This page lists all Song Bar and Readers Recommend topics alphabetically. For a categorisation by theme, see here.
Numerals
♦ 3/4 time ♦ 12″ singles & remixes to 1979 ♦ 12″ singles – 1980s ♦ 1900-1955, songs from ♦ 19th century life ♦ 21st century, artistic trends of the ♦ 9/11 ♦
A
♦ a cappella ♦ accents ♦ acceptance ♦ accidents ♦ accordion ♦ actors ♦ addiction ♦ addresses ♦ adolescence ♦ adultery & infidelity ♦ adventure ♦ adversity ♦ advertising ♦ advice ♦ advice # 2 ♦ Africa ♦ afterlife ♦ afternoon ♦ age, coming of ♦ ages ♦ alarm sounds ♦ album endings ♦ album openers ♦ aliens ♦ alliteration ♦ alone, being ♦ alternative outcomes ♦ ambiguity ♦ ambiguous songs ♦ ambition ♦ America ♦ American west ♦ angels ♦ anger ♦ animals ♦ animals, famous or notable ♦ anniversaries ♦ anonymity ♦ anticipation ♦ anxiety ♦ apocalypse ♦ apologies ♦ arguments ♦ arguments # 2 ♦ army ♦ arrangements, great ♦ art & photography ♦ art, works of ♦ asafaraes ♦ ascension ♦ Asia ♦ Asian cities ♦ asking, begging or pleading ♦ assassination ♦ audible breaths ♦ austerity ♦ Australia ♦ authenticity & fakery ♦ autumn ♦ aviation ♦ awkwardness ♦
B
♦ B sides ♦ babies ♦ babies & childbirth ♦ backbone & neck ♦ backing vocals ♦ bad they’re good, so ♦ bags & containers ♦ banks & banking ♦ basements & underground ♦ bass lines ♦ Beatles ♦ Beatles covers ♦ Beatles, solo songs ♦ beauty ♦ beds ♦ beer ♦ bees ♦ bells ♦ bereavement ♦ biblical songs ♦ bicycles ♦ biography & autobiography ♦ birds ♦ birdsong ♦ Birmingham & the Black Country ♦ birthdays ♦ black ♦ blood ♦ blue ♦ boastful songs ♦ bodily fluids ♦ body language ♦ bones ♦ books ♦ books # 2 ♦ borders, barriers, walls & fences ♦ boredom ♦ brain ♦ brands ♦ brass ♦ bravery ♦ bread & baking ♦ bread, cakes, pastry & biscuits ♦ break-up, upbeat ♦ break-up, upbeat # 2 ♦ breaking things ♦ breathing ♦ brevity ♦ bridges ♦ bright and beautiful ♦ bright songs with dark topics ♦ brighter, getting ♦ Britain ♦ brothers & sisters ♦ build, songs that ♦ buildings ♦ buses ♦ buskers ♦ butterflies & moths ♦
C
♦ California ♦ call and response ♦ Canada ♦ capital punishment ♦ Caribbean ♦ carnivals & funfairs ♦ cars & driving ♦ cats ♦ caves ♦ celebration ♦ celebrity ♦ celestial bodies ♦ Central America & Mexico ♦ cetaceans ♦ change ♦ change # 2 ♦ change of mind ♦ chaos ♦ character songs ♦ charisma ♦ cheating ♦ chicken and egg songs ♦ children ♦ children performing ♦ children’s songs ♦ chocolate ♦ choirs ♦ Christmas, anti- ♦ Christmas songs, alternative ♦ circles ♦ classical songs ♦ cleansing ♦ climate change ♦ clocks & watches ♦ clothes ♦ clouds ♦ coast ♦ cocaine & heroin ♦ cocktails & strong liquor ♦ coffee ♦ coincidence ♦ coins ♦ cold ♦ collaborations & side projects ♦ collaborations, unlikely ♦ collecting & lists ♦ colours ♦ comeback songs ♦ comics & cartoons ♦ command or instruct, songs that ♦ Commonwealth ♦ community ♦ companies & corporations ♦ compass points ♦ compromise ♦ concerts ♦ confidence ♦ confusion & delusion ♦ consolation ♦ consumption, reckless ♦ conspiracies ♦ contentment ♦ control ♦ conversations ♦ cooking ♦ correspondence, written ♦ covers, unlikely ♦ covers better than the originals ♦ covers by the opposite sex ♦ COVID-19 lockdown ♦ cricket ♦ crime ♦ criminals ♦ crisis ♦ crosses ♦ crowds ♦ crowns ♦ cruel songs ♦ cry, songs that make you ♦ crying ♦ curves & spheres ♦
