Soundtrack for 2009

Music defines my life. In fact, there's a soundtrack for every part of my life. I can hear a song and immediately be transported to a random chapter in my life. It sustains me in hard times and lifts me up to keep going and be better. In the good times, I celebrate to music.

If 2008 is any predictor, 2009 will present us with many opportunities (aka challenges) and we will need a soundtrack to keep us going. The songs below are my selection for the 2009 soundtrack. What would you add?

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield


Beautiful by Christina Aguilera
This is the live performance from her appearance on the CNN Heroes special on Thanksgiving.


Superwoman by Alicia Keys


Yes We Can by will.i.am


Amazing Grace by Leann Rimes


Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Eva Cassidy


Life Uncommon by Jewel


World by Five for Fighting (tribute to Obama)
I love that someone turned this video into a tribute to Obama. It really sums up how I felt standing in Grant Park on Election Night.


I would also include Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. The first time I really heard the words of Breakaway I was in Davenport's Piano Bar in Chicago with my brother. He'd just moved to Wicker Park and we were roaming around one night. We walked into this little bar with the cool front and about an hour later the waiter grabbed the mike and belted out this song. I was mesmerized. Click on the link above to watch the video. I couldn't include it here because it mucked up all the other videos and didn't work properly itself.

What Kind of World Do You Want?

I heard this song tonight and remembered just how much I love it. When I googled it, I discovered just how cool Five for Fighting is. Not only do they have music I love - Superman, 100 Years, and World - but they do good things in this world through their website What Kind of World Do You Want?. Check it out. You'll be inspired.

And in the meantime, listen to World and read the lyrics below. We control the kind of world we live in. Our choices today determine the world we will live in and future generations will inherit.

The only question is What Kind of World Do You Want and what are you willing to do to create it?



WORLD

Got a package full of Wishes
A Time machine, a Magic Wand
A Globe made out of Gold

No Instructions or Commandments
Laws of Gravity or
Indecisions to uphold

Printed on the box I see
A.C.M.E.'s Build-a-World-to-be
Take a chance - Grab a piece
Help me to believe it

What kind of world do you want?
Think Anything
Let's start at the start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts now...

Should there be people or peoples
Money, Funny pedestals for Fools who never pay
Raise your Army – Choose your Steeple
Don't be shy, the satellites can look the other way

Lose the Earthquakes – Keep the Faults
Fill the oceans without the salt
Let every Man own his own Hand

What kind of world do you want
Think Anything
Let's start at the start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts now...

Sunlight's on the Bridge
Sunlight's on the Way
Tomorrow's Calling

There's more to this than Love

What Kind of world do you want
What Kind of world do you want

What Kind of world do you want
Think Anything
Let's start at the start
Build a masterpiece

History Starts Now

Be careful what you wish for
Start Now