RR Q&A: What songs would you love to see on a bar jukebox?

[Rae]

Okay, hypothetically: let's say you got to help put together the jukebox selection at your favorite neighborhood watering hole... or, if you want to look at it a different way, what song or songs would you love to see on the system in a random dusty tavern that you pulled into off the interstate on a long road trip?

Keep in mind that not every song is ideally suited for playback over questionable speakers to a pie-eyed audience...

~Rae

[Rae]

A few of mine for starters:

Steve Forbert - "Steve Forbert's Midsummer's Night Toast" (Heartburstingly soulful, taking stock of all that's awful and wonderful about a workaday existence... any song that starts "Here's to all the shitty jobs that I've despised..." is worth singing along to with your buddies.)

Loudon Wainwright III - "Down Drinking at the Bar" ("The Drinking Song" could also substitute in a pinch, but this one's easier to sing along with.)

Roky Erickson - "Starry Eyes" (this was my go-to selection at an establishment that I frequent until they got one of those newfangled internet jukeboxes... for some reason, you get a beer into me and I can never get sick of hearing it.)

Neil Young - "Cortez the Killer"
Bruce Springsteen - "Kitty's Back"
(Because sometimes you just want to put on an epic jam.)

anything by Thin Lizzy
anything by the Pogues

~Rae

[Rae]

I remember a scene in The Wackness where Ben Kingsley's character takes Josh Peck to a bar and all nonchalantly picks out a Velvet Underground song on the jukebox. That required more than a little bit of suspension of disbelief, especially since the film is supposed to take place in 1994. I recall thinking that must have been the coolest random dive bar jukebox in New York City.

~Rae

[Stone]

Roky Erickson - "Starry Eyes" (this was my go-to selection at an establishment that I frequent until they got one of those newfangled internet jukeboxes... for some reason, you get a beer into me and I can never get sick of hearing it.)

Is this the same song as that by The Records?

A few of mine:

The Only Ones - "Another Girl, Another Planet" (one of my favorites ever, and I could listen to it in nearly any setting)

The Kinks - "All Day and All of the Night"

Marty Robbins - "Big Iron"

Jason & the Scorchers - "Broken Whiskey Glass"

B.O.C. - "Godzilla"

-- and yeah anything by Thin Lizzy or the Pogues is always welcome and I'd add The Blasters to the list

[luvtolisten]

"Hotel Califronia", "Lyin Eyes" -Eagles

Got to have a few Hank Jr. songs on there so- "Family Tradition" and "I'd Love To Knock The Hell Out of You"

"Don't Rock the Jukebox"-Alan Jackson

"Sundown" -Gordon Lightfoot

"Boys Of Summer"- Don Henley

"Wont Get Fooled Again, "Baba O'Riley"- The Who

"Ten Rounds with Hose Cuervo"- Tracy Bryd

"Runnin on Empty"- Jackson Browne

"Bama Breeze", "Manana", "Miss you So Badly", Why Don't We Get Drunk"- Jimmy Buffet

"Understand Your Man" -Johnny Cash

"A Thousand Miles From Nowhere", Suspicious Minds"- Dwight Yoakum

"My Wife Thinks You're Dead"- Junior Brown

"El Paso"- Marty Robbins

"Old Dogs, Children, & Watermelon Wine'- Tom T. Hall

[dean_martin]

some of my favorite jukebox experiences have been in the wee small hours at Waffle Houses across the south so Waylon and Willie would have to start things off.

Luckenbach, Texas
Good Hearted Woman
Rainy Day Woman
Me and Paul
Angel Flying too Close to the Ground
Ride Me Down Easy (Billy Joe Shaver vers.)
He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones
Memphis - Chuck Berry

For the roadside dive/bar
Can't You See - Marshall Tucker Band
Statesboro Blues - Allman Bros.
One Way Out - Allman Bros.
Straight to Hell - Drivin' n Cryin'
Baby I Love You - The Yayhoos
Euro Trash Girl - Cracker

[Davey]

Be fun to walk in a bar and hear Baby's On Fire, with that wild Fripp guitar solo. Very clever with maracas, indeed.

