What song touches you the most

[TheMaestro]

On what is ostensibly a music forum, I am really surprised how little interest a thread like this has attracted. Surely it goes to the heart of why we do this at all?

Really? Which parts of those songs make you tear up? Both those songs have a bit of energy but no emotion whatsoever.

This I think makes me tear up some, regardless.
Now, I think it’s a *great* song, knocked me out in ‘79 or ‘80 whenever it was, but it’s the performance. For all I know this is just good acting, but it sure feels like she means the f**k out of this. There’s some real pathos locked away in this song. I’m not swayed by lyrics per se, ntw.

She's pulling faces like she's stuck her hand in the garbage disposal and someone's switched it on. She's got a hell of a voice, though, and it is definitely one of those songs.

Yeah. I wonder why...

[BONES]

Pardon me for taking an interest in what someone else posted but this is a forum for "discussion", not just for making pronouncements. That said, I'm pretty sure that guy is just taking the piss. On the off chance he wasn't, I thought I'd ask a f**king question, given the broad scope of the OP's original post, in order to seek clarification. Because with every other post, you can absolutely hear why the poster has selected their song(s), even if you don't like them, but I have absolutely no idea why he's posted those.

It might be helpful for you to watch this video and listen to what the woman has to say -

[i need Help]

I know my opinion may fly in the face of some people, and as it goes if someones identity is tied up in them being a musician or a connoisseur of it, I might as well be personally attacking them by IRL name, but:

I really don’t get emotional in listening to or producing music. I enjoy it, I appreciate it, but I can honestly say nothing music-wise, in itself, has really invoked any meaningful emotional response (ex. “This song makes me cry.”).

I’m kinda like this in other areas so maybe its just a personality thing. A friend of mine actually helped me understand this better:

We were eating at a famous restaurant and he as well as other people at other tables were “Ooh!”, “Mmm!”, and “Ohmygawd!”-ing while eating.

I was just like * chew chew chew * lol.

He asked why I wasn’t having a food-gasm like everyone else and I told him along the lines of what I said above, and in a surprising nugget of wisdom he said:

“Oh, I get it! You like food, but you don’t experience food.”

Since then, that’s been my explanation any time I seem less than thrilled and someone asks about it, so I’ll make that my final answer here lol.

I like listening to music, producing music, I can appreciate music even if it’s not something I’d otherwise listen to, but I really don’t “experience” music in the emotional way.

[CrystalWizard]

I know my opinion may fly in the face of some people, and as it goes if someones identity is tied up in them being a musician or a connoisseur of it, I might as well be personally attacking them by IRL name, but:

I really don’t get emotional in listening to or producing music. I enjoy it, I appreciate it, but I can honestly say nothing music-wise, in itself, has really invoked any meaningful emotional response (i.e. “This song makes me [insert emotion here]”).

I’m kinda like this in other areas so maybe its just a personality thing. A friend of mine actually helped me understand this better:

We were eating at a famous restaurant and he as well as other people at other tables were “Ooh!”, “Mmm!”, and “Ohmygawd!”-ing while eating.

I was just like * chew chew chew * lol.

He asked why I wasn’t having a food-gasm like everyone else and I told him along the lines of what I said above, and in a surprising nugget of wisdom he said:

“Oh, I get it! You like food, but you don’t experience food.”

Since then, that’s been my explanation any time I seem less than thrilled and someone asks about it, so I’ll make that my final answer here lol.

I like listening to music, producing music, I can appreciate music even if it’s not something I’d otherwise listen to, but I really don’t “experience” music in the emotional way.

Wow, that's a pretty intense statement. My very unscientific observations seem to suggest that you are in the minority. I haven't been able to narrow my answer to less than 30 or 40 tunes! I think there's a lot to be said about the context we listen (listened) to them. Being at a large concert compared to listening at work on crap ear pods.
Awaken- Yes
Glorious Ohm Riff- Gong
Let It Grow- Grateful Dead
Bestiary- Robert Rich
TV Glotzer- Nina Hagen Band
Golden Hours- Eno
Soul of the Sea- Heart
Cosmic Slop- Funkadelic
And so many more, it was difficult to even just toss those more well known songs and stop at a mere eight. As soon as i hit send i will think of eight that are more fitting. I could also think of eight in classical, jazz, punk, country, gamelan, Persian, and on and on. What "touches me" can shift quite a bit with my mood and circumstances, but it seems quite a bit of music has touched me. I doubt i would be alive otherwise.

[Uncle E]

Thank you. The sound of that Qebrus track is a massage on my ear drums.

Kate Bush "Hounds of Love"



Underworld "Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love"



Roni Size & Reprazent "Railing"



Lamb "Gorecki"



Mazzy Star "Five String Serenade"



Jeff Beck "Drown in my own Tears"



Monk & Canatella "I Can Water My Plants"

[choochcat]

I really don’t get emotional in listening to or producing music. I enjoy it, I appreciate it, but I can honestly say nothing music-wise, in itself, has really invoked any meaningful emotional response.

That's interesting. What does enjoying it feel like?
I can see different ways I listen to something and can switch between listening modes (suspend disbelief and hear the emotion, listen to words if it has some, listen to the structure/arrangement, listen to it harmonically, listen to the overall feel, listen to tone, listen to how the parts interrelate).
All of those can be somehow enjoyable, but I can't really imagine being motivated to do the others without the emotional bit. If it doesn't connect with me emotionally in some way, I'm not going to return to it. It'll just feel empty and technical.

[martiu]

@Uncle E what do you think he was using to make that weird metallic sound?
Some sort of spectral processing is my guess.

[Uncle E]

@Uncle E what do you think he was using to make that weird metallic sound?
Some sort of spectral processing is my guess.

My first thought was Pure Data:

https://puredata.info/

[cryophonik]

I can’t listen to this one without getting chills. A story of the moon landings seen through the eyes of a young Harriet Wheeler. Shivers down my spine…



And, while we’re on The Sundays, more chills down my spine… If you’ve ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Elaine’s boyfriend shhh’s her when ‘Desperado” comes on, well, that’s me when I hear this song..

[vurt]

gets me in the feels.

as do many, too many to list.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Bob trying to fool himself and failing makes my heart ache


I don't know how it does it, but Let Down leaves me a quivering mess at the end


A fantastic song about one civilisation thoughtlessly trampling over another

This is where they walked, swam
Hunted, danced and sang
Take a picture here
Take a souvenir
Cuyahoga
Cuyahoga, gone

[vurt]

It comes down to either this -



Or this -



Both by New Model Army, both from Thunder & Consolation. They were really on a roll for a while there.

indeed, great album!

i get the impression from you, the military officer type, that you are a very clean and tidy person?
which doesn't fit in with my image of nma fans at all. cider drinking, dreadlocked, clogged, crusties with dogs on a string, that smell of old sweat, diesel and patchouli.
i say that as someone who has seen them enough that now the smell doesn't make me wretch any more

[e@rs]

Skunk Anansie - Squander.

[resynthesis]

Black Angels by George Crumb scared me if that counts.

[Uncle E]

Bob trying to fool himself and failing makes my heart ache

"Don't Think Twice It's Alright" always gets me: