“SEPTA Strike,” by Dame Dollur
Kick off your playlist here, with West Philly rapper Damian “Dame Dollur” Hewitt’s viral spoof of Ja Rule’s “Livin’ It Up.”
Lyrics we love: “And the trolley ain’t broken / You betta sell ya transpass and ya token / ‘Cuz every station in the city ain’t open / They tryna get that fat raise and promotion.” Listenwhen: You’re cruising at 3miles per hour down Broad Street in a Lyft. Windows down, volume up.
“Slow Ride,” Foghat
The 2016 remake of this classic rock hit features Pennsylvania native and bass player CraigMacGregor, who’s currently battling lung and brain cancer. His wife is lobbying Gov. Tom Wolf to pass a health care law that would prevent a situation that exacerbated his condition. Lyrics we love:Upon further examination of the lyrics, none of them are actually relevant for a transit shut down. Actually, this song’s message is pretty NSFW.
Listen when:You and the coworkers pile in for your daily commute carpool, and want a sing-along jam to get you through the morning.
“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), by the Proclaimers
No travel playlist is complete without this hit. Just ask Marshall Eriksen.
Lyric we love:“But I would walk five hundred miles /And I would walk five hundred more /Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles /To fall down at your door”
Listen when:You’re four miles into your walk home from work and need a boost of encouragement.
“Waiting for the Bus,” by Chumbawamba
Yes, they recorded more songs than just “Tubthumping.”
Lyric we love:“Waiting here the world has turned a thousand times or more / Strandedlike the man who never knew they’d stopped the war /Waiting for the pardon but the pardon never comes /I’m just waiting for the bus to take me home.” Listen when:You’ve given up hope the 14 bus will ever show up, and you’re stranded in the Northeast.
“Crazy Train,” Ozzy Osbourne
Most people think this song is about mental illness, but it’s actually the band’s response to the Cold War, and grew out of guitarist Randy Rhoads’ interest in trains.
Lyrics we love:“Crazy, but that’s how it goes /Millions of people living as foes /Maybeit’s not too late /To learn how to love, and forget how to hate.”
Listen when:You’re packed like sardines on the Regional Rail and need a reminder that there’s still beauty in the world.
“Take the Long Way Home,” Supertramp
On its surface, this song is about not wanting to go home to a distant wife, but composer Roger Hodgson said the deeper meaning is to find a place in your heart where you feel at home.
Lyrics we love: “Does it feel that your life’s become a catastrophe? / Oh, it has to be for you to grow, boy / When you look through the years and see what you could have been oh, what you might have been / If you’d had more time.” Listen when:It’s been four hours since you left the office and you have a long night of traveling ahead.
“Crosstown Traffic,” Jimi Hendrix
That kazoo riff you hear was originally created by Hendrix with a comb and a piece of cellophane.
Lyrics we love:“You’re just like crosstown traffic /So hard to get through to you /Crosstown traffic /I don’t need to run over you / Crosstowntraffic /All you do is slow me down /And I got better things on the other side of town Listen when:You’re trying to get from Germantown to Jersey and the stop-and-go is driving you up the wall (or off the bridge).
“Streets of Philadelphia,” Bruce Springsteen
Originally written for the 1993 film “Philadelphia,” Springsteen’s song, featuring shots of the city’s iconic locations, has become one of his Top 10 hits.
Lyrics we love:“I was bruised and battered, I couldn’t tell what I felt /I was unrecognizable to myself /I saw my reflection in a window, I didn’t know my own face /Oh brother are you gonna leave me wastin’ away / on thestreets of Philadelphia.” Listen when:You’re getting trampled by hundreds of fellow commuters in Suburban Station and need to feel understood.
“I-76,” G. Love & Special Sauce
These Philly natives got the old-school Brotherly Love funk down pat.
Lyrics we love:“But if you ain’t got any time to lose /Put the pedal to the metal for that voyage cruise /And get on down to I-76 /Because in 1996 there ain’t no tricks in the mix.” Listen when:You want to remember the good ole’ days, before thereweretricks in the mix.
“Expressway to Your Heart,” The Soul Survivors
Another local band, TheSoul Survivors are best known for this hit, which they recorded with localstudio Gamble & Huff, which later went on to be the pioneers of Philadelphia soul.
Lyrics we love:“At five o’clock, it’s much too crowded /No, it’s much too crowded /So-oh crowded /It’s much too crowded, oh yeah / S o, so, so crowded.”
Listen when:You’re two hours late for a first date and you know you killed your chances.
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