Listen to my new playlist on Spotify featuring my official releases
It’s more like a mix tape really, you know those ones from the good ole days that we made for our loved ones, a girlfriend or a boyfriend with all the songs that said the words we wanted them to hear, except that this one is made for my beautiful boy Elijah Nova who arrived in April.
It’s full of tracks that say how I feel about having him in my life with a few special messages from Mummy especially within my own songs ‘Climbing’, ‘Powerhouse’ and that happy one ‘Things to smile about’ which features the voice of his Grandmother Slinky.
Here are the songs and the reasons why they are in the playlist………
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Top Of The World - Carpenters
When he was first placed in my arms such a feeling came over me, he was the nearest thing to heaven that I’d seen; my little angel.
‘Things are not the same… there is a pleasing sense of happiness for me… and the reason is clear it’s because you are here… you almost put me at the top of the world’
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Your Song - Ellie Goulding
This version by Ellie is so sung so sweetly, I heard this when I was pregnant and it made me cry because it took on a deep meaning for me.
Because I love to sing from my heart whether it is my own composition or a cover song and I love singing this one too. When I play this to him I really identify with the emotion with which it was written and I like to sing:
‘Elijah darling; my gift is my song and this ones for you. You know, yours are the sweetest eyes that I’ve ever seen. So you can tell everybody this is your song, I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is now you’re in the world.’
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Heaven Sent - Dina Carroll
My Mum bought me this album and I sang every song on it a thousand times, I often practised the songs alone when she was at work and sang them when she came home.
Mum went to cosmic heaven in 2019 and I often hear songs that I take to be signs from her, perhaps the impulse to remember this one was from her.
One day it popped into my head playing on the jukebox in my mind, it says so much of how I felt about the little life growing inside of me.
I had wished for Elijah and it’s as though someone in heaven sent him to me.
One of my favourite lines is:
‘’You came along made me so strong and showed me how sweet life can be’’
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Sunny - Ayo
This one is super, he is such a sunny boy and this is such brilliant cover version of this wonderful song.
‘Your my spark of natures fire, you’re my one complete desire… Sunny one so true I love you’
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You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
I have loved this song forever and it’s been given to me more than once by various people. I love this because there are both male and female voices which is like Daddy and Mummy sing it to him.
‘You are the sunshine of my life, that’s why I’ll always be around….You are the apple of my eye… forever you’ll stay in my heart’
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Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You - Andy Williams
My Mum loved him and we share a family name with him, so I felt it quite appropriate that this song is a message from Mummy & Slinky.
‘I wanna hold you so much…. can’t take my eyes off of you….. I love you baby’
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Yes, I’m Your Angel - Yoko Ono
I love this beautiful song which was actually written by Yoko to John Lennon for his approaching 40th birthday.
I found this article online about it, here’s the link if you would also like to read it.
Because some songs can hold a different meaning depending on the listener and the moment, I give this one to Elijah from his Mummy who made a wish and it came true for her.
‘You’re my fairy, you gave me everything I ever wanted from life, and I made a wish and is that why I have you ... tralalala’
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At Last - Etta James
When I was the lead singer for our band The Bloozy Toonz in England in my 20’s, I sang another song by Etta James which I loved and then my Grandmother suggested that I sing this one; upon hearing it I thought it was perfect and it really say all the right words.
‘You smiled and then the spell was cast…. For you are mine at last’
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Close To You - Carpenters
Everyone wants to be close to a baby especially when they are very small and they want to be held by you too.
‘On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true, so they sprinted moon dust in your hair and golden starlight in your eyes of blue’
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Here Comes the Sun - Nina Simone
I just love Nina Simone’s voice and one of my standard cover songs to sing is ‘Feeling Good’ although I do kind of mix it together with the Muse version and that extra bit of me when I perform it.
‘It’s alright, here comes the sun little darling’
And so he does whenever he smiles and light me up.
