Does a dark opening attract fear, surprise, disgust or excitement? And what is a hole? The void in the middle, what's around the outside of it, or both?
This year's latest phobia is the sinkhole, the sudden collapse of a ground's surface layer. They can be very deep and destructive, swallowing people, cars and houses. Perhaps like in the Kevin Bacon film – Tremors. Or a banker's salary. Only sinkholes are not caused by giant worms. And there has been a spate of them appearing the UK recently, brought about, some say, by the unseasonably wet weather. But it's best not to get paranoid or go on about this. That would be too embarrassing. So embarrassing you'd just want the ground to just open up and … oh hang on.
This week, as I peer down the dark opening into the Readers Recommend cellar, taps glinting in a shaft of sunlight, barrels brimming and ready to serve, I find myself mixing a cocktail of the topical, abstract and primeval.
When early humans first looked into a hole, did it inspire fear? Was it a gaping black chasm, a cave of hell, horror and death? Or was it a wondrous watery world inviting them to dive, teeming with colourful fish, rich in life and possibility? Whatever the experience, holes present a potent topic recurring in song. Many songs are written and driven by the desire to fill a hole of some sort or another. So perhaps they can be put into roughly two groups: good holes and bad holes.
Good holes might be cosy nests and nooks, associated with animal warmth and safety hibernation and nurturing. A good hole can be a opening, an opportunity. And there is also a common satisfaction associated with putting holes into things and things into holes, as it were. Such as? Well, planting seeds, samplings and trees, holes in woodwork that fit pieces together, placing objects in boxes (or indeed filling up playlists) and – so on. And there are other good associations, such as being placed in the protective surround of a life belt – through the hole in the middle – or being the ace in the hole with the golfing hole in one, or the satisfying plop of a snooker ball into a pocket, of course.
Holes can also be associated with adventure – the gateway to another world, such as thorough CS Lewis's wardrobe, or a worm hole in space in science fiction. And you can dig yourself out of a hole, but then again you can also dig yourself deeper.
From arseholes to earholes, peepholes to plugholes, holes can go, and be seen, in all sorts of forms and functions. Earthworms make holes and in doing so, fertilise soil, but the holes they make are also associated with rotting, decay and death. Buttonholes are useful, but some people have a phobia about them too. And then there's omphalophobia – the fear of another kind of hole – the belly button. And holes in the head? Surely a bad thing, unless of course you suffer from bad headaches and are a fan of the ancient medical practice of trepanning.
Really bad holes? Aside from sinkholes, melancholy songs talk about a hole in one's heart or life, but that can inspire a great song. Holes can also be wounds, bullet holes, something to fall into, a dole hole, a predicament, a squalid dwelling, a hole in one's pocket, shoes, or other items of clothing. And black holes? Yes, these too are somewhat inconvenient.
But who better to round off holes than the bard himself, not Salford's John Cooper Clarke alas, but William Shakespeare? Out of the ale-and-cakehole of playful Falstaff in Henry IV Part 2 emerge two of life's fundamentals – sex and death: "Wilt thou make as many holes in an enemy's battle, as thou hast done in a woman's petticoat?" Indeed one might.
And so this brings me to this week's very welcome guest guru HoshinoSakura, who, filling in the gap, will deftly gather up your hole song nominations and present them as a new whole on Thursday 6 March, so please put them forward in comments by last orders 11pm GMT on Monday 3 March.
To increase the likelihood of your nomination being considered, please:
• Tell us why it's a worthy contender.
• Quote lyrics if helpful, but for copyright reasons no more than a third of a song's words.
• Provide a link to the song. We prefer Muzu or YouTube, but Spotify, SoundCloud or Grooveshark are fine.
• Listen to others people's suggestions and add yours to a collaborative Spotify playlist.
• If you have a good theme for Readers recommend, or if you'd like to volunteer to compile a playlist, please email peter.kimpton@theguardian.com or adam.boult@theguardian.com
• There's a wealth of data on RR, including the songs that are "zedded", at the Marconium. It also tells you the meaning of "zedded", "donds" and other strange words used by RR regulars.
• Many RR regulars also congregate at the 'Spill blog.
