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10 BEAUTIFUL TRANSITIONS SONGS

As we transition into a new year and think about all of the changes we’ve been through, as well as those that may lie ahead, music begins to fill our heads. Here are 10 beautiful songs that form our playlist today.

 

1) RIVER

by Joni Mitchell  

 

It's coming on Christmas

They're cutting down trees

They're putting up reindeer

And singing songs of joy and peace

Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

 

But it don't snow here

It stays pretty green

I'm going to make a lot of money

Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene

Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

 

I wish I had a river so long

I would teach my feet to fly

I wish I had a river I could skate away on

I made my baby cry

 

He tried hard to help me

You know, he put me at ease

And he loved me so naughty

Made me weak in the knees

Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on

 

I'm so hard to handle

I'm selfish and I'm sad

Now I've gone and lost the best baby

That I ever had

I wish I had a river I could skate away on

 

Oh, I wish I had a river so long

I would teach my feet to fly

I wish I had a river

I could skate away on

I made my baby say goodbye

 

It's coming on Christmas

They're cutting down trees

They're putting up reindeer

And singing songs of joy and peace

I wish I had a river I could skate away on

 

Watch this song performance video.

 

2) IN MY LIFE

by Paul McCartney & John Lennon

 

There are places I remember all my life

Though some have changed

Some forever, not for better

Some have gone and some remain

 

All these places have their moments

Of lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life I loved them all

 

And with all these friends and lovers

There is no one compares with you

And these mem'ries lose their meaning

When I think of love as something new

 

And I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

In my life I loved you more

 

And I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

In my life I loved you more

In my life I loved you more

 

Watch this song performance video.


3) A CHANGE IS GONNA COME

By: Tom White & Alex White

Performed by: Sam Cooke

 

I was born by the river in a little tent

Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since

It's been a long, a long time coming

But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

 

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die

'Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky

It's been a long, a long time coming

But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

 

I go to the movie and I go downtown

Somebody keep telling me, "Don't hang around"

It's been a long, a long time coming

But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

 

Then I go to my brother

And I say, "Brother, help me please"

But he winds up knockin' me

Back down on my knees

 

Oh there been times that I thought I couldn't last for long

But now I think I'm able to carry on

It's been a long, a long time coming

But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

 

Watch this song performance video.


4) A CHANGE WOULD DO YOU GOOD

By: Sheryl Crow

 

Ten years living in a paper bag

Feedback baby, he's a flipped out cat

He's a platinum canary, drinkin' Falstaff beer

Mercedes rule, and a rented Lear

Bottom feeder insincere

Prophet lo-fi pioneer

Sell the house and go to school

Get a young girlfriend, daddy's jewel

 

A change would do you good

A change would do you good

 

God's little gift is on the rag

Poster girl posing in a fashion mag

Canine, feline, Jekyll and Hyde

Wear your fake fur on the inside

Queen of South Beach, aging blues

Dinner's at six, wear your cement shoes

I thought you were singing your heart out to me

Your lips were syncing and now I see

 

A change would do you good

A change would do you good

 

Chasing dragons with plastic swords

Jack off Jimmy, everybody wants more

Scully and angel on the kitchen floor

And I'm calling Buddy on the ouija board

I've been thinking 'bout catching a train

Leave my phone machine by the radar range

Hello it's me, I'm not at home

If you'd like to reach me, leave me alone

 

A change would do you good

A change would do you good

Hello, it's me, I'm not at home

If you'd like to reach me, leave me alone

 

A change would do you good

A change would do you good

 

Watch this song performance video.


5) HIGHER GROUND

By Stevie Wonder

 

People keep on learnin'

Soldiers keep on warrin'

World keep on turnin'

Cause it won't be too long

 

Powers keep on lyin'

While your people keep on dyin'

World keep on turnin'

Cause it won't be too long

 

I'm so darn glad he let me try it again

Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin

I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then

Gonna keep on tryin'

Till I reach my highest ground

 

Teachers keep on teachin'

Preachers keep on preachin'

World keep on turnin'

Cause it won't be too long

Oh no

 

Lovers keep on lovin'

Believers keep on believin'

Sleepers just stop sleepin'

Cause it won't be too long

Oh no

 

I'm so glad that he let me try it again

Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin

I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then

Gonna keep on tryin'

Till I reach my highest ground...Whew!

 

Till I reach my highest ground

No one's gonna bring me down

Oh no

Till I reach my highest ground

Don't let nobody bring you down (they'll sho 'nuff try)

God is gonna show you higher ground

He's the only friend you have around

[FADE]

 

Watch this song performance video.


6) CHANGE

By: Jack Johnson

 

Just when you were getting used to this place

You were getting used to these bones

You were getting used to the changes

Well the change won't leave you alone

 

You finally caught up with the pace

The tough just might have got going

You thought you could trust all the faces

Well they're only on one side of the coin

 

All these changes

Different stages

Turning page after page after page

It gets stranger day by day

 

Set your eyes straight up ahead

Don't look down when you cross

And pay no mind to time it's a punch line

The joke is on all of us

 

All these changes

Different stages

Turning page after page after page

It gets stranger day by day

 

Watch this song performance video.

