Something like this – this virus, this quarantine, this tearing apart of our country – lends itself to putting together a playlist.
Aw, heck – it’s not like I need an excuse for a playlist.
I’m putting them together in my mind, all the time.
This is the one that works for me now.
Some of these songs fit the times. Some of them suit my mood.
Some songs reduce me to tears. Some of them lift my spirits up.
Some songs rile me up. Some of them just calm me.
Some of them remind me that we’re going to be ok.
I call it an “Apocalypse Soundtrack,” half tongue-in-cheek – I do like to be overly dramatic.
It’s not a “Quarantine Soundtrack”, or “Coronavirus Soundtrack.”
(Although ever since I heard someone sing “Covid-19” to the tune of “Come On, Eileen,” I’ve had a tough time getting that out of my mind…. There… you’re welcome.)
Note: None of the songs have titles that refer to “shelter,” “fever,” or “wash,” or “distance.”
It’s not meant to be taken literally. I’m not clever enough for that, and other people have done that better than me.
All of it is Americana, through and through. If that’s not your thing, cool. That’s just me.
Like I said, this is what works for me. If something in here helps you, take it.
If you have any other songs that work for you, please, leave them in the Comments below.
- Dolly Parton – “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”
- Amos Lee – “What’s Been Going On”
- Amos Lee – “Windows Are Rolled Down”
- Carson McKee – “Colorado Soldier” [YouTube only]
- Bob Dylan – “New Morning”
- The Byrds – “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
- Uncle Tupelo – “No Depression”
- Son Volt – “Windfall”
- Wilco – “One Hundred Years From Now”
- Band of Heathens – “Hurricane”
- John Mellencamp – “We Are the People”
- Grateful Dead – “Ripple”
- Van Morrison – “Into the Mystic”
- Gillian Welch – “Orphan Girl”
- Taylor Swift – “Soon You’ll Get Better”
1. Dolly Parton – Light of a Clear Blue Morning
This is the song that kicked off this whole Apocalypse Soundtrack in my head.
It’s the first song on Dolly’s 1977 album, New Harvest, First Gathering.
And I’ll be honest – I never heard it before this wonderful article by Ellen Johnson, last month in Paste Magazine.
(I know, I know…. How can I call myself a country music fan?)
As Ms. Johnson writes:
“If you’re holding onto the hope that this disaster is temporary—that before we know it, we’ll all be seated on the outside patios of our favorite restaurants with rosés in hand, those days of social separation a far-off memory, so distant we might even swap a chuckle upon remembering our silly work-from-home stations and daily therapy walks—Dolly Parton’s 1977 tune “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” could be your favorite new song. As cheesy as this may sound, it’s the joyful, hopeful, forward-facing music we need right now.”
Well, Ellen, it’s my favorite new song.
Hell, I’m ready to make it our national anthem when we get out of this.
It’s got everything I need: the most hopeful message imaginable, reassurance that it’ll be ok, and a gospel choir.
It starts quietly, just a soft piano playing. Then the piano swings into gospel chords, as she sings:
It’s been a long dark night
And I’ve been a waitin’ for the morning
It’s been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day a dawning
I’ve been looking for the sunshine
You know I ain’t seen it in so long
But everything’s gonna work out just fine
And everything’s gonna be all right
That’s been all wrong
It’s almost as if Dolly knew this all was coming, back in 1977.
Then the band fully kicks in for the chorus, and Dolly kicks back, just as hard, as she proclaims,
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything’s gonna be all right
It’s gonna be okay
Then a choir joins her on the second verse, and she finds another level.
Then she and the band quiet down, and she almost whispers the reassuring chorus one more time.
And then the band kicks in again, and the choir kicks in, and Dolly reaches yet another level, and you can’t believe how much joy and power can be in one woman’s voice, and then the sun comes out, and before you know it, you forget that anything is wrong.
So, yeah. That’s why I kinda like that song.
If you’re interested, Dolly has an “At Home Together” playlist of her own on Spotify.
Of course.
And it’s just awesome. Of course.
2. Amos Lee – What’s Been Going On
3. Amos Lee – Windows Are Rolled Down
There’s no meaning in these lyrics. (Not even his declaration, “I’m fixin’ to die!” in “Windows Are Rolled Down.”)
Just good, calming songs that bring me back to earth, like Mister Amos Lee always does.
I tend to find a place for him on many of my playlists. This time, I found two.
4. Carson McKee – Colorado Solider
This is the wild card in my playlist.
This young man is part of a duo who call themselves The Other Favorites. His musical partner is Joshua Lee Turner (to distinguish himself from the golden-throated country star Josh Turner).
On this song, Carson and Josh get help from Reina del Cid, and her guitarist, Toni Lindgren (playing bass here), two kindred spirits.
They have all been my personal campaign these past couple of years.
I’m not even sure what the song’s about. There’s something about the soldier in question returning home, to “bury that box of ashes in the ground,” and he needs to “call your mama up sometime.”
But it has a mandolin, and exquisite harmonies by these four incredible artists, and that’s enough for me.
This song is not on Spotify, although a lot of music from Carson, the Other Favorites, Josh, and Reina & Toni is there.
