OVER THE TABLE Song List

Here's the complete song list, in alphabetical order:

1 2 3 4 – Feist

A Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash

A Nervous Tick Motion of the Head to the Left – Andrew Bird

A Sunday Smile – Beirut

Again and Again – The Bird and the Bee

Ageless Beauty – Stars

Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers

All You Fascists – Billy Bragg & Wilco

Already Home – Ha-Ash

Always a Bridesmaid – Good Life

Amerykah Promise – Erykah Badu

And It Stoned Me – Van Morrison

Another Lonely Day – Ben Harper

Another Travelin Song – Bright Eyes

Anything Goes – Randy Houser

Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet

At the Bottom of Everything – Bright Eyes

Australia – The Shins

Bad Tom Smith – Blind Corn Liquor Pickers

Before the Worst – The Script

Beginning of the End – Brian Maddox

Best of My Love – The Emotions

Big Sky – Rachel Loy

Birds & Ships – Billy Bragg & Wilco

Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis

Brother – Annuals

Can’t Find the Words – Karina

Carry Around – Annuals

Cellophane – Amanda Ghost

Change Clothes – Jay Z, DJ Danger Mouse

Chasing Pavements – Adele

Cherry Tree – 10,000 Maniacs

Come On! Feel the Illinoise!: The World's Columbian Exposition / Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream – Sufjan Stevens

