The Countdown Continues (songs 1011-977)

Don’t miss the all new NCIS tonight! We get to see when Tony met Gibbs. I’m pretty excited. I’ve found that most of my favorite NCIS episodes focus a lot on Tony. Here’s a little trivia question: Only 3 characters have been in every episode. Who are they?

Alright, let’s get back to our countdown of the I’m just sayin… Top 1,081 Songs of All Time.

1011 - “Why Don't We Get Drunk” by Jimmy Buffett

“I really do appreciate the fact you're sittin’ here/ Your voice sounds so wonderful/ But your face don't look too clear/ So bar maid bring a pitcher, another round of brew/ Honey, why don't we get drunk and screw”

The Wife sang this to me the night we met. HA! Just kidding. But really, what a fun song! Not real kid friendly… but still fun. It was written as a joke… a way to poke fun at some of the Country songs out there at the time and the people loved it.

1010 - “Dancing With A Man” by Rodney Carrington

“I think I'm dancin' with a man!/ She's got calluses on her hands/ She's got a voice like Johnny Cash/ Is she hiding a mustache?/ I think I'm dancin' with a man.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you haven’t heard this song, stop reading and go Google it and listen to it now! I remember hearing it on the John Boy and Billy morning radio show one day when I was in college and almost drove off the road because I was laughing so hard.

1009 - “Look Heart, No Hands” by Randy Travis

“No chains, no strings/ No fences, no walls/ No net, just you/ To catch me when I fall/ Look heart, no hands”

A classic Country song by Randy Travis. Nothing huge… just nice lyrics combined with simple music. A perfect combination.

1008 - “She's Funny That Way” by Sammy Davis, Jr.

“I’m not much to look at, I’m nothing to see/ I’m just glad I’m living, lucky to be/ I’ve got a woman who’s crazy ‘bout me/ She’s funny that way”

Sammy Davis, Jr. could do it all. He could dance, he could sing, he could laugh (and be funny) and he could act. What can I say… I’m a fan.

1007 - “Sometimes” by Sister Hazel

“By simple definition I'd be scattered, Oh where do I begin/ Well I'm stuck within the mortal framework/ Of having to use words/ And I ... - I've never been one -/ I've never been one for incompleteness”

I love this group… they’re like Hootie Lite. This is a kind of fun, yet relaxing song… they didn’t overdue the music and the lyrics are good.

1006 - “A Good Hearted Woman” by Waylon Jennings

“She's a good hearted woman in love with a good timin' man/ She loves him in spite of his ways she don't understand/ With teardrops & laughter they pass through this world hand in hand/ A good hearted woman, lovin' a good timin' man”

How in the world is this song ranked so low? This song isn’t very long, but boy it’s good. I sure am glad Waylon didn’t get on that plane with Buddy Holly or this world would have missed out on a great Country music singer.

1005 - “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo” by Tracy Byrd

“Well, around five or round six/ I forgot what I came to forget/ After Round seven, Or was it eight?/ I bought a round for the whole dang place”

What a fun song. Though part of me, while listening to this song, can’t help but think that’s going to be one heck of a hangover the next day.

1004 - “Into the Great Wide Open” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

“Into the great wide open/ Under them skies of blue/ Out in the great wide open/ A rebel without a clue”

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers… how great are they. This is a nice, easy song.

1003 - “Back When Country Was Ugly” by Tim Wilson

“I like Country better back when it was dog ugly/ Nobody ever called Hank, Jr. a pretty thing/ Back when Neal McCoy was still wettin’ the bed/ And Conway Twitty had a helmet head/ And the best lookin’ man in Nashville/ Was a fella named KD Lang”

This could very well be the best song ever written about Country music. At least the funniest. I’ve got to be honest, the comedy world has produced some pretty good music.

1002 - “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

“If I/ Should stay/ I would only be in your way/ So I'll go/ But I know/ I'll think of you every step of/ the way”

What a voice she had! There aren’t really a lot of words in this song, but it’s still great. One word makes this song… just one word… ‘I’. She is able to sing that one word and have it last about 30 seconds. What a great voice. Just remember kids, crack is whack.

1001 - “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” by Willie Nelson

“My heroes have always been cowboys./ And they still are, it seems./ Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of/ Themselves and their slow-movin' dreams.”

This is one of those old Country songs that was done by Waylon, Willie and… Waylon and Willie together. I like this version done by Willie. It’s a sad, slow song.

1000 - “Tonight the Heartache's on Me” by Dixie Chicks

“So tonight the heartache’s on me on me/ Let’s drink a toast to the fool who couldn’t see/ Bartender pour the wine ‘cause the/ Hurtin’s all mine/ Tonight the heartache’s on me”

There was a time (during college I think) that I listened to the Dixie Chicks a good bit. Then I kind of stopped. Not sure why. I didn’t stop because of what they said about former President GW Bush… I don’t really care that much about their views. I was a little annoyed when they whined about the backlash they got. Still, this is a good song.