D
♦ dance instrumentals ♦ dance styles ♦ dancing ♦ dancing, songs that trigger ♦ dares ♦ dates ♦ dawn ♦ days of the week ♦ death ♦ debuts ♦ deception ♦ deceptive appearances ♦ decisions, bad ♦ decisive songs ♦ decor ♦ deep voices ♦ denial ♦ departures ♦ deserts ♦ desperation ♦ determination ♦ devil ♦ dialogue ♦ disappointment ♦ disbelief ♦ discordant songs ♦ discovery ♦ distance & time, estimates of ♦ distractions, diversions & digressions ♦ divorce ♦ doctors ♦ dogs ♦ domestic songs ♦ doom ♦ doors ♦ double bass ♦ dreams ♦ drinking ♦ drinks, non-alcoholic ♦ drone music ♦ drumming, great ♦ dub, influenced by ♦ duets ♦ duos ♦
E
♦ ears & hearing ♦ earth, soil & dirt ♦ eavesdropping ♦ eccentric songs ♦ echoes ♦ edges & ledges ♦ education ♦ education, higher ♦ eggs ♦ elections ♦ electricity ♦ electronic music to 1983 ♦ elephants ♦ Elvis ♦ embarrassment ♦ empathy ♦ end of the world ♦ England ♦ environment ♦ equality ♦ escape ♦ eternity ♦ euphoria ♦ eureka moments ♦ Europe, places in ♦ evening ♦ excess ♦ exercise ♦ exile ♦ eyes ♦ eyes & sight ♦ eyewear ♦
F
♦ faces ♦ fads & crazes ♦ failure ♦ fairgrounds ♦ fairness ♦ fairytales ♦ faith ♦ fallen heroes ♦ falling ♦ false endings ♦ falsetto, songs with ♦ fame, effects of ♦ family ♦ famous last words, songs with ♦ famous people ♦ fantasy ♦ farm produce ♦ farming ♦ fashion ♦ fat, being ♦ fate & destiny ♦ fathers ♦ fathers and daughters ♦ fear ♦ fear of missing out ♦ feet ♦ feminism ♦ fetishes ♦ fighting ♦ films, inspired by or about ♦ films, redefined by ♦ films, recorded for ♦ finish where they begin ♦ finishing ♦ fire ♦ fires, starting ♦ firsts & lasts ♦ fish ♦ fixing, repairing & solving ♦ flags ♦ flavour ♦ flirting ♦ flowers ♦ flute, pipe & whistles ♦ flying ♦ follow-ups, forgotten ♦ food ♦ fools ♦ footwear ♦ foreign language versions ♦ forests ♦ forgetting ♦ forgiveness ♦ formal agreements ♦ fortune tellers ♦ fractions & portions ♦ France ♦ freedom ♦ French songs ♦ fresh starts ♦ Friday & Saturday ♦ friendship ♦ fruit ♦ fun ♦ funerals ♦ funerals, music to play at ♦ funk ♦ funny songs ♦ furniture ♦ futility ♦ future, the ♦
G
♦ gambling ♦ games ♦ gangs ♦ gardens ♦ gases ♦ gender & LGBTQ+ ♦ genre defying ♦ genre switch ♦ gentleness ♦ geology ♦ geometric shapes ♦ ghosts ♦ gifts & giving ♦ girl groups ♦ girls’ names ♦ glamour & style ♦ glass ♦ God & the Devil ♦ gold ♦ goodbyes ♦ goosebumps, songs that give you ♦ gospel, influenced by ♦ gossip ♦ gratitude ♦ greed ♦ green ♦ guests, songs featuring special ♦ guilt & apology ♦ guitars ♦ guns ♦
H
♦ hair ♦ halloween ♦ handclaps ♦ hands ♦ hanging ♦ hangovers ♦ harmonica ♦ harmonies ♦ harp, lyre & zither ♦ harpsichord ♦ hatchet jobs ♦ hats ♦ hats & accessories ♦ healing ♦ heart ♦ heartbreak ♦ heat ♦ heat # 2 ♦ heaven & hell ♦ hedonism ♦ hello ♦ hero worship ♦ hidden tracks ♦ high ♦ high pitched vocals ♦ historical events ♦ historical figures ♦ history, ancient ♦ hitchhiking ♦ hobbies ♦ holes ♦ holidays ♦ Hollywood ♦ home ♦ home, coming ♦ homelessness ♦ homosexuality ♦ honorific titles ♦ hope ♦ hope & resilience ♦ horizons ♦ horror ♦ horses ♦ hospitals ♦ hotels ♦ hunting ♦
