By miller727@icloud.com January 8, 2016 Uncategorized 3 Comments
Assembling a good playlist of “running” tunes is essential to marathon training.
On short runs of just a few miles, I’ll often shed my headphones and enjoy the random sounds of nature and human activity. However, on longer runs of an hour or more, listening to something other than the sound of my shoes slapping the pavement helps make the time (and miles) go by a little faster.
Every few months, I might add one or two new songs to my running list but rarely remove one. I have listened to some of my favorite songs hundreds of times over the years. Believe it or not, I can recite every word of “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. I’m serious–it is a killer running song.
As a child of the seventies, my playlist shuffles through quite a few rock songs from that era to keep my energy level high during speed sessions. Yet, my list also include some more eclectic choices, including some country songs, some Rap/Hip-hop, and even some pop favorites.
As you can see from this video, music can transform running into much more than boring exercise.
If you’re also a blogger, music can also free your mind to create new ideas for blog posts.
In fact, during my run this morning, I started thinking about the current budget crisis in Oklahoma and wondered if our elected lawmakers have a preferred playlist of songs to listen to while they run our state into a ditch.
If they do not, I have some suggestions from my actual running playlist that I think may be appropriate. Along with a video of each song, I have also included a brief portion of the lyrics—with some creative alterations.
1. Flirting with Disaster – Molly Hatchet
This would have been a terrific song for our legislators to listen to when they were sitting around deciding to extend corporate tax breaks and reduce state income taxes during the last few years when our states finances were anything but stable.
“We’re flirtin’ with disaster, y’all know what I mean
And the way we run our state, it makes no sense to me
I don’t know about yourself or what you want to be, yeah
When we gamble with our money, we choose our destiny.”
2. Symphony of Destruction – Megadeth
When some people get elected to public office, they seem to forget who they are supposed to represent. As a result, we are simply fed hollow rhetoric and treated as puppets while they enact policies to support the corporate welfare system. A symphony of destruction, indeed.
“You take a mortal man
And put him in the legislature
Watch him become a god
Watch people’s heads a’roll
A’roll, a’ roll
Just like the Pied Piper
Led rats through the streets
We dance like marionettes
Swaying to the symphony
Of destruction.”
3. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
After listening to some silly legislative debates over the past few years (think pop tart guns), we have a couple of legislators who are perilously close to joining Ozzy and going “off the rails on a crazy train.”
“All aboard! Hahaha
Crazy, but that’s how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe. it’s not too late
To learn how to love, and forget how to hate
Fiscal wounds not healing
Our state’s a bitter shame
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train”
4. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – AC/DC
When you think of some of the sweet tax breaks given to the oil and gas industry and other business activities (e.g. Tax Incremental Financing (TIFs) and 2012’s State Question 766), it is apparent that some of our lawmakers are a good bang for the buck.
“Tax credits, kickbacks, TIFs
(Done dirt cheap)
Income tax cuts, contracts, business incentives
(Done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds, do anything you want me to
Done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds, dirty deeds, dirty deeds,
Done dirt cheap, ahhhhh”
5. Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
As a result of graduation requirements associated with 2007’s Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) legislation, hundreds of Oklahoma young adults are now walking alone trying to find a job without a high school diploma. Truthfully, they are probably living in their parents’ basements.
More recently, the Reading Sufficiency Act is crushing the spirits of thousands of nine-year-old children every year. Education should never be about breaking dreams.
“My shadow’s only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk along”
6. The Final Countdown – Europe
With the most recent revenue failure, many school districts across our state may be entering the final months or years of their existence. Start the countdown.
“We’re leaving together,
But still it’s farewell.
And maybe we’ll come back
To Oklahoma, who can tell?
I guess there is no one to blame
We’re leaving ground (leaving ground)
Will things ever be the same again?”
7. You Going to Miss This – Trace Adkins
This song is perfect for describing 2008 and 2009 when public education in our state was actually on an upward trend of funding. However, since 2009, state support of public education has decreased nearly 25%, which represents the largest reduction in our nation during that time.
And, yes, we do miss it.
“You’re gonna miss this
You’re gonna want this back
You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast
These Are Some Good Times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you’re gonna miss this”
Time to Change the Tune
I would like to dedicate the last few songs to the educators, students, and parents who represent Oklahoma’s public schools. It is the time for us to reshuffle the legislator’s playlist and get them to listen to OUR songs.
8. Rolling in the Deep – Adele
Yes, Oklahoma lawmakers, there is a fire starting and we are coming out of the dark. Do NOT underestimate the things we might do.
See how I leave with every piece of you
Don’t underestimate the things that I will do
There’s a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch
And it’s bringing me out the dark”
9. Uprising – Muse
We are tired of false promises and degrading language about our teachers and schools. Time for an uprising? Perhaps.
10. We will Rock You – Queen
Irresponsible decision-making and disgraceful stewardship of our state finances by key legislators deserves a day of reckoning. Hopefully, many of these folks will be rocked right out of office this November.
“Buddy you’re an old man poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got mud on your face
Big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you
singing
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you
everybody
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you”
11. Back in Black – AC/DC
Let’s close our playlist with a hopeful song for Oklahoma. If we can persuade enough lawmakers to make the right decisions and restore fiscal sanity to our great state, perhaps one day we will be “back in the black” and adequately support the key functions of our state government.
Sadly, knowing how our legislature works, a more appropriate choice for this final song might have been “Dream On.”
“‘Cause I’m back
Yes, I’m back
Well, I’m back
Yes, I’m back
Well, I’m back, back
Well, I’m back in black
Yes, I’m back in black”