6. "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire (2004)

Four songs from Arcade Fire's debut Funeral have a legitimate claim on this spot: the strange apocalyptic snow-bound vision of "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)," the singular tenacity of "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)," the majestic call of "Wake Up," or the effervescent pulse of "Rebellion (Lies)." Given each song's worthy merits and the difficult task in choosing just one, the final considerations included acknowledging the Mrs.' favorite ("Rebellion") and pointing out that a new recording of "Wake Up" was used in one of the best movie trailers in recent years. So it goes.

Combining the earnestness of Springsteen, the pageantry of Bowie, and the lyrical thrust of T.S. Eliot, Arcade Fire is that rare band that came on to the stage fully formed and actualized. Led by Win Butler's songwriting and its collective musicianship, the band's 2004 masterwork Funeral, an elegy of sorts to loved ones who passed away during its recording, is likely never to be approached again.

The four songs all share the same basic themes: youth overcoming the disenchantment of adulthood, truth shining through the lies of the world, love dispelling the dark heart of man, and the spirit overcoming the terrestrial restraints of the body. All four songs powerfully achieve their intended results with fierce lyrical prose, inventive chamber art-rock, and an overwhelming need to connect with the audience or something beyond the music. Ultimately, for the purposes of this list, The D Man kept coming back to one song and therefore will discuss the immense pleasures of the band's anthemic "Wake Up."

With its sweeping call to disregard the lies that are passed down by each generation, the song's narrative reaches an unparalleled climax.

If the children don't grow up,

our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.

We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms turnin' every good thing to rust.

I guess we'll just have to adjust.

The song then moves toward a mesmerizing shift into an exquisite coda, where we may consider the realization of our untapped potential in the face of death.

With my lightnin' bolts a glowin'

I can see where I am goin' to be

When the reaper he reaches and touches my hand.

With my lightnin' bolts a glowin'

I can see where I am goin'.

You better look out below.

"Wake Up" is essentially a more imaginative vision of Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run." Influenced by Butler's religious upbringing about the untold possibilities of the spirit (he was raised in a part-Mormon family), Arcade Fire's song is a potent portrayal of our ability to love and evolve even in the throes of darkness.

Why listen? Arcade Fire is a serious band for serious listeners who seek, both lyrically and sonically, the weighing and considering that comes from music's communal contemplation. "Wake Up" does all this without sacrificing the primal elements of a great rock song.

Something else? "Keep the Car Running," "Laika," "Haiti," "Intervention," "No Cars Go."