by Betty Tesh

Created on: May 13, 2009   Last Updated: May 20, 2009

Okay, so I'm a sentimentalist. No, wait. Not entirely. My top picks are 2-tissue, cheesy as Wisconsin, tear-jerkers, but as I worked my way down the list of top graduation songs, my back-row, snickering, nothing-under-my-graduation-gown self took over. Having endured 30 years of high school graduations, plus at least 20 college commencements, I feel qualified to make a semi-professional choice. Let's begin with the Grandmother of all graduation songs, and work our way down to the tipsy brother-in-law.

Rogers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Rod Steward's "Forever Young."
A great choice because it speaks to grads, parents, and teachers. The repetitive chorus of "Forever young, forever young" tears at the heart because it's such nonsense. Of course nobody stays forever young. But, for one brief, shinning moment, we believe.

The Carpenter's: "We've Only Just Begun."
Okay, better as a wedding song ( "White lace and promises" and "Just the two of us") but a great graduation song, too, ("So many roads to take"). It all but throbs with youthful confidence that graduation is the starting line for life.

Charles Strouse and Martin's Charnin's "Tomorrow." (From "Annie")
Qualifies because what graduate doesn't love tomorrow? Especially for completing today's tasks. With the exception of a few golden souls, most graduates consider that for four years, they've "been stuck with [1,460] day(s) that (are) gray and lonely"
Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow."
This makes a great graduation song for the same reason grads love Annie's "Tomorrow." Have you ever seen a teen who didn't "wake up and not want to smile?" After all, while they've been daydreaming through classes, haven't they been "thinking about tomorrow?" Or at least next Saturday night?

ABBA's "Money, Money, Money, Money."
Seems especially fitting for the 2009 grad. "Ah-ahaa, the things I could do, if I had a little money!" Sadly, "The Impossible Dream" for this year's graduates appears to be just getting a job.

James Ingram's "Remember the Dream."
A guaranteed tear-jerker, especially the words, "Remember the dream we had/When there was nothing else" Graduates like to think that theirs was the only class ever who dared to dream.

Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire."
Probably chosen by the class clown and approved by the class's favorite history teacher. The perfect way to thumb a collective nose at the adults. (Or maybe still trying to wiggle out of the trash can blaze in the gym!)

John Lennon's "Imagine."
A goofy bunch of lyrics, but who said idealists made sense? Besides, what graduate doesn't want to think, "You may say that I'm a dreamer /But I'm not the only one.."
This song can help break the news to the parents of musical theater, psychology, and political science majors that they haven't found a job and are moving back home.

The Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie." A graduation song you can sing full throttle and not worry about getting the words right, except for "Me gotta go, Ay-yi-yi-yi!"

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