Here’s a playlist to accompany Braxton and Craig on their cross-country journey, compiled with help from my friends on FB. I was too old to know some of the songs they recommended, so these are mostly classics.
Take It Easy by The Eagles – I didn’t become an Eagles fan until their reunion tour. There was a VH1 special and I fell in love, got the reunion album, and learned all their songs. This is both a favorite and a great one to start our journey.
Life Is A Highway by Tom Cochrane – There’s definitely some all-night-long riding going on in this book, if you get my drift
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers – This was a great rec. It’s so reflective of Craig’s attitude at the end of the book.
Get Out the Map by The Indigo Girls – I’m so unhip my mother had to introduce me to The Indigo Girls, but this song about loving hard while you’re young and laying your finger down anywhere on the map seems like a suitable one for Craig and Braxton.
Walk On The Ocean by Todd The Wet Sprocket – I’ll bet Braxton wishes he could walk on the ocean after that dunking he takes in the river.
Sissy That Walk by RuPaul – While neither Braxton or Craig would identify as femme, I think they’d love this anthem that can apply to any of us. We’ve gotta go out there and be who we are, regardless of what anyone else thinks of it.
Runnin’ Down a Dream by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – There’s a scene in #20DaysToLA where Craig is singing along to the playlist he’s putting together where I totally imagine him channeling Tom Petty. If you’re going to sing badly, he’s the guy to do it with.
Turn the Page by Bob Seger – One of the more melancholy suggestions but I’ve always gotten an LGBTQ vibe off this song from the parts where he talks about people looking at him and making comments. He’s being othered for the length of his hair, I guess, but when Craig and Braxton roll up to the clothing-optional spa, they get the sense they’re being othered for their sexuality.
Livin’ On a Prayer by Bon Jovi – When Braxton and Craig are halfway across the country, they’re still nowhere – both in terms of getting to LA and in terms of their relationship. It’s a good reminder that we can’t quit before the miracle happens, as we say in recovery.
America by Simon and Garfunkel – This is one of Simon & Garfunkel’s more obscure hits but I can’t think of a more suitable one. On a long road trip, the beautiful is interspersed with the mundane, and the high moments are separated by plenty of tedious ones. I tried to capture a bit of both the highs and the lows in this book, so ride along with Braxton and Craig in #20DaysToLA. Now you know what to play as they go.