Day 6: A song that makes you want to dance.

When I was sixteen or so, my mother insisted that ballroom dancing was a mandatory part of my upbringing. So I had lessons. I wasn’t very good at it, I didn’t really enjoy it, and despite having a certificate showing that I somehow passed the final test, I cannot recall ever having used those skills again. (Five years later, when my brother was sixteen or so, she had clearly forgotten all about raising him well.)

Once, Anneke van Giersbergen claimed she saw me dancing. But with her being on stage rocking out and me being at the back of the audience, it must have been a trick of the light. Because I might have moved, but it surely could not have been dancing.

Because I don’t dance. When music captures me, I cannot help but let my limbs flay, throw in some air guitar or drums, and go like whatever. But that, that I would not call dancing. That would be a great injustice to those who can.

So, how does “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” figure into all of this? Well, I love this song to bits — I have my brother to blame for that — and it sometimes makes me feel like flaying my limbs around.

Day 5: A song that needs to be played out loud.

Being somewhat of a metal-head, there are loads of songs that need to be played loud. I chose this one, because the driving, mechanical, uncompromising pulse of Dr. Avalanche won’t really get to you unless it comes at you like a freight-train.

Day 4: A song that reminds you of someone you’d rather forget.

This is a hard one. I must either be really fortunate, or so damn easy to get along with, that there are not many people I would wish to forget. Besides, unpleasant people are a good reminder of how not to behave. But there are a very few individuals, who without exception are of the ‘look at me being the perfect little pious christian who goes to church six times every Sunday and let me tell you all about it’ variety, who have no qualms about throwing you under the bus on Monday with their holier-than-thou attitudes.

Day 3: A song that reminds you of summertime.

For me, the ultimate summer songs is up-tempo, with an acoustic guitar and a bright-sounding piano. “Come Back To Me” by Solo hits all those boxes.

After I found out about Solo (at the release show of their This is Solo compilation, which was probably their last concert), I quickly gathered as much of their work as I could find, including many side-/solo-projects of singer/main man Michiel Flamman. It’s all good stuff, and looking over this 30 Day Song Challenge, I can think of a couple of songs that I could use on multiple days.