It’s worth going to YouTube for this one, though. You’ll find a treasure trove of great covers and originals, by all of these kids. It gives you hope for the future.
5. Bob Dylan – New Morning
Like Dolly’s song, it gives me hope.
I always had a soft spot for Bob’s simple, light-hearted tunes. For a crusty old curmudgeon, he did sweet love songs as nice as anyone.
6. Byrds – “You Ain’t Going Nowhere”
Again, a carefree Bob shuffle that we all could use.
No, of course I didn’t choose it because of the title… No, I’m not alluding to being trapped in one place… Aw, geez….
On second thought, scratch it… the title is too obvious, too corny.
7. Uncle Tupelo – “No Depression”
When they’re older, today’s kids will tell their grandchildren stories about the flu of 2020.
Just as our parents or grandparents told us stories about the Great Depression.
That’s where this song came out of.
You could listen to the Carter Family (the original version).
I chose Uncle Tupelo, mainly because they spawned so many of the bands I listen to today.
I mean, their version created the whole “No Depression” alt-country/Americana movement in the 1990s, which was chronicled by the No Depression magazine.
For the alt-country kids in the ‘90s, the song title might’ve referred to a state of mind, and it offered a release from an unending sadness they couldn’t escape.
For the original songwriters, it was them singing about the hopelessness of their world and their economy in collapse – and the only way out was heaven.
8. Son Volt – “Windfall”
I’m not the biggest Son Volt guy, and I have trouble with Jay Farrar’s phrasing sometimes, but his heart is in the right place, and this song puts me in a simpler time and place.
9. Wilco – “One Hundred Years From Now”
In the interest of equal time. (I will confess to being Wilco guy.)
I guess it also begs the question, how will we remember this 100 years from now?
I know, it’s a Gram Parsons song. (Wilco did it on the great 1999 Gram Parsons tribute album, Return of the Grievous Angel.)
But I felt the tempo needed a little pick up, and Wilco could do that, back then.
10. Band of Heathens – “Hurricane”
A “survival” hymn, written for post-Katrina New Orleans.
It’s a tale of perseverance, told from the point of view of “the old man down in the Quarter,” drinking from his whiskey bottle as he reminds us what his city has lived through, and how it is still standing.
“It takes a lot of water to wash away New Orleans,” he reminds us.
This scrappy little band of ragged-but-ready country/Americana masters from Austin, Texas have been another of my campaigns these past few years. They’ve achieved some notoriety, but nowhere near what they deserve. What they do – roots rock, folk, country, blues – they do better than anybody.
11. Grateful Dead – “Ripple”
12. Van Morrison – “Into the Mystic”
It just didn’t seem right to have an Apocalypse Soundtrack without these songs.
Two more calming songs you can’t find; you could write a book about each.
I think these songs make their way onto a lot of my playlists for that reason.
They both have pulled me through all kinds of turmoil.
13. John Mellencamp – “We Are the People”
This one came out of nowhere. I was listening to Mellencamp’s Lonesome Jubilee album recently, as I worked on my house. I remembered it being a constant companion in 1987, when it came out.
And I had forgotten what a great protest anthem this song was.
Mellencamp immersed himself in the Bible when he was working on Lonesome Jubilee, particularly in the Book of Ecclesiastes. (He included a passage from Ecclesiastes in the album’s liner notes, and he talked about it being a source for the first song, “Paper in Fire.”)
“We Are the People” always reminded me of a minister-congregational call-and-response, with its constant rejoinder, “May our thoughts be with you.”
It is a protest song – bluntly – but it’s so even-handed.
If you are one of the fortunate ones – may our thoughts be with you
We understand, nobody’s got it made – so our thoughts are with you.
But in the last verse, Mellencamp drops the gloves, and very tersely lets loose with all his fire and brimstone:
You who’d serve us as leaders – may our thoughts be with you
You try to divide and conquer – we’ll rise up against you
We know only the strong will survive – but the meek shall inherit
So if you’ve got a coat of arms, my friend – I suggest you wear it
I think of those words, every time I hear our divisive “leader” speak.
And I look for my coat of arms.
16. Gillian Welch – “Orphan Girl”
Gillian Welch is our country’s unofficial spokeswoman for a time gone by, along with her partner in guitar and harmony, David Rawlings.
To me, their music evokes a tougher time, when facing death was a regular part of life. (“I’m Not Afraid to Die” is a song title that comes to mind.)
Gillian’s songs – steeped in rural Americana roots of bluegrass, folk, and country – always remind us how people used music to overcome their hardships.
15. Taylor Swift – “Soon You’ll Get Better”
With this song, Taylor has managed to break my heart in three ways.
First, it brought back the Dixie Chicks, exiled from country radio for almost 20 years now (for daring to criticize our President). When I first heard it, I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt their voices harmonizing again.
Then, I realized that Taylor was singing about her mother, fighting to recover from cancer. And as she pleaded, “Soon you’ll get better… ’cause you have to.”
But it wasn’t until I saw her sing it in the One World: Together at Home concert that it made my playlist.
Watching it, I realized: She was singing about us now.
Soon we’ll get better.
‘Cause we have to.
Daddy Gibs 