Each of these songs is accompanied by commentary which is intended to explain why it is that these songs are important to me. You are welcome to ask for further clarification or expansion. For that matter, if the songs or my commentary inspire any response on your part, I'd be delighted to read what you have to say.
A couple of notes regarding the selection of these songs: they do not necessarily represent my favorite songs of all time. There are songs that I love that are purely instrumental, or for which I don't have complete copies of the lyrics, or that I love without feeling that the lyrics have a special relevance to my life. The songs that I have gathered here simply have lyrics that have some significance for me. (Telling you that Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is one of the most profoundly moving pieces I know may give you some insight into my character, but only on an abstract level.) Nevertheless, these are all pieces that I like quite a lot, and most likely are all in my top 50.
These lyrics are reprinted here without permission (with the notable exception of Spider Robinson's Afterglow--thanks, Spider!), essentially because it didn't occur to me when I created this site that anyone might care. In case that this wasn't crystal clear already to any legal types that might be nosing about: This is not a commercial site. Not only do I not get any money out of it, I wouldn't want to. I lay no claim to having written any of these lyrics; the various authors are credited below.
These songs are arranged in no particular order. I have recently added links to pages for the artists. (You access the artist by clicking on the artist's name, and the lyrics and my commentary by clicking on the song's name.) There may be better/more appropriate pages for some of them; if you have suggestions, please let me know.
Elton John,
The One
Sting,
Fortress Around Your Heart
Sting,
Be Still My Beating Heart
Journey,
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
Pink Floyd,
On The Turning Away
Peter, Paul, and Mary,
The Great Mandella (The Wheel Of Life)
Spider Robinson,
Afterglow (Iris' Song)