I
♦ ‘I am’ songs ♦ idioms ♦ illness ♦ illusions ♦ imagination ♦ immigrants & refugees ♦ immortality & longevity ♦ impermanence ♦ impossible ♦ incidental music ♦ indecipherable songs ♦ indecision ♦ independence ♦ India, inspired by ♦ indifference ♦ industry & manufacturing ♦ infidelity ♦ inheritance ♦ innocence ♦ innuendo ♦ insects ♦ instrumental soundtracks ♦ instrumentals ♦ instruments, musical ♦ instruments, odd sounds & ♦ instruments imitating voice (& vice-versa) ♦ insulting songs ♦ insulting songs, offensive ♦ intelligence ♦ interlopers ♦ internet ♦ intros, impressive ♦ intros, surprising ♦ inversions ♦ invisible & unseen ♦ Ireland ♦ iron & steel ♦ ironic songs ♦ islands ♦ Italy ♦ itinerants & migration ♦
J
♦ jealousy ♦ Jesus ♦ jobs ♦ joints of the body ♦ jokes ♦ Jones & Joneses ♦ joyous songs ♦ judges & trials ♦ jukeboxes ♦ justice ♦
K
♦ key changes, notable ♦ keys & locks ♦ keyboards, great ♦ kindness ♦ kings ♦ kissing ♦ knives ♦ knots ♦ knowledge ♦ krautrock ♦
L
♦ la, songs that go ♦ ladders, stairs & elevators ♦ last night ♦ laughter ♦ law enforcement ♦ laziness ♦ leadership ♦ leaving ♦ left & right ♦ lessons in life ♦ letters & emails ♦ lies ♦ light ♦ limbo ♦ list songs ♦ literary songs ♦ live versions ♦ Liverpool & Merseyside ♦ livestock, four-legged ♦ London ♦ loneliness ♦ long distance relationships ♦ long songs ♦ losers ♦ loss ♦ lost, being ♦ lost and found ♦ love, anti- ♦ love, devoted ♦ love, everlasting ♦ love, falling in ♦ love, first ♦ love, platonic ♦ love, unrequited ♦ love is… ♦ love songs, slow & intimate ♦ love songs, songs about ♦ love songs to specific places ♦ luck ♦ lust ♦ lullabies, adult ♦
M
♦ machinery, industry & technology ♦ machines, robots & computers ♦ magazines ♦ magic ♦ making things ♦ mallet instruments ♦ mammals ♦ man or woman, being a ♦ Manchester ♦ maps ♦ marijuana ♦ markets & fairs ♦ marriage ♦ masks ♦ mathematics ♦ meals & mealtimes ♦ meaning of life ♦ meat ♦ melancholy songs ♦ memorabilia & souvenirs ♦ memory ♦ men, named after ♦ men’s names ♦ mental illness ♦ messages, indirect ♦ meta-songs ♦ middle eights, great ♦ midnight ♦ minimalist songs ♦ miracles ♦ mirrors ♦ misanthropic songs ♦ misheard, nonsense or inaudible lyrics ♦ missing someone ♦ mistaken identity ♦ mistakes ♦ misunderstanding ♦ mixtape enders ♦ mixtape openers ♦ modernity ♦ money ♦ monkeys & apes ♦ monsters ♦ months of the year ♦ mood-changing music ♦ moon ♦ morning ♦ morning, starting the ♦ mothers ♦ motivation ♦ motorbikes ♦ mountains ♦ movie & TV stars ♦ moving on ♦ Mr. & Mrs. ♦ multilingual songs ♦ multi-tasking ♦ murder ♦ museums ♦ music, songs that made you fall in love with ♦ music as nutrition ♦ music genres ♦ music industry ♦ music media ♦ music venues ♦ musically adventurous ♦ musicians, other ♦ myths & legends ♦ mythical beasts ♦
N
