From the many various situations and vacillations of love to shopping, voting, moving or staying and more, it’s finally time to plump for indecisiveness on song lyrics. The choice of what to nominate is yours. If you can …
Read morePlaylists: songs about using your imagination
Childhood dreams to grownup fantasy, emotional flowering to practical, creative necessity, this week’s playlists, picked from last week’s topic by guest Shiv Sidecar, perfectly stimulating our brains and ears, cerebrally and musically
Read moreThink different: songs about using your imagination
From practical life problems, work, relationships, craft or crisis, to all sorts of creative problems, or even channelling dreams, it’s time to access the right hemisphere and see how the imagination can be used, as expressed in song lyrics. Read on for more stimulation …
Read morePlaylist: songs about markets and fairs
Apples, ackee, okra, all odds and sods are for sale from Africa to South America, Turkey to Vietnam, Jamaica and more, a vibrant, tasty, colourful selection of world markets and genres are all here under one roof, expertly picked by guest Suzi from last week’s topic
Read morePlaylists: songs about everlasting love
Feel the huge embrace: following last week’s Song Bar seventh Birthday celebration that brought a huge heap of thematic nominations, guest of the week magicman plucks out an excellent, all-loving array of songs that capture those everlasting feelings
Read moreSong Bar Seventh Birthday Special: songs about everlasting love
It’s time to celebrate the Bar’s seven years with poetic inspiration for a topic that also endures – and songs about romantic love or friendship that’s perpetual through life, or forever enshrined in in the memory even if tragically cut short
Read morePlaylists: songs about rare events
From celestial to historical, the fictional to the emotional, while rarities are exactly as described, there’s a huge variety, and many songs about them. Picking from last week’s huge range of nominations, guest Marco den Ouden makes heavenly choices
Read moreThe comet is coming: songs about rare events and experiences
Looking up or down, from sights of rare astrological bodies to unusual encounters with unusual or unique people or events, from birth to death, it’s time to capture the rare in song form, from personal or universal perspectives
Read morePlaylists: songs featuring conversations
Duelling tablas to bar-room or bandmate banter, flirty duets to star-crossed lovers, chatty parody to skilful dissing, all the questions and answers are here in a creatively conversation playlist picked by guest Amylee from an enormous offering of nominations last week
Read moreBack and forth: songs featuring conversation
Can you tell me what this is all about? Sure. Whether between two or more vocalists, or reported within the lyrics by one, or even involving instrumentalists, songs that include communication between more than one person. There’s lots of examples to get your ideas flowing. OK, thanks.
Read morePlaylists: songs about memorabilia and souvenirs
Memories fond to tragic, travel to mementos of lost lovers, all kinds of objects and emotions are on display this week as guest Loud Atlas picks out a colourful and poignant range of objects and songs to spark stories and feelings
Read moreThese foolish things: songs about memorabilia and souvenirs
Whether music, sport, film, travel, or wider culture, they mean different things to different individuals, but all are items that trigger or preserve memories, personal or more universal. Let’s explore these specific objects in song, overall or in specific lyrical detail
Read morePlaylists: songs about distractions, diversions and digressions
Relationships, work, TV, the internet - we all get pulled towards things that perhaps aren’t planned, but is this also all losing control and trying to regain it? Guest of the week ajostu picks two perfect playlists to focus on this topic out of last week’s nominations
Read moreWhatever next? Songs about distractions, digressions and diversions
Prepare for the unexpected. This week in song, it’s all about moments of divergence, digression, and distraction, of interruption and intervention, leading to the unplanned, whether that be because of oneself, another person, events, or circumstances
Read morePlaylists: songs that give you goosebumps
Was it the music, the voice, the lyrics, or all three? In a truly hair-raising (in the all the right ways) opener to 2023, guest playlister Maki creates two superbly shivery and inspiring lists from a wide choice of possibilities from last week’s topic
Read moreChills and thrills: songs that give you goosebumps
Not a curtain raiser, but a hair-raiser for 2023. It’s a sign that music is at its optimum effect, but when and why does it happen? From Darwin’s explanation to more recent studies, and some musical examples, it’s time to share your goosebump inducting songs and explain why …
Read moreWhat goes around: share your 2022 reflections and musical discoveries
It’s time to reflect on an extraordinary year, about events public or personal, to celebrate those artists who have sadly left us, and also include in particular your discoveries in music old or new, here at the Bar or elsewhere
Read morePlaylists: music with ensembles, big bands and orchestras
Jazz, funk, classical, African, Cuban, Balkan and beyond, this week it all came together beautifully in these fabulously powerful and erudite selections by guest of the week Nilpferd, from a many more nominations from last week’s ensembles theme
Read morePlaylists: songs about winter sports and pastimes
Skating, skiing, ice hockey and other sliding, the big freeze inspired musical outdoor winter activity. But which songs made it to the finish line, and which were left on ice? Check out in this winter wonderland of playlists by guest Marco den Ouden
Read moreSlip sliding away: songs about winter sports and pastimes
Competitive events to leisure and pleasure, skis to skates, sleds and other sliding and outdoor winter fun, it’s time to embrace the cold in song with the literal or metaphorical, and recall that this is also something very much from our past
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