999 - “Beauty And The Beast” by Angela Lansbury

“Just a little change/ Small to say the least/ Both a little scared/ Neither on prepared/ Beauty and the beast”

I love Angela Landsbury singing this song. If it were up to Daddy Greg, this song would be in the top 100. Mary Ruth and I dance to this song while I sing it (fyi… Angela Landsbury sang it better than me).

998 - “Will You Still Love Me?” by Chicago

“Just say you’ll love me for the rest of your life/ I gotta lot of love and I don’t want to let go/ Will you still love me for the rest of my life?”

I went through a phase from about 4th – 7th grade where I loved Chicago. I haven’t listened to them as much since then, but that doesn’t change the fact that they have some great songs.

997 - “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” by Boston

“Let me take you home tonight/ Mamma now it's alright/ Let me take you home tonight/ I'll show you sweet delight.”

The chorus of this song is what it got it on the list. We are looking into the rumor I’m starting that my friend Danny used the above lyrics to try and pick-up his wife way back when.

996 - “The Lonesome Kicker” by Adam Sandler

“My helmet is equipped with a tiny face mask/ What it possibly could protect, I do not know/ The other guys on the team/ Like to make fun of my little shoulder pads/ And also like to hide the special shoe/ I need to kick in the snow”

Another great Comedy song. Adam Sandler is a genius with songs like this. Again, we are looking into the rumor I’m starting that this song was written about a kicker who played with my friend Danny at Summerville High School.

995 - “People Are Crazy” by Billy Currington

“We talked about God's grace, and all the hell we raised/ Then I heard the ol' man say/ God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy”

A nice little song… there’s some truth in the above lyrics.

994 - “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavine?

“He was a skater boy she said see ya later boy./ He wasn't good enough for her./ She had a pretty face but her head was up in space./ She needed to come back down to earth.”

Newly married Greg fought to get this one on the list. It’s a fun little pop song.

993 - “(It's Hard) Letting You Go” by Bon Jovi

“Now the sky, it shines a different kind of blue/ And the neighbor's dog don't bark like he used to/ Well - me, these days/ I just miss you - it's the nights that I go insane/ Unless you're coming back for me/ That's one thing I know that won't change”

Here we have another great song from the These Days album. I don’t know what these guys were going through at this time, but this album has somewhat of a darker… sadder feel to it.

992 - “All You Really Need Is Love” by Brad Paisley

“All you really need is love/ And a license and a blood test and a bunch of invitations/ A minister, a white dress, and of course a congregation/ And flowers and music and candles and cake/ And a bunch of rice for folks to throw as you drive away”

This is a very funny Brad Paisley. He seems to have a knack for writing (or co-writing) some pretty funny Country songs.

991 - “Domestic, Light and Cold” by Dierks Bentley

“Hey bartender, can I make one special request?/ My woman left me, so tonight I'll be drinkin' your best./ I'm not talkin' about Single Malt, Scotch, Jagermeister, or Cuervo Gold./ I'll take anything domestic, light, and cold.”

His woman left him and that’s driving him to drink. It’s hard to mess up a Country song that starts that way.

990 - “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” by Elton John

“Guess there are times when we all need to share a little pain/ And ironing out the rough spots/ Is the hardest part when memories remain”

I love the way this song starts. He has such a great voice.

989 - “Here For The Party” by Gretchen Wilson

“Well I'm an eight ball shooting double fisted drinking son of a gun/ I wear My jeans a little tight/ Just to watch the little boys come undone/ I’m here for the beer and the ball busting band/ Gonna get a little crazy just because I can”

We are trying to confirm rumors that the above lyrics are the first words my friend Jenn said to her husband Clark when they first met. The Wife loves this song. Ok, I’ve now said two things about one song that could very well not be true. Truth is, I kind of like it. It’s a fun little song that can get stuck in your head if you’re not careful.

988 - “Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham

“I found out long ago/ (oh oh oh oh oh oh)/ It's a long way down
the holiday road/ (oh oh oh oh oh oh)”

Honestly, who among us can hear this song and not think about National Lampoon’s Vacation? And who among us can think about National Lampoon’s Vacation and not be happy? Funniest movie in the world? I don’t know… but it’s on the list. Just like this song. If you can listen to this song and not be happy then you are a sad, sad person.

987 - “Shake Ya' Tailfeatha” by Nelly

“Come here girl/ What your name is?/ Where you from?/ Turn around who you came with?”