Come Running – Van Morrison

Comfy in Nautica – Panda Bear

Crown of Love – The Arcade Fire

Daddy Sang Bass – Johnny Cash

Day Too Soon – Sia

Dear Jessie – Madonna

Did You Say Goodbye – Brian Maddox

Didn’t Cha Know – Erykah Badu

Different Sound – Teddybears

Divine – Sebastian Tellier

Divine Intervention – Matthew Sweet

Do You Feel Me – Anthony Hamilton

Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis

Dream – Priscilla Ahn

Drops in the River – Fleet Foxes

El Paso – The Gourds

Every Wall You Own – Chris Bathgate

Fake Empire – The National

Fast As You Can – Fiona Apple

Fiery Crash – Andrew Bird

Flathead – The Fratellis

Forgive Me – Leona Lewis

Four-Eyed Girl – Rhett Miller

Free Electric Band – Albert Hammond

Geraldine – Glasvegas

Golden Slumbers – Ben Folds

Gotta Have You – The Weepies

Green Light – John Legend

Have You Made Up Your Mind – Paul Weller

Heartbroke – Good Life

Hellhounds – The Gourds

Here to There – Sonya Kitchell

Here’s Where the Story Ends – The Sundays

Hey Jack Kerouac – 10,000 Maniacs

Home – Jeff Black

Home – Marc Broussard

Homesick – Kings of Convenience

I Just Drove By – Kimmie Rhodes & Willie Nelson

I Told You So – Keith Urban

I Will Be – Leona Lewis

I’m Amazed – My Morning Jacket

I’m Yours – Jason Mraz

If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys

Imitosis – Andrew Bird

In Spite of Ourselves – John Prine

In the Jailhouse Now – Johnny Cash

In This Life – Delta Goodrem

Into the Mystic – Van Morrison

Irreplaceable – Beyonce

Is There a Ghost – Band of Horses

It’s a Hit – Rilo Kiley

Jacksonville – Sufjan Stevens

Jealousy – Cary Brothers

John Wayne Gacy, Jr – Sufjan Stevens

Keep It Together – Madonna

Keep on Walking – Jem

Keep the Car Running – The Arcade Fire

Kiss Me On My Neck – Erykah Badu

Kosinski – The Angels of Light

Left & Leaving – The Weakerthans

Lifeless – Caliko

Life Less Ordinary – Carbon Leaf

Little Stereo – Teddybears

Little Toy Gun – Honey Honey

Love Is Fear – The Constantines

Love Is a Losing Game – Amy Winehouse

Man Burning – Josh Ritter

Marty – Caliko

Mercy – Duffy

Middle Distance Runner – Sea Wolf

Mother Madam – Carey Ott

Mr. Hurricane – Beast

Murray – Pete Yorn

Naked Eye – Luscious Jackson

Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) – The Arcade Fire

Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles) – The Arcade Fire

Neo Violence – The Tough Alliance

No Air – Jordin Sparks

No One Does it Like You – Department of Eagles

No One’s Gonna Love You – Band of Horses

Notes in His Pockets – Good Life

Oh What a World – Rufus Wainright

OK Alone – Gabriel Mann

Peace Train – 10,000 Maniacs

Penitentiary Philosophy – Erykah Badu

Play Something We Know – Adam Hood

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths

Pony (It’s OK) – Erin McCarley

Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae

Rebellion (Lies) – The Arcade Fire

Riversong – Caliko

Rock & Roll – Eric Hutchinson

Run – Amy MacDonald

Run Devil Run – Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins

Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root

Show Me – John Legend

Sing Your Life – Morrissey

Sleep Tonight – Stars

Sleeping Lessons – The Shins

Solitaire – Andy Williams

Something Good This Way Comes – Jakob Dylan

Something More Besides You – Cowboy Junkies

Sometimes – Clark Country

Soon We’ll Be Found – Sia

Steeple Full of Swallows – The Gourds

Such Great Heights – The Postal Service

Take a Bow – Leona Lewis

Teach Me To Stay – Brian Maddox

Teardrop – Massive Attack

The Big Guns – Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins

The Box – Johnny Flynn

The Boy With the Arab Strap – Belle & Sebastian

The Bridge – The Gourds

The Glass Parade – Cary Brothers

The Last One – Cary Brothers

The Monitor – Bishop Allen

The Sporting Life – The Decemberists

The Stoop – Little Jackie

The World Exploded Into Love – Bob Schneider

The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song – The Flaming Lips

This Is It – Ryan Adams

This is My Now – Jordin Sparks

Tie a Yellow Ribbon – Dawn

To Go Home – M. Ward

Town Called Malice – The Jam

Trouble Sleeping – Corinne Bailey Rae

Tuesday Night – Adam Hood

Untouched – The Veronicas

Verdi Cries – 10,000 Maniacs

Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed

Walt Whitman’s Niece – Billy Bragg & Wilco

Was I On Your Mind – Jessie Baylin

We Will Become Silhouettes – The Postal Service

What I’m Trying to Say, Part 2 – Stars

When I Met the Girl – Big Kid

When We Are One – Gabriel Mann

Yes, I’m Cold – Chris Bathgate

You’re Beautiful – James Blunt

Young Folks – Peter Bjorn & John

Your Ex-Lover is Dead – Stars

Yours to Keep – Teddybears

Zak & Sara – Ben Folds

The Writing has BEGUN!

On January 1, 2009, I began writing on the Over the Table and Under the Bar series.

I am literally picking a question and a song out of a bowl and a vase, respectively, each morning. The two slips of paper are being stapled to the print-out of the song lyrics, which is then folded and inserted into my journal.

16 days into the series, I'm finding that I'm having to force myself to keep it brief. The first couple of plays were difficult to write, but the past couple could have gone on for pages and pages. Last night, I found myself at 10:45 PM telling myself that I had to wrap up the play because I was exhausted and wanted to get to sleep. I really could have (and probably will, eventually) written much more on those two characters.

I'll post (each day, hopefully) the question, responses, song, and lyrics of the day. Though the writing has started, I'd love to keep reading your responses. Carl seems to be having fun with creating his own stories when he reads the day's picks. I imagine some of you will, too.

OVER THE TABLE AND UNDER THE BAR

I am about halfway through the preparation stage for my newest writing project, Over the Table and Under the Bar.

When finished, this project will consist of 175 short plays written in 175 days. The plays will all be based on questions that I have compiled from a couple different sources: the conversation starter collection, Table Topics, and the book, Barguments. The questions have been randomized and sent to a group of friends and family, 7 to each, with no two people receiving the same set of questions. I am compiling the responses (ideally, each question will have 3 responses) and adding them to my own answers. When it comes time to write, I will pick a question and use the responses (or not) as inspiration for the play based on that question.

I will begin writing on Thursday, January 1, 2009, and will write one play a day for 175 days.

I still need answers to several questions, which I'll be posting. Comments/responses are encouraged!

I am also working on creating an inspirational soundtrack for the series. As with the questions, I'll be picking one song each day to aid in the inspiration. I've currently got 62 songs on my list, so just over 100 left to find. Suggestions/recommendations are welcome!