Song Titles with the Word People

My daughter recently had to do a fundraiser for her volleyball team. The first six pages of the booklet contained a bunch of overpriced items that I did not have any use for. There were fancy ice cream scoops, decorated kitchen timers, enormous pots and pans, and a slew of scented candles available.

I had almost decided to just order the cheapest item, regardless of its usefulness. Then I brightened as I saw the magazine subscriptions on page seven. If I were to waste money on anything, I would waste it on periodicals.

Unfortunately, the selection was not very appealing to me. I had no interest in the health magazines nor in Field and Stream. I already had a subscription to Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone, so there was no title of interest to me. I finally decided to order People magazine, which was reasonably priced and occasionally had television or film reviews in it.

As my daughter was filling out the ordering information and I was signing the check, I began to sing the song "People Puttin' Down People" by John Prine, much to my daughter's chagrin. She asked me to stop singing those old songs, and I told her that it was the first tune that came to mind when I heard the word people.

She then told me that she wished I could think of a cooler song than that one that mentioned people. A sleepless night later I had compiled my list.

10. "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone: The song epitomizes the love movement of the late 60s and early 70s. It serves as a popular tribute to the common man, kind of like Woody Guthrie with electricity and a diverse choir.

9. "People Are People" by Depeche Mode: The opening line of this 80s new wave tune asks an age old question, "People are people so why should it be, That you and I must get along so awfully?"

8. "People of the South Wind" by Kansas: One of the best tunes from the Monolith album, vocalist Steve Walsh never sounded better. The lyrics are typical Kansas, clichés splattered among inspiring ideas. For every trite expression, such as "Face the music" and "Days are numbered," the lyrics also offer intelligent words like "evading."

7. "Lonely People" by Styx: The song is one of the overlooked gems from Paradise Theatre. At first listen the horns were a little dissonant, but they soon seem to complement Dennis DeYoung's high tenor.

6. "People Have a Way" by Matt Pond PA: The heavy piano rhythm is the most alluring aspect of this tune from Last Light, Pond's most impressive indie rock album.

5. "Common People" by Pulp: The lyrics from theband's most popular album, Different Class, present an unusual dilemma, as a rich girl wants to live like and sleep with common people. The common guy ends up berating her, saying that "Everybody hates a tourist, especially one who thinks it's all such a laugh."

4. "Lonely People" by America: The lyrics seem to travel disparate routes with mixed messages, but the band's pleasantly mellow delivery have made the song beloved since the 70s.

3. "Rainy Day People" by Gordon Lightfoot: The song from Cold on the Shoulder is typical of most of the folk-pop material Lightfoot recorded in the 70s, such as "Sundown" and "Carefree Highway." It has always served as a rallying point for those who are down and seeking comfort.

2. "People My Age" by John Gorka: The 40ish folk singer comically observes that "People my age have started looking gross." Their teeth are falling out, they're going bald, and they stay away from mirrors.

1. "People Are Strange" by The Doors: This has always been my favorite Doors song, mainly because of the eerie acoustic guitar backing Jim Morrison's paranoid vocals.