"Let's get happy!"

[muckefuck]

Question from spookyfruit last night: What is the most cheerful song in the world?

My immediate response was "Walking on Sunshine". But, later in the conversation, he clarified that it had to be the most cheerful song in every context. Any song about the joys of being in love is not at all cheerful when your love life is in tatters. That wipes out about 99% of all carefree pop right there, doesn't it? I still made a good case for one-hit wonders, though. How can you be 100% cheerful listening to the Cocteau Twins' "Carolyn's Fingers" is you're inevitably reminded of "Blue Bell Knoll" or "Blood Bitch"? (When I say "you", I mean "me" of course.) You'd be better off with Aqua, which knows no nuance or variety.

After discarding dozens of possibilities, I finally settled on "Skokian"--not necessarily the Brave Combo version, though you can make a case for it being the best. As someone on the Web sez:

""Skokian" is a truly perfect song that has been done and redone by any number of bands. Although everyone has heard the song, not everyone remembers it. (It's popular in movie soundtracks and at weddings, but not on radio stations.)

According to another blurb, it's actually based on a Zulu song, which explains all the guff about "happy happy Africa".

Of course, if even mention of Africa makes you think of Rwanda, Congo, and Idi Amin, then this song isn't going to work either. So can I have some further nominees, please?

Comments

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

Here's the list of happy songs I suggested to voxel when he asked for recommendations because he'd won some free iTunes. You're right, mostly love songs. Oh well. A couple are not in English, maybe they're not depressing if you can't understand them?

Chunari Chunari, Abhijeet
My Cherie Amour, Stevie Wonder
Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darin
L.O.V.E., Nat King Cole
Mayor of Simpleton, XTC
I Want Candy, Bow Wow Wow
La Bamba, Los Lobos
My Ever Changing Moods, Style Council
My Baby Just Cares For Me, Nina Simone
All The Kings Gardens, Joan Armatrading
Baby I Love You, Aretha Franklin
Rush, Big Audio Dynamite
Ask Me, The Smiths
Save It For Later, The English Beat
Dream a Little Dream of Me, Mama Cass

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

voxel rejected all of these, btw.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Clearly, voxel wouldn't know good fun music if it invaded all his orifices like a Japanese anime monster.

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

In fairness to voxel, he didn't ask for happy tunes specifically, I just thought he should have some.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

"If it's not love, then it's the bomb that will bring us together."

"Don't run away and let me down. You let me down."

"Evil turns to statues and masses form a line."

I'm so cheery now I think I'll mutilate myself. Right now, your leading contenders are the ones without intelligible lyrics.