I was iffy about including this song on the list because it’s done by “hip-hop” guys… but it’s a clean song and it has somewhat of a “pop” feel to it. So I wasn’t sure. And then I thought ‘Why am I spending so much time thinking about this? Who is really going to read this far to even see this song on the list?’ With that in mind, let me tell you about the unconfirmed rumor that the above lyrics are the first words my friend Clark said to his future wife Jenn.

986 - “Better Class of Losers” by Randy Travis

“I'm getting out of this high-rise penthouse suite/ Where we pretend life's rosy and sweet/ I'm going back to the folks that I used to know/ Where everyone is what they seems to be”

I love this song. It’s just a fun song and, honestly, you hand Randy Travis a guitar and tell him to sing and there’s a good chance something good is going to come out. I’m just sayin…

985 - “Here Comes Goodbye” by Rascal Flatts

“I can hear the truck tires coming up the gravel road/ And its not like her to drive that slow, nothin's on the radio/ Footsteps on the front porch, I hear my doorbell/ She usually comes right in, now I can tell”

I like the piano at the beginning of this song (really, I like everything about the beginning of this song). The rest of the song is pretty good, too.

984 - “Keep On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon

“And I'm gonna keep on lovin' you/ Cause it's the only thing I wanna do/ I don't wanna sleep/ I just wanna keep on lovin' you”

Who can hear this song on the radio and not start belting out the words? Ok… so chances are you can’t hear it on the radio at all… but if you could, who would be able to resist singing along? No one, that’s who.

983 - “What Kind of Fool Am I” by Sammy Davis, Jr.

“What kind of fool am I/ Who never fell in love/ It seems that I'm the only one/ That I have been thinking of”

Another Sammy Davis, Jr. song… I don’t know if he did this song first or if Frank did it first, but I like Sammy singing it.

982 - “Hello, It's Me” by Sister Hazel

“Hello it's me/ Can I come over/ You see I've got your favorite coat/ It could be cold and rain tomorrow/ I couldn't stand to see you soaked”

I got this song for free off of Amazon.com last spring while I was working on the paper/book I wrote about my good friend KC. I loved it. Of course, I couldn’t be sure if I really loved it, or if I just loved it because I’d been drinking all night while typing the paper (don’t worry, I got an ‘A’ on it… how good was it? So good that my professor was impressed with KC after reading my paper. Yep… I’m THAT good). Anyway, I listened to it again and it really is a great song. The kind of song you could see yourself playing/singing on your own (until you realize you can’t play an instrument and your voice really isn’t all that great).

981 - “Let It Go” by Zac Brown Band

“Looking back now on my life I can't say I regret it/ And all the places that I ended up not the way Ma woulda had it/ But you only get once chance at life to leave your mark upon it/ And when a pony he comes riding by you better set your sweet ass on it”

This is a fun little up tempo kind of song. The Zac Brown Band is great at songs like this.

980 - “First Baptist Bar and Grill” by Tim Wilson

“Preacher said well we don't really need y'all here/ You didn't do a very good job last year/ Only saved one sinner, that's Todd McGuire/ And he's the little son of a bitch that set my church on fire”

Listen to this song one time and you’ll at least get the chorus (not listed here) stuck in your head.

979 - “Back to December” by Taylor Swift

“So this is me swallowing my pride/ Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night,"/ And I go back to December all the time.”/ It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you./ Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine./ I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right./ I go back to December all the time.”

Hmm… she’s even good at writing songs about her doing someone else wrong. She’s got talent. You heard it here first.

978 - “Please Come To Boston” by Kenny Chesney

“Please come to Boston/ For the springtime/ I'm stayin' here with some friends/ And they've got lots of room/ You can sell your paintings on the sidewalk/ By a cafe where I hope to be workin' soon/ Please come to Boston/ She said no, boy you come home to me”

A ton of people have done this song and a lot of them have done a good job with it, but Kenny’s version is the only one to make this list.

977 - “The House I Live In (That's America To Me)” by Frank Sinatra with Neil Diamond

“The house I live in, a plot of earth, a street/ The grocer and the butcher, and the people that I meet/ The children in the playground, the faces that I see/ All races and religions, that's America to me”

I don’t like speaking for other people, but singing with Frank Sinatra had to be the highlight of Neil Diamond’s life. Don’t get me wrong… Neil is pretty good in his own right… but he ain’t no Frank.

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Private Felix Brannigan (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 2, 1863 at Chancellorsville, Virginia. His citation reads:

Volunteered on a dangerous service and brought in valuable information.

Private Abram B. Brant (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 25, 1876 at Little Big Horn. His citation reads:

Brought water for the wounded under a most galling fire.

Lieutenant William Brant (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 3, 1865 at Petersburg, Virginia. His citation reads:

Capture of battle flag of 46th North Carolina (C.S.A.).