I'm doing a four mile run through town tomorrow and have been thinking about songs that might help with the push. I went with 32 minutes--hopefully I'll not need the entire last song, but who knows. So, here is my Four on the Fourth playlist:

Blood Of A Young Wolf, Buck 65 (5:26) Deliberately slower groove with narrative feel is intended to prevent starting out too quickly. Still, when the banjo kicks in it seems to spur a bit more tempo while maintaining an easy start-of-race feel. Also have to like the reference to the "long distance runner" and the repeating refrain, "zoom, kick, persuasion, tech"--I have no idea what it means but it seems to say get going.

Pictures of You, The Cure (4:45) Continues the easing into the run--nice and steady base and drums with a bit more flow layered in from the typically bouncy Cure guitar riffs. For some reason I just seem to enjoy when this song comes through the earbuds on a run.

Bandelero, Slightly Stoopid (2:43) Middle of the run ska moment to regulate things. A chance to look back over hazy memories and translate them into today's currents. In different ways, it's always good to be reminded that sometimes we "gotta roll a little faster."

Sinner Man, Nina Simone (10:19) This is the heart of the playlist and the run. Who knows how many movies this song made it into, but if you listen to the song itself, the original, it's such a storytelling treat that you realize putting it among the visual in film almost diminishes the feel and flow. Check out the whole thing on YouTube. What a song. Run to the rock. Run to the sea. Run to the river. Just run.

Full Control (Live from Pearl St Clubroom), John Brown's Body (8:40) This is one of those fan-recorded songs from the Internet Archive and I like the energy that comes from the crowd. Also, the call from the lead singer at the opening: "one more rubadub for the road" feels about right with hopefully a little under a mile left to go in the run. Plus, this song just hammers steadily, stops in the middle after announcing, "yes we getting stronger," and then finishes off with the hammering again and some horns thrown in for good measure.

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