top 5 musicians who stir my soul

Rich Mullins
The man. The myth. The legend.

everybody I know says they need just one thing
and what they really mean is they need just one thing more
and everybody seems to think they've got it coming
well I know that I don't deserve you
still I want to love and serve You more and more
you're my one thing

save me from those things that might distract me
please take them away and purify my heart
I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
'cause what will I have when the world is gone
if it isn't for the love that goes on and on

Victoria Williams
Very few people can weave together the sacred and mundane better than Ms. Williams.

twilight time in New York City, descending subway stairs
the man whistling out a tune, I paid a dollar for my fare
and we got on the same train going uptown down the tracks
and we sang out of tune to the clackety-clack-clack

and the Spirit, Holy Spirit, was flowing
yeah the Spirit, Holy Spirit, it was a-flowing

I have felt it on a mountaintop and underneath the stars
I felt it in a churchyard and even in some bars
it will make you laugh, it will make you cry,
it will make your heart go (ping!)
oh the Spirit, Holy Spirit, will make you shout and want to sing

Madison Greene
Damn dirty hippies.

I had plans here for myself; went up the river and they fell through
started talking to the spirit of God; He knows what's best for you
so I put down all of my pride, took my suitcase off of the shelf
thank God I still have time

His plans are enough for me, plans to love us, make us grow
and if he never gives me anything else, it ought to be enough to know
that it only is a matter of time before I'll finally be in his presence
and thank God for blessed life

and I may never be granted
the dreams I thought meant the most to me
but I know I'll understand it,
because I know what it means to be living now,
and thank God we are alive

Ani Difranco
I find a certain degree of comfort in her doubt, and find beauty in her perseverance.

if my life were a movie, I would light a cigarette
and the smoke would curl around my face
everything I do would be interesting
I'd play the good guy in every scene
but I always feel I have to take a stand
and there's always someone on hand
to hate me for standing there
I always feel I have to open my mouth
and every time I do I offend someone, somewhere

but what, what if no one's watching
what if when we're dead, we are just dead
what if there's no time to lose
what if there's things we gotta do
things that need to be said

you know I can't apologize for everything I know
I mean you don't have to agree with me
but once you get me going, you better just let me go
we have to be able to criticize what we love
say what we have to say
'cause if you're not trying to make something better
then as far as I can tell, you are just in the way

Ben Folds
He doesn’t believe in God, and assumes he can’t be saved, but I tend to think he’s incorrect.

Jane, be Jane; you're better that way
not when your trying imitating something you think you saw
so Jane, be Jane; and if sometimes that might drive them away,
let them stay there, you don't need them anyway

you're worried there might not be anything at all inside
but that you're worried should tell you that's not right
don't try to see yourself the way that others do - it's no use

This was a hard list to compile. I had to leave out the Innocence Mission, Sarah Groves, Katy Bowser, Po’ Girl, Nickel Creek; I had to cross of favorites like Nanci Griffith, Wilco, Gillian Welch and the Violent Femmes. No alt-country made the list (unless Victoria counts). It was tough, but I did it.

How about you?

Who are your five?

What do they have to say?