Today’s Shuffle: What do these songs mean to you?

Well, now that I’ve transferred my entire rock/pop/folk/country library to my iPod, I’m enjoying the circus show better-known as “Shuffle Songs.”

The machine tends to deliver a rather bumpy road of randomly selected tracks from the 6,600 songs I’ve loaded up.

But most of the time, the pros outweigh the cons. I love being surprised by tracks from albums that I haven’t heard in years. And old favorites seem brand new when dropped into unexpected contexts and unpredictable sequences.

When I was in high school, I dreamed about giving all of my favorites to a DJ who would create me a custom radio station playing all of my favorites and anything new that intrigued me. Once in a while, technology does make a dream come true.

So, from time to time I’m going to share the sequence that’s currently dazzling me, just as a way of recommending my favorites from the archives and the latest new releases.

And to make things interesting, let me know:

• Do any of these songs mean something to you?
• Any lyrics that rock your world?
• Any performances that make you stop what you’re doing?
• Does one of these tracks bring back any vivid memories?

Today’s unexpected program:

• “The Saints are Coming,” U2 & Green Day, U218
• “Keep Your Distance,” Buddy and Julie Miller, Buddy and Julie Miller
• “John, I Love You,” Sinead O’Connor, Universal Mother
• “To Feel This Way,” Michael Been, On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakthrough
• “Six-Fingered Man,” Elvis Costello and Alan Toussaint, The River in Reverse
• “God is Watching You,” Leslie Phillips, The Turning
• “A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel,” U2, The Best of U2 (b-sides)
• “Innocence Lost,” Steve Taylor, I Predict 1990
• “Lolita,” Suzanne Vega, Nine Objects of Desire
• “Feel Good Inc.,” Gorillaz, Demon Days
• “Doctor Worm,” They Might Be Giants, Dial-a-Song
• “Lily and Parrots,” Sun Kil Moon, Ghosts of the Great Highway
• “Il Est Dans Mon Poche,” Over the Rhine, Patience
• “Very Ape,” Nirvana, In Utero
• “The Lakes of Canada,” The Innocence Mission, Birds of My Neighborhood