From Monday 2 December 2024

Daily Grind Tunes – Songs about the usual stuff

Brushing your teeth, heading to work, stuck in traffic, or getting your balls busted by the boss. Anything that’s part of your everyday, like eating pancakes or something like that.

Wilfred

Talking Heads – Heaven (1984, Stop Making Sense)

Heaven by Talking Heads may not seem like an obvious choice for a theme about the mundane, but that’s exactly what it is about. This song is a wry, ironic take on how we chase perfection—a place where everything is simple, predictable, and safe.

The catch? In “Heaven,” nothing ever happens. It’s the ultimate reflection of the daily grind: repetitive tasks, the same routines, the same bar, the same conversations.

But here’s the twist—maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Maybe the beauty of life isn’t in escaping the grind but in finding meaning within it. So, as you listen, think about the little loops in your day that feel endless. Are they stifling? Or could they be… your Heaven?

Arno

Blur – Parklife

“Parklife” by Blur is a vibrant commentary on everyday British life, encapsulating the mundane yet comforting routines of urban existence. The song features a blend of spoken word and catchy choruses, highlighting various characters and their interactions in a park setting. It reflects on themes like leisure, community, and the simple pleasures found in daily activities, such as feeding pigeons and enjoying a cup of tea. The lyrics emphasize a sense of belonging and contentment amidst the ordinary, making it an anthem for appreciating life’s small moments.

Liezel

Alex the Astronaut – Road Rage

No lengthy write-up today, but I’m sure you’ll get the gist. This is the more polished version of the experience—I decided to skip the one I resonate with more. Didn’t want to risk you keeping too much distance the next time we meet!

Richard

Shakin’ Stevens – This Ole House

Pop music may have changed since the 1980,s but the daily chores remain the same. This is Shaking Steve’s going over my things to do list.

Zosia

U2 – Beautiful Day

The daily grind for me is a sunset without a glass of wine. The song I have chosen is about being stuck in a grind while every day is a beautiful one.

Esther

Dolly Parton – 9 To 5

Geraldine

Billy Joel – The Downeaster ‘Alexa’

The Western Province is the best place for fishing and our snoek is better than the New Zeeland snoek. My father-in-law’s family were fishermen in Stilbaai. A very hard profession.

Chrisna

Washing Dishes- Jack Johnson

One of the worst daily chores!

Karen

Rihanna – Shut Up And Drive

Living in Pretoria and working in Rosebank, JHB Centre and facilitating training at our Morningside Leadershop Centre means I can spend anything from 90 minutes to 3 hours driving every day. Mostly I use the time to listen to audio books for my studies, or I take/make calls to keep my stakeholders and family in the loop.

My song?
Rhiana- Shut up and drive…

Deborah

The Bangles – Manic Monday

What’s more of a grind than having to go to work on a Monday?

Paul

Talk Talk – Talk Talk

Well you can be glad I didn’t play the song I wanted to play. You may be asking “What every day thing would Paul have found a song about???” The answer to that is a question – What usually happens after you have the first coffee of the day?
Well now you know ???????????? . Men …. ai yai yai …..

My song is about getting up and doing something else. you do it with yourself. Your pets. Neighbours. Colleagues. People in the streets. Heck, you even do it with irritating mosquitos and flies! And then you have Mini-taxi’s – that’s when this daily grind activity takes a different turn ……… here it is …

Errol

Josh Thompson – Beer On The Table

Hello musos! I apologise for having to introduce a more serious tone into what has been a fun theme.

The reality of the daily grind is that it is about paying for the essentials of life. Fuel for our vehicles, nutrition on the table, and if something is left – a little fun.

My song tonight speaks to that reality.

Sue

Jason Mraz – Living In The Moment

After all the stress of everyday things that get us down I have chosen to end the theme on a positive note. I hope that you are all able to spare time to “live in the moment” leaving past stress behind a looking towards a happier future. ( again I have pushed the envelope of the theme a bit)