1. Ridin' Spinners--Three 6 Mafia
Well, this is how it begins. It'll get your attention for sure. I often asked for it to be turned down. Anyway, this was the first addition because we put it on during the summer when we were riding bikes a lot. <Scott's Note: Really, I put this on before the playlist became a "thing". Then, it became official, so it goes.>
2. Country Boy Can Survive-- Hank Williams Jr
We heard this on the radio after our 4 day backpacking trip in the Wind River Range. And after the backpacking trip and driving through Wyoming for a couple days, we felt like this song could really be understood by the people of Wyoming.
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| Country GIRL can survive Wyoming too! |
Well, this song was popular last summer. One of the more memorable moments of this song was Scott singing the line "Why am I so emotional?" with our friend, Edgar, on a backpacking trip.
4. Stolen Dance-- Milky Chance
and
5. Take Me to Church-- Hozier
Both just songs of the summer!
6. Pontoon-- Little Big Town
We had to get this song after Scott's parents rented a pontoon boat at Sandy Pond for the 4th of July. Good times. The pontoon boat was a hit and we had many an afternoon cocktail cruise.
7. Higher Ground-- Red Hot Chili Peppers
<Scott's Note: I really dug this song when we got back in Seattle. Despite the Chili Peppers being from California, it felt like a rightful reminder of the Seattle music scene>
8. Paint Me Like a French Girl-- Breakdlaw
This was the first "europop" song we got pretty into. Although it mentions French girls, we heard it in Italy at a restaurant in Florence. We felt pretty international at this point.
9. Atemlos durch die Nacht-- Helene Fischer
The title means "Breathless Through the Night". This song was quite popular to sing in the beer tents at Oktoberfest. Helene Fischer might be the German version of Taylor Swift. We got pretty good at singing the chorus while raising our 1-liter beer to the music! Whenever I hear it, I still think of joyous times in Munich.
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| German-pop or Polka, everyone raises their glasses and sings! |
10. Hideaway--Kiesza
We heard this in a hip restaurant while we were staying in Vienna. It reminds us of our European home. Euro pop!
11. Save Tonight-- Eagle Eye Cherry
Place: Irish Pub, Prague Reason: They were playing American Football and we needed a good American night. They were also playing American music. We had fun singing along to this oldie but goodie in English.
12. Do You Realize??-- Flaming Lips
We felt like this had a good sense of Bonus Year. <Scott: This is about how great Shannon is, her explanation makes no sense, it's about her.>
13. Mungu Ibariki Afrika (Tanzania National Anthem)-- Lukazi Sambatree
One day during our English conversation groups with the students in Pommern, Tanzania, the students broke out singing the Tanzania National Anthem. One of many memorable, beautiful moments in Pommern.
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| Scott with a couple of my kindergarten students in Pommern. |
14. Jambo Bwana-- Them Mushrooms
We heard this song several times on our safari, as people in Kenya and Tanzania use it as a welcoming song. One particularly memorable time is when the camp crew came out of the darkness and sang it to us during dinner (and scaring us with their animal noises!). It makes me happy when I hear it.
15. Time To Say Goodbye-- Andrea Bocelli
Oh yeah, we're getting pretty random here. We heard this song at our hostel in Patagonia (El Calafate). It was around Christmas time. We all had this stuck in our heads for many days. Plus, it just give you such an epic feeling when you hear it.
16. Alejandro-- Lady Gaga
Speaking of epic, how could we forget about Alejandro, the park ranger at Los Glaciares National Park? He would NOT put up with us ruining his park and let us know about his hatred for feminine products in the wilderness.
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| And, yes, it was a beautiful park. |
17. Shot At The Night-- The Killers
This song seemed to fit our general idea of Bonus Year- once in a lifetime.
18. Let's Be Still-- Head and the Heart
Again, it's about the lyrics--"The world's just spinning. A little too fast....Just for a moment let's be still." It jives with our "slow travel" philosophy. And Scott thinks of snow. :)
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| Like all that snow at Vail! |
19. Ghost-- Ella Henderson
I believe we heard this on an airplane flying from...somewhere to somewhere. There was a lot of flying. Maybe this was a guilty pleasure? Nonetheless, we found ourselves singing it. I blame jet lag. <Scott's note: Definitely a guilty pleasure, we heard this a lot in the car during ski time.>
20. Renegades- X Ambassadors
Ok, yes, we heard this on the Jeep commercial. But it also fits with Scott and I, and Bonus Year. "Run away with me. Lost souls and reverie. Running wild and running free. Two kids, you and me."
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| Wild and free in Africa, with zebras! |
21. My Silver Lining- First Aid Kit
I love songs that cause me to be reflective. This was a favorite line as we transitioned out of Bonus Year-"There's no starting over, no new beginnings, time races on. And you've just gotta keep on keepin on."
22. Below My Feet- Mumford and Sons
First of all, this is a beautiful song. And for me, this was the ultimate Bonus Year song. I listened to it almost every time we were traveling in between places. It was such a good re-centering for me, to focus on what I really wanted to do/gain during Bonus Year. It's this line- "Let me learn from where I have been. Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn."
