Music Monday: Five More Awesome Feel Good Songs

It's back again; that most feared and dreaded of day we stumble from the euphoric throes of a relaxing weekend, draw back the covers and prepare to face the challenges of the week ahead, often looking for any excuse to crawl back beneath those same covers.

Speaking of excuses, Monday does it have its good points too; it gives us a great excuse to break out five more awesome songs that lift the spirits, force lips to curl into bright smiles and send us out into the world feeling motivated, happy and ready to rock.

Without further ado then, here's a rather eclectic bunch of songs, each designed to perk up your mood on a dull and dreary Monday morning.

1) The Stone Roses - Waterfall
From the moment the guitars chime and our old mate Ian Brown begins to croon in a manner most pleasant, it's almost impossible not to be swept along in a joyous moment of happiness which almost commands foot-tapping, head-bopping and more than a small dose of chair-dancing.

2) Counting Crows - Mrs. Potter's Lullaby
Like most songs from my favourite band, the lyrics to this sprawling number are far from the most jolly you'll ever here. Yet block those out for this seven minute plus opus and focus instead on that rambling piano and a delightful melody which will likely flutter around your mind for days, and see f you're not bounding out of the door wearing a big fat smile and a spring in your step.

3) The Black Crowes - Hard to Handle
There's a reason classic songs are just that; they stick in the brain and drag us to our feet by the senses and fill us with all kinds of awesome feelings. The 'Crowes cover of an Otis Redding original does exactly that, and deserves its spot on anybody's feel good list.

4) Bob Marley - Three Little Birds
An obvious pick perhaps, but one that nonetheless does the job perfectly. It's almost impossible to be in a bad mood or to feel even an ounce of pessimism after hearing this Marley classic.

5) Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
I've been listening to a lot of Britain's finest leather-clad rockers this week. There's something about their drive, their lyrics and their energy that fits perfectly with a particularly dark writing project I'm currently working on. Every now and again, just when I fall deep into the pit of fire and brimstone and devilish things said project requires, Living After Midnight crops up on my playlist, a smile follows and the chair-dancing commences once more.