Helen Boulding: Songs I Love
Posted on: 27 Jun 2012
Ahead of her performance at Hop Farm Festival this weekend, Helen Boulding picks out her favourite songs and fill us in on why she loves them!
The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
This is just for me one of the most wonderful songs ever written and fits into my achy reflective moments too.
UNKLE – Heaven
This was dedicated to us by Gavin Clark from Unkle when they played Koko in 2010 and we had it on our wedding video, beautiful.
The Cardigans – Communication
This reminds me of a period in my life, that was really happy and also really sad all at once, I find this so reflective for me.
The Wannadies – You & Me Song
This song makes me happy and makes me wanna’ dance around the room, just so gorgeous.
ABBA – One Of Us
This is such a perfectly written pop song, so clever , but with such a sad sentiment that they were obviously going through in real life, it reminds me of my dad driving with the roof off his car when I was little in the sunshine listening to music.
U2 – With Or Without You
I just simply love this song, I know I use this word alot , but all my favourite songs seems to be the achy ones, that portray a longing.
Shawn Colvin
I find this particularly moving because I relate to it so much as a singer, songwriter, and female. Watching all the couples coming to her gigs having a relationship and free to live and enjoy her songs then walk away to their lives and families, while she’s continually on the road touring and selling her life story, it’s emotional when she questions if she should just be brave and have a baby…. Shawn is such a beautiful poignant lyricist.
Roberta Flack – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
For me this is the best love song ever written, the lyrics are stunning and the performance by Roberta is by far the best cover of this song…exquisite! I happen to know Callum & Neil MacColl, whose dad Ewan MacColl wrote it about their mum Peggy Seegar… how amazing to have a song as beautiful as that written about you.
Joni Mitchell – A Case Of You
This is one of my favourite songs of all time, Joni’s lyrics are perfect poetry for me married with her gorgeous haunting melodies, wow she knows how to write a lyric! Beautiful metaphors, woven into a story of her life, a true genius
