ROAD TRIPPIN

me, genevieve, on the left, with the scarf, melissa, on the right, with the headband. we went on a road trip today, although this picture is from last friday in central park. we just decided to drive to connecticut and see what happened because we had a great deal of time to kill. we got lost around here among all the huge houses and construction to make them bigger, driving around in her mom's old subaru. she drove and i picked music, so i got to thinking about road trip songs.

good road trip songs are ones that are about destinations, places to go and things to see and the feelings and things that propel you there.
the classic is ROADRUNNER --- MODERN LOVERS which is the most glorious and awesome thing ever. i once wrote an essay about this for my english class (A/A+ 97% if you're curious).
CHICAGO --- SUFJAN STEVENS. this might be today's roadrunner, though, because everyone just wants to yell out the window "i made a lot of mistakes!!!"

it's also good to drive to songs that are about the PILGRIMAGE, the EXODUS!
GRACELAND --- PAUL SIMON. obviously.
WALCOTT --- VAMPIRE WEEKEND. EPIC VOLUME on round hill road. my boss's wrath is sharp as knives. i was tremendously late to work. we changed the lyrics: "don't you want to get out of connecticut?"
MILES FROM NOWHERE --- CAT STEVENS. oh man, cat! harold and maude and etc! this song will be played at my funeral.

but road trip music needs to have a driving beat and a pulsating rhythm. it needs to drive you forward. it needs to propel you to the future. i hope everyone understands my diction in those sentences. IT WAS PURPOSEFUL.
STAY DON'T GO --- SPOON. beatboxing / sexy falsetto, tapping one hand on the side of the door, shaking your head a little, sweat, sunlight.
ONE WEEK OF DANGER --- THE VIRGINS. at a stoplight with this blaring i tell melissa to rev the engine at the guy in the pickup next to us. it didn't happen but it should have.
BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE --- TALKING HEADS. i was raised on this song so the energy it holds for me is understandable. THE ENERGY OF LIFE. THE UNIVERSE AND ETC.

some road trip songs the location makes appropriate. driving past the most manicured lawn i had ever seen in my young life, i said "i think some kwassa kwassa might be necessary."
CAPE COD KWASSA KWASSA --- VAMPIRE WEEKEND.
past a whole bunch of construction workers melissa and i are yelling "is your bed made?" like my mom this morning.

take me in your car with you and we can drive up the taconic and rock out. i love the taconic. i have to get on that soon.


M12 IS REAL
genevieve