Survival Songs for Morning Commutes

Making these rainy weekday mornings a little sweeter

Summer is usually the time of the year where we leave the car at home — walk to the shop to get the daily newspaper, walk home from the pub on a mild summer evening, maybe even jog to work if you have the luxury of having a shower at the office. Alas as much as one can hope, this country of ours does not particularly care for seasonal weather, and so, on goes the rain, and we are forced to spend the summer months, like all other months, getting from place to place by car.

Back in the car we go. People are more grouchy than usual. Granted, they have a right to be. We have all been waiting for summer, knowing the freedom and happiness it brings, but here we are, experiencing a dull and dark July. If that’s not enough, it’s also wet and humid most of the time which calls for repetitive complaints about how muggy and stuffy every room we enter is, all summer long.

It happens every year and surprises us every year. We are all as bad as each other for going off on one about it. If you don’t complain about the British summer at least once a day, are you really human? In the very few silent moments of not complaining, I rack my brain for ways to make this miserable summer better.

I for one have two everlasting loves in life — music and driving, and better yet, the two go spiffingly good together, like strawberries and cream, pie and mash, fish and chips.

What better way to make the most of this typically British situation we unwillingly find ourselves in time and time again, than a car playlist? And not just any old car playlist — an early muggy morning, rainy summer playlist. This is not as easy to perfect as you may think. This is what I am here for:

1. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli

Mainly because I haven’t been able to get this song out of my head since last Friday, but also because it has the most nostalgic, romantic, dreamy, let-your-inner-jive-out vibe to it which makes it impossible not to smile.

2. Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen

Is there a more feel good song in existence? Even in the most stubborn of moods, Springsteen always manages to lift the spirit. Hard to do in the morning.

3. If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow

Sing as loud as humanly possible until you can longer hear the sound of the rain.

4. I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

Everybody automatically knows the words, even if they claim they don’t know the song. What brings at greater feeling of pride in the morning than knowing a song word for word? A morning well spent.

5. Life’s Been Good by Joe Walsh

If you’re only going to listen to one of all of these songs, choose this one. Reggae in the morning is like a breath of fresh air and has the magical ability of giving you that summer feeling despite the rain pouring down outside as you jam along. At also around 8 minutes long, it will probably take up at least half of your journey.

6. Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root

The kind of song you feel like you knew before you even knew it.

7. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen

A morning lacking a Queen hit is a morning wasted. This song has the power of making you want to dance, so there’s your morning exercise complete too. Obviously you are in a car, so this will be restricted, but you will definitely get your endorphins going.

8. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

I don’t even need to explain why this one is in the playlist. It’s a classic. It speaks for itself.

9. Free Fallin by Tom Petty

Loud and upbeat songs are definitely required to wake you up and distract you from the rain, but a slow, dreamy song that wakes you up naturally and calming never goes amiss.

10. Oliver’s Army by Elvis Costello and The Attractions

This song was always on the radio on my morning commute to school when I was younger, so I couldn’t leave it out. Car nostalgia is a legitimate thing.

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