the cities to the swamplands, the highways to the hills

a year and a half ago (or so), my brother and his friends and their roommates all came up with their top 25 favorite songs, songs that they would tell other people to listen to, that are as important to their lives as any they know. i made my list then, and since then i've told other friends to do the same. after telling one such friend earlier this autumn, she asked me to send her back my own responses--only fair really, but i didn't feel like sending her my list--it felt outdated somehow (even though there's a lot of overlap. so i guess it means that my choices, then and now, weren't timeless. and that's fine. but here's the list i compiled this morning (rather than grading, researching, or writing--i've done enough of those in the last few days). write to me (or post) what your favorite 25 songs are--i'd love to know.

1. The Valleys by Electrelane
2. California One Youth and Beauty Brigade by the Decemberists
3. To Sheila by the Smashing Pumpkins
4. First Song by Andrew Bird
5. Naked as We Came by Iron and Wine
6. Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl by Broken Social Scene
7. He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot by Grandaddy
8. Vito's Ordination Song by Sufjan Stevens
9. Gold Day by Sparklehorse
10. Exit Music by Radiohead
11. Untitled One by Sigur Ros
12. Distortions by Clinic
13. Sleepy California by Her Space Holiday
14. The Golden Age by Beck
15. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo
16. Pink Bullets by the Shins
17. River by Joni Mitchell
18. The Execution of All Things by Rilo Kiley
19. Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine
20. Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie
21. Samson by Regina Spektor
22. Predatory Wasp of the Palisades by Sufjan Stevens
23. Don't Just Do Something by Spiritualized
24. If You Could Read my Mind by Johnny Cash (Gordon Lightfoot)
25. Up Above the Sea by John Vanderslice

Others (not ordered):
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
Kissing the Lipless by the Shins
Konstantine by Something Corporate
Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance by Sufjan Stevens
The Dress Looks Nice on You by Sufjan Stevens
Both Hands by Ani DiFranco
Falling is like this by Ani DiFranco
Don't Ever Fucking Question That by Atmosphere
Shhh by Atmosphere
New Slang by the Shins
Where You've Been Hiding by Architecture in Helsinki
Go Ahead by Rilo Kiley
Sleeping In by the Postal Service
Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright
Wild Honey by U2
The Mariner's Revenge Song by the Decemberists
The Tain by the Decemberists
Morningwatch by Dolorean
Sixteen, Maybe Less by Iron & Wine and Calexico
Photobooth by Death Cab for Cutie
Oceanside by the Decemberists
Red Right Ankle by the Decemberists
Rebellion (Lies) by the Arcade Fire
Frontier Psychiatrist by the Avalanches
Popular Mechanics for Lovers by Beulah
Lull by Andrew Bird
Nature Anthem by Grandaddy
Broken Household Appliance National Forest by Grandaddy
Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)
Pale Horse by John Vanderslice
Recycled Air by the Postal Service
No Children by the Mountain Goats
Love Love Love by the Mountain Goats
Barbeque by Wendy Rene
Reservations by Wilco
Black Star by Radiohead
Street Spirit by Radiohead
Nice Dream by Radiohead
Everything in its Right Place by Radiohead
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
We Close Our Eyes by Oingo Boingo
Mr. E's Beautiful Blues by the Eels
Fresh Feeling by the Eels
On the Radio by Regina Spektor
Fidelity by Regina Spektor
High and Dry by Radiohead
Viorar vel til Loftarasa by Sigur Ros
Oh My Sweet Carolina by Ryan Adams
Lover's Spit by Broken Social Scene
Heart by Stars
Don't Be Scared by Andrew Bird
I See a Darkness by Bonnie Prince Billy (Will Oldham)
The Bagman's Gambit by the Decemberists
The Engine Driver by the Decemberists
Absolutely Cuckoo by the Magnetic Fields
World at Large by Modest Mouse
Lovers and Aeroplanes by Rebels Victorious
Pull Shapes by the Pipettes
The Bus Mall by the Decemberists

as always, the list above is hugely incomplete--it doesn't capture close to all of the songs i find important to my life, now or in the past.

considering that i'm writing a paper on highways, and how they transect a variety of landscapes (swamplands, cities, hills) and environmental issues, i figure this is a good song to mention here. i think that the effect of these lyrics is amazing--use a bunch of common experiences, but then combine them in strange ways.

old college try by the mountain goats

From the housetops to the gutters
From the ocean to the shore
The warning signs have all been bright and garish
Far too great in number to ignore

From the cities to the swamplands
From the highways to the hills
Our love has never had a leg to stand on
From the aspirins to the cross-tops to the Elevils
But I will walk down to the end with you
If you will come all the way down with me

From the entrance to the exit
Is longer than it looks from where we stand
I want to say I'm sorry for stuff I haven't done yet
Things will shortly get completely out of hand
I can feel it in the rotten air tonight
In the tips of my fingers
In the skin on my face
In the weak last gasp of the evening's dying light
In the way those eyes I've always loved illuminate this place
Like a trashcan fire in a prison cell
Like the searchlights in the parking lots of hell
I will walk down to the end with you
If you will come all the way down with me