amazing dive bar songs
so, i have compiled a gigantic playlist of songs that would
be amazing to listen to on the jukebox in a shitty dive bar, while drinking pitchers of shitty beer. nevermind that most of these songs aren’t even available on most jukeboxes; i think you get the idea of the vibe i’m going for. think acousticy/ballad type stuff that makes everyone else want to kill themselves that sounds so so so amazing at 1 a.m.
i know i am missing a bunch, so if you can think of any amazing stuff that fits the vibe here, let me know. notably, neil young (i can never remember the names of the songs by him i like). i also need more guided by voices (also always forget the names of my favorite pollard songs (there’s so damn many)). and bright eyes. as much as i have tried to hate them over the years, i still admit that there are some bright eyes songs i really like. there’s an amazing fugazi (“epic problem” maybe? i think it was off the argument, but i have no fugazi albums here at work to check) and possibly some les savy fav songs that would also fit in well here, but i absolutely cannot remember the names of them. some older beck, rocky votalato, chuck ragan, jim white, the mountain goats, m. ward (shit, i really need to start remembering song names), etc. etc…. and, any oldies i don’t have listed?
add to the list, dear readers! here are several hundred (i will try to upload some of the lesser known tracks for you to enjoy and drink beer to):
against me! – violence
andy williams – hawaiian wedding song
ariel pink’s haunted graffiti – ghost town
ariel pink’s haunted graffiti – strange fires
ariel pink’s haunted graffiti – haunted graffiti
the band – the weight
the beatles – happiness is a warm gun
the beatles – hey jude
the beatles – let it be
the beatles – norwegian wood
the beatles – octopus’s garden
the beatles – girl
beck – youthless
the bees – who cares what the question is?
the bees – left foot stepdown
belle & sebastian – funny little frog
belle & sebastian – white collar boy
the beta band – dry the rain
big star – the ballad of el goodo
big star – thirteen
the black angels – the first vietnamese war
black rebel motorcycle club – rifles
black rebel motorcycle club – salvation
black rebel motorcycle club – weight of the world
black rebel motorcycle club – sympathetic noose
boat – (i’m a) donkey for your love
bob dylan – tangled up in blue
bob dylan – subterranean homesick blues
bob dylan – hurricane
bob dylan – like a rolling stone
bob mould – new #1
brian jonestown massacre – maryanne
brian jonestown massacre – stolen
brian jonestown massacre – open heart surgery
brian jonestown massacre – malela
brian jonestown massacre – salaam
brian jonestown massacre – wisdom
brian jonestown massacre – (david bowie i love you) since i was six
brian jonestown massacre – ballad of jim jones
brian jonestown massacre – fucker
brian jonestown massacre – the devil may care (mom & dad don’t)
brian jonestown massacre – (baby) love of my life
charles manson – look at your game girl
chris isaac – wicked game
the church – under the milky way tonight
the clash – should i stay or should i go
the clash – london calling
conor oberst – cape canaveral
crystal skulls – airport motels
danzig – she rides
danzig – mother
danzig – tired of being alive
danzig – sistinas
danzig – lilin
danzig – cold eternal
danzig – let it be captured
danzig – thirteen
david bowie – sunday
david bowie – cactus
david bowie – afraid
david bowie – space oddity
dax riggs – didn’t know yet what i know when i was bleeding
dax riggs – terrors of nightlife
deadboy & the elephant men – evil friend
the deadly snakes – there goes your corpse again
the decemberists – july, july!
