5 Songs That Give Me Chill Bumps

There are songs that I enjoy. There are songs that make me smile every time I hear them. There are songs that give me a lump in my throat. There are songs that I think are genius both in writing and production ("Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry is an example). But there is a very small group of songs that for various reasons provoke an actual physical reaction. They give me chills every time I hear them, and I've heard them scores of times. It is indeed rarified air that these songs live in. Here are five songs that give me chill bumps every time I hear them, and why. I invite and encourage you to find these on Spotify, Amazon Music, or whatever music service you use and see if you agree, disagree, or think I'm crazy.

1. "Faded Love" - Patsy Cline. This is one of those songs that is so strong that it doesn't seem to matter who covers it, it works. I first heard it in its original form on one of my father's albums of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. But Patsy Cline took it into the stratosphere. It's mostly her voice. There is such emotional range, and she sings it as if she's telling you a personal story and not singing a song. She sells this song and I'm buying it. Every time she hits the chorus, it sounds like she's about to break down and cry, and at the very end there is an actual little sob in her voice. The story is that right before she recorded this she had been in a vicious argument with her husband. Her husband came to the studio to apologize and the producer wouldn't let him see her because she was pouring all of that emotional turmoil into the song. The strings and solo guitar are also masterful.

2. "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles. Most of the songs on this list are country music songs, and this one was written as a country song. But like most of the music he recorded, Ray Charles made it uniquely his own. What gets me is the way he phrases each line. At the end of each line he does something unexpected. He either does a little melodic flip up or holds a note until you're sure he's going to be too late in finishing it. This is one of those recordings that sounds kind of corny now. There's a lush string arrangement, and one of those huge choirs that sings a little too loud. But that's part of what makes the song work. Ray Charles, because he can't stop loving that woman who has left him, eventually gets to the point where he just can't find the strength to keep singing. So he says, "Sing the song, children!" and the choir rushes in to support him in his grief. And to top it off, on top of some of those lush string sections, Ray effortlessly tosses off some incredibly soulful (and difficult) piano licks.

3. "Mull of Kintyre" - Paul McCartney & Wings. This one is all about the bagpipes. There is a real place called Mull of Kintyre that is near where Paul McCartney had a home in Scotland. The song starts off as a sweet little melody that's catchy on its own. But suddenly we hear the drone of several bagpipes and then they start wailing on that sweet little melody and make it sound epic. Sir Paul hired a local pipe and drum band to play on the track. Here's the thing about bagpipes - they can only play in one or two keys. So Paul goes back and forth between those two keys and uses the bagpipes to full effect. There may be a little Scots-Irish blood in me and this songs touches some genetic memory.

4. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Friends. In the early 70's the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were a bunch of "long-haired Californians" who were bluegrass and folk music enthusiasts. They decided to make an album with some of the icons of bluegrass, folk music, and country music. It was a double album called "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", and celebrated the coming together of young musicians with historic musicians like Earl Scruggs, Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, and Roy Acuff. This song was one of the signature songs of the original Carter Family who helped make country music a popular genre. The song is the finale of the album and everyone involved with the recording plays and sings on the track. If there is a "national anthem" of country music, this song is it. To hear historic voices and musicians is like being present for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Not only is it a moving song lyrically, but to hear some of the pillars that built country music always give me the chills.

5. "Oh Happy Day" - The Edwin Hawkins Singers - There are several gospel songs that just thrill me to the core, but this one is somehow special. There is so much power in the voices. However, the song has a lot of dynamic range. It's soft and quiet and then just explodes in joy. It's a thrill every time I hear it.

Honorable mentions: "Daddy Sang Bass" - Johnny Cash, "How I Got Over" - Aretha Franklin, "Old College Avenue" - Harry Chapin

Mike