I ran a marathon last year. I know that most of you either know that already or could care less but … you might care about what I listened to for 4 hours and 50 minutes. The idea for this post comes from NPRs recent Fresh Air about workout music which in turn caused my cube neighbor to ask me if there was a band or song that I would consider motivating. I was also motivated to put this up because I just today found the home of said playlist – my 2nd Gen iPod Nano.

And before you get too critical or threaten to burn any credit I may have as a music recommending friend – all I ask is that you remember the good times. Know that some of the selections were made out of desperation and only to fill time. I know I broke mixtape rules but … this is workout playlist. Cut me some slack. And please, if you can – try and forgive my undying adoration for Jackson Browne.

I’ve also created a playlist of all of the tracks that are available on Spotify.

Here goes:

Arms Like Boulders – The War on Drugs

Texico Bitches – Broken Social Scene

Doctor My Eyes – Jackson Browne

Is This Love? Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Digital Love – Daft Punk

Can You Discover? – Discovery

All I Want – LCD Soundsystem

Black Night – The Dodos

My Old Ways – Dr. Dog

3 Dimes Down – Drive-By Truckers

List For Life – GIRLS

Rock Me on the Water – Jackson Browne

G.O.O.D. Friday – Kanye West

Gone – Kanye West

Shadow People – Dr. Dog

Home – LCD Soundsystem

Your Time is Gonna Come – Led Zepplin

The Righteous Path – Drive-By Truckers

P.Y.T. – Michael Jackson

Death on the Stairs – The Libertines

Fat Man in the Bathtub – Little Feat

The Breeze – Dr. Dog

Crazy Feeling – Lou Reed

What are you Willing to Lose – Lucero

Cameras – Matt & Kim

Fade Away – Oasis

Tine to Pretend – MGMT

Roscoe – Midlake

Holland, 1945 – Neutral Milk Hotel

Hey, Hey What Can I Do? – Led Zepplin

Broke – Modest Mouse

X- Mas Curtain – My Morning Jacket

All of the Lights – Kanye West

The Breakup – The Rural Alberta Advantage

Where to Begin – My Morning Jacket

Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes – Paul Simon

Kill Devil Falls – Phish

Secret Meeting – The National

This Tornado Loves You – Neko Case

Ghost – Neutral Milk Hotel

RIngfinger – Nine Inch Nails

Juicy – Notorious B.I.G.

Stay Young – Oasis

Lost Coastlines – Okkervil River

ATLiens – Outkast

Southernplayaslisticadillacmuzik – Outkast

Little Secrets – Passion Pit

Mahgeeta – My Morning Jacket

I know What I Know – Paul Simon

Stereo – Pavement

Summer Babe  (Winter Version) – Pavement

Passing Me By – The Pharcyde

Hallelujah – Ryan Adams

Backwards Down the Number Line – Phish

1901 – Phoenix

Brothers Gonna Work it Out – Public Enemy

12:51 – The Strokes

Imitation of Life – R.E.M.

Everything In Its Right Place – Radiohead

Rock ‘n’ Roll Star – Oasis

Wasting Time – Reading Rainbow

I will Dare – The Replacements

Handshake Drugs – Wilco

Taking the Farm – The War on Drugs

Two Lovers – The Rural Alberta Advantage

New York, New York – Ryan Adams

The Wall – Yuck

The Comeback – Shout Out Louds

Rill Rill – Sleigh Bells

Two Kinds of Happiness – The Strokes

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground – The White Stripes

Everybody Knows – Ryan Adams

Company in my Back – Wilco

Get Away – Yuck

On an overcast chilly May Sunday we milled around the capital- leaning against buildings, petting every dog that walked past, and acting as archeologists we scoured the pavement for anything that resembled an unfinished cigarette.

We weren’t poor but sometimes we sure did act like it.

As we tried hard to mask the delinquent thoughts that percolated under the yarn balls of our hats, a flurry of conversation flew past my ears. Three or four entered and quickly exited as I had a hard time keeping up with what must have been the most exciting, enlightening, and engaging collection of words put into sentences and then orated that I had ever been privy to.

That was a common occurrence for me during that time, though. Everything was interesting. Everyone I met I wanted to learn something from. Everyone excited me and everything was an opportunity.

“What the fuck do you mean, he’s in town tonight? How could we not know that?”

“Yeah, man. Word is it’s sold out but…I don’t think we’d have a problem getting in.”

“Fuck. I don’t care who I came here to see, I’m going to see him if he’s here.”

“For sure!”

I halted and grasped at these words. I calmed down and started to pay attention. My ears perked up at the passion and elevated excitement that was coming from these two kids that had just glided into our group. The clean/dirty dichotomy of their presence commanded they be taken serious as straight shooters who quite possibly could know where it’s at. They were firecrackers. And they had just been lit by something sure to be astounding. Clearly.

And besides, I had no idea who the ‘he’ in the conversation was.

It was 1999 and my friend Erica and I had driven an hour and some change to see Trey Anastasio on his first solo tour. It was to be an intimate show in front of a small audience where he ‘d play a set of Phish songs and a second set of covers and new originals. I was more than excited and up until this exact moment, had I not had tickets, I would have stowed away in dude’s guitar case just get in the building. Or done anything within reason, I guess.

But now there was something else. Something that could be more exciting or more of an experience than seeing a dude and a guitar that I’d be seeing with his band in July. The fast talk and ear-to-ear smiles of some kids I never knew had completely enveloped and coerced me to forget about what I came to do and to do something completely different.

So I thought to myself so what. Sweet. Let’s do this. Let’s skip Trey and see…

Tom Waits.

Up to this point I hadn’t knowingly heard of Tom Waits, his music, or seen him in films. I had no idea who he was, how old, what instrument he played. Nothing. I only knew that some people I was hanging around exploded at the sound of his name. I had no idea if I would like him more or less than the man I had worshiped as a guitarist. I had no idea at all.

This Tom Waits could’ve been a cellist, a rapper, or a flutist. He could’ve been a Satanist, a rapscallion, or a stand up comedian. I knew absolutely nothing about Tom Waits on that cold May day except that I was going to see him that night!

….