Songs That Cry for Help

The evolution of ways to call for help can be highlighted by two items that appeared in USA Today on August 10. One article discussed Iowa's becoming the first state to allow emergency callers to seek help via text message. I almost needed help deciphering its unusual headline, which was ":) help! asap: Iowans put 911 texting to test."

The other item mentioned the significance of the same date in 1909. Exactly thirty years ago the steamship SS Arapahoe used the first SOS distress signal in North America after having broken down off North Carolina's Cape Hatteras.

The calls for help have undergone drastic transformations in the past one hundred years, from the SOS to the telephone to the cell phone and now through texting. To celebrate the evolution of calls for assistance I created a list of the best songs with the word help in their titles. Some of music's greatest legends are included.

10. "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley: This slow love song has always been one of my favorites. The King's voice gasps with desperation as he pleads his love.

9. "Help Me Rhonda" by The Beach Boys: The song's vocal textures epitomize the sound of the band. I always appreciated the unusual approach of the lyrics, in which a guy is actually confessing his love for another girl to the one he is trying to conquer. I doubt if Rhonda was very much flattered.

8. "I Can't Help Myself" by The Four Tops: The track is classic R&B, which has never sounded better than when performed by the smooth vocals of this quartet.

7. "I Can Help" by Billy Swan: This catchy piano pop tune is the only hit Swan had as a solo artist, but he is certainly a revered studio musician. Someone tried to convince me the lyrics were about a drug dealer, but I prefer to believe it's just a guy promising a girl he'll be there for her.

6. "With a Little Help from My Friends" by The Beatles: Track two on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band showcases Ringo's vocal ability as the fictional Billy Shears. This song, too, has been rumored to be about drugs. It's probably about as true as the rumor that Paul had died.

5. "Helpless" by Neil Young: Here you get a rare autobiographical sketch of Neil's childhood in Canada. The acoustic guitar and harmonica are beautifully blended with the harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash complementing Young's soft lead vocal.

4. "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Kris Kristofferson: The song's been performed by many artists, but none sings with it the desperate sincerity of the guy who wrote it.

3. "Help" by The Beatles: The film is still considered a classic, but the song is even better. John Lennon sings with a confidence that seems to belie the pleading in the lyrics.

2. "Helplessly Hoping" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash: Over thirty years before Plain White T's used the "1-2-3-for" pun in its smash hit in 2009, CSN used it much more effectively in the chorus of this acoustic gem.

1. "Help Me" by Joni Mitchell: Mitchell's biggest hit from her classic Court and Spark album, the track includes all the anxiety and hesitation that goes into falling in love. Mitchell's voice, though, almost seems to be laughing at her own selfish fragility, as she sings "Both of us flirting around, flirting, hurting, too."