If you could have someone understand you by listening to a song, what would it be, and why?

You know, the songs that are candidates for this question, I’ve already posted as my favourite songs. But with David Caune and Kat Rectenwald both asking me, sure, I’ll answer again:

• The regrets of my life, my falls from grace, my sadness at leaving things behind:

Gustav Mahler: Der Tamboursg’sell

O Galgen, du hohes Haus,
Du siehst so furchtbar aus,
Ich schau dich nicht mehr an,
Weil i weiß, daß i gehör dran.

Wenn Soldaten vorbeimarschieren,
Bei mir nicht einquartieren.
Wenn sie fragen, wer i g’wesen bin:
Tambour von der Leibkompanie.

Gallows, you high house,
you look so terrifying,
I’ll look no more upon you,
for I know that I belong there.

When soldiers march by me,
they won’t set up camp next to me.
When they ask me who I used to be:
A drummer in the imperial bodyguard!

• Seeking a friend to unburden my pains to:

Manos Eleftherious/Stavros Kouyoumtzis: Όποιος τραγουδάει τον πόνο

Μου ’πες μια καλή κουβέντα
και γονάτισα στη γη
κι έβγαλε νερό η πέτρα
η ψυχή μου για να πιει.

Όποιος τραγουδάει τον πόνο
στη ζωή δε θα χαθεί
κι ένας φίλος μες στον κόσμο
θα του συμπαρασταθεί.

You spoke a kind word
and I kneeled to the ground
and the rock gave forth water
for my soul to drink.

Whoever sings of pain
will not perish in this life
and one friend in the world
will stand by him.

• The abandon of exuberance, and letting sorrows go by for another day:

James Brown: Sex Machine

Get up
Get up
Get on the scene
Like a sex machine (uh)

The way I like it
is the way it is
I got mine
Don’t worry about his.