it’s The Best Day when i have Cake By The Ocean and I Drink Wine with Friends in Low Places!

It’s Monday, and whoa! Thanksgiving is next week, people! It’s ‘early’ this year, are you ready? Since it is Monday, that of course means music! For the month of November, our Spotlight Dancer is our fearless leader and brainchild of Monday’s Music Moves Me, our very own Marie of Xmas Dolly! This week’s theme: “Tunes regarding food, family or friendship.” Let’s get this friends and family feeding frenzy started!

Let’s start with a song that’s perfect for the ‘family’ part of the theme by a favorite artist who knows how to write a love song. But did you know her very best one is about her mom? The artist was quoted as saying:

“[This] is a song that I wrote without telling my mom. I wrote it in the summertime, and I recorded it secretly, too. I had this idea that I wanted to play it for her for Christmas. So when I got the track I synced up all of these home videos from when I was a little kid to go along with the song like a music video, and played it for her on Christmas Eve and she was crying her eyes out.”

The artist eventually went on to share her homemade video for the song, although the track was never released as an official single. Bonus: tons of videos of this artist as an adorable baby!

Here’s the adorable Taylor Swift with “The Best Day”:

Next up, for the ‘food’ part of the theme, is an American pop-rock band that formed in 2015. You’ll recognize one of the members from his previous success with his brothers. The idea for this band was the brainchild of the lead singer and the drummer from his previous band, who now plays drums with this new band. The lead explained the story behind the song:

“We were working with some producers from Sweden and they kept telling us this story about having cake by the ocean. I was like, ‘Are you guys talking about sex on the beach?’ They were like, ‘Well, yeah.’ After having writers’ block in the studio all week, we wrote this song in like ten minutes flat with Justin Tranter.”

The group stands out with a quirky look and lyrics that are even quirkier, thanks in large part to their international team that didn’t all grow up speaking English. It was their freewheeling songwriting style that resulted in this particular track, as explained by the lead:

“We were just creating stuff to create. ‘[This song]’ could be free and wild, and we didn’t stress too much about having it follow the rules of songwriting.”

Without further ado, here’s DNCE with “Cake By The Ocean”:

Next up is a song about food or drink in the title that doesn’t seem to have hidden meanings. The artist’s songwriting is straightforward yet sophisticated. And it’s definitely personal.

When I was a child / Every single thing could blow my mind / Soaking it all up for fun / But now I only soak up wine

You all knew I had to have one song about wine, didn’t you?

Here’s the amazing Adele with “I Drink Wine”:

Last, but certainly not least, is a song that definitely fits the ‘friend’ part of the theme. This particular song was the very first country song my BFF introduced to me when I was going through a rough time. It was because of this song that I started listening to country music (I still listen to music from all genres, but modern country or pop country I definitely love, thanks to my late friend).

This is a ballad about a cowboy who turns up at the engagement party or wedding reception of an old flame and is a crowd-pleaser. The artist introduces it with a four-note arpeggio on his acoustic guitar, which inevitably brings roars of applause, as it’s widely recognizable.

After the second verse, he invites the audience to sing the mysterious third verse – which is only ever performed live… sure wish that version was available!

Fun fact: Listen closely to the rowdy chorus and you’ll hear someone yell, “Push, Marie!” (around 3:36) That’s because the artist’s guitarist was at the hospital with his wife, Marie, who was having a baby. The artist kept the shout-out in the mix for good luck.

Get ready to dance, here’s Garth Brooks with “Friends In Low Places”:

Yes, I bought the song so I could share the actual Garth Brooks version vs. the soundalike versions that are on YouTube – they may sound ‘close enough’, but there’s nothing like the original, am I right? And you’re welcome. 😉

That’s a wrap for this week – see you on the dance floor!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:  

For this new year, the 4M crew is operating a bit differently. If you have a theme idea, submit your request by email. Each person’s suggestion(s) will be credited accordingly – unless someone wants to volunteer for the monthly co-host spot, then we won’t be looking for anyone to fill it in 2023. It’s tough to commit for 4-weeks. The object is to keep things fun!

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!

Marie of Xmas Dolly