Day 15: Your idea of a perfect song #BlackMusicMonth #30DayMusicChallenge

I have been participating in Naima’s Black Music Month 30 Day Music Challenge over on Twitter, and it just occurred to me this morning that I should have been posting my answers on my blog the whole time. First of all, I have posted more than one song for almost every single prompt. I mean, I basically have a playlist for each one. Secondly, the 280-character limit on Twitter has been killing me. Surprising no one, I usually have quite a bit to say about my choices, and yet I have not been doing that because TWITTER. What have I been thinking??? The end of the semester makes me stupid, I guess.

Anyway, I have decided that FROM NOW ON, I will post all of my answers here, and–if I have time–I’ll do backdated posts with my previous answers (which you can see here). It’s really the only way.

So let’s jump right in, shall we?

My number one choice for the perfect song: “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight and the Pips.

What makes it perfect? Aside from the musicality and the awesome backing vocals (The Pips are amazing: “whoo whoo!”), it tells a complete story. Shocking no one, for me, the best songs are the ones that are actually a narrative.

Runners up:

“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” — The Temptations. Begging R&B is the best R&B.

Also, the way David Ruffin hits that opening line? WHEW. I feel it in my soul.

Third is “Ordinary People” by John Legend because I feel VERY STRONGLY that stories about regular people doing regular things are important. (I have blogged about this before.) Also, most of us are all just here doing our best.

Here’s a quote that exemplifies how I feel about this. (Did I mention I have very strong feelings about this?)

“…everybody, every single person has a story to tell. Every single ordinary person has an extraordinary story. We might all think that we are unremarkable, that our lives are boring, just because we aren’t doing ground-breaking things or making headlines or winning awards. But the truth is we all do something that is fascinating, that is brave, that is something we should be proud of. Every day people do things that are not celebrated. That is what we should be writing about.”  — from One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern

Seriously, though. How/why did I think Twitter was an adequate platform for me to participate in this challenge?