Found my thrill on Solsbury Hill

(By Erik)

Have you ever heard the song “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel?

Yes you have. Even if you don’t think you have, you have. Trust me.

It might help if I tell you it’s the song with the lyric “my heart goin’ boom boom boom.” I’ve just googled the lyrics and I can’t find another memorable one in there. The song tells about someone longing to live with the eagles after he hears one say, “grab your things I’ve come to take you home.” (I guess that’s another somewhat-memorable lyric.)

By the way, Peter Gabriel wants to go live with eagles that fly, not The Eagles that sing “Hotel California” and “Take it Easy.”

OK, back to my current gripe against “Solsbury Hill.” It’s overused. It’s the theme to a current cell phone ad, it was featured in the films “In Good Company,” “Big Fish” and probably a dozen others. Pick another song, please, advertisers and movie-makers of the world.

According to a moderator of the Web site “DVD in my Pants,” the song is “used in every sensitive father-son relationship movie or any time Cameron Crowe is allowed within 50 miles of a soundstage.” (And I think we all know it's hard to find a more reliable source than a Web site named "DVD in my Pants.")

One rather creative usage of the song is in a movie “preview” for “Shining.” This short video clip shows you how much a song can set the mood for a film — or change the mood, or even change the genre!

Now I’ve got “I’m standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona” stuck in my head.”

Watch the preview for the touching family picture "Shining"