♦ na-na-hey-hey songs ♦ narcissism ♦ narratives, intriguing ♦ narrators, unusual ♦ natural disasters ♦ nature ♦ neighbours ♦ nerds & geeks ♦ never ♦ New England ♦ New Orleans ♦ New Orleans & south Lousiana, from ♦ new year songs ♦ New York ♦ New York City, music from ♦ news & journalism ♦ news & the media ♦ newspapers ♦ nicknames & pseudonyms ♦ night & darkness ♦ nightclubs ♦ nightingales & thrushes ♦ nightmares ♦ noise ♦ non sequiturs ♦ Nordic music ♦ normal & abnormal ♦ North East England ♦ northern England ♦ nostalgia ♦ nothing ♦ nuclear war ♦ numbered 1-10 ♦ numbers ♦ nursery rhymes ♦ nursing & healthcare ♦ nuts & edible seeds ♦
O
♦ obsession ♦ obsolete things ♦ obstacles ♦ obvious ♦ odd couples ♦ oddballs, outcasts & outsiders ♦ old & new ♦ old age ♦ old meets new ♦ older, getting ♦ omens & prophecies ♦ one (the number) ♦ one hit wonders ♦ one night stands ♦ onomatopoeia ♦ opening lines, arresting ♦ opposites ♦ optimistic songs ♦ orange ♦ orchestral string instruments ♦ organ, songs featuring ♦ orgasms ♦ out of tune ♦ outlaws & rebels ♦ overturning the odds ♦ owls ♦
P
♦ paganism ♦ pain, songs channelling ♦ painters ♦ parades ♦ paradise ♦ Paris ♦ parks ♦ parties & going out ♦ pathos ♦ patterns & sequences ♦ peace ♦ percussion, outstanding ♦ perfection ♦ persistence ♦ personification ♦ perspiration ♦ pets ♦ philosophers ♦ photographs ♦ photos & photography ♦ piano songs, best ♦ pick-up lines & marriage proposals ♦ pirates ♦ places, fictional ♦ places, specific or obscure ♦ plastic ♦ playing cards ♦ please & thank you ♦ poetry, inspired by ♦ police ♦ politicians ♦ politics, left wing ♦ positive songs ♦ poverty ♦ power ♦ pragmatism ♦ precious stones ♦ pride ♦ prisons ♦ procrastination ♦ promises, broken ♦ promises & choices ♦ propaganda ♦ prophets ♦ prostitution ♦ protest ♦ proverbs ♦ pubs & bars ♦ punctuality ♦ puppets ♦ purple ♦
Q
♦ queens ♦ questions ♦ questions, more than answers ♦ quiet ♦ quietly performed ♦
R
♦ rabbits ♦ radio ♦ rain ♦ rainbows & northern lights ♦ rallying cries ♦ rare events ♦ recipe songs ♦ records ♦ recovery ♦ red ♦ redemption ♦ refreshment & cooling down ♦ refusal ♦ reggae, ska & rocksteady, influenced by ♦ regressing ♦ regrets ♦ rejection ♦ relaxation & leisure ♦ religion ♦ remembrance ♦ rendezvous ♦ repetition ♦ repression ♦ reptiles ♦ resistance ♦ resolutions, new ♦ restaurants & cafés ♦ resurrection ♦ retro style ♦ retrospection ♦ reunions ♦ revenge ♦ reversing ♦ revolution ♦ rhythm, beat & boogie ♦ rhymes, unusual ♦ riffs ♦ rivers ♦ road trips ♦ roads & streets ♦ rodents ♦ rooms ♦ roots ♦ roses ♦ rough & smooth ♦ royalty ♦ running ♦ rural songs ♦ Russia ♦
S
♦ safety & danger ♦ saints & martyrs ♦ sales, selling & bargains ♦ sampling & recycling ♦ sand ♦ saxophone ♦ scandal ♦ scared, being ♦ scary songs ♦ schadenfreude ♦ school ♦ sci-fi & space ♦ science ♦ Scotland ♦ screams, howls, grunts & shrieks ♦ sea ♦ secrecy ♦ secret admirers ♦ secrets ♦ seduction ♦ self-deprecation ♦ self-referential songs ♦ separation ♦ September ♦ September & October ♦ sexy songs ♦ shadows ♦ Shakespeare ♦ Shakespeare, quoting ♦ sharp objects ♦ ships & boats ♦ shoes ♦ shooting ♦ shopping ♦ short songs ♦ showing off ♦ shyness ♦ siblings ♦ silence ♦ silver & other non-ferrous metals ♦ similes ♦ simple pleasures ♦ singing ♦ single, being ♦ sinners ♦ sisters ♦ sitting & standing ♦ sixth sense ♦ skin ♦ sky ♦ sleep & insomnia ♦ slowing down ♦ small things ♦ smells ♦ smiling & laughing ♦ smoking ♦ smuggling & stealing ♦ snow & ice ♦ social class ♦ social mobility ♦ solo performances, great ♦ solos, super ♦ songs about songs ♦ songs about other songs ♦ songs that sound like other songs ♦ songwriting ♦ sound effects ♦ South America ♦ space ♦ space travel ♦ Spain ♦ speed ♦ spiders ♦ spinning ♦ spirit of 2021 ♦ spiritual songs ♦ spoken word ♦ sport ♦ spring ♦ spring cleaning & household chores ♦ spying ♦ stalking, following & chasing ♦ star signs ♦ stars ♦ start with a chorus, songs that ♦ starting over ♦ startling songs ♦ staying ♦ steel guitar ♦ steelpan ♦ stereotypes ♦ stick it to the man ♦ stiff upper lip ♦ stops and starts ♦ storms ♦ storytelling ♦ strange & surreal ♦ strangers ♦ stubbornness ♦ stupidity ♦ substitutions ♦ suburbia ♦ sudden changes ♦ suicide ♦ summer ♦ sun ♦ supergroups ♦ superheroes ♦ surprise encounters ♦ surreal songs ♦ surveillance ♦ survival ♦ sweary songs ♦ sweet foods ♦ sweetness ♦ swimming or bathing ♦ switches, buttons, knobs & levers ♦ synth-pop 1980-2000 ♦
T
♦ taboos ♦ talking, songs that contain ♦ tattoos & piercings ♦ taxes ♦ taxis ♦ tea ♦ teachers ♦ teenage self, songs for ♦ teenagers ♦ telephones ♦ television ♦ ten words or fewer ♦ theatre ♦ theme & entrance songs, personal ♦ three ♦ tides ♦ tigers ♦ time, passage of ♦ time travel ♦ times of day ♦ tiredness ♦ titles, long ♦ titles, misleading or incongruous ♦ titles, one-word ♦ titles: provocative, strange or humorous ♦ tomorrow ♦ tools ♦ towns, named after ♦ toys ♦ tradition ♦ tragedy & comedy ♦ trains ♦ trapped, being ♦ trash ♦ travelling ♦ treachery & betrayal ♦ trees ♦ trees, grass & flowers ♦ tributes ♦ trios ♦ trombone ♦ trust ♦ truth ♦ TV themes ♦ twist, songs with a ♦ two – part 1 ♦ two – part 2 ♦
U
♦ uncertainty ♦ underrated artists ♦ underwater songs ♦ underwear ♦ unemployment ♦ unexplained phenomena ♦ unity ♦ unsettling songs ♦ urban environment ♦ urban wildlife ♦ US cities & states ♦ US presidents ♦
V
♦ Valentine’s Day songs ♦ vegetables ♦ vertebral column & neck ♦ vibrato, tremolo or oscillations ♦ vices, secret ♦ victory ♦ videos, songs with impressive ♦ villages ♦ villains ♦ vim ♦ violence & fighting ♦ violin ♦ visitors ♦ vocals, extraordinary ♦ volume ♦ volume changes ♦ volunteering ♦
W
♦ waiting ♦ waking up ♦ walking, songs that express ♦ walking & running ♦ wanting to be someone else ♦ war ♦ warnings ♦ wastelands ♦ water ♦ wealth ♦ weather, bad ♦ weddings ♦ weekend ♦ welcoming ♦ wells ♦ Welsh songs ♦ wheels ♦ whimsical songs ♦ whisky ♦ whispering songs ♦ whistling ♦ white ♦ wide open spaces ♦ wilderness ♦ wind ♦ windows ♦ wine ♦ wings ♦ winners ♦ winter ♦ winter sports & pastimes ♦ wisdom, words of ♦ witches & witchcraft ♦ with or without you songs ♦ without a chorus ♦ wolves ♦ women, named after ♦ wordless vocals ♦ words, choosing & using ♦ words, lyrics with strange, rare or unlikely ♦ work ♦ work, anti- ♦ work, manual ♦ worst songs ♦ writing ♦
X-Z
♦ yellow ♦ Yorkshire ♦ youth cults ♦ youthfulness ♦ zeitgeist ♦ zombies ♦