Dear Songs,

Forget the Grammy’s. You are now eligible for a superior accolade: being included on The Most Important Songs of Miss Early Bird’s Life. With so many contenders and so few spots, choosing a few of you has been an emotionally draining task. Before revealing the results and in hopes of sparing any hurt feelings or controversy among you, I’d like to provide background regarding the selection process for Songs.

First, I set forth on a harrowing quest to decide the definition of Important. I listen to you all day, sing with you in the car and dance with you when I get the chance. Many of you have been stuck in my heads for days. You all mean so much to me, Songs. So is importance deemed by singing karaoke to Madonna’s Like a Prayer? Or sitting on my husband’s lap while we are serenaded to You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling? Or does important mean listening to Taylor Swift’s 1989 on repeat in my car since Thanksgiving? Or is it those of you without music videos that my family sings around the campfire?

I turned to iTunes for guidance. If you have a place in my iTunes library, that means I am financially invested in our relationship. This means that I actively search for you, play with you and memorize your lyrics. Another pertinent attribute of making iTunes your home is the “Plays” column.The more time I spend with you, the more I like you, the more important you are in my life. So, dear Songs, I set aside any emotional attachments and that “Plays” column became the definitive criteria for nabbing a spot.

With this newfound objectiveness in mind, I took a screen shot of my iTunes playlist on January 5, 2015 and [drum roll, please] present to you…

The Four Most Important Songs of Miss Early Bird’s Life

1) Truth No. 2 by Dixie Chicks (53 Plays)

“Tell me what’s wrong with havin’ a little faith in what you’re feelin’ in your heart.”

2) Travelin’ Soldier by Dixie Chicks (46 Plays)

“He told her of his heart. It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of.”

3) Night Moves by Bob Seger (34 Plays)

“I used her, she used me but neither one cared.”

4) Springsteen by Eric Church (34 Plays)

“We didn’t care what your mama think ‘bout your name on my arm.”

Honorable mention goes to Counting Crows’ Mr. Jones and REO Speedwagon’s Time for Me to Fly. Both played 28 times.

Thank you, Songs, for enriching each day of life.

Always yours,
Miss Early Bird

P.S. If you are personally offended by these rankings or feel as though you should have been considered more seriously, please contact the creators of Writing 101’s third assignment: Commit to a Writing Practice.