
Song: It’s Good to Be Alive
Artist: Imelda May
Year: 2014
Album: Tribal
Genre: Rock
Style: Rockabilly
Pictured: 7″ Single
Click Here to Play the Song
I discovered this song through its video, linked above, which seems custom-tailored to my tastes. I grew up watching Karloff and Lugosi films, my childhood favorite of which was Bride of Frankenstein, on Creature Features, and have decorated all my various homes by drawing heavily on mid-century modern furnishings, so of course this video made an impression on me. From the way it is shot to resemble a flickering old movie to Imelda May’s horror-glam makeup, every frame of this video exudes Greg-ness at every turn. But this isn’t a countdown of my favorite videos, it’s a countdown of my favorite songs, and thankfully the song is every bit as catchy as the video is stylish.
Hand-in-hand with my love of the kitschy ’50s styles is my love of rockabilly music, and Imelda May’s modern take on the style is fabulous. One of the things I pride myself in as a DJ is my ability to keep a dance floor dancing while sneaking in some lesser-known songs. That’s what most of my clients are paying me to do. I hear it all the time: “we love Belle & Sebastian but don’t think anyone will dance to it,” or “if only there were a way to play Magnetic Fields and keep the crowd dancing.” That’s where I come in. I identify tracks like this one, and drop them into the mix at just the right moment, and build the energy with a song that might just as easily clear a dance floor if played at the wrong moment.
That said, wouldn’t this make for a perfect first dance at a wedding? Even forgetting for a moment that the song is about marriage and newlyweds, what sentiment is more evocative of one’s feeling on one’s wedding night than “it’s good to be alive?” That hook, combined with the upbeat dance rhythm, makes for the perfect combination in a bride and groom’s first dance.
So there you have it, song 336. And with that we’ve completed the first month of our journey through my favorite songs. You are now privy to the 31 songs I like least of the 366 songs I like best. And speaking of best, the best part is that the songs will only get better! If song 336 is this good, imagine how great song 272 is going to be! See you tomorrow, with a slightly better song… to me, anyway. You are welcome to share your 336th-most-favorite song in the comments below.
I’d never heard this before today but I can’t stop watching the video. Thank you for sharing this!