Ohio is apparently not as inspirational as Amsterdam, at least when it comes to song-writers. I had so much fun coming up with the Greatest Amsterdam Songs of All Time a couple of weeks ago that I figured I should try the same thing for Ohio... but I found that it's not as easy to come up with ten songs (much less a Top Ten). Even so, I've done my best. I'm curious to hear if there might be any other ideas about this listing, but here are my suggestions for the Greatest Ohio Songs of All Time:

10. Ohio, by Jane Lynch and Carol Burnett

I discovered this via the television musical series, "Glee" (which is set in Lima, Ohio). I honestly don't know if the song has ever had any life outside of the show (I had certainly never heard of it before), but it's kind of fun in its own way.

9. The Buckeye Battle Cry, by the Ohio State University Marching Band

The one area of music with an abundance of Ohio-inspired material is marching band music -- undoubtedly because of the celebrated Ohio State University Marching Band ("The Best Damn Band in the Land," according to legendary football coach Woody Hayes). I limited myself to two selections from the OSUMB for my Top Ten listing. Though I'm guessing most Ohioans might be inclined to place this song higher on the list, I put it here because its appeal is considerably less universal for those who don't have personal associations with the Ohio State University, or a personal affinity for marching band music in general.

8.Cuyahoga, by R.E.M.

This song by R.E.M is a nod to the controversial history of this region once home to various Native American tribes but eventually overrun by the Industrial Revolution in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Cuyahoga is the Mowhawk (Native American) word for the "Crooked River," upon which the city of Cleveland was eventually established. The river gained notoreity in the 1960s when it became so polluted that it actually caught fire and helped in part to launch the American environmental movement. There's also a cover of this song by the Decemberists.

7.Youngstown, by Bruce Springstein

This is a sad song about a sad man in a sad Northeast Ohio steel town. It doesn't paint Ohio in a very favorable light. Still, in its own way, the song is an ode to the working class people in this part of the world.

6. Carry Me Ohio, by Sun Kil Moon

This is another sad song (there's a theme here, isn't there?) -- but for once it's not because the song is set in Ohio. It's sad because it's about a lost love. It comes in at #6 on my list because it's beautifully written and beautifully performed (even though this vocal style is not my favorite).

5.I Want to Go Back to Ohio State, by the Ohio State University Marching Band

As mentioned in my notes for #9, it's hard to separate Ohio music from the Ohio State University. Even those Ohioans who never go to college, or end up going to different colleges, identify strongly with the largest university in the state because of its athletics programs (Ohio State sports are really more like a religion than a recreational activity). I came to know this song through my little brother's involvement with the OSU Marching Band and Men's Glee Club, and it came to be a favorite. I find this song to be particularly fun and frivilous and can identify with its sentiments -- even though I never went to school there.

4. Cleveland Rocks, by the Presidents of the United States of America

This song was popularized by the late-90s television comedy, "The Drew Carey Show" (featured in the YouTube clip above). It's a working class celebration of the Northeast Ohio metropolis, and it's been widely embraced as something of an anthem for people from this area.

3. To Ohio, by the Low Anthem

Musically-speaking, I think this might be the most beautiful song on the list -- and if I'd have had it in my music collection for longer than three days, it might even be my #1 (but I put it here at #3 because it hasn't yet stood the test of time for me, personally). I don't know much of the story behind the lyrics, but I love the sense of motion and the harmonies that go along with this song.

2. Ohio, by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

This one is actually about Kent, Ohio (the city where I'm going to be living)! It recounts the events of May 4, 1970, when 4 university students were killed by members of the Ohio National Guard, who had come into Kent upon the orders of the University president, the town mayor, and the governor of Ohio. It became an anthem of the student protest movement of the early-1970s. There's a strangely militaristic sense to this song by a folksy band of peaceniks who were protesting against the United States involvement in Vietnam -- but that makes it all the more interesting! Musically, it's not the greatest song ever by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young -- nor is it my personal favorite. However, it is historically significant, relatively popular, and specifically about Kent; so it comes in at #2 on my list.

1. Ohio, by Over the Rhine

Apparently, there are no good videos of this song -- but nevermind; the song itself is sensational. Sentimental and sweet, without being sappy or sickening. And it's done by one of my favorite Ohio-based bands. Definitely my #1.

I really enjoyed the Amsterdam50 worship gathering today.

We started off with a report about a ministry to street children in Bolivia, including the above video clip. On its artistic merit alone, the video is stunningly beautiful (I especially appreciated the way the videographer played with focus, providing an almost photographic quality to the footage -- to the point that it made me long for the old days when I did video production myself!). But the report was doubly beautiful because it was delivered by a beloved member of our church community who just got back from Bolivia herself (this friend even makes a cameo appearance in the video at the 7:00 mark!). Clearly, Mirjam has been impacted in a fresh way to take up the cause of the Great Commission -- and it was really beautiful to see this...

