Choose 5? I'm not superman, but Ill try

The Beatles - Blackbird

This song embodies my love of music. I love the simplicity - there are only four sounds on the record: Paul's voice, the guitar, the tapping (which was actually a scratch made intentionally on the master) and the birds (which were dubbed in later). The song is so brilliantly simple and yet it is perfect in its simplicity. It has a beautiful sound with a sad tinge to it, appropriate considering the song is about the civil right struggles of Blacks in a post-civil war era. Paul says what he wants without any fancy bells or whistles. The song tears away any false pretenses that music need be complex and fancy and lays bare the emotional core which resonates so singularly with our souls.

Pink Floyd - Time

Few songs are able to so accurately embrace the things which they endeavor to describe. "Time" is one of these songs. From the ticking and ringing of clocks at the beginning to the flow of the rhythm itself throughout the song, everything about it is time. The lyrics are masterful, describing how easily we throw away our finite lives until we realize it is too late, time has slipped by. This is where my favorite line in the song comes in, "You run and you run to catch up to the sun, but it's sinking, and racing around to come up behind you again." This desperate attempt to catch up on lost time, lost life ends with the song, in an almost sad acceptance of fate. In the end we return home, to what we know and who we are at heart.

Blink 182 - Time to Break Up

I'm almost positive that every time I've broken up with a girl, I've listened to the song. It's almost as if the two are related. Nonetheless I love Blink 182 because, to me, they've always gracefully embodied the breathtaking, recklessness of youth and all of it's experiences. Breakups, hookups, parties, college - it's all there and they always lay it out there for all to see. I love that. As for this song in particular, it expresses what exactly makes breakups such miserable experiences: the aftereffects. All of a sudden every song on the radio is about you and your girl. Every love song throws into sharp contrast that which you no longer have. Then there's the shameless attempts to try and throw off these negative emotions, "...you fucked up my life." Finally the song ends with our final, desperate attempt at reconciling our emotions without having to deal with them, "I'm kicking out fiercely at the world around me"

The Goo Goo Dolls - Slide

This song will always hold a special place in my heart. Not only does it represent a musical decade that I grew up in and love, but I remember it particularly because I played it for my first girlfriend when i asked her out. That, in addition to the lyrics, is why when I hear this song I'm filled with a sense of overwhelming and unbridled love. He's singing about running away with his love, despite the mistakes she's made. Plus the line, "I wanna wake up where you are" just warms my heart. There nothing better than waking up next to the girl that you love with every ounce of your being, knowing that she feels the same about you.

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Oh Jimi, why'd you have to overdose? Jimi Hendrix took my appreciation for explosive guitar riffs, mind blowing distortion and absurd musical talent and turned it into fiery fanaticism. Between Jimi's mastery of the wah-wah pedal and his psychedelic lyrics, everyhting about this song seems otherworldly. It's like being led straight into the heart of Woodstock. This song for me represents the pinnacle of electric guitar expression. Everything about it screams individuality and soul. To listen to "Voodoo Child" is to stare into the very core of Jimi's being.

I'd also like to add that this list was hard to make in so many ways. There are numerous songs which all hold deep personal meanings to me and represent who I am as a person and what I try to find in my music. That said, I feel as though this is a pretty good snapshot.