilities such as feeding the fish deserves recognition. Here’s my list of songs that I think I can dig in the somewhat lucid phase of waking/falling asleep.
“Wonderful” by The Beta Band
“Pinch Me” by Barenaked Ladies
“Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” by CAKE (cover song)
“Sunshower” by Chris Cornell
“Lost In the Supermarket” by The Clash
“Silver” by Echo & The Bunnymen
“Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home” by Editors
“Fresh Feeling” by Eels
“Manhattan” by Kings of Leon
“Gentle Groove” by Mother Love Bone
“Walking On the Milky Way” by Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark
“Brother” by Pearl Jam
“First Tube” by Phish
“It Goes On” The Psychedelic Furs
“She’s So Young” by Pursuit of Happiness
“The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite” by R.E.M
“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” by Radiohead (though all of In Rainbows would work)
“The Diamond Sea” by Sonic Youth
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Again, these are the songs limited to my personal library. Anything you want works, but music just taste so much better in that half lucid state. Those songs are my choices for listening to during such a state.
This column would be more of a first “blog” post. I suppose it’s a “blog” since it’s my occasional music musings with an occasional review thrown in. I appreciate anyone who took the time to read this, and would like to know what you thought about it. Let me in on some of your favorite sleep phase songs. Post in the Reader’s Comments section or send me an email at Blackholesun227@yahoo.com.
