Songs That Got Me to Kentucky

I can’t imagine life without music. My earliest memories include music, and I find it difficult to get through a day without music of some kind. One of my favorite times with music is when I’m driving on a trip by myself, and I can play music as loud as I can stand it and sing-yell along with it while I bash the steering wheel and commit a number of moving violations. But in music, as in all things, I’m picky. So the songs have to fit with what’s happening or where I’m going. Here are the main songs that kept me singing on my way to the KenLake Spiritual Life Retreat:

Across 110^th Street – Bobby Womack: Got hooked on this song from the movie “Jackie Brown.” The movie wasn’t my favorite, but it grew on me. Say what you will about Tarantino, but his use of music in film is a gift.

Africa – Toto: When this song came on, I realized my iPhone was not on shuffle (these are the first two songs I have). This song is awesome. It makes no sense, but I love singing it as loudly as I can. One of the best lines of any song ever – “I know that I must do what’s right (as) sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.”

Float On – Modest Mouse: Such a fun but complex song. Great to sing with a crowd. One of the best album names ever – “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.”

You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon: Sheer genius both as a song and as a music video. Best bass solo ever.

Into The Great Wide Open – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: I think I first became obsessed with this song through the music video on MTV (which if you’re 15 or younger you have no idea about). It’s a gorgeous song about a pretty ugly situation. I had a Tom Petty renaissance a couple years ago when my brother got me the DVD anthology “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” It was a great gift and made me realize how many of these songs I love – much to the dismay of my friend Mark.

Wavin’ Flag – Young Artists for Haiti: For the most part a wretched song, and yet one that always makes me happy because of where I first heard it. Good times at AC.

El Scorcho – Weezer: Makes me think of some of my closest friends - first meeting Mark, Randall, and Troy, getting to know David and Mandy, and playing in ACE with Eli at Davis-Kidd. Hilarious song. “I’ll bring home the turkey if you’ll bring home the bacon!”

“The Trio” (Rolling in the Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain) – Adele: I am borderline OCD. This is lived out in music by becoming obsessed with a certain artist or usually song and playing it over and over and over. I’m newly obsessed with these three songs. “Rolling in the Deep” is just unbelievable in its ability to captivate me. I become like my dog when she sees a squirrel. The other two are pretty close in their power. These songs are the essence of music.