The first day at any job is both exhilarating and stressful, even without almost killing Pee-Wee Herman. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? What are the alliances, and why is this guy Steve so protective about his yogurt?

And then there are the new job duties, all the the new things to learn, the new boss’s quirks, on and on.

On the other hand, there’s the promise of greatness. Beginning again with a clean slate, tabula rasa.

Here are a few songs about beginnings from my stacks:

“Begin the Begin,” REM. One of my all-time favorites from REM.

“The Start of Something Beautiful,” Porcupine Tree. Prog rock is still alive and well, and Steven Wilson is carrying the torch.

“Begin to Return,” Golden Palominos. The Golden Palominos were kind of a revolving door ’80s supergroup. Their music was always challenging, but worth it.

“Wishful Beginnings,” David Bowie. Outside is a really cool album. Some critics blast it as a mess of a concept record, but it’s easily my favorite of Bowie’s ’90s era. Well worth your time.

“Your Time Starts Now,” Van Der Graaf Generator

“When it Started,” The Strokes

“Starting A New Life,” Van Morrison.

“Tomorrow Comes Today,” Gorillaz.

So how about it — more songs about new beginnings? I’m listening.

—photo McKinney75402 / Flickr Creative Commons