Superman

Over the years, I've heard several different songs about Superman - either the character or the concept of 'supermen.'  The most recent addition to this list is "Superman" by Barbara Streisand, on a record my daughter picked up at the Goodwill.  I like "superman" as a topic - it can be so easy to fall into common superhero ideas, but anyone who's read comic books in the last twenty years knows that being a superhero is an experience filled with agony, alienation, and self-loathing; the weight of the world on your shoulders and just because you have these powers it doesn't mean your mind is up to the challenge of being super.

Here's four favorite superman songs to help you rise above the crisis:

Laurie Anderson: O Superman (For Massenet)

R.E.M.: I Am Superman

Flaming Lips: Waiting For A Superman

Barbara Streisand: Superman