Songs About Hope!

[Soot and Stars]

When going through my song catalog I realize their are so few songs that talk completely positive about things. So many songs are about anger and sadness which is reality but it's refreshing to find songs that talk about overcoming things regardless of how dark they are. These are the songs I've found to be very inspiring and uplifting and most have a story behind them that is overcoming things much worse than the average problems we face everyday.


Savage Garden-Two Beds and a Coffee Machine


And she takes another step
Slowly she opens the door
Check that he is sleeping
Pick up all the broken glass
And furniture on the floor
Been up half the night screaming
Now it's time to get away
Pack up the kids in the car
Another bruise to try and hide
Another alibi to write

Another ditch in the road You keep moving
Another stop sign
You keep moving on
And the years go by so fast
Wonder how I ever made it through

And there are children to think of
Baby's asleep in the back seat
Wonder how they'll ever make it
Through this living nightmare
But the mind is an amazing thing
Full of candy dreams and new toys
And another cheap hotel
Two beds and a coffee machine
But there are groceries to buy
And she knows she'll have to go home

Another ditch in the road
You keep moving
Another stop sign
You keep moving on
And the years go by so fast
Wonder how I ever made it through

Another bruise to try and hide
You keep moving
Another stop sign
You keep moving on
And the years go by so fast
Silent fortress built to last
Wonder how I ever made it

This is absolutely gorgeous and my favorite Savage Garden song by far! I've got chills from it recently. If you've never heard this do it now and listen to the lyrics. This shows what people truly have to endure in life and their is always hope of getting out of anything if you put your mind to it. The lyrics "The mind is an amazing thing" is really true!

Jack's Mannequin-The Resolution
(recommend the live acoustic as well)

There's a lot that I don't know
There's a lot that I'm still learning
When I think I'm letting go
I find my body it's still burning

And you hold me down
And you got me living in the past
Come on and pick me up
Somebody clear the wreckage from the blast

I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
You know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
Yeah I just need light
I need a light in the dark as I search for the Resolution

And the bars are finally close
So I try living in the moment
Till the moment it just froze
And I felt sick and so alone

I could hear the sound
Of your voice still ringing in my ear
I'm going underground
But you'll find me anywhere I fear

I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
You know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
Yeah I just need light
I need a light in the dark as I search for the Resolution
I need a light in the dark as I search for the Resolution

Resolution
Resolution

And you hold me down
Yeah, you hold me down

I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness

I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
Yeah I just need light
I need a light in the dark as I search for the Resolution
I need a light in the dark as I search for the Resolution

The lead singer of this group who was also the lead singer of Something Corporate had Leukemia. Everything I've read seems to allude to this song being about him getting over his cancer. Regardless, the theme to me is universal about letting go of the past, continually learning things as you go and soldiering forth being yourself regardless of what others think. It's flawless in it's inspiration in my opinion.

Natalie Merchant-Life Is Sweet

It's a pity
It's a crying shame
Who pulled you down again?
How painful it must be
To bruise so easily inside

It's a pity
It's a downright crime
But it happens all the time
You wanna stay little daddy's girl
Wanna hide from the vicious world outside

But don't cry
Know the tears'll do no good
So dry your eyes

Your daddy he's the iron man
A battleship wrecked on dry land
Your mama she's a bitter bride
She'll never be satisfied,
And you know
That's not right

But don't cry
Know the tears'll do no good
So dry your eyes

They told you life is hard
It's misery from the start
It's dull and slow and painful

I tell you life is sweet
In spite of the misery
There's so much more
Be grateful

Who do you believe?
Who will you listen to
Who will it be?
It's high time that you decide
In your own mind

Tried to comfort you
Tried to tell you to be patient
They are blind
They can't see

Fortune gonna come some day
All gonna fade away
Your daddy the war machine and
Your mama the long and suffering
Prisoner of what she can not see

They told you life is hard
It's misery from the start
It's dull and slow and painful

I tell you life is sweet
In spite of the misery
There's so much more
Be grateful

Who do you believe?
Who will you listen to
Who will it be?

It's high time you decide
It's time you make up your own sweet little mind

They told you life is long
Be thankful when it's done
Don't ask for more
You should be grateful

But I tell you life is short
Be thankful because before you know
It will be over

Cause life is sweet
And life is also very short
Your life is sweet

Natalie is great and underrated. This song is just somebody reaching out to remind someone of how great life can be. Sometimes you need someone from the outside to tell you this.