But she isn't the only one.

Later in the worship gathering, we were reminded of another beloved member of the church community who is just today starting a creative missions project in Spain (you can learn more about it from the above video clip). Again my heart rejoiced to think of the seeds scattering from Amsterdam to all the corners of the globe...

One of our pastors-in-training then shared a powerful message about a powerful section of the Old Testament, when the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River at flood stage -- a feat that put Frisian Flierljeppen to shame (though the mention of flierljeppen made me look up an old clip of the unusual Dutch sport, as seen here below)!

In any event, the message from Joshua 1-4 helped to put our own church and personal transitions into perspective, and it set the stage for a powerful time of worship. The band was already set to rock this week -- but it all seemed to come together in an especially inspiring way, with all the other elements of the worship gathering.

At the end of the worship gathering, we talked about the Serve the City initiative and found ourselves challenged to be on mission here in Amsterdam -- just as Mirjam in La Paz and Avantia in Madrid (watch the video clip below to learn more). And again, I felt encouraged to see the way that life bubbles up from within the Church here in the city.

As if all that wasn't enough, we also had an absolutely lovely brunch with Community Leaders from the church -- and I felt like the whole day was a reassurance that God will care for His Church (with or without me around to enjoy the view).

Yesterday I posted my Top Ten Amsterdam songs of all time. Based on some feedback from other Amsterdammers, I've adjusted my list slightly and added YouTube clips of the songs wherever possible. These are my new and improved suggestions for the Greatest Amsterdam Songs of All Time:

10. Bicycle Race, by Queen

Not actually about Amsterdam... But definitely about bicycles -- and that's Amsterdam enough for me! It's also just a fun song.

9. Ik Kan Blijven Kijken, by Peter Beense

The video is awful... but the song is great.

8. Life in the City, by Danny Stimac

[NO VIDEO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE]

I still remember meeting Danny Stimac in the old attic that our church rented in the early days of establishing our ministry in the Netherlands. I remember him as a delightful person and a gifted musician. His ode to Amsterdam brings back a lot of warm memories of my earlier days in the city.

7. The Gray Skyline, by Benjamin Winter

A love song -- more for a person than for the city itself -- but still the context is unmistakable.

6. Amsterdam, by Cold Play

The song doesn't actually mention Amsterdam at all, except in the title -- but it is Cold Play... and the sound of the song is pretty cool. Worth a mention, at any rate.

5. Tulpen uit Amsterdam, by Herman Emmink

Kind of cliché, maybe a bit like "La Vie en Rose" for Paris. I don't know if this song means as much for locals as it does for tourists... But still, it has that kind of instant association that can't be overlooked in a Top Ten listing like this one.

4. Amsterdam, by Leslie Phillips

[NO VIDEO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE]

I like the haunting, lilting guitar riff that characterizes this ode to Amsterdam... but I also like the fact that this song was written by a very close personal friend of mine. It wins the prize for Amsterdam songs that have not (yet) been picked up by the mainstream.

3. Walking in Amsterdam, by PFR

This is one of my personal favorites, particularly in light of its perspective from a foreigner who spent some time in the city but eventually moved on ("I believe I could see my life clearer / walking in Amsterdam / There's an ocean between who I am and who I was / walking in Amsterdam / Now I run / Every one of my days have become / A pursuit of all I was there / Can I get it back? Can I get it back?"). It's not as classic or as widely known as some of the other songs about Amsterdam, but it makes my top three at any rate.

2. Amsterdam, by Jacques Brel

Sung by one of the greatest chanteurs of all time, accompanied by accordian and piano, Brel's performs a beautiful ballad to Amsterdam. To be completely honest, I don't  understand all the words to this song (it's sung in French) -- but I still get chills up and down my spine when I hear the end of the song, when his final refrain is drowned out by the sound of his audience standing to their feet in appreciation for his performance.

1. Aan de Amsterdamse Grachten, by Tante Leen

This is the anthem. It's played each August at the conclusion of the glorious Prinsengracht Concert. The audience at the open-air music festival sings and sways along to the music, and I can hardly think of a more fitting tribute to the city. Roughly translated, the lyrics say, "I've left my heart alongside the canals of Amsterdam," and "No one could wish for anything better than to be an Amsterdammer." And to be honest, I think these are my sentiments exactly.

What are the greatest Amsterdam songs of all time? Here are my suggestions for the Top Ten:

I've learned a lot about conflict through the years: through personal relationships, through raising children, and through church leadership situations. But this lesson in conflict, brought to you by Sesame Street (featuring Robin Williams and the Two-Headed Monster), is one of the best that I've ever seen.

(via 22 Words)