What song lyrics motivate/compel you to hike?

[Sly]

Cat Stevens - Miles from Nowhere Lyrics

Miles from nowhere
I guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there

Look up at the mountain
I have to climb
Oh yeah, to reach there.

Lord my body has been a good friend
But I won�t need it when I reach the end

Miles from nowhere
Guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there

I creep through the valleys
And I grope through the woods
cause I know when I find it my honey
It's gonna make me feel good

I love everything
So don't it make you feel sad
cause I'll drink to you, my baby
I'll think to that, I'll think to that.

Miles from nowhere
Not a soul in sight
Oh yeah, but it's alright

I have my freedom
I can make my own rules
Oh yeah, the ones that I choose

Lord my body has been a good friend
But I won't need it when I reach the end

Miles from nowhere
Guess I'll take my time
Oh yeah, to reach there.

[Moxie00]

One very cold and miserable morning in southern North Carolina, about 10 days into my thru hike I woke up in my tent. The rain was steady and cold. I was cold,miserable, and discouraged. I turned on my Sony Walkman for a weather forcast and there was Arlo Guthre singing "City Of New Orleans", I can't explain it but that song just seemed to pick me up and make the world seem right. I sang it all the way to Maine, especially when I was alone. I naver paid attention to that song before, I prefer clasical music, but that upbeat rythm became my theme song. Even today when I am feeling down it picks my spirts up. Hell, it's just a song about a train but it sure lifted me up and kept me going.
Every day is a cool sunny day when you can sing whike hiking.

[Nean]

Many songs inspire me including this one by the Ventures, which has no lyrics- Walk, Don't Run

[c.coyle]

As all good blues songs should start!

All good blues song should start with "My woman done left me, took all my money, wrecked my new car, and pawned my diamond ring."

Briarpatch - Robert Johnson is a great choice.

[Tractor]

I like several walkin' tunes and many songs about some sort of jouney but for some reason don't seem to get those songs in my head while hiking. It's those odd Peter Gabriel, Little Feat, Robert Palmer, Jack Johnson, Allman Brothers Band, Dave Mathews tunes that pop up on the trail and for some strange reason I, too, recall some old church hymms there as well. Those classic James Taylor/Dan Fogelberg/Firefall/Eagles tunes remind me of the trail. Now for the lyrics of (why, I do not rightly know) a song that reminds me most of the trail:

What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the mornin'!

chorus:
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Earl-eye in the mornin'!

Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Earl-eye in the mornin'!

chorus

Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Earl-eye in the mornin'!

chorus

Put him in the back of a paddy wagon,
Put him in the back of a paddy wagon,
Put him in the back of a paddy wagon,
Earl-eye in the mornin'!

chorus

Throw him in the lock-up 'til he is sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'til he is sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'til he is sober,
Earl-eye in the mornin'!

chorus

Tie him to the mast with a red dress on him,
Tie him to the mast with a red dress on him,
Tie him to the mast with a red dress on him,
Earl-eye in the mornin'!

chorus

This little tune has been on my shoulder through many a mile.

[Sleepy the Arab]

I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head.
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, and "No!", was all he said.

(Chorus
Take a load off Fannie, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fannie, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.



Words can't express how irked I was when that cell phone company hijacked it for a damn commercial.

[justusryans]

twenty twenty twenty four hours to go,
i wanna be sedated! "ramones"

[Nightwalker]

I remembered another one, which most folks in this country probably have no access to (but it's good enough to chase down). "Another 45 Miles to go" by Golden Earring. It's on their Naked Truth CD, and really hits on the walking/hitching thang.

[BigToe]

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright
- Bob Dylan

"It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don’t matter, anyhow
An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don’t know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I’ll be gone
You’re the reason I’m trav’lin’ on
Don’t think twice, it’s all right

It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An’ it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
I’m on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin’ you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin’ anyway
So don’t think twice, it’s all right

It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
I can’t hear you any more
I’m a-thinkin’ and a-wond’rin’ all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I’m told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don’t think twice, it’s all right

I’m walkin’ down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I’m bound, I can’t tell
But goodbye’s too good a word, gal
So I’ll just say fare thee well
I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don’t mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don’t think twice, it’s all right"


A down song for sure, but it always comes to me several times during a hike.

