Through a Glass, Darkly

Way back in May, I said I would make some homemade gifts. But I don’t make things. So I ended up making mix CDs. I am pretty proud of them, so I am going to post the track lists for you to peruse. First up, April! April got a new sod backyard, so I created a CD for her that could be enjoyed outside. I didn’t actually have to create a gift for April, but she made me such a nice bookmark that I wanted to do something for her. (Note for Lydia: Yours should get there TODAY. It was the one that took me the longest to pull it all together. Don’t despair.) Here is what I put together for her!

“Heavenly Day” by Patty Griffin – There is no better backyard song, in my opinion. This song makes me want to roll around in the grass. Best line: “Only I’m glad to be here with you on this heavenly, heavenly, heavenly, heavenly day.”

“Lily-A-Passion” by Grant Lee Phillips – This is a long-time favorite. He was the Troubadour on Gilmore Girls and this song was in a couple of my favorite episodes. Best line: “Hey, she’s a piratey soul full of vinegar and glitter.”

“Here Comes the Sun” – We are huge Beatles fans in this house, and this song is special to us because our church centered our Advent theme around it one year. I am always happy to include Beatles songs on any and all of my playlists. Best line: “Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting.”

“Here Comes the Sun Again” by M. Ward – M. Ward is Mike’s favorite artist, and I love putting these two songs together. Best line: “And I’m taking off my straw hat for you, singing here comes the sun again.”

“The Rainbow Connection” by Kermit T. Frog – Every playlist is allowed one gimmicky song. I choose this one – I cannot think of a more fun song about the outdoors. Best line: “All of us under its spell, we know that it’s probably magic.”

“No Storms Come” by the Innocence Mission – An appropriate wish for summer. And life. Too short for a best line.

“Colors” by Kira Wiley – We have TiVo, so I haven’t seen the commercial this is in very much, just enough to find the song appealing. Best lyric: “I’m a rainbow today / All the colors of the world.”

“Summertime” by Colin Meloy – There are a lot of different versions of this song, but I do particularly like Colin Meloy’s version. Can you pick a best line for a song like this? My favorite is: “One of these mornings you’re gonna rise and sing it.”

“Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay – This album came out last year and I didn’t consider myself a Coldplay fan until I heard it. The whole album screams summer to me, but this is a particularly nice outdoorsy song. Best line: “It’s such a perfect day.”

“Orange Sky” by Alexi Murdoch – Mike has played this song for years, so I recognized it when we heard it in Away We Go. Best line: “In your love, my salvation lies.”

“O Lazy Days” by M. Ward – Another Mike-influenced pick. Best line: “But I think it would be nice sometime to have a little peace of mind.”

“Yellow” by Coldplay – The video with Chris Martin walking on the beach makes this a perfect summer song. Mike once went to a Coldplay concert without me and called me so I could hear this song. Favorite line: “Your skin and bones turn into something beautiful.”

“Bright as Yellow” by The Innocence Mission – This one doesn’t have a best line, since it’s more about the sound.

“Still Beating” by Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter was one of my favorite albums from last year. Best line: “You know the dog days of the summer have you ten to one outnumbered.”

“Pink Moon” by Nick Drake – For when those lazy afternoons slide into evening and the stars start coming out. The song is freakishly short, so it’s kind of hard to pick a best lyric.

“Mexico” by Jump Little Children – I pull this song out every summer. It sounds like lazy summer days to me. Best line: “But if you’re gonna go take the ones you gave to me all the way to Mexico.”

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – You can’t really choose a best line for a song like this.

As it turned out, the CD happened to arrive on a day that April needed some cheering up, which makes me very happy indeed.

What are your favorite backyard songs?