Why do I like running to Cowboy?

April 4, 2008 6:52 AM

Why do I love to run to this song and what are other songs will duplicate whatever it is this song does to make my runs better?

I run nearly everyday 3 - 5 miles. I'm working on my endurance and speed. I listen to a variety of music genres on my ipod while running. Everything from Amy Whinehouse to Dropkick Murphys to Shaggy, to Jay Z, etc. What I've noticed is that when I hear Cowboy by Kid Rock, my running gets better.

It's difficult to explain, but my breathing and cadence seem to sync. My footfalls become and harder and purposeful. And, no matter how exhausted I feel, I'm able to push out just a bit more. I notice it particularly when it gets to this part of the song "Yeah, Kid Rock you can call me Tex Rollin sunset woman with a bottle of Becks . . ."

I'm not a Kid Rock fan and couldn't even name another song he performs. The rock/rap genre is okay, but other songs like that don't have the same physiological effects on me. I'd like to find more music that duplicates those effects. Any ideas?

posted by Juicylicious to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (15 answers total)

Most likely, it is both the rhythm and tempo that you respond to. Your pace at a particular VO2 threshold matches well with that song. The rhythm is how the song is organized into beats and the tempo is the speed of that rhythm. I suspect that this song is slightly faster than your normal pace and thus it inspires / motivates you into a comfortable push. I don't often run with music, but when I do, I like the soundtrack from the movie The City of God. It's funk but it's at a nice tempo. Otherwise, keep an ear out on your pop radio stations for things that make your foot tap that much faster than normal. Those songs will probably be your best bet for increasing tempo.

Good luck!
posted by cachondeo45 at 6:59 AM on April 4, 2008

Bombs over Baghdad by Outkast always has the same effect for me.
posted by jtfowl0 at 7:08 AM on April 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Daft Punk, Justice, Digitalism.

All great for running.
posted by ClanvidHorse at 7:09 AM on April 4, 2008

Don't Cry Out by Shiny Toy Guns has a good underbeat that also gives me a bit of a pickup; also I find any swelling battle scene music from film very useful for running (gladiator, crimson tide, last of the mohicans, etc). Trailer music is sometimes good too, if you can get it.
posted by bluenausea at 7:17 AM on April 4, 2008

Best answer: the song has pretty big emotional breaks in it. real slow cocky lyrics with just a guitar and easy drums and then all of a sudden a whole band just jumps in with background singing. when you're exercising you can't keep up the walls that people keep up to stop from getting swept away emotionally, so you really feel it and your body responds by pumping adreneline into the mix. of course you run harder.

look for songs with a slow part and then build up. its like getting high.

I hate kid rock, but the song is emotionally effective, I can tell you that.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:35 AM on April 4, 2008

I'm not sure if podrunner gets enough press here on askmefi, but I'll plug it anyway: hour-long professional mixes at set BPMs. And they're free. I use two of them on a stationary bike and they've changed the way I work out - developing muscle memory for my target cadence has carried over easily to my road rides. You have to like electronica, though.
posted by jquinby at 7:47 AM on April 4, 2008 [8 favorites]

I suspect you might also like buck65 wicked and weird, similar kind of rap stuff, the lyrics combine with the beat to make a kind of relentless, yet , gentle driving kind sort of kid rock-ish effect. Great for running.

Fun lyrics too -
I figure when I make it to the heavenly gates
They'll be working on my car and playing 78's

Something else I find when running to music is that songs which have a lot of fast lyrics can carry the mind along the road better when one attempts to recall them.
posted by therubettes at 8:11 AM on April 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I think Ironmouth nailed it. I have a similar physical reaction when I listen to You Know I'm No Good, Amy Winehouse & Ghostface. It doesn't do much to help my run until it hits the Ghostface rap, especially the "say my name" crecendo.

I'm not much for instrumentals and I detest techno. Anymore recommendations with the same andrenaline rush emotional breaks as Cowboy and You Know I'm No Good?
posted by Juicylicious at 9:33 AM on April 4, 2008

"LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Daft Punk, Justice, Digitalism.

All great for running."


Yes. This.
posted by stenseng at 9:41 AM on April 4, 2008

I get that same feeling with either Bring Tha Noize (Anthrax & Public Enemy) or Firestarter (The Prodigy). I think it's just that really driving beat and a sort of wall of sound plus the forcefulness of the lyrical delivery. Plus, it's possible that when the sirens start going off in the background of Bring Tha Noize I feel like I'm being chased by the police. Um, on the treadmill. At my yuppie gym.
posted by marylynn at 9:52 AM on April 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

I've run to Beck's "Loser" since 1993. It's just the right pace for my 6'2" lope. It's about 84 BPM. I bet "Two Turntables and A Microphone" is about the same tempo, since it's exactly the same song as "Cowboy". Kid Rock is such a hack, he couldn't even change the tempo of the music he copied.

Anyway, I say you get more music at that tempo. 84 BPM ftw!
posted by billtron at 10:10 AM on April 4, 2008

I have a small list of running songs that do the same thing--just explode into awesomeness and help me kick it up--but the only one I can think of at the moment is "Ring the Bells" by James. Look into Badly Drawn Boy, too, but I can't recall which of his songs is the best example.
posted by kittyprecious at 10:28 AM on April 4, 2008

I also suggest "Time is Running Out" by Muse, and "Prisoner of Society" by The Living End. Cheap Trick also has a lot of great build and release songs, like "He's a Whore" -- these can work really well to give you that extra kick. I'm a big fan of a lot of the songs on The Distiller's "Coral Fang" album, particularly "Hall of Mirrors" and "Beat Your Heart Out" -- but that might just be me.

Oh, and because I'm a giant dork? "Final Countdown", by Europe.
posted by pazazygeek at 11:33 AM on April 4, 2008

When I ran cross country I ran better when I had the cranberries Zombie stuck in my head, so I started listening to it before races.
I thought this was weird, but maybe Ironmouth's reasoning explains it.
posted by rux at 1:03 PM on April 4, 2008

If I'm thinking of the right song, it's kinda slow and sultry...

Yep!
That soft rolling beat :) (Love those!)

Mmm... what about Ben Harper - Ground on down.
Might be a touch too slow/less up beat...? But it makes up for it in the crecendo department!

Gotta love it when someone's managed to touch on the music in your soul, huh?

Ohh! How about Masta Ace - Revelations.
No crecendo to speak of but one hell of a driving and slinky beat!!

If I think of any other variations on the theme... :)
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 3:12 PM on April 4, 2008