Modest Mouse-Float On

I backed my car into a cop car the other day
Well he just drove off sometimes life's ok
I ran my mouth off a bit too much oh what can i say
Well you just laughed it off it was all ok

And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on any way well

Well, a fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam
It was worth it just to learn from sleight-of-hand
Bad news comes don't you worry even when it lands
Good news will work its way to all them plans
We both got fired on the exactly the same day
Well we'll float on good news is on the way

And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on alright
Already we'll all float on
Now don't worry we'll all float on
Alright already we'll all float on
Alright don't worry we'll all float on

And we'll all float on alright
Already we'll all float on
Aliright don't worry even if things end up a bit to heavy
We'll all float on alright
Already we'll all float on
Alright already we'll all float on
Ok don't worry we'll all float on
Even if things get heavy we'll all float on
Alright already we'll all float on
Don't you worry we'll all float on
All float on

 

[CP/M User]

"One Light Candle" from Peter, Paul & Mary is a song of hope which always comes to mind, unfortunately I cannot find a video from them performing it, still it's a great song with great influencial words to it.



Folk music essentually though is the kind of music which was written with an emphasis on hope (amongst other things as well), so you generally find Folk music is music about hope!

 

[Soot and Stars]

Here's a great one I can't believe I left out!

Jewel-Hands


If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn't ever after
We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's heart
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's eyes
We are God's hands
We are God's hands



Jewel used to be one of my all time favorites and this is an amazing song. The words "Worry is wasteful" could have saved me a lot of grief recently. Not the easiest words to follow but it's worth trying to remember.

 

[Soot and Stars]

All-American Rejects-Move Along

Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking
When you fall everyone sins
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking
With the life held in your
Hands are shaking cold
These hands are meant to hold

Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
Move along

So a day when you've lost yourself completely
Could be a night when your life ends
Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving
All the pain held in your
Hands are shaking cold
Your hands are mine to hold

Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)

When everything is wrong we move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When everything is wrong, we move along
Along, along, along

When all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
[x3]

(Move along)
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Right back what is wrong
We move along


Simple positive pop song with a simple message that is implied by it's title.

 

[Mr. Shadow]

 

[CP/M User]

Here's a couple of videos of a classic song of hope which Pete Seeger drew my attention to. Naturally I can't find Pete Seeger's version, though here's some alternatives, the first one is perhaps closer to the Seeger version, though has a few more verses (folk songs tend to do that!).



This second one from the Bently Boys though is interesting though and it breaks the song up a little bit more.

 

[Oblivion]

 

[Soot and Stars]

Someone recently introduced me to a Regina Spektor song that I owned but never paid attention to the lyrics as much! They definitely form a great philosophy about life and just shows Reginas usual knack for brilliant lyrics!

Regina Spektor-On The Radio

This is how it works
It feels a little worse
Than when we drove our hearse
Right through that screaming crowd

While laughing up a storm
Until we were just bone
Until it got so warm
That none of us could sleep

And all the Styrofoam
Began to melt away
We tried to find some words
To aid in the decay

But none of them were home
Inside their catacomb
A million ancient bees
Began to sting our knees

While we were on our knees
Praying that disease
Would leave the ones we love
And never come again

On the radio
We heard, 'November Rain'
That solo's really long
But it's a pretty song
We listened to it twice
'Case the DJ was asleep

This is how it works
You're young until you're not
You love until you don't
You try until you can't

You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took

And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood

And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

And on the radio
You hear, 'November Rain'
That solo's awful long
But it's a good refrain
You listen to it twice
'Cause the DJ is asleep

On the radio, on the radio
On the radio, uh oh, on the radio, uh oh
On the radio, uh oh, on the radio

 

[CP/M User]

Pretty straightforward country song with a ring of hope to it - tell all those negative people to think about Living!

 

[LG]

Good idea Bry, in literature it is very similar, to write about the "Darker" side of human nature and overcoming adversity as opposed to everything thing being nice and living in a "Care Bears", universe where a sprinkle of happy dust cures everything...

Here's one song that always inspires me, you'll recognize it instantly seeing it's an all time classic.