The Best Song Ever Written: Sweet Child O'mine by Guns N' Roses

[Andy]

Hey all, in your opinion what is the best song ever written? I would like to know the song, who wrote it and why its the best (in your opinion).

I think Sweet Child O'mine by Guns N' Roses is the best song ever, because of the beautiful lyrics, amazing vocals, brilliant guitar solo and that intro-riff.

 

[einsteinian77]

Hotel california by the Eagles or beethoven's 5th symphony, I don't know if you would call that a song or not.

 

[jimmy p]

"The Space..." by Marillion. IMO it is a deep song about 'the quiet pain and pleasure of loneliness, and the weight of responsibility for pain inflicted unintentionally'. It is atmospherical, with powerful lyrics. The vocal and instrumental parts are majestic and moving, and when i listen to the song, i stop everything and just sit back, enjoy and reflect.

 

[hypnagogue]

"Echoes" by Pink Floyd. Somehow I think the best word to describe it is 'existential'-- maybe 'exisentially epic.' It's hard to describe, but everytime I listen to it I get the chills. I just feel like it captures or encapsulates raw existence, for some reason. The lyrics are also incredible and, if stripped of the musical accompaniment, would stand on their own to make a good poem-- contrast with the vast majority of songs, even those with good lyrics, where the lyrics sans the music usually seem to lose too much. Roger Waters is easily the best rock lyricist to have lived in my opinion.

Also, it's not nearly as widely known as the Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz synch, but if you play Echoes in tune with the last scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey it fits eerily well. (The song is supposed to be started exactly when the title for the last scene appears on the screen.) Seriously, try it out-- it blows the Wizard of Oz thing out of the water. It's really really hard to argue that it wasn't done purposely. It's just-- ahh! too good.

 

[quantumdude]

I don't know about "the greatest" but...

...the first that comes to mind is "Let It Be".

 

[KLscilevothma]

Two old songs popped up to my mind.

1. The Painter (Singer and Composer: Paul Anka)
2. The Sound of Silence, sung by Simon and Garfunkel

I think the lyrics of these 2 songs are thought provoking and meaningful.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

All of the suggestions made are favorites of mine.

Edit: well, almost all suggestions...The Space..." by Marillion?

I can't pick one, but I would add any number of favorites from Simon and Garfunkel, everything by Elton John, Moody Blues, Eagles, Supertramp, one or two at least from Jethro Tull...everything by Floyd...

Am I showing my age?

OK darnit: American Pie by Don MClean

 

[Bubonic Plague]

The all time best: It's My Life by Jon Bon Jovi in his "This Left Feels Right" album.

It sounds soooo damn nice.

 

[Njorl]

The final movement of Tchaikowsky's fifth symphony.

Njorl

 

[amp]

A lot of my favorites are in there too

Unchained Melody - the Rightious Brothers
Purple Rain - Prince
For the Love of You - The Isley Brothers
Its Been a Long Time - New Birth
Can't remember the name but its on the Meteora album by - Lincoln Park
Little Child - White Lion
Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson

I can't decide on a single 'best' song...

 

[jimmy p]

Have you not heard "The Space..." by Marillion? if not then download it NOW! and then download "The Great Escape" by Marillion. quality tracks by an awesome if under-rated band. They arent mainstream, i would have to say that to me, they are the modern day Pink Floyd, under-rated in their genious.

 

[KLscilevothma]

Circle game - Joni Mitchell
The impossible dream - Jack Jones
Streets of London - Ralph McTell
Both sides now - Judy Collins
Anak(child) - Freddie Augilar
Love Story - Andy Williams
Vincent - Don McLean
Top of the world - Carpenters
If - Bread
Cavatina (from The Deer Hunter) - John Williams
Dust in the Wind

Simon and Garfunkel
- The boxer
- Bridge over troubled water
- Scarborough Fair

Every song by Enya

Well, am I showing my age ?

 

[Bucephalus]

I could never pick a best song, but there are certain songs which are nearly perfect for their category [no more than one/artist, though in some cases there probably should be]:

-Tomorrow Never Knows: The Beatles
-Road: Nick Drake
-Sitting on the Dock of the Bay: Otis Redding
-Girl From the North Country: Bob Dylan
-Celebrated Summer: Hüsker Dü
-Poor Places: Wilco
-Holland, 1945: Neutral Milk Hotel
-Johnny Cash Cover of I See a Darkness: Song by Will Oldham.
-Mary Ellen Carter: Stan Rogers
-Singapore: Tom Waits
-Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix

 

[Adam]

Down In The Park
Gary Numan

-------------------

Down in the park
Where the Machmen meet
The machines are playing `kill-by-numbers'
Down in the park with a friend called `Five'

I was in a car crash
Or was it the war?
Well, I've never been quite the same
Little white lies like "I was there"


Come to "Zom-Zom's", a place to eat
Like it was built in one day
You can watch the humans
Try to run


Oh, look, there's a rape machine
I'd go outside if it looks the other way
You wouldn't believe
The things they do


Down in the park
Where the chant is "Death, death, death"
Until the sun cries morning
Down in the park with friends of mine


"We are not lovers
We are not romantics
We are here to serve you"
A different face but the words never change

 

[Adam]

