Ohio is a big state, bigger than Switzerland or Denmark in area.
Seasonal drives to the far reaches, or out of the state, challenge drivers to stay focused and not pass out from interstate boredom, interior heating and droning tires.
Despite a car being full of gregarious and talkative people, any drive more than three hours creates moments of collective malaise. John Denver songs change from sing-alongs to lullabies as miles of listless rock fades and median strips line the way to the far-off destination.
Quite unsurprisingly, the weary emotions cycled through long drives are similar to the auras of song written about the subject of touring. Many songs have tried their best to summarize the experience of being on tour, all with given perils and longings.
In his warm, dreamy tune “Homeward Bound,” Paul Simon describes the monotony of touring from town to town, happy to finally be going home.
He painted a carefree picture in the line, “everyday’s an endless stream of cigarettes and magazines” in contrast to his internal discomfort and longing for the comfort of his home. In more recent years, Natural Child’s “Let The Good Times Roll” reprised this elation of ending a tour and going home.
The rocker Kurt Vile makes the morbid comparison between touring and Lord of the Flies in his 2011 song, “On Tour.” In a sense, road trips can become a Lord of the Flies scenario with everyone showing his or her true colors because of the hunger and building discontent. Hopefully, the road trip doesn’t end the same as the book.
Probably the most well-known touring song, “The Load Out” by Jackson Browne also details the ennui that the down time and repetitiveness of touring brings. Unlike Vile’s personal account, Browne takes mostly the perspective of his roadies, and roadies in general. It’s basically a roadie national anthem. “Let the roadies take the stage,” Browne exclaims and lists duties like folding chairs and packing up his piano last so he can continue to play it.
And no list of touring songs would be complete without mentioning Bob Seger’s classic rock radio mainstay, “Turn the Page.” Apparently, Metallica felt a similar sentiment when the band covered it in 1998 on its cover album Garage Inc.
In fact, any band who has toured can relate to “Turn the Page”, because people who don’t play a single instrument can lock onto its meaning. It’s about the feelings, not the specifics. And driving from Athens to Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Erie sure feels a lot like these songs. Perhaps the road is their natural place.
Regardless of what’s playing through the speakers, with enough sleep and the right mindset, interstate drives might not come with terrible consequences. It’s all about embracing the enjoyment along with the monotony. The two things are hardly different when you think about it.
Luke Furman is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What music do you listen to when you travel? Let Luke know by tweeting him @LukeFurmanLog or emailing him at lf491413@ohio.edu.
