By DiscoMonster
As long as the sun rises, it is easy to have hope.
In the past I’ve lost all hope. I’ve found new hopes. Faint hopes have risen and sometimes been met but often slipped away. I’ve hoped I wouldn’t wake up. I’ve hoped I wouldn’t die.
I hoped I would find true love. I hope my children have a better future. I act with with hope in my heart. I hope for the best for my friends. I’m living from day to day in hope.
Hopes are pretty streamers. Hopes make schemers of dreamers. The songs below are all singalong tunes, jump around songs, move your hips grooves. For me, the playlist has the energy and simplicity of hope.
The Big Hope All-In-One Playlist:
Ambrose & His Orchestra with Elsie Carlisle - The Clouds Will Soon Roll
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Three Little Birds
The Isley Brothers - Harvest for the World
India Arie - There's Hope
The Police - Message In A Bottle
John Lennon - Imagine
Disturbance - Youth
David Holmes - Hope Is The Last Thing To Die (featuring Raven Violet)
D*Note - Waiting Hopefully
Arlo Parks - Hope
The The - This is the Day
Bauhaus - Hope
Kae Tempest - People’s Faces (extra wildcard choice)
Terry Callier - Love Theme From Spartacus (Zero 7 Remix)
A Certain Ratio - The Big E (I Wont Stop Loving You) (W.S.L.U.) (extra wildcard choice)
Bill Nelson - Another Day Another Ray Of Hope
Joel Culpepper - Black Boy
The Rolling Stones - Shine a Light
Linda Lewis - My Friend the Sun
Robb Johnson - Hope Street, Tomorrow Afternoon
• Joel Culpepper’s Black Boy can’t be added to a YouTube playlist, but is here:
Notes:
1. The Clouds Will Soon Roll By has a long New Order-style intro and 1980s-style Morrissey lyrics. Elsie Carlisle finds hope in a better tomorrow despite there being no evidence for it. A perfect song for the 1930s and 2020s.
2. Bob Marley finds hope in three little birds singing a pure and sweet message. Such moments inspire never ending optimism.
3. The Isley Brothers are hoping life gets better for the world. A harvest for the world? I hope so.
4. India Arie says struggle on, keep on doing the best you can do. There’s hope.
5. Hope is the last thing keeping Sting together. Faint hopes are sometimes rewarded.
6. John Lennon doesn’t expect anything. He just wants you to imagine living life in peace. He hopes you might join him.
7. Disturbance creates hope. Youthful hope becomes joyous rebellion and changes old ways.
8. Hope is the last thing to die. By acting for the future, you create a little more hope.
9. D*Note are in a dark place but have hope. Love the excitement and expectancy in this song.
10. Arlo Parks gives us empathy, inspirational stories: hope.
11. The The. Hopes and dreams hold your life together your life, This Is the Day it will surely change.
12. Bauhaus. Hopeful, positive post-punk: Because your mornings will be brighter / Break the lines / Tear up rules / Make the most of a million times no.
13. I choose Kae Tempest. This song speaks for me. Hope can be found in other People’s Faces.
14. Terry Callier. New hope. The hope that love brings.
15. A Certain Ratio. Some people give us hope. They assure us of their love.
There are three versions of A Certain Ratio’s song. The Big E is almost Go-Betweens like in its beauty and beat. ACR – W.S.L.U is a beautiful acoustic version. I Won’t Stop Loving You as remixed by Bernard Sumner is just a glorious Madchester rave up.
16. Bill Nelson’s Another Day, Another Ray of Hope was written with Yuki Takahashi of Yellow Magic Orchestra: Bill Nelson says: "It is one of those rare songs that I can still listen to without cringing. It’s on my, ‘proud of’ list. I think it hasn't dated as much as some music from that era, for some reason, despite the '80s-style instrumentation. Probably because it is completely without irony and is direct from the heart."
17. My youngest son has overcome so much – including having me as a parent. Like Joel Culpepper, I look at the way a young person faces the world and am filled with hope.
18. I often think of The Rolling Stones singing Shine A Light when I wish other people hope.
19. When Linda Lewis sings “Reach Out”, I have found hope. In my past, life’s been shit. I’ve wanted to obliterate myself. I almost did. My Friend the Sun is a fine companion piece to her advice on “Reach for the Truth”, thus taking us back to the theme set by Elsie Carlisle.
20. Robb Johnson has a few beautiful hopes. It’s achievable. He’s not asking for the moon.
And hope goes on…
Hope-filled Spotify Version:
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: So, who's next? Songs about hope. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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