All by myself. Don't wanna be all by myself anymore. All by myself. Don't wanna live all by myself anymore. Oh, do shut up.
I could feel my heart hardening while working through last week's nominations. At first, I felt sorry for those lonely souls picking up the pieces of their shattered hearts. A few dozen songs later, I was thinking, cheer up, there are plenty more fish in the sea. Further down the line, my reaction became a curt "Get over it."
I ended up favouring artists who offered a broader perspective (thanks, Gang of Four), a wealth of poignant detail (cheers, Abba) or a sense of humour (here's to you, the Wainwrights). As usual, I tried to keep a tight bead on the topic, which meant excluding some wonderful songs (David, Man of the World, I Think It's Gonna Rain Today) which were just that little bit too vague or oblique.
The B-list: the Beach Boys (In My Room), Future Bible Heroes (I'm Lonely (and I Love It)), Wilco (How to Fight Loneliness), Frank Sinatra (Only the Lonely), Al Green (Tired of Being Alone), the Statler Brothers (Flowers on the Wall), Dresden Dolls (Me and the Minibar), Sam Cooke (Another Saturday Night), Amy Winehouse (Wake Up Alone), Portishead (Numb), and Neil Diamond (Solitary Man).
This week I'd like you to suggest songs which reference other songs. These can be about listening to a specific song (which doesn't have to be named as long as its identity isn't in any doubt) or they can be responses to certain songs, reworking their titles or key lyrics in some substantial way. One example of the latter, which we've already playlisted, would be the Beatles' Back in the USSR. There's definitely some grey area but recommend away and let me sort that out.
I suspect that this week the A-Z and Readers Recommend archive will be particularly useful. Deadline is midday on Monday.