 

7) WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE

By: John Mayer

 

Me and all my friends

We're all misunderstood

They say we stand for nothing and

There's no way we ever could

 

Now we see everything that's going wrong

With the world and those who lead it

We just feel like we don't have the means

To rise above and beat it

 

So we keep waiting

Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

 

It's hard to beat the system

When we're standing at a distance

So we keep waiting

Waiting on the world to change

 

Now if we had the power

To bring our neighbors home from war

They would have never missed a Christmas

No more ribbons on their door

And when you trust your television

What you get is what you got

Cause when they own the information, oh

They can bend it all they want

 

That's why we're waiting

Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

 

It's not that we don't care,

We just know that the fight ain't fair

So we keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

 

And we're still waiting

Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change

One day our generation

Is gonna rule the population

So we keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

 

We keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

 

Watch this song performance video.


8)  CHANGES

By:  David Bowie

 

And my time was running wild

A million dead-end streets

Every time I thought I'd got it made

It seemed the taste

was not so sweet

 

So I turned myself to face me

But I've never caught a glimpse

Of how the others must see the faker

I'm much too fast to take that test

 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

(Turn and face the stranger)

Ch-ch-Changes

Don't want to be a richer man

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

(Turn and face the stranger)

Ch-ch-Changes

Just gonna have to be a different man

Time may change me

But I can't trace time

 

I watch the ripples change their size

But never leave the stream

Of warm impermanence and

So the days float through my eyes

But still the days seem the same

 

And these children that you spit on

As they try to change their worlds

Are immune to your consultations

They're quite aware

of what they're going through

 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

(Turn and face the stranger)

Ch-ch-Changes

Don't tell them to grow up and out of it

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

(Turn and face the stranger)

Ch-ch-Changes

Where's your shame

You've left us up to our necks in it

Time may change me

But you can't trace time

 

Strange fascination, fascinating me

Changes are taking the pace

I'm going through

 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

(Turn and face the stranger)

Ch-ch-Changes

Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

(Turn and face the stranger)

Ch-ch-Changes

Pretty soon you're gonna get

a little older

Time may change me

But I can't trace time

I said that time may change me

But I can't trace time

 

Watch this song performance video.


9) ROLL WITH THE CHANGES

By:  REO Speedwagon

 

As soon as you are able

Woman I am willing

To make the break that we

Are on the brink of

My cup is on the table

Our love is spilling

Waiting here for you to

Take and drink of

So if you're tired of the

Same old story

Turn some pages

I'll be here when you are ready

To roll with the changes

 

I knew it had to happen

Felt the tables turnin'

Got me through my darkest hour

I heard the thunder clappin'

Felt the desert burnin'

Until you poured on me

Like a sweet sunshower

 

So if you're tired of the

Same old story

Turn some pages

I'll be here when you are ready

To roll with the changes

 

Roll with the changes

 

Watch this song performance video.


10) AS TIME GOES BY

By: Herman Hupfeld

Performed by: Louie Armstrong

 

You must remember this

A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh

The fundamental things apply

As time goes by

 

And when two lovers woo

They still say, "I love you"

On that you can rely

No matter what the future brings

As time goes by

 

Moonlight and love songs

Never out of date

Hearts full of passion

Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man

And man must have his mate

That no one can deny

 

It’'s still the same old story

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die

The world will always welcome lovers

As time goes by

 

Moonlight and love songs

Never out of date

Hearts full of passion

Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man

And man must have his mate

That no one can deny

 

it's still the same old story

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die

The world will always welcome lovers

As time goes by

 

Watch this song performance video.


Photo: Courtesy of All Web Design.

Read more about Beautiful Transitions, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact in our posts throughout this week, including 10 New Books on Beauty in Transition, 10 Beautiful Winter Transitions, and Gorgeous Winter Ice Cream Transitions.

 

Spread some peace and share your beautiful vision. Enter this week’s BN Competition. Our theme this week is Beautiful Transitions. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 01.05.14.


Photo: Courtesy of InterActiveMediaSW.

Also, check out our special competition: The Most Beautiful Sound in the World! We are thrilled about this effort, together with SoundCloud and The Sound Agency. And we can’t wait to hear what you’ve got! Now closed for entries. Judging is in progress. Finalists announced and voting begins 01.02.14.

 

Main Image Credits:

 

1) Photo: Courtesy of Sanitarium. River in winter.  

2) Photo: Courtesy of Panduro Hobby. Tildas Paper Stacks.

3) Photo: Courtesy of “Change for a Dollar.” “Change for a Dollar.”

4) Photo: Courtesy of Chasm Group.

5) Photo: Courtesy of Last.fm.  Stevie Wonder.

6) Photo: Courtesy of Marketware. Monarch Butterfly emerging from chrysalis.  

7) Photo: Luis Argerich. “The One and Only Easy.”

8) Photo: Courtesy of Rex Features. David Bowie applying Ziggy Stardust makeup.

9) Photo: Courtesy of Rebelle Society. Road at Sunset.

10) Photo: Courtesy of Warner Brothers. Still from Casablanca.

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