Lots of old favorites here, and (with #7 and #8) a pair of newer tracks I’ve grown fond of. A note about #2: when I was first doing a little bit of internet dating, back in early 1999 on match.com, I remember listing that track as the one that best described my life. It was not a wise strategy, I came to understand.
Two songs with devil themes, too. What could that mean?
1. “If I Had a Hammer”, Sam Cooke
2. “The Silver-Tongued Devil and I”, Kris Kristofferson
3. “Up to the Mountain (MLK song)”, Patty Griffin
4. “Get Thee Behind Me Satan”, Billy Joe Shaver
5. “The Truth About You”, Rosanne Cash
6. “Your Letter”, Joan Armatrading
7. “The Shape You’re In”, Catherine Feeny
8. “Echo Park”, Joseph Arthur
9. “Alone Again”, Dokken
10. “Versatile Heart”, Linda Thompson
Bonus Track: “If I Had a Rocket Launcher”, Bruce Cockburn
“The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner,” Belle and Sebastian.