Ten “Garden” Songs Everyone Can Dig

My brother is retiring this spring, and one of his major goals is to plant the best garden anyone has ever seen. The outdoor work will be a welcome change from having been indoors during his thirty year career, but he still may need occasional motivation to tend his rows of vegetables.

I offer this list of garden songs to listen to as he toils, both as a motivator and as a retirement gift. I hope he can really dig this list.

“Octopus’ Garden” by The Beatles: One of Ringo’s two compositions for the band, this track’s child-like imagery lightens the mood on the Beatles’ last studio album.

“Garden Party” by Ricky Nelson: The younger son of Ozzie and Harriett made a comeback with this country-pop tune, which pokes fun at some of his own past hits.

“Family Gardener” by the Minus Five: Scott McCaughey’s side project from Young Fresh Fellows and REM resulted in the tuneful Down with Wilco, containing this Jeff Tweedy influenced ballad.

“Rose Garden” by Lynn Anderson: This kiss-off tune was the biggest hit for Anderson, a contemporary of Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

“Amity Gardens” by Fountains of Wayne: Utopia Parkway, the pop band’s follow-up to its self-titled debut album, features over a dozen impressive songs. This wistful track fits nicely right in the middle of the order.

“Gardening at Night” by REM: One of the EP tracks included on the Dead Letter Office collection, this may be the most well-known track about outdoor nocturnal urination.

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly: The legend is that the psychedelic band from the late 60s/early 70s wanted to title this lengthy jam session “In the Garden of Eden.”

“Empty Garden” by Elton John: This track from Empty Sky was Sir Elton’s elegy to John Lennon, who had been assassinated in New York.

“Secret Garden” by Bruce Springsteen: The song from the Boss’s Greatest Hits became even more well-known when it was used in the film Jerry Maguire.

“Safe in My Garden” by the Mamas and Papas: The charming harmonies that catapulted “Monday Monday” and “California Dreamin” to the top of the charts are also evident on this lesser hit by the folk-rock quartet.


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