Ten Songs to Keep You Sane on a Road Trip

Every vacation seems to require some kind of a road trip, so there are usually traditions that will go along with each journey. One of my favorite parts of driving for any distance is the music to which I listen along the way. Depending on the distance, I can burn cds to last for hours without having to skip or listen to songs that do not keep me awake and interested. My top ten favorites to have in those mixes are usually hard, heavy and fist pumping types that keep me screaming along the way. Since most road trips seem to start at an abominable hour (anything in the a.m., that is), I like loud music that keeps people from being able to speak to me.

Any musical mix of mine will usually have White Zombie included, at least once, but more often there will be several. I think an excellent way to start a trip is with the song, "Black Sunshine." This song completely rocks. While I have never researched the lyrics, I have a fine time just jamming and either making up my own or humming along. I tend to bounce in my seat while I play this song, which keeps me quite awake.

A second excellent song to keep my blood pumping and my interest is the very fast, hard and heavy "Painkiller" by Judas Priest. Again, there is no musical mix for a road trip that would not include Judas Priest for me. They are, after all, my favorite band. I actually do know the lyrics to this song, and I love to scream along, since I am usually awake by the time this song starts, and the caffeine is kicking in. There is no way that I could get sleepy listening to this song, day or night.

By the time the first two songs are finished, I am ready to just keep rocking, and this is a good time for Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train." There is nobody like Ozzy, and Randy Rhoads' guitar work is so intricate and incredible that I am too busy enjoying the music to swear at my family or the other morons on the road. This is a good thing.

What road trip would be complete without a little Metallica? I tend to prefer their music from the era before And Justice for All, so I like to listen to "Master of Puppets." Hard, fast and heavy. The perfect combination, although if I happen to be the one driving, I have to be careful to keep my hair out of the way and avoid head-banging.

I know that I have already included White Zombie, but I continued to love Rob Zombie in his solo career, so I would also have to list his song, "Dragula." My whole family likes to bounce and sing to this song. I do know the lyrics to this one, but even if I did not, as long as we can scream to the chorus together, we are having a good time.

Since, by this time, my mood is much improved, and I am no longer as prone to kill anyone who speaks or even looks at me, it is no longer necessary to have such loud, intense music, but as a family, we like that kind. Another good song for us is "Click, Click, BOOM!" by Saliva. I know it is not screaming heavy metal, but it just works for us.

There is no musical mix that will exclude Disturbed, and "Down With the Sickness" is my favorite song by them. (Am I alone, or is the lead singer just really hot?) My four and six-year-old sons love that song, too. Passing cars are usually filled with people who are giving us strange looks as they see a car full of people making the monkey sound. That just entertains the heck out of us.

By this point, I usually have at least one child whining to go to the bathroom, so to communicate that I understand the urgency of the need as I look for a rest stop or gas station, I like to have the song "Freewheel Burning" on the stereo. I think this assures the child that I am hurrying to find a place where a person can relieve himself or herself in privacy. Gone are the days where we could just stop on the side of the road and find a tree.

Once the annoyance of making a pit-stop has been completed, I am happy to again get on the road. At this point, Judas Priest can pick up the pace with "Freewheel Burning." Oddly, I am one of the only people that I know who does not have to use Google to find the lyrics. I remember them from before the internet even existed. Yep, I am old. However, this song is fast and it puts you right back into the groove of the highway.

Another good fast and hard song for the road is Guns-n-Roses', "You Could Be Mine." It really is one of my favorite songs by them, and thanks to its affiliation with the movie, "The Terminator 2: Judgment Day", I always associate this song with travel and high-speed chases. I guess, that is why it works as a road trip song for me.

Finally, one song that I could never exclude from my road trip music is "Kick-start My Heart" by Motley Crue. Hello! The song starts with the revving of a motorcycle! Can you say, "Perfect song for the road?" I love it, and it is a lot of fun to sing along.

Having said how much I love fast and heavy music playing while I am driving for any particular distance, I would like to remind the reader to obey all traffic laws. I simply use the music to keep me from committing mayhem due to my family or road rage atrocities from other drivers. I also encourage the reader to allow the music to be an outlet for all aggression, since this will make the trip much more pleasant for all. Oh, and if your family hates your music, just do not forget your MP3 player or Ipod. Happy traveling.