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Elijah - Donald Byrd
I found this cool jazzy number on Spotify whilst searching for a song named after him so it had to be included in the list.
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Mama - Clean Bandit feat Ellie Goulding
This one gets me in the grooving mood when I am holding him. I feel that it is a perfect song for that moment when you realise how you feel now that you are becoming a Mum.
I can relate to the words when say sings about ‘all of these new emotions’ and then it resonates more with the lines ‘everything I thought I knew about me is upside down, everything is changing but I think I love it now’ which is really like me saying that I am happy with the new things that he brings to my life.
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Powerhouse - Charleesa
A song by Mummy that reminds him to be himself because he has a powerhouse inside of him and the to let that light that is shinning out of his soul burn brightly for all to see.
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Climbing - Charleesa
A song from Mummy to tell him to keep on moving & to keep climbing up that mountain.
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Things To Smile About - Charleesa
This is the happy one from me to make him smile and feel great, with a special part at the end by his grandma Slinky so that he can hear her voice even when he can’t see her.
He is one of my biggest things to smile about :)
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Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - From Mary Poppins by Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke & The Pearlie Chorus
This is a super fun song that my Mum liked, she loved making the most of the English language and used ‘big words’ whenever possible so I know that she would defiantly approve of teaching it to Elijah :)
With 34 letters it’s one of the longest English words and Dictionarys describe it as ‘a nonsense word, used especially by children typically expressing approval or something fantastic.
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(Theme from) - The Monkees
Just a fun song for our little Monkey that I have always loved from the tv show.
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End Of The Line - Travelling Wilburys
One of those songs with great messages to hear to guide you through for your whole life.
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The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)- The Tokens
Who doesn’t love this song and dance around singing a Wimoweh a Wimoweh a weeaahhh Wimoweh ?
It’s perfect for times when babies are crying and need cheering up, or for nappy changes; or even to rock them to sleep with sometimes singing to them ‘hush my darling, don’t fear my darling the lion sleeps tonight’.
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Three Little Birds - Bob Marley & The Wailers
This is my message to Elijah, ‘don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing’s gonna be alright’ with lots of love from Mummy.
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How Long Will I Love You - Ellie Goulding
Another beautiful song that can be used by every parent as a message to their children.
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Over The Rainbow - Eva Cassidy
My Mum loved this song from the film The Wizard Of Oz which was her favourite movie.
I made a video of me singing a cover of Ariana Grande’s version and Mum loved it.
So this song is for Elijah from Slinky and also from me to tell that when I go to cosmic heaven as she has, that I will be just over the rainbow with her and always watching over him.
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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
This is such a powerful song even though it is sung in the most gentle way, it makes me remember how amazing it felt to look at Elijah for the first time and every time I watch him sleeping or cuddle him.
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Edleweiss - The Macaroons Project
I found this lovely version of Edleweiss which is a song that means many things.
It is the white flower that grows high in the mountains of Austria and is one of the symbols of the country that we live in.
Elijah is like Edleweiss, precious, small and bright and Austria is his homeland.
I love these words…
‘Every morning you greet me… you look happy to meet me… may you bloom and grow forever’
Mum also sung this song with a friend as she played it on the piano and we both loved the film The Sound Of Music, in fact she gave it to me to watch when I was thinking about coming to live here.
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A Hero Is Born - Elijah Nang, Kalaido
I found this peaceful music whilst searching for artists called Elijah and its a really pretty song to end the playlist with and it is also balm for the soul when a moment of calm is needed.
Elijah was doing his super hero impression as he was preparing to come out of his little Universe so this song seems really fitting to him. He often raises one arm as though he is preparing to fly off and to us, he is our little super hero. He has defeated the odds and gone over several hurdles along the way, whilst growing stronger every day; our beautiful boy is a star, the sunshine and a hero.
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I wish that you enjoy listening to these songs too and perhaps you also love them, maybe you have someone special in mind when you hear them.
Here is the link to the Spotify playlist:
All text in green are links to other pages