Conscious Choice: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

May 2008 | Tune In

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

Culture creators dish on the songs that matter

By Elizabeth Barker

Whether your personal philosophy on music’s momentousness meshes best with Friedrich Nietzsche (“Without music, life would be an error”) or Mick Jagger (“It’s only rock and roll, but I like it”), it’s nearly impossible to deny the power of a perfect song. And while your most cherished music memories may have more to do with slow dances and other romantic initiations, equally essential are the songs that inspire art and action.

To find out which musical muses have swayed some of our favorite visionaries — and for hints on which tracks to add next to our iTunes — we asked a few culture creators to tell us about the songs that matter most to them. From The Beatles to Radiohead, here are the tunes that changed their lives.

Don Miguel Ruiz
author of The Four Agreements

“I Will” by The Beatles
This is my favorite song because it’s a beautiful expression of unconditional love.

Linda Loudermilk
eco-fashion designer

“Wolf at the Door” by Radiohead
Different songs hit me at different times, but right now it’s “Wolf at the Door.” Radiohead breaks all the rules — they’re new rebels with a soul that tells it real. That’s what I respect most: people who tell the story of what it’s like to be human, tell the story of things we all try to cover up. When we reveal what’s real, we stop keeping everything packed into our silly little heads and we come back to simplicity. And it all boils down to that wolf at the door. The wolf is nature; it’s god’s creature and it’s also love. And love is what it’s all about.

Josh Dorfman
author of The Lazy Environmentalist

“Instant Karma” by John Lennon
This is a song about recognizing the power each of us has within and realizing that, in the grand cosmic scheme, we are all superstars. The song is a constant reminder to me that I have every right to reach as high as I possibly can imagine; that I, like everyone else, deserve to excel at the highest levels; and that, as my star shines bright, it illuminates those around me so that they may shine bright too. It inspires me to embrace my fears and just go for it time and time again.

Ed Begley, Jr.
actor, activist, spokesman for
Earth Cinema Circle

“The Heart Of Saturday Night” by Tom Waits
Tom Waits was with me when I met my first wife, Ingrid, the mother of my two grown kids. We are still great friends.

Summer Rayne Oakes
model and activist

“Waiting in the Weeds” by The Eagles
This song is off The Eagles’ latest album, Long Road Out of Eden. It’s vintage Eagles, and the lyrics are poetic and hauntingly vivid:

And I’ve been waiting in the weeds
Waiting for the summer rain to fall upon the
Wild birds scattering the seeds
Answering the calling of the tide’s eternal tune
The phases of the moon
The chambers of the heart
The ebb and dart of small gray
Spiders spinning in the dark
In spite of all the times the web is torn apart

The song is about the cycles of life, never giving up, knowing when it’s time to sit back and when it’s time to shine. Don sings the lyrics masterfully — very poignant and uplifting. God, it’s a beautiful song. It takes a special song to make you reflect on your life, and this is one of them for me.

Brett Dennen
musician and activist

“America” by Paul Simon
It’s very specific to the American experience, but I think it’s pertinent to anyone in the world. It’s about getting totally caught up in your own struggle, the minute or maybe grandiose struggle or problems you have in your own life, and then comparing them to the bigger picture and whatever everyone deals with. Be thankful for what you have and be thankful for the fact that you have problems.

Mollie Katzen
author of The Moosewood Cookbook

“Toreador’s Song” from Carmen
When I was about six years old, I listened to the opera Carmen for the first time — my mother had it on an old 78 record. And when I got to the “Toreador’s Song,” I went absolutely crazy. I didn’t even know what the words meant; I was just so moved by that operatic bass voice. From then on I would wait until nobody was home and play the song over and over. I’d memorized what I thought were the words and I would lip-sync along.
Now whenever I hear that piece, it transports me in a very indescribable way. I’m completely taken back to being six years old.

Max Simon
founder and chief enlightenment officer
of The selfcentered Tour

“Little by Little” by Groove Armada
The vibe is sexy, the beat is fluid and the message is powerfully simple. It’s everything I love about the world translated into a song. In my darkest and lightest times, it has always been the perfect reminder to “slow down and be where we really are.”

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