[rocket04]

"You gotta get gone, you gotta get going
The world ain't slowing down for no one."

-Ellis Paul

[Pencil Pusher]

They Call The Wind Moriah

Sounds like an old Kingston Trio tune. My pop had us waking up to Tom Dooley thumping through the house when we were kids, all on his reel-to-reel no less.

[Blister]

I usually try to hike with a radio - so anything is possible. But one that always goes through my head is "these are the days to remember" by the 10,000 maniacs. And if it is a long haul into town - 99 bottles of beer usually gets me thru the last mile pretty damn quick with beer to spare.

[Happy Feet]

The other morning while hiking the BMT TN/NC extension, I woke up at the Crowder Place (nice campsite - excellent water) with Bob Marley in my head. It must have been a combination of the perfect morning and the songs of all the wood thrushs (we call them 'bubble birds').


Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")

Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

[Happy Feet]

Neil Young gets into my head too...not because of the lyrics, just because I like Neil Young.


Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain
With the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you're thinking that
you're leaving there too soon,
You're leaving there too soon.

[Red Hat]

Silly as it sounds, this was playing on my husband's Sirius Radio the day he let me out in Waynesboro. For over 100 miles I kept thinking about

"my China doll in old Hong Kong, makes my heart start to yearn,...
There's a pretty seniorita waiting for me, down in old Mexico,
and if you're ever in Alaska stop and see my cute little eskimo....
Oh, Im a travelin' man.... "

I know there are other lines that I'm missing, but this is what kept going through my head!

[mbroadhe]

doo doooooo doodoodah

mahnahmahnah

doo doooooo doodoodah

mahnahmahnah

Ah, Dr. Teeth!

[DMA, 2000]

Some of those mentioned above (Cold Water, How Great Thou Art, City of New Orleans) I can relate too...these ran through my head alot too.

Another song I tried to sing in my head (but couldn't, because I didn't know the words) was sung at Trail Days 2000 Talent Show by the 1999 SOBOs..."Walking Along". If anyone knows the words/chords to that, I'd really appreciate it.

I just heard a song today for the first time that seems like a perfect AT theme song, "Walking to the End of the World" by Alastair Moock.

I'm walking to the end of the world
I'm walking to the end of the world
I'm walking to the end of the world
My future ain't been told
And my soul ain't been sold
I'm just walking to the end of the world

I'm taking my time as I go
Taking my time, moving slow
I'm taking my time as I go
'Cuz taking time's the only way I know
You can't borrow time
When you ain't got a dime
So I'm just taking my time as I go

And I'm trying to keep my head out of the sand
As I'm walking to the end of the land
Trying to be a quiet, decent man
Trying to keep my head out of the sand
Most talking is cheap and the sand is always deep
As I'm walking to the end of the land

Chorus

And I'm searching for a fine looking girl
As I'm walking to the end of the world
Looking for a fine searching girl
As I'm walking to the end of the world
Most them girls are cute, but I want me a beaut
'Cuz I'm walking to the end of the world

Chorus

There ain't nobody living that could stop me
No, there ain't no one could ever make me turn back
There ain't nobody living that could stop me
'Til God or fate or both decide to drop me
My walking is one way, that's all I've got to say
If you're smart, then you'll stay out of my way

Chorus

[Scooter]

I've always been very partial to Civil War marching tunes. The cadence of the fife and drums, beating out the song, has carried me up many a switchback.

[willyhort0w2]

There is a underground jam band out of Ohio called the Ekoostic Hookas and the have a song called Through Hiker and I do suggest taking a listen. you can find it in one of there live shows on www.archive.org under live music downloads.