Music To Move Myself Down The Trail

Since I’ve only ever hiked for two weeks running, not the 5+ months of the upcoming Supported Through Hike, and its always been with hiking buddies, I’ve never worried too much about how to pass the time on the trail. But for this hike, put a 64 gig memory card in my phone, and am loading it with music, Ted Talks, and audio books.  Hikers my age sometimes look askance at earphones on the trail.  But I think I’ll need it.  So in the mornings I’ll use some worship music, mid-day some Ted talks or audio book, and when the afternoon drags on, some oldies.

Out of every 9-10 hour day, I anticipate spending about half of it with audio stimulation, and the other half being fully present on the trail.

Here’s one category I’m loading up on – the music I grew up with, the 60s, 70s and 80s, which, like anyone who looks back on their teens thru twenties, is when music was best.

So here’s a partial list of what I anticipate will help me move down the trail.  Note that there are a number of songs about rain, sun, and most are energetic.

My Oldies list (by artist):

Arlo Guthrie, City of New Orleans (travelling through America)

Bob Dylan:  Like a Rolling Stone, Maggies Farm (as in “I aint gonna work….”), Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run, The Promised Land

Cat Stevens: Morning Has Broken, Peace Train

Chicago: Feelin’ Stronger Every Day

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Bad Moon Rising, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Who’ll Stop the Rain?

Dire Straits: Walk of Life

Elton John: Crocodile Rock

Eric Clapton: Layla, Running on Faith

Fleetwood Mac: Don’t Stop, Never Going Back

James Taylor: Carolina in My Mind, Fire and Rain

John Denver: Country Roads, Rocky Mountain High

John Lennon: Watching the Wheels

Louis Armstrong: What a Wonderful World

Brad Paisley: Mud on the Tires

Paul McCartney: Band on the Run

Rod Steward: Forever Young

The Beach Boys: Fun, Fun, Fun,   Good Vibrations,  I Can Hear Music, Sloop John B

The Beatles: (I’m a huge fan, so will have a lot of them, but here are the more appropriate) A Hard Day’s Night, Across the Universe, Carry That Weight, Come Together, Free As A Bird, Get Back, Getting Better, Good Day Sunshine, Help, Helter Skelter (it’s about a rollercoaster), Here Comes the Sun, I Should Have Known Better, I’ll Follow the Sun, Mother Nature’s Son, Revolution, Rain, Strawberry Fields, Sun King, The End, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, With a Little Help From My Friends

The Dave Clark Five: Bits and Pieces, Catch us if you Can, Glad All Over

The Doobie Brothers: Listen to the Music

The Eagles: Take It Easy, Hotel California

The Proclaimers: I’m Gonne Be (500 Miles)

And a few other songs that just seem to fit:

Alan Jackson: The Blue Ridge Mountain Song

Earl Scruggs: Dueling Banjos, Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Harry McClintock: Big Rock Candy Mountain

Soggy Bottom Boys: I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow

Willie Nelson: On the Road Again, Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I’m Gone

 

Any other Boomer songs you’re planning to bring?

Dave Michel

Pitchit

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Comments 2

  • Cherre : Feb 5th

    Billy Thorp Children of the Sun. It will get you going in the AM.

    Reply
  • CWilson : Feb 10th

    Ain’t No Sunshine – Whithers

    Mississippi Queen -Mountain

    When The Levee Breaks – Zeppelin

    Reply

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