Notorious, violent, controlling, paranoid, ruthless, and excessive, history is filled with them, their rise supported by the fear and apathy. Constantly a threat, from history to the present and future, what are their traits, and how are they portrayed in song?
Read moreSo, who's next? Songs about hope
Even in the face of despair, it’s something in our DNA, focusing on the unknown immediate or distant future, where there's a feeling, a desire, a belief, or confidence that something good might happen that can be expressed in all sorts of lyrics and stories
Read moreCantata! Espressivo! Andiamo! Songs from or about Italy
From Ancient Rome to the Renaissance, sacred, classical, baroque or romantic, or anything from the pop era and beyond, this week let’s try to capture this country of contradictions referring to anything in culture, history, landmarks or more
Read morePlaces to breathe: songs about wide, open spaces
City squares to vast wildernesses, parks and stadiums to commons, fields of solitude to peaceful demonstrations, to locations of violence, revolution and change, this week we find space to breathe in songs about places where society expresses itself
Read moreTake a chanson me: songs about singing
It’s time to sing out suggestions on this lyrical, meta-topic – from the perspective of singer or listener, by humans, animals or birds, whether for love, warning, fear, joy or despair, or singing simply to exist, make others aware
Read moreTweet, trill and warble: music that mentions, mimics or samples birdsong
Spring has finally sprung, and to celebrate, let’s look at, from science to poetry, how the most natural and winged songwriters have inspired humans to make reference to their work in their own through music or lyrics
Read moreAt the cemetery gates: elegies and other songs of remembrance
Away from all the political turmoil, it’s time for musical rest, something poetic. Honouring soldiers or victims of war to family, friends or lost fellow bandmates, suggest music that remembers the departed on a personal, profound and beautiful note
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