10 Songs for Friends

Often, songs get tied by people to times and places and they become impossible to separate afterwards. That one song, you know, that one, will always be about the time you drove through the country after it flooded. I just got a new car, and when I first turned on the stereo, I heard, I know who will want to take me home, take me home. From then on, a solid song had much more to it-- a time and a place.
Likewise, we can connect specific people in our lives to specific tunes. Each of these songs I associate with a specific friend. See if you can guess if you made the list.

1. "Buckets of Rain" - Bob Dylan. Dylan sings, "Friends will arise, friends will disappear. If you want me, honey babe I'll be here." I think that pretty much sums up this person for me.
2. "Sadie" - Joanna Newsom. This song snuck up on me. I didn't think it was one of the top songs from Milk-Eyed Mender for quite some time, but I think seeing Joanna Newsom live and hearing this song made the jump for me. That is what a good live song should do. "Sadie" is the name of a dog in this song. More songs should have dogs in them.
3. "Land and Water" - Elliot. I remember five years ago, thinking Greensboro was a long ways away, and after going to the glorious little hole in the wall of Ace's Basement to watch bands I am too embarrassed to admit to, we'd put this record on for the drive home, at least after stopping at the Taco Bell. I can even remember the day I got the cd, Song in the Air from this person. Ninth grade wasn't so bad now that I think about in those terms.
4. "Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo" - Minus the Bear. I spent a day riding around Winston-Salem, going to the yogurt shop and picking up a check with this person, listening to this song. He got pissed because I left my wrapper from Subway in his Blazer. It was Summer and the whole car smelled like pastrami and vinegar. I just hope that there's another chance for it to happen again.
5. "Wagon Wheel" - Old Crow Medicine Show. A song I associate with many, many people? Oh yes. Here is what you should do: sing some other songs for a couple hours to warm up for this one (because all songs are made to warm up for this one), get drunk to the point that all you can do is sing and play loudly, gather around in a circle, and sing. In fact, after the last chorus, just do a couple of verses again. Then, you will love the people around as much as I do at that point.
6. "Figaro" - Madvillain. You know how you can tie a song to someone? If the only way you would know about the song is from that person, look no further. Madvillain is the only hip hop artist I listen to. Thanks man. I owe you some good music.
7. "Lisa" - The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers. Perry Wright, the songwriter behind the long moniker 'Prayers & Tears' is a really cool guy and good songwriter. Without this person to drive me to Raleigh one February night to catch the Mountain Goats, I wouldn't have ever heard this band, and subsequently the rest of the Bu_Hanan crew. That means no David Karsten Daniels, no Physics of Meaning, and no Prayers & Tears. Would have been a damn shame.
8. "Jumper" - Third Eye Blind. Another drunk singalong. I nominate this person for best interpretive dance of me being an idiot drunk with a ukulele ever.
9. "Yellow Submarine" - The Beatles. Remember that time this person and I threw a party? Remember when there were fifteen people in my room, singing this song, and my residence advisor came in to sing along? Best moment of living with this person.
10. "Carry On My Wayward Son" - Kansas. I strongly dislike Kansas, especially this song. It sounds like they took all the spare riffs and fragments they had after they recorded the album, threw them into a hat, and called it a song. Terrible song that is far too long. However, a couple people from my graduating class in high school will be forever tied to this song, making it a palatable song to me. The idea to make it our graduation song, however, is no less of a poor decision.