A while back I had a session with my trainer where I ended up telling her the funniest story she has heard from me. As usual, my session of a fantastic workout (thanks Stephanie for that!) also led to a discussion of what had been going on the past week. Since we had last spoken, it has been “interesting” to say the least and when I said it was a crazy week, it seemed odd because it was only Tuesday.

In any event, conversation went from the oddness of cemeteries and burying dead people and my fake Jewish Boyfriend who I wasn’t really dating and he wasn’t dating me because of the whole conversation of converting when dealing with an interfaith relationship. At least we didn’t say we were dating each other. And yes, there was a reason I had the fake Jewish Boyfriend. I don’t go around making up boyfriends just for the hell of it. Especially when that time can be put to use in actually dating a real person.

Additionally, we were discussing my listening to Ingrid Michaelson music pretty much exclusively of late. This all started because I heard a really awful version of Soldier. It might have been a good version of the song (no it really actually wasn’t in my world), but I am one who thinks if you are going to play a song, you should play the original version. After I heard that bad version, I needed to hear the real thing.

When I told my trainer that I had been listening to Ingrid’s music repeatedly after not having listened to it for a long time, she had a feeling about when it started and she was totally right. Probably because when I was discussing the bad version of the song, I said that “I love that song” and “I’ve seen Ingrid in concert a few times.” She was then asking me exactly what it is about her music that I like. And what it was that made me want to put in on my running playlists.

My easy answer is that her songs say things that I think with all the various thoughts that I have. Somehow, she just manages to say what I am thinking much more eloquently. My trainer also asked if it was more about boy stuff or empowering, etc. Honestly, I’m not sure. I guess a few of the songs are very “boy stuff” in terms of the thoughts. But I am not sure that is why I like them.

If you aren’t sure who Ingrid Michaelson is, I’m certain you know at least one of her songs, The Way I Am. That is the song that Old Navy used in their commercial a few years about sweaters because of the line “if you get chilly, here take my sweater” and from then on, the song was referred to as “The Sweater Song.” Additionally if you are a fan of Grey’s Anatomy (a show that should have died a quick death years ago) you probably also know her music as a lot of it has appeared in various episodes.

Anyway, after chatting with my trainer, I started to really think about why I like her stuff. What songs would be on my best of Ingrid playlist? What exactly is it about those particular songs says things I am thinking?

And after thinking about it, I think the reason is really that she ends up saying a lot of things that I think. But in a much more eloquent manner. As I was looking through her catalogue of songs, I decided to put together my all-time favorite Ingrid Michaelson playlist. If I could only listen to certain of her songs, these would be the ones that I would listen to on repeat no problem.

I did finally manage to take her off repeat a week or so after the encounter with the bad cover of Soldier and now I can listen to her songs with no problem again. Because when I did end up putting her on repeat after the bad cover, it threw me for a loop and not in a good way at the time. So without further ado, here is my all-time Ingrid list and in no particular order:

Starting Now I like because it is fun to imagine that you’ve not met certain people who annoy the hell out of you now. How different would life be had they not walked into your life.

As she explains in this song, it’s the end of the world and you find that person you’re meant to be with and you get to spend your final moments on earth with that person. Don’t we all hope for that?

Solder the song that started me down the Ingrid path about a month ago. But it is a good song, despite being a weird trigger for the need to listen to Ingrid Michaelson all day every day.

Sort Of is a song that I really like the beat of. For awhile, it was my power song on my Nike+ when I did runs. For some reason, it gave me a boost when I really needed one musically. Now, that line about eyes warning reminds me of someone who sometimes has a scary (to me) look in the eyes. Perhaps I’m being warned to stay away . . .

Ghost is a rather sad song. And it sometimes captures how one can feel when you are feeling really low about life and not just about a lost love.

Winter Song is a collaboration with Sara Bareillis (someone else I’ve been playing non-stop and I don’t regret it) and it just feels all holiday-ish to me.

The Chain  is a modern-day round and it is so fun to listen to.

You & I is just so fun. It is so happy and hopeful and every time I have seen her perform it live, it is just awesome.

Charlie is that song you need to hear when you’re being picked on and need to remember there is someone out there who will make your day.

Around You is a song that makes me think about how some people can do things to turn the world upside down and the crazy pull you can feel toward them. Even when you don’t want to feel the pull.

Locked Up is just a song I like. No particular reason.

Masochist is another song I will run to sometimes. Again, I like the beat of it.

Be Ok is an interesting song. Good message about believing that things will be ok. Yet, there are times when I hear it and she says she wants to feel something, I don’t want to feel anything At. All.

The Way I Am is a song I hated thanks to Old Navy. But then I started to appreciate it and then love it after hearing Ingrid explain about it at a show in 2012. Not to mention, the line “I love you more than I could promise” is something that would be nice to have someone say about you.

Parachute is a song that she originally did not record but gave to Cheryl Cole to perform because it was too pop for her sound. But eventually she did record it. Nice message the song has about someone who will support you. And her line about not telling anyone about what is going on with that person really is how I am about things.

And that is my list. All of the songs are available to purchase except for Charlie and Around You. Those songs are from her first self-released album and she took those down because she decided she didn’t like the work anymore. Fortunately I was able to purchase it before she took it out of the marketplace so I can listen to those songs in my ITunes library.