I've seen these around the blogosphere for years and never done one, so here it is, a random ten from the iPod today:
(1) Carly Simon: Let the River Run
(2) Screamin' Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on You
(3) Johnny Cash: God's Gonna Cut You Down
(4) Loituma: Ievan Polkka
(5) The Doors: People are Strange
(6) Suvi Terasniska: Hento Kuiskaus
(7) Johanna Kurkela: Varpunen Jouluaamuna
(8) Sufjan Stevens: Wolverine
(9) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Mercy Seat
(10) Dolly Parton: Jolene
"Varpunen Jouluaamuna" is a little Finnish Christmas carol about a sparrow lost in the snow; a little girl offers him a seed because it is Christmas. The sparrow flies to her, taking the seed, saying that God will reward her. And in the last stanza the sparrow turns out to be the soul of her brother: her generosity even to a poor and homeless sparrow brought her in contact with a long lost loved one. You can hear Johanna Kurkela sing it here.
