The opening track to Western Stars, the new Bruce Springsteen album which I'm reserving full judgement on until it's had a little more time to play (because at the moment I'm in danger of calling it his best record in 32 years) is called Hitch Hikin'.
This got me pondering songs about sticking your thumb out and begging a lift. Turns out there are hundreds of them. Here's a selection of waifs and strays I found at the side of the road...
10. Seals & Croft - Ridin' Thumb
He don't care where the road goes
Just as long as he gets his ride
And he don't care for food and water
Just lets his conscience be his guide
9. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Sweet Hitchhiker
A band like Creedence, I kinda picture them hitch hiking everywhere.
8. Green Day - Hitchin' A Ride
Is this a hitch hiking song or a drugs song? You decide.
7. Neil Young - Hitchhiker
Is this a hitch hiking song or a drugs song? You decide.
6. Vanity Fair - Hitchin' A Ride
A thumb goes up
A car goes by
Oh won't somebody stop and help a guy?
5. Marvin Gaye - Hitch Hike
Of course, you may prefer the version by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas... or Alice Cooper and The Spiders.
4. Nashville Pussy - Gonna Hitchhike Down to Cincinnati and Kick the Shit Outta Your Drunk Daddy
Sounds even better than you'd expect it to.
3. Larry Jon Wilson - Think I Feel A Hitchhike Coming On
I'd stop my car for Larry Jon Wilson.
2. The Ramones - Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride there, you know.
1. Neil Diamond - Cracklin' Rosie
Now strictly speaking, Neil and Rosie aren't thumbing a lift, they're "hitchin' on a twilight train", but they are "gonna ride till there ain't no more to go", and when I checked the dictionary definition of hitch-hike, it defined it thus: "travel by getting free lifts in passing vehicles". So I'm going to call Cracklin' Rosie the best hitch hiking song... and yeah, I know, you may not really care for Neil Diamond, but if you don't like this tune (as Mark Radcliffe used to say), you don't like music.
I never did work out what a "store-bought lady" was though. I'm just hoping she's not the blow-up variety.
I've got at least another twenty of those if anybody cares to hear them. You've probably got a bunch of your own though.
I always though the "Rosie" in the title referred to rosé wine - hence the storebought woman line. But I'm not a Neil Diamond fan, so I'm probably wrong.
ReplyDeleteYou say you have 20 more hitchhiking songs and yet you included Vanity Fair - "Hitchin' A Ride" in this lot. That's just evil, maaaaaaaaaaan!
Ha! You should see some of the ones I "saved for later"!
DeleteCould King of the Road be construed as a hitch-hiking song?
ReplyDeleteWe regularly picked up hitch hikers as a family when we were driving back to the village from Aberdeen when I was a child - Not so sure we would be so willing nowadays although we did once pack three Dutch girls with their rucksacks and camping gear into our little Skoda a few years back as they had missed their bus to the campsite. DD was squished in the back with them and Mr WIAA had to walk home. I obviously had a career in hospitality waiting for me back then.
I'm not sure I'd be too chuffed with that if I were Mr. WIAA.
DeleteAnd yes to KOTR.
DeleteMy immediate thought was Not The Nine O'Clock News - I Like Trucking
ReplyDeleteThe greatest kick in trucking, apart from knocking down a biker,
Is swinging round a roundabout and picking up a hiker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9lmCpIzhFo
ReplyDeleteThe hitchhike B strong