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R.S. Rowlist For Sunday 006-001 - The End, My Friend
And done.
When I told people what I was up to with this workout playlist countdown, they would ask me for spoilers. (The list is certainly no secret; easily a net click away.) They were often cynical about the choice of 'Like A Rolling Stone’ for number one by a magazine called 'Rolling Stone.’ But it’s a great song and we are talking about Bob Dylan. Who could make a convincing case that he shouldn’t be given the honor of having the top song on the list? Given some of the (previously discussed) choices for inclusion, I’m am totally satisfied with the choice for the number one spot. I’d love to hear what song other folks would have chosen for “THE GREATEST SONG OF ALL TIME.”
Of the big Brits, The Beatles cracked the top 10 but not the top five. Interesting that R.S. thinks 'Satisfaction’ trumps every other Beatles tune.
All in all counting through the list was a good workout motivator. Still need a workout that gets me off my butt though. To all those special athletes who see nothing unusual about “Sitting on your ass and going backwards,” I salute you!
R.S. Rowlist For Friday 014-007
The Penultimate set. Thanks to Wendy Greenfield and Eddie Timek for their insights and comments. Thanks to Camille Pulliam Acton for inspiration to do the workouts. Following Camille’s Cross-Fit exploits got me moving on a lot of days. Camille you’re a bad-ass.
People try to put us d-down
Just because we g-g-get around
Things they do look awful c-c-cold
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old—The Who, My Generation
Really wasn't that dirty to begin with...
Living as a bachelor, I’ve tried to make an effort not to engage in those stereotypical behaviors that make it so clear why one might…deserve to be a bachelor. Like never cleaning the bathroom.
So. Scrub down the tub and shower area. Put a bucket in the tub, fill it with water and the kind of soap that defoliates entire ecosystems, and start mopping. Dump the now black water into the toilet and flush. Hmmm… Why isn’t the toilet draining?…
R.S. Rowlist for Thursday 025-015
Awesome!
The highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody’s out on the run tonight
but there’s no place left to hide
Together Wendy we can live with the sadness
I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don’t know when
we’re gonna get to that place
We really want to go
and we’ll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us, baby we were born to run
And perfect for the hard part of the workout,
The motor cooled down the heat went down
And that’s when I heard that highway sound
The Cadillac sittin’ like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten a half a mile ahead
The Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still
And I caught Maybelline at the top of the hillMaybelline, why can’t you be true
Oh Maybelline, why can’t you be true
You done started back doin’ the things you used to do
Just so many great lyrics here,
The ice age is coming, the sun’s zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
Cause London is drowning and I, live by the riverLondon calling to the imitation zone
Forget it, brother, you can go at it alone
London calling to the zombies of death
Quit holding out – and draw another breath
London calling – and I don’t wanna shout
But while we were talking I saw you running nodding out
London calling, see we ain’t got no high
Except for that one with the yellowy eyes
R.S. Rowlist Tuesday A.M.
If you stop a workout twice to weep and once to almost get sick, do you call it pathetic or cathartic? Already 88° at 8:00 AM and headed for 100° today.
I think of Gimme Shelter as the Rolling Stones’ answer to Jimi Hendrix’ version of All Along The Watchtower. Dark, foreboding, apocalyptic. I don’t know of another song in our culture more closely associated to with collective dread spread on the U.S by the Vietnam War.
Keith Richards’ opening guitar riff with Merry Clayton’s vocalizing gives me the shivers every time I hear it.
Oh, a storm is threat’ning
My very life today
If I don’t get some shelter
Oh yeah, I’m gonna fade awayWar, children, it’s just a shot away
It’s just a shot away
War, children, it’s just a shot away
It’s just a shot away
And Dylan’s lyric from All Along The Watchtower:
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl
shudder…
Tuesday’s R.S. Rowlist
Rowing tempos? Nope. See if you can guess my stroke rate during Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Still, my favorite Elvis tune and Brother Ray does his signature. Dylan is owning the list at this point. Did he know all us geeky boys were going to need a fantasy adventure anthem when he penned ‘Watchtower?’ Jimi’s version… (Hey did you see that? No? I could swear I just saw Little Richard. Guy is really starting to creep me out.)...is full of dark menace.
And so it’s down to the Top Forty. 2 hours and 35 minutes to hear the 40 greatest songs of all time.