dinosaur jr. – lightning bulb
dinosaur jr. – what if i knew
elliott smith – needle in the hay
elliott smith – between the bars
elliott smith – southern belle
elliott smith – the biggest lie
the faces – ooh la la
frank black – los angeles
frank black – i heard ramona sing
frank black – hang on to your ego
frank black – white noise maker
frank black & the catholics – i’ll be blue
frank black & the catholics – dog in the sand
guided by voices – everybody thinks i’m a raincloud (when i’m not looking)
guided by voices – chicken blows
guns ‘n’ roses – sweet child o’ mine
guns ‘n’ roses – november rain
the hold steady – how a resurrection really feels
j mascis and the fog – free so free
the jesus and mary chain – nine million rainy days
the jesus lizard – monkey trick
john lennon – oh yoko
john vanderslice – time to go
johnny cash – hurt
johnny cash – ring of fire
journey – don’t stop believin’
joy division – warsaw
joy division – no love lost
joy division – isolation
joy division – love will tear us apart
joy division – decades
kings of leon – taper jean girl
kings of leon – the bucket
kings of leon – knocked up
the kinks – shangri la
the kinks – a well respected man
the kinks – strangers
the kinks – lola
the kinks – this time tomorrow
the kinks – wall of fire
the kinks – nothin’ in this world can stop me worryin’ ’bout that girl
led zeppelin – going to california
the lemonheads – drug buddy
leonard cohen – famous blue raincoat
leonard cohen – waiting for the miracle
lynyrd skynyrd – tuesday’s gone
lynyrd skynyrd – free bird
lynyrd skynyrd – sweet home alabama
the magnetic fields – epitaph for my heart
the magnetic fields – i’ll dream alone
the magnetic fields – asleep and dreaming
meat puppets – roof with a hole
mike ness – i fought the law
modest mouse – never ending math equation
modest mouse – i came as a rat
modest mouse – cowboy dan
modest mouse – night on the sun
mohammed rafi – jaan pehechaan ho
the moldy peaches – anyone else but you
murder by death – fuego!
murder by death – ash
murder by death – ‘52 ford
neutral milk hotel – oh comely
neutral milk hotel – two-headed boy
nick drake – pink moon
nico – these days
nico – chelsea girls
nirvana – heart shaped box
nirvana – all apologies
nirvana – jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam
nirvana – the man who sold the world
nirvana – something in the way
nirvana – verse chorus verse
nirvana – you know you’re right
okkervil river – unless it’s kicks
old canes – life is grand
patti smith – gimme shelter
patti smith – smells like teen spirit
paul westerberg – it’s a wonderful lie
paul westerberg – even here we are
pearl jam – last kiss
pearl jam – soldier of love
the ramones – somebody to love
the ramones – sheena is a punk rocker
the ramones – the kkk took my baby away
the ramones – blitzkrieg bop
the ramones – judy is a punk
the ramones – rockaway beach
the ramones – teenage lobotomy
the ramones – she talks to rainbows
the replacements – alex chilton
the replacements – little mascara
the replacements – here comes a regular
richard hell & the voidoids – blank generation
rober plant & alison krauss – gone gone gone
the rolling stones – paint it black
the rolling stones – under my thumb
the rolling stones – sympathy for the devil
the rolling stones – gimme shelter
the rolling stones – wild horses
roy orbison only the lonely
ryan adams – wonderwall
seu jorge – life on mars?
shout out louds – the comeback
shout out louds – oh, sweetheart
silver jews – punks in the beerlight
sonic youth – (she’s in a) bad mood
sonic youth – superstar
sonic youth – tuff gnarl
the sound – winning
the stone roses – i wanna be adored
stone temple pilots – interstate love song
stone temple pilots – lady picture show
the stranglers – midnight summer dream
the stranglers – golden brown
the stranglers – all roads lead to roam
thurston moore – psychic hearts
van morrison – brown eyed girl
the vaselines – you think you’re a man
the velvet underground – pale blue eyes
the velvet underground – after hours
the velvet underground – venus in furs
the velvet underground – heroin
the velvet underground – here she comes now
violent femmes – blister in the sun
the walkmen – another one goes by
wire – reuters
xiu xiu – the leash
the zombies – leave me be
the zombies – tell her no
the zombies – the way i feel inside
on July 30th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I love to put on Hum – Stars at bars. It usually costs a mint to “download” the song and play it, but it’s worth it. Everyone always gets real pensive and says “I KNOW this song!” And then I get in their face and say “IT’S FUCKING HUM, THAT’S WHY!”
