Before my first marathon the band played a song that completely captured the moment for me. To this day when I hear that song I think about that marathon. I get a little spring in my step whenever it plays. For every marathon since I have serendipitously found a song that has become my theme song for that marathon. I don’t look for a song, but one always finds me. My Boston Marathon theme song was no exception. Remarkably, for three weeks in a row before my early morning long run, I woke up to the same song playing on Q107 (I can’t wake up to beep-beep-beep before a long run, not if I want to be in any sort of pleasant mood. So yes, I wake up to “classic” rock. And yes, this is a disturbing statement about my advancing age). Quite unbelievably, that song I woke up to time and time again up to is performed by the band Boston. Not only that, but it’s a great song. Rolling Stone included this song in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The guitar playing at the start of the chorus completely energizes me – it has the perfect escalating tempo. More importanty, the words speak to me. The title of this little piece of musical magic is More Than a Feeling.
A band named Boston. A chorus that summarizes almost every description I’ve ever read about the Boston Marathon experience – it’s more than a feeling. I know marathon music kismet when I hear it. As I’m apt to do around marathon time, I took it as a sign and declared More Than a Feeling my Boston Marathon theme song and added it as go to song on my running playlist.
I woke up this morning and the sun was gone,
Turned on some music to start my day.
I lost myself in a familiar song,
I closed my eyes and I slipped away.
It’s more than a feeling (more than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling).
I begin dreaming (more than a feeling)
…
Title Ref: Boston – More Than A feeling. From the album Boston. 1976.
