Five-song glory ...

I consider myself to be a fairly musical person. I was in choir in high school, and I generally am attached to my Zune like it's an oxygen tank. And yes, I am one of those people who sings along with their car stereo while they sit in traffic. (In my own defense, if you had to sit in the concrete hell that is Interstate 5 through downtown Seattle every afternoon, you'd probably be singing, too ... a song called "Shoot Me Now." I prefer to take a more positive approach.)

And I really feel that songs can have a deeper meaning than just being something you sing along with said Zune to annoy your spouse (see No. 1), or blast on the way to work to get in a "copy goddess" state of mind (see No. 4).

So, in no particular order, here are five songs that I pretty much can't live without these days.

1. "Alone," Heart, because ... I have come to the conclusion that this is my favorite song of all time. Seriously. There is something to beautifully haunting about the lyrics ... "Til now, I always got by one my own, I never really cared until I met you ... and now it chills me to the bone ... how do I get you alone?" For some reason, this song reminds me of Chris and I, not so much for the entirety of our relationship, but starting around the time that I fell for him again in 2001. Back when my friends and I used to play the "who's going to get married first" game in high school, I was always the one deemed least likely to get married -- to anything but my career. And I honestly think that had I not found someone who not only understands my drive and passion for journalism, but meets it, I probably be looking to the AP Stylebook to keep me warm at night. (On an ironic note, Chris banned me from singing this along with my stereo while I do my hair -- don't judge, my flatiron makes a great microphone -- back in January. Something about overkill. I say killjoy is more like it.) And it also reminds me of a certain story that I am allegedly working on right now -- even the self-righteous Ms. Thayer has moments of humility, right?

2. "Heart of the Matter," India.Arie, because ... It takes me back to another time, when life was a lot simpler. When I heard this version on the "Sex and the City" movie trailer, I was instantly captivated. (That being said, I do like the Bruce Hornsby version, too.) It's such a sad, beautiful song, and I love that it's about forgiveness. I admit that I listened to this song around my due date several times, and while I never directly blamed myself for what happened, I did finally come to terms with the fact that I had to "get down to the heart of the matter," forgive myself -- and wipe the slate clean. And I have.

3. "Happy Ending," Mika, because ... Everyone needs a good cry sometimes. I first heard this song in a L&C music video, and I absolutely loved it. It's supposed to be about a lost love -- "this is the way you left me, I'm not pretending, no hope, no love, no glory, no happy ending" -- but I tend to interpret it differently. Or at least I have in the last few months. And that's all I am going to say because I don't want to start crying at my computer in the middle of the night, especially when, fatigue aside, I have been pretty happy later.

4. "Short Skirt, Long Jacket," Cake, because ... I want to be just like the girl wearing the short skirt and the long jacket. Now admittedly, I don't wear skirts often (I think they have stopped heating the newsroom as a cost-cutting measure), nor do I wear long jackets, but if the song was called Coach Purse, Pink Sweater, it would totally be about me. Ha. Anyway, the girl that they sing about just totally kicks ass -- "she's fast, she's thorough, she's sharp as a tack" -- and that is exactly how I aspire to be as a journalist.

5. "I'm Alive," Celine Dion, because ... I feel more alive these days than I had in the last six combined. I have a real fondness for this song after seeing it performed live in Las Vegas, and I love the fact that it comes from the album of which the primary focus is Celine's long journey to become a mother. The lyrics, "When you bless the day, I just drift away ... all my worries die ... I'm glad that I'm alive," are so moving -- and it's not even about anyone specific blessing the day, at least not right now. I'll settle for hope, and optimism, blessing my day. And with that, everything else will fall into place.