My Top Ten Parade Songs

Because everybody loves a parade... don't they?

Special mentions to The Electric Soft Parade (who have a new album out called Idiots... which sells it to me) and The Hit Parade.


10. Jill Sobule - Rainy Day Parade

Jill beats Macy's Day Parade by Green Day (in which Billy Joe Armstrong plays Gripper Stebson) into the Top Ten through the power of positive thinking.

I used to live with someone who loved me
But somehow they ran out of patience
I regret those things I said
They were so uncalled for

9. Randy Newman - Jolly Coppers On Parade

Pure sarcasm. Bliss.

8. Del Amitri - Some Other Sucker's Parade

When the going gets tough, the tough get boozin'...

I must've had a million damn unlucky days
But there ain't no cloud that a bottle can't chase away
I've done my deal of living, ran from place to place
But when the roof comes in I don't wanna take it straight

7.  Fountains of Wayne - A Fine Day For A Parade

And here's someone else with no lock on her liquor cabinet...

Mrs. Carver says she's sorry 
She knows enough not to worry 
But what does she know about crime? 
Believes the town is sinking 
The price of forward thinking 
You stay up all night half the time 
Racking your mind 
Alone in the night 
While all your neighbors sleep tight

6. The Magnetic Fields - Parades Go By

It's notoriously difficult to make a decent double album without resorting to filler... Stephin Merrit's Magnetic Fields may be the only band I can think of to create a truly indispensable TRIPLE album.

5. Prince - Christopher Tracy's Parade

Not on youtube, natch. Still, I could hardly leave it out.

4. The Blue Nile - Headlights On The Parade

From the album Hats, the best musical insomnia cure you can buy. (And I mean that as a compliment.)

See also Easter Parade, also by the Blue Nile. Also good for nodding off to.

3. Elvis Costello - Invasion Hit Parade

I have much love for Elvis's infamous beardy album, Mighty Like A Rose. Here's one reason why...

Her transistor offers no salvation or regrets
No pool, no pets, no cigarettes
Just non-stop Disco Tex and the Sex-o-lettes

See also London's Brilliant Parade and Jack Of All Parades, completing Declan's Parade Hat Trick. 

2. My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade

MCR had many fine moments before calling it a day earlier this year, but this sumptuous rock opera could well be their finest... one of the best Number One singles of the 21st Century. I'd pretty much convinced myself it would be Number One here too... until I remembered...

1. The Doors - The Soft Parade

One of the greatest spoken word intros ever put down on tape...

You cannot petition the lord with prayer!

The other 8 minutes aren't too shabby either.

When I listen to Jim Morrison here, I start to realise where that other crazy Jim (Steinman) got so much of his insanity from...and I swear the opening verse reminds me of Neil Hannon too.

When all else fails
We can whip the horse's eyes
And make them sleep
And cry...

But... which parade would you stand out in the rain to watch?