I have long argued that there are more great songs written about New York City than any other city in the world. I have a playlist on my iPhone with 47 New York songs and I dont even have every great one in there. And obviously running the NYC 1/2 Marathon this was the perfect soundtrack for my run. So here are the songs in the order they came up. As youll see some of them came up at the amazingly perfect time: 59th Street Bridge Song - Simon and Garfunkel With the opening line slow down, you move too fast I laughed when I heard it and said not today boys The Boy From New York City - The Manhattan Transfer A New York Christmas - Rob Thomas New York City Rhythm - Barry Manilow New York New York - Grand Master Flash Jamaican in New York - Shinehead Hot in the City - Billy Idol. This came on just as I was re-entering Central Park and then hitting the biggest incline of the whole race. Perfect timing. Lets Go Mets Go. Memories of 1986... Fairytale of New York - The Pogues Rockaway Beach - The Ramones New York City - Norah Jones (New York City, such a beautiful disease) Sunday in New York - Bobby Darin Still in Central Park for this one and it was perfect. I had fun out there today and this song made me smile ear to ear No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel Yes, this actually came on as I was running through Times Square. Paul Simon singing about the whores on 7th Avenue while youre running down 7th Avenue. Thats a New York moment A Heart in New York - Simon and Garfunkel Ok this playlist is heavy on S&G but they are the poet laureates of New York City Heavens in New York - Wyclef Jean So, here began a series of songs that really motivated me. Each contained some kick ass inspirational lyrics that kept me going. I was on the fence at this point about maintaining the pace Id set. I knew if I backed off Id still easily break 1:45 which isnt too shabby of a half. But one after the other these songs pushed me on: if it was my last day on earth, treat it like my first. Go out the way I came in. So innocent so pure with no thoughts of insecurity. Live life to the fullest. Be what I wanna be New York City Serenade - Bruce Springsteen so walk tall or baby dont walk at all Down and Out in New York City - James Brown so you try hard or you die hard. No one really gives a damn Coney Island Baby - Lou Reed from Perfect Night Live in London the glory of love might see you though. The glory of love I Love New York - Madonna If Id programmed the list this certainly wouldnt be the next song. Mile 11, Im starting to struggle and I get this vapid piece of pop puff. But its in my playlist so its nobodys fault but my own and hey, it made the next one all the better Back in the New York Groove - Ace Frehley Now were talking! Welcome to New York City - Jay-Z if you dont know this one, it was Jay-Zs first attempt at writing an iconic New York song. He nailed it a few years later with Empire State of Mind. This one rocks too but its lacking Alisha Keyes soaring vocal On Broadway - George Benson Im in the final mile now New Yorks Alright If You Like Saxaphone - Fear This was playing while I crossed the finish. Silly, stupid and manically frenzied. The perfect finish to a great race Keep in mind this is just 24 of the 47 songs in my playlist. The next one that would have come up is one of my favs, Central Park n West by Ian Hunter. And I never heard Princes All the Critics Love U in New York or New York City Cops by The Strokes or the aforementioned Empire State of Mind. And maybe if Id run slower I might have also heard LCD Soundsystem doing New York I Love You but Youre Bringing Me Down and Stings Englishman in New York (yes thats a reggae version I heard early in the race) or even Miami 2017 by Billy Joel. But alas, Ill have to save those for maybe someday running the New York City marathon again. A great day. A great race. And a great soundtrack.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:38:18 +0000
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