On three separate occasions a song has moved me deeply:

the anthem:

People Get Ready - The Impressions

and two anti-war songs:

The Windows of the World - Dionne Warwick
Where Have all the Flowers Gone - The Searchers

SMiLE's "Wonderful" often makes me cry. Teenage Fanclub's "Tears Are Cool" and a few of their other songs. Much of Dave Gibb's (Gigolo Aunts) solo acoustic album breaks me up too. Some Big Star songs. "Fragile sounding" and "open wound" types of songs get to me.

(Tryin play a guitar solo with this band is like tryin to grow a) Watermelon in Easter Hay - F Zappa...it says so much without saying anything.

While I was waiting for a friend at a train station on Tuesday I was listening to the soundtrack to I'm Your Man when Anthem, sung by Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen came up. Completely devastated me. Goosebumps, tears in my eyes, the whole deal. It was a weird feeling to have that kind of powerful experience in front of people who were just going about their daily routine.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but "I Am Your Child" by Barry Manilow chokes me up every time (and I've been listening to it since I was a child). I think my sensitivity to the song intensified after my mom died.

Ave Maria

"Here Come Those Tears Again" -- Jackson Browne
"In the Shape of a Heart" -- Jackson Browne
"The Heart of the Matter" -- Don Henley

Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth -- Cindy Bullens

Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 in D major, Opus 43 (the "Symphony of Independence") is the one that stirs every living cell of my being. It was written at a time of Russian sanctions against Finnish language and culture. Perhaps those Russian sanctions mirror a repressive regime that maintains sanctions on my life, but the finale gives me hope that somehow those societal prejudices will be overcome.

I've studied that piece as religously as I have Yes' "Close to the Edge" and I love them both dearly. They both reliably put me in my utopian place beyond all of these problems - !

"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Yeah, it's a bit on the sappy side. Most people associate the song with Jerry Lewis, but I first heard it sung 20 years ago by a woman (who, since then, has become one of my best friends) while we were working together on a production of the musical "Carousel." Now, I get teary-eyed whenever I hear the song, regardless of who sings it.

"You'll Never Walk Alone" is the anthem of the Liverpool football team! You've gotta hear it by Gerry and the Pacemakers and Darlene Love! This is one important song.

I always love hearing Patti LaBelle throwin' down on this one.

Which album does it appear on, James?

I know I've got it on an old Patti LaBelle & the BlueBelles collection. They had a mild chart hit in `64.

The absolute ultimate killer version is on the "Motown Returns to the Apollo" tv special from 1985. Might be on a cd too? not sure....

Then again in 1992, Patti made a new recording of the song for a national AIDS Walk public service announcement.

I saw her do it live when she made her big comeback in 1984 with her "I'm in Love Again" lp.

I've got to get a version by Patti Labelle!

I've got the Apollo special on dvd so it sounds fine - not sure if it ever made it to cd as aired on that special. She was in rare magnificent form that night....

BTW James, did you know that the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, had a "lit de parade" at the Apollo?

Gary Allan's "The One" and Ronan Keating's "When You say Nothing at All " are very moving for me. But I love Manilow's "Somewhere Down the Road" . .

Somewhere down the road
Our roads are gonna cross again
It doesn't really matter when
But somewhere down the road
I know that heart of yours
Will come to see
That you belong
With me

Thanks to all for the information regarding the different versions of "You'll Never Walk Alone." Will definitely check out each of them. Ray Charles also recorded a decent version of it (great vocals but an overly busy orchestral arrangement.) The winner of this year's American Idol (Jordin Sparks) released a single of the song recently and did a nice job. The version sung by John Raitt (Bonnie's father) in the original soundtrack recording is a classic as is the 1954 recording by Roy Hamilton.

Another very moving song is the traditional "Going Home" (which is often sung in churches and especially at funerals.) The melody was taken from a Dvorak symphony. I first heard it performed by Aaron Neville; the best known version was recorded by Paul Robeson in the late 50s.

(Here are some of the lyrics)

Goin' home, goin' home,
I'm a-goin' home,
Quiet like some still day,
I'm jes' goin' home.

It's not far, jes' close by,
Through an open door,
Work all done, care laid by,
Gwine to fear no more.

My mother's there. She's expecting me,
Father's waiting too,
Lot's o' folk gathered there,
All the friends I knew.

Didn't get much publicity about it here. Do you recall any details?

Someone posted a photo over at Hoffman, that's all I know.

My #3 choice would be YES - "Awaken"

That's the one Jon Anderson always mentions as his personal best. It is so successful at bringing you THIS CLOSE to God, and letting you back down so gently.

The last few lyrics sum it all up:

"Like the time I ran away
and turned around
and you were standing close to me."

This always reminds me of getting lost at an amusement park, and finding one's father. That's how I see God too. I don't believe that he is waiting there ready to beat me with a stick! If he's waiting to punish me, I would rather be a runaway.