iCommute

Got on the N train at 34th Street and rev up the commuting soundtrack, starting with "Iko Iko" by The Dixie Cups.

A guy next to me reading Death in Paradise by Robert B. Parker.

At 14th Street, the next song comes on, "Roadrunner" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Great New York song.

Next up, "In convertendo - Qui seminont in lecrimis" by Rameau from a classical piano masterworks mix.

As we leave Canal and head toward the Manhattan Bridge, Bruce Springsteen singing "The River". Serious deja vu.

Meanwhile a woman sits near me reading a hardcover, Family Tree, by Barbara Delinsky.

The train crosses the bridge, pausing before we head under Brooklyn.

Ah, the familiar opening chords to Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal". Some of the worst rhyming in hard rock history, pairing "contacts being made" with "barricade". The nifty pop rock chords make up for the cheesy lyrics. Then again, this is coming from the man who popularized the phrase "I can't drive/fifty-five".

"My First Night Without You" by Cyndi Lauper? How did that get on my iPod?

Note to self: delete this song from iTunes. Sorry, Cyndi.

Between Pacific/Atlantic and 36th, I get some obscure Michael Stipe song "Hotel (L'Hotel Particulier)" from Monsieur Gainsbourg: Revisited. The recording is so low, I can barely discern the song. I will be deleting that one, aussi.

Next is "Son of a Bitch" by the German metal band Accept, who are most known for their song "Balls to the Wall". Their album Restless and Wild is pretty good. However, there is something pathetically nostalgic about bands who sing songs in English, even though it's not their first language.

I make the connection to the R waiting at 59th Street as a beautiful rendition of "We're Going to Be Friends" by The White Stripes fills my earbuds.

At Bay Ridge Avenue, I get a seat. "Breakdown" by Agent Orange clangs in my ears. Two more stops.

At 86th Street, I get my final song of the ride: "Hey Hey What Can I Do" from the Led Zeppelin box set. Great tune.

And that was my Subway soundtrack for the afternoon commute today.