on July 30th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
UPDATE
thanks to my lover alan, and also myself, i have found TONS more songs that i initially forgot. here are a bunch that i missed the first time around:
against me! – 8 full hours of sleep
band of horses – is there a ghost
band of horses – the funeral
black rebel motorcycle club – complicated situation
bob dylan – just like a woman
bob dylan – 4th time around
bob dylan – sad eyed lady of the lowlands
bob dylan – you’re gonna make me lonesome when you go
bob dylan – girl from the north country
bonnie “prince” billy – cursed sleep
broken social scene – lover’s spit
built to spill – stop the show
the church – under the milky way
the clash – straight to hell
colour revolt – naked and red
dead meadow – between me and the ground
dead meadow – what needs must be
dead meadow – down here
dead meadow – till kingdom come
dead meadow – seven seers
drive-by truckers – two daughters and a beautiful wife
drive-by truckers – perfect timing
drive-by truckers – daddy needs a drink
echo & the bunnymen – zimbo
elliott smith – ballad of big nothing
elliott smith – a fond farewell
elvis presley – (you’re the) devil in disguise
for against – the purgatory salesman
gary jules – mad world
guided by voices – a salty salute
guided by voices – game of pricks
guided by voices – always crush me
handsome furs – what we had
handsome furs – hearts of iron
the hold steady – both crosses
jim white – borrowed things
joy division – no love lost
kings of leon – trani
lcd soundsystem – all my friends
led zeppelin – when the levee breaks
love – a house is not a motel
lucero – bikeriders
lucero – the war
lucero – sweet little thing
lucero – slow dancing
lucero – ain’t so lonely
lucero – into your eyes
matt pond p.a. – in the aeroplane over the sea
mazarin – another one goes by
mazarin – louise
mazzy star – fade into you
the microphones – the glow pt. 2
mission of burma – that’s when i reach for my revolver
modest mouse – workin’ on leavin’ the livin’
modest mouse – night on the sun
modest mouse – out of gas
modest mouse – polar opposites
modest mouse – novocain stain
modest mouse & 764 hero – whenever you see fit
my morning jacket – o is the one that is real
the national – secret meeting
the national – baby we’ll be fine
the national – green gloves
the national – slipping husband
neil young – see the sky about to rain
neil young & crazy horse – don’t cry no tears
neil young & crazy horse – danger bird
neko case – things that scare me
neutral milk hotel – ghost
neutral milk hotel – in the aeroplane over the sea
neutral milk hotel – two-headed boy pt. 2
neutral milk hotel – where you’ll find me now
the organ – sinking hearts
pavement – fillmore jive
pavement – father to a sister of thought
the pixies – silver
the replacements – johnny’s gonna die
rocky votolato – she was only in it for the rain
rocky votolato – where we left off
sexton blake – the logical song
silver jews – random rules
silver jews – smith & jones forever
silver jews – suffering jukebox
songs:ohia – cross the road, molina
the stooges – gimme danger
tall firs – so messed up
tiger army – in the orchard
tom waits – christmas card from a hooker in minneapolis
two gallants – waves of grain
the velvet underground – oh! sweet nuthin’
vincent vincent and the villains – midnight
vincent vincent and the villains – end of the night
violent femmes – kiss off
the walkmen – that’s the punch line
wilco – i thought i held you
wilco – forget the flowers
wilco – say you miss me
wilco – how to fight loneliness
wilco – via chicago
wilco – ashes of american flags
on July 31st, 2008 at 9:31 am
wow. this list could be never ending.
I notice you’ve got tom waits on your updated list but the song that first came to mind was ‘Step right up’.
others that come to mind right now:
echo & the bunnymen – killing moon
the saints – Im stranded
ryan adams – to be young (is to be sad, is to be high)
you am i – berlin chair
ween – gabrielle
Nick cave – do you love me and probably a few others (nick the stripper maybe?)
i know you have lucero covered but what about ‘that much further west’ and ‘tonight ain’t gonna be no good’?
on August 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
The jukebox in the front room of the Cameron Public House in Toronto used to be loaded up with great stuff like Johhny Cash’s Big River, The Demics’ NewYork City, Hank Williams’ Lost Highway, Handsome Ned’s Put the Blame On Me, The Viletones’ Screamin’ Fist, Hank Snow’s Golden Rocket, and Gene Vincent’s Be Bob a Lula. Pretty Goddamn hard to pick a bad song on it. Throw in a few trays of cheap draft and an assortment of sad-eyed old drunks who lived upstairs and you got the perfect Saturday afternoon.
on August 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Nick Cave – People Ain’t No Good
Replacements – If Only You Were Lonely
Tom Waits – I Wish I Was In New Orleans
Against Me – Baby I’m an Anarchist (Maybe it’s a bit too obvious, but what better song to sing along drunkenly too?)
Leonard Cohen – Closing Time
John Cale – Hallelujah
Guns N Roses – I Used To Love Her
Flogging Molly – If I Ever Leave This World Alive
Pogues – Dirty Old Town
Chuck Berry – Promised Land
Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant or, really, anything off of Bollocks