I’ve been working on a difficult project lately. The more I worked on it the more hopeless it has seemed and the more my despair has grown. But the dark pit of my existential angst was recently brightened by a small ray of hope. I’ll take all the help and encouragement I can get right now so I’m celebrating the power of hope.

Rock Box “Wishin’ And Hopin'” (Dusty Springfield)
This song isn’t about hope so much as it is about the fact that hoping for something isn’t enough. You need to take action to make your wishes into reality. That’s what I’m doing, but it’s a whole lot easier to do something if you have hope that it will accomplish something.

This is an interesting version, it’s got that 50s vocal harmony thing going on.

Stiff Little Fingers “You Can Get (It If You Really Want)” (Jimmy Cliff)
These guys were an Irish punk band around the height of The Troubles. They were angry. Really, really angry. Which is why this song seems so out of character, both for its positive sentiment and for its relatively cheerful delivery. Again we’re advised that you must “try and try” to make your hopes reality.

The Go Set “Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards” (Billy Bragg)
When Billy Bragg was starting his career he was hung with the unfortunate label of the “next Bob Dylan.” His record label even helpfully branded his songs as “urbane folk music.” Around that time I was a college radio disk jockey and I did a very interesting phone interview with him. I found him to be thoughtful and quite funny. By the time he wrote this song he was chafing a bit at his role as the socialist-poet poster boy. The Great Leap Forwards for Billy is an escape from the trendy revolutionary scenesters as well as the revolution that those people say they want.

Beat Farmers “Reason To Believe” (Bruce Springsteen)
I’m not a big fan of Bruce Springsteen. I like a few of his songs when they’re done by other people, like this one from the immortal Beat Farmers. I feel sorry for all the people who never got a chance to see the Beat Farmers perform live before Country Dick Montana died.

This song is a commentary on how people sometimes cling to hope, manufacturing it even, in order to get through their lives. That’s not me. This is real, certifiable hope I’m talking about here. Really.

Dar Williams “Better Things” (The Kinks)
This song is pretty much pure optimism. “I’m sorry that things have been rough for you but be optimistic and better things will happen.” I’ve always been amused by the line “I hope that all the verses rhyme and the very best of choruses to follow.” Ray Davies has never been one to let a lyric get in the way of a good melody.