Or maybe Telegram Sam, that'd be cool. Pretty much any T.Rex would feel good with a couple drinks and some crappy jukebox speakers.

[Slosh]

My friend used to live half a block from a (then) decent bar with eight pool tables, an outdoor patio area, and pretty decent food (for a bar). Anyway, it seemed every time we went there someone would invariably play Violent Femmes' "Add It Up" and Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" so I always associate those songs as bar songs.

For reasons I can't fathom Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" and REM's "Drive" were never on that jukebox, so I guess those are some I would have. I don't think many people, especially when drinking, want to hear new-to-them music.

[3LB]

I wanna hear sumpin new

Wilco - You Never Know
Justin Townes Earl - Can't Hardly Wait
Gomez - Airstream Driver
Porcupine Tree - Trains
Elbow - Weather To Fly
The Morning Benders - Damnit Anna
My Morning Jacket - Sec Walkin
Kings Of Leon - Be Somebody
The Shins - Australia
Yael Naim - New Soul
Midlake - Head Home
Keane - Crystal ball
The Decemberists - O' Valencia
Guster - C'mon
Robert Plant - All The Kings Horses
The Dears - Lost In The Plot
Enchant - Long Way Down

[Swish]

David Bowie - Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)
The National - All the Wine
Handsome Family - So Much Wine
Rolling Stones - Rocks Off
Spoon - Cherry Bomb (love the Motown sound)
Matthew Sweet - Divine Intervention (does 'Girlfriend' get any respect on RR?)
The Smiths - There is a Light That Never Goes Out
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me to The Moon
Grateful Dead - Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodleoo


That's about all I can muster up for now, but I have to get back to my IPA.

Peace out.

[Rae]

Is this the same song as that by The Records?

Nope, I don't think so. It's a song he's recorded tons of times in different styles over various decades in his career. The version I'm thinking of was off Don't Slander Me in his early 80s super-hard-rocking phase. "I Think Up Demons" or "You're Gonna Miss Me" would also be great but they never had those on the jukebox.

Pretty much any T.Rex would feel good with a couple drinks and some crappy jukebox speakers.

Big time seconded... I might argue the best way to enjoy T.Rex.

Some more of mine:

The Feelies - "Slipping (Into Something)"
Richard Buckner - "A Goodbye Rye"
Patti Smith - "Gloria"... or "Piss Factory"
Neil Young - "Unknown Legend"
Tom Waits - "In the Neighborhood"

I've played Elvis Costello's version of "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" so many times on the Triple Rock jukebox that I can recall the number from memory... 9009.

(does 'Girlfriend' get any respect on RR?)

Hell yes!! But that's another thread.

~Rae

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Jason & the Scorchers - "Broken Whiskey Glass"

That's a good one right there, I'll tell ya.

Tombstone Blues - Bob Dylan
Motel Matches - Elvis Costello
It's Gonna Rain- Violent Femmes
Wild Blue Yonder - Screaming Blue Messiahs
Delia's Gone - Johnny Cash
Janie Jones - The Clash
Ex Lion Tamer - Wire
Something Hot - The Afghan Whigs
Blue - The Jayhawks
Step Right Up - Tom Waits
Farewell Transmission - The Magnolia Electric Co.
Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
Apology Accepted - The Go Betweens

[ForeverAutumn]

When I think Jukebox, I think toe-tapping (or head banging) upbeat...not cry into my beer drinking songs. So on that note, a few off the top of my head...

Metallica - Sad but true
XTC - Generals and Majors
Don Henly - Dirty Laundry
Wilco - Jesus etc.
The Trews - Fleeting Trust
Scissor Sisters - Music is the Victim
Queens of the Stoneage - No One Knows
Arctic Monkeys - Secret Door.