Gary Jules - Mad World

--------------------

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places – worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere – going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression – no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow – no tomorrow

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it’s a very very
mad world mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy birthday – happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen – sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me – no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson
Look right through me – look right through me

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it’s a very very
Mad world . . . world
Enlarge your world
Mad world

 

[Adam]

Red Right Hand
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

--------------

Take a litle walk to the edge of town
Go across the tracks
Where the viaduct looms,
like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets lie in the border fires,
in the humming wires
Hey man, you know
you're never coming back
Past the square, past the bridge,
past the mills, past the stacks
On a gathering storm comes
a tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat with
a red right hand


He'll wrap you in his arms,
tell you that you've been a good boy
He'll rekindle all the dreams
it took you a lifetime to destroy
He'll reach deep into the hole,
heal your shrinking soul
Hey buddy, you know you're
never ever coming back
He's a god, he's a man,
he's a ghost, he's a guru
They're whispering his name
through this disappearing land
But hidden in his coat
is a red right hand


You ain't got no money?
He'll get you some
You ain't got no car? He'll get you one
You ain't got no self-respect,
you feel like an insect
Well don't you worry buddy,
cause here he comes
Through the ghettos and the barrio
and the bowery and the slum
A shadow is cast wherever he stands
Stacks of green paper in his
red right hand


(Organ solo)


You'll see him in your nightmares,
you'll see him in your dreams
He'll appear out of nowhere but
he ain't what he seems
You'll see him in your head,
on the TV screen
And hey buddy, I'm warning
you to turn it off
He's a ghost, he's a god,
he's a man, he's a guru
You're one microscopic cog
in his catastrophic plan
Designed and directed by
his red right hand


(Organ solo)

Extra verse from DJ Spooky Remix (From Scream 2 Soundtrack):
He'll extend his hand, real slowly for a shake
You'll see it coming toward you, real slowly for a shake
(Grabbing at your peril buddy?) cause you know you ain't
getting near much as he will take.


He's a...

He's mumbling words you can't understand
He's mumbling word behind his red right hand.

 

[Adam]

Sympathy For The Devil
Rolling Stones

--------------------------

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith

And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain

I rode a tank
Held a general's rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
(woo woo, woo woo)

I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
(woo woo, woo woo)

I shouted out,
"Who killed the Kennedys?"
When after all
It was you and me
(who who, who who)

Let me please introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached Bombay
(woo woo, who who)

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
(who who)
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby
(who who, who who)

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's confusing you
Is just the nature of my game
(woo woo, who who)

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint
(who who, who who)

So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
(woo woo)
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah
(woo woo, woo woo)

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, um yeah
(who who)
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, um mean it, get down
(woo woo, woo woo)

Woo, who
Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah!
(woo woo)

Tell me baby, what's my name
Tell me honey, can you guess my name
Tell me baby, what's my name
I tell you one time, you're to blame

Oh, who
woo, woo
Woo, who
Woo, woo
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Oh, yeah

What's my name
Tell me, baby, what's my name
Tell me, sweetie, what's my name

Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Oh, yeah
Woo woo
Woo woo

 

[Adam]

But those are just a few pop songs. As for music, you can't beat Albinoni's Adagio. The Winter Allegro of the Four Seasons kicks arse too.

 

[Andy]

Sympathy for the Devil is a classic, along with satisfaction, jumping jack flash, gimme shelter, you can't always get what you want, etc.

I could go on all nite listing Brilliant Rolling Stones songs, the best band in the world ever.

 

[Echo 6 Sierra]

Ditto Tom. Close second is James Taylor's You've got a Friend. Two songs for the world, one for me and one for you.

 

[Dissident Dan]

Harvestor of Sorrow - Metallica

 

[fish]

Dead Man's Handle - Richard Thompson
My Back Pages - (Bob Dylan) The Byrds, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty
Slug Line - (John Hiatt) with Ry Cooder on guitar
Go Ahead And Rain - J. D. Souther
The Road - Jackson Browne
No Woman, No Cry - (Bob Marley) Graham Parker's solo live version
Sutter's Mill - Fogelberg
Steam Powered Aero Plane - New Grass Revival
Water of Love, Tunnel of Love - (Mark Knofler) Dire Straits
Memories of Mozart - Dan Crary, from Mozart's Piano Sonata #11 in A major, Third Movement: Rondo "Alla Turka"
Hello Trouble - (Buck Owens) Desert Rose Band, John Jorgenson (guitar)
Thrasher - Neil Young (Rust Never Sleeps)
Another Nail in my Heart - Squeeze
Little Wing - Hendrix
Never Take The Place Of You - Al Anderson, nrbq, Dave Edmunds, nice chromatic piano and guitar fills with interesting chord structure
Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
Rubber Soul, Abbey Road - Beatles
All You Need Is Cash, Archaeology - The Rutles
Soul Drifter from Out of the Cradle - Lindsey Buckingham
Georgia - Ray Charles, Tony Rice
Road To Hell - Chris Rea (my favorite environmental song)
Church Street Blues - Tony Rice
Gun Sale at The Church - The Beat Farmers
How Did You Find Me Here - David Wilcox
Home Of The Blues - Johnny Cash
Highway Patrol - Junior Brown
Across The Great Divide - Kate Wolf