Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-28396600-20180827000654

This is a thread where you can list your top 10 favorite anything no matter. Within reason of course, don't be listing your favorite porn sites or illegal drugs here and you'll be fine lol:

My Top 10 Best John Mellencamp Songs:

1. Small Town - Being someone who grew up in and still lives in a small Indiana town, this song greatly reflects my lifestyle. Every time I hear it, it always reminds me of my wonderful home with it's beautiful lyrics. Just like John Mellencamp discusses in the song, the small town life is the life for me and I can definitely relate to the lyrics for that reason. I was born in a small town, I still live in a small town, and I will most likely someday die in a small town as well which is probably where they will bury me. It's like my life story summed up in one song!

2. Jack and Diane - Nearly every John Mellencamp fan lists this song as a favorite and I am no exception. I've always enjoyed songs that tell stories especially relatable ones. John Mellencamp used the most relatable source to him as inspiration for this song:His own personal life. Jack was actually John Mellencamp's nickname growing up and his wife (currently ex-wife)'s name was Diane. It's actually about his own life experiences which makes it all the more interesting.

3. Between a Laugh and a Tear - Only one word can describe this song:Beautiful. It is a narrative that discusses a problem we will all face someday in our lives if we haven't already:Coming to terms with the fact that we are becoming elderly. The song tells about all the struggles adults have with aging from losing all his old friends to sadly reminiscing on his old adolescent age dreams to the pain of sudden realization that he's no longer young all while putting on a positive spin on old age along the way. It is a reminder that even though people who have shared that scary revelation of old age aren't dead yet and there are still plenty of memories to look forward to. It has some very profound, incredibly memorable lyrics in it my favorite being this verse,

"Try to live each and every precious moment,

Don't be discouraged about the future,

Forget the past,

That's old advice but it'll be good to you,

I know there's a balance,

See it when I swing past,".

4. Rain on the Scarecrow - Moving on from songs about the struggles of present day life to Mellencamp nostalgically reminiscing on his childhood, we have this unforgettable work of art. Rain on the Scarecrow paints a vivid picture in the mind of it's listeners and really gives you a feel of what John's childhood was like. As someone who also grew up as a country boy who loved to hang out with grandpa, the experience described in the song is very relatable. Just like a beautiful painting, well written lyrics can show amazing pictures to those who admire it. This song is a wonderful example of music as an art form. If it was ever discovered 100 percent that aliens do exist, I would request sending this song into space as one of the remnants of Earth culture for them to learn about us a species.

5. Jackie Brown - While the tone is sad and depressing, that's the point of this song. It tells the tale of a poor person who struggles to keep his family safe, healthy, and happy. It really shows the harsh reality of being poor to those of us who are fortunate enough to never experience such hardships for ourselves. I really do believe that if some Ebenezer Scrooge-type person who is obsessed with money more than anything in life and doesn't give a damn about poor people heard this song, it may soften that person's heart and change their lives for the better.

6. Pink Houses - Possibly the most accurate depiction of the average American lifestyle I've ever heard in a song. This song describes the people that we all know. The types that nearly every has met in their own neighborhoods before. From the strong faithed Christian man who attends church every Sunday to the sweet old lady who plays bingo with her friends at the old folks home to the young rebellious teenager who dreams of someday being the next big music sensation. While the people in this song aren't meant to depict specific real life people, they describe the common types of people that almost every American regardless of what neighbor they are from lives next to. People like the ones mentioned in this song will probably always exist which gives it a timeless quality. I feel like this copy of this song should probably belong in a museum about American culture somewhere.

7. Peaceful World - This song has a very important message behind it:Accepting others for who they are. I am the type of person who strongly opposes racism, sexism, homophobia, ablism, blasphemy, fat shaming, or any other type of hatred. I believe that type of prejudice mindset is truly destructive to our society and that everyone should love one another no matter what. The song has a very good moral concept behind it and anything that takes a stand against hatred is okay by me. It even directly quotes Martin Luther King Jr. a few times. Every hateful, bigoted person should hear this song and truly think about what the lyrics are trying to say.

8. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. - Listening to this masterpiece is like listening to a small tribute to some of the best musicians of all time. John Mellencamp basically wrote this song as a love letter to all the other musicians who inspired him. It's very cool and I recommend it to music lovers because it is chock full of references to other songs and artists.

9. Minutes to Memories - I'm not one hundred percent sure so don't quote me on this but I'm pretty sure that this song is most likely meant to be one huge reference to Kenny Roger's "The Gambler". Both songs are about the singer describing his experience meeting an old man on a bus who then proceeds to give him meaningful advice. I just love this one.

10. Grandma's Theme - This is by far the most unique entry in John Mellencamp's huge discography. This one is sung entirely by his Grandma as we listen to her discuss an experience she had one day. I am very intrigued by how is told from a completely different perspective than most of his songs. All the more unique is how the song isn't just sung from the perspective of his Grandma it's sung BY his grandma, the real woman herself. In the future, John could play this song for his grandkids so they could hear what their great Grandma's voice sounded like.

Now please post lists of your favorite things (or least favorite) things below. Whether positive, negative, or indifferent all top 10 lists are welcome here. Whether it be TV shows, movies, cartoons, anime, music, books, video games, Internet culture, superheroes, food and drinks, animals, art, stores, restaurants, fan work, fashion, popular trends, etc. this is a thread where you can rave or rant about virtually anything you want to. Enioy :). 