[MasterCylinder]

If you're down here in the South it will be a mix of Willie, Jerry Jeff, Synard and Buffett.............all ranked behind Blackfoot's "TRAIN TRAIN".


Who bought the first pitcher ?

[Troy]

Burning with Optimism's Flames- XTC
Join Together- the Who
Go To Hell- Alice Cooper
Hey There Fancy Pants- Ween
Nasty Habits- Oingo Boingo
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds- Shatner
Smoke 2 Joints- The Toys
Goldfinger- Shirley Bassey
What Do You Want From Life- The Tubes
Computer Games- Mi-Sex
Hotel California- The Moog Cookbook
She's So High- Blur
Viva Las Vegas- Dread Zeppelin
Potato- Mike Keneally
Destination Unknown- Missing Persons
Bad Motor Scooter- Montrose
Belly of the Whale- Burning Sensations
What's New Pussycat- Tom Jones
TVC15- Bowie
Brain Problem Situation- They Might Be Giants
America, **** Yeah- Team America Soundtrack
Pojama People- Zappa
Tears of a Clown- The English Beat
Pizza Boy USA- Lou Monte
Surfing On A Rocket- Air

[tentoze]

Not hypothetical, and probably not technically compliant with the subject of jukebox wishes, my favorite tavern has one flaw- their music really sucks. One night a while back, I mentioned it to the owner, Steve, and he said, "Hey, bring in your ipod sometime- we'll play whatever you want." So I threw together this ~2 hour playlist and took it in a few weeks later- none of the patronage ran out in horror, and Steve didn't pull the plug on it, so you could say this is a snapshot of what could be on the bar jukebox:

1 Alejandro Escovedo - Always A Friend
2 Josh Ritter - Me & Jiggs
3 Willie Nile - Cell Phones Ringing (In The Pockets Of The Dead)
4 Lucero - She's Just That Kind Of Girl
5 The Pogues- Turkish Song Of The Damned
6 The Bottle Rockets - Nancy Sinatra
7 Family - Broken Nose
8 Felice Brothers – Frankie’s Gun
9 Joseph Arthur – Devil’s Broom
10 Taj Mahal - You Got It
11 Van Morrison - Wavelength
12 Spirit - Dark eyed Woman
13 Jim White - Handcuffed To A Fence In Mississippi
14 Robbie Robertson - American Roulette
15 Tommy Womack - Tough
16 Songs Ohia - I ve Been Riding With The Ghost
17 Bobby Bare Jr. - Valentine
18 John Hiatt - Everybody Went Low
19 Ry Cooder - Mama Don t Threat Your Daughter Mean
20 Elliott Murphy - Drive All Night
21 Zachary Richard - Come On Sheila
22 Warren Zevon - I Was In The House When The House Burned Down
23 Waterboys - Fisherman s Blues
24 Muddy Waters - Deep Down In Florida
25 The Twilight Singers - Esta Noche
26 Ben Harper - Ben Harper With My Own Two Hands
27 Graham Parker - Don t Let It Break You Down
28 Eric Burdon - Kingsize Jones
29 Leonard Cohen - The Future
30 The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard
31 Webb Wilder - Skeleton Crew
32 Subdudes - Bye Bye

[jonnyhambone]

23. Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues

that's a good one ^

I'd like to see/hear:
One Reporter's Opinion b/w Jesus and Tequila - The Minutemen (I'm remembering the jukeboxes that had an actual 45 that'd get flipped over...seen one of those lately?!)
Awesome Sound - Ween
Trouble Down South b/w Memphis, Egypt - The Mekons
Cowboy Dan - Modest Mouse
Home At Last - Steely Dan
Autopsy - Fairport Convention
anything by Jesus and Marychain
Girl From the North Country - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash

[Poultrygeist]

Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job and Shove IT"

or

George Jone's, "He Stopped Loving Her Today"

[poppachubby]

Sorry but when I am out drinking I want to party...HARD. Never one to be a wallflower, I will grab the nearest female (now my wife) and shake that azz...

Some of these might be in a juke, but never ALL.

Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Atomic Dog - George Clinton
Get Up - James Brown
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - James Brown
Tear the Roof Off - Parliament Funakadelic
It's Your Thing - Isley Bros
Low Rider - War
Brick House - Commodores
Fire- Ohio Players
Funky Drummer - James Brown
Jungle Boogie - Kool and the Gang
Word Up - Cameo
The Payback - James Brown
Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players
P Funk (Wants to get funked up) - Parliament Funkadelic

....I think you get the point.

[PeruvianSkies]

Venus - Shocking Blue

Pledging My Love - Johnny Ace

I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens

White Shade of Pale - Procol Harum

Bring it On Home To Me/Twistin' The Night Away - Sam Cooke

Purple Rain - Prince

Don't Stop Me Now/Bicycle Race - Queen

[Rae]

I'm gonna bump this thread to say that I'm the guy who played Roxy Music's "If There Is Something" on the internet jukebox when I was watching the Butler / Marquette game at the bar last night... and you know what? It sounded awesome.
`
~Rae

[dean_martin]

The new Waffle House in our town has a new-fangled jukebox that I haven't figured out yet. Haven't been in after havin' a few either.

Hope to find a West Texas dive with a good jukebox later this week.

[Finch Platte]

Dave Edmunds- I Hear You Knockin'

Transatlantic- The Whirlwind (you'd really get yer quarter's worth outta this 78 minute epic)

Pat Travers- Life In London

Saw a Ween song up there, I'd add Big Jilm to that.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood- Relax

The unbleeped version of Monty Python's I'll Bet You They Won't Play This Song On The Radio

The unbleeped version of Adam Sandler's Ode To My Car (lyrics below)

Here we go

Piece of **** car
I got a piece of **** car
That ****in' pile of ****
Never gets me very far

My car's a big piece of ****
'Cause the shocks are ****ing shot
And my seatbelt's ****ing broken
I got to tie it in a knot
(It's a piece of ****)

I can't see through the windshield
'Cause it's got a big ****ing' crack
And the interior smells real bad
'Cause my friend puked in the back
(It's a piece of ****)

(Piece of **** car)
Piece of **** car
(He's got a piece of **** car)
It sucks royal dick
(That ****in' pile of ****)
100% crap
(Never gets him very far)
Oh **** you car

It's got no CD player, it only got the 8-track
Whoever designed my car can lick my sweaty nut sack
(They can bite his ass too)
And I got no ****in' brakes
I'm always way out of control
Eleven times a day I hear "Hey, watch it *******"
(You ****in' piece of ****)

(Piece of **** car)
I got piece of **** car
(He got a piece of **** car)
Diesel gas sucks my ass
(That ****in' pile of ****)
That pile of metal ****
(Never gets him very far)

Oh what the **** did I do
What the **** did I do
What the **** did I do
To get stuck with you
You're too wide for drive-thru
And you smell like the shoe
But I'm too broke to buy something new
Oh **** me

Well the engine likes to flood
The car always ****in' stalls
And the seat cushion's got a big rip
So a spring always pokes the balls
(Ouch, ouch, ouch)
Plus the door locks are busted
I gotta use a ****ing coat hanger
(What a pain in his ass)
And if a girlie sees my car
There's no chance I'll ever bang her
(He never ever gets da pussy)
Hey shut up
(Piece of **** car)
You piece of **** car

(You got a piece of **** car)
You piece of **** car
(Piece of **** car)
Bald ****in' tires
(You got a piece of **** car)
No rearview ****ing mirror
(Piece of **** car)
Seven different colors
(You got a piece of **** car)
****ing rag for a gas cap
(Piece of **** car)
Tailpipe makes the sparks fly everywhere
(You got a piece of **** car)
(Piece of **** car)
(You got a piece of **** car)
(Piece of **** car)
Oh the whole town thinks I'm a loser
(You got a piece of **** car)
Cabby give me a push
(Piece of **** car...)