Radio 87, side A, track 5: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers

Oh, The Proclaimers, YESSSS!  I love you so much, The Proclaimers!  In my formative years, there were only two band that I really became enthralled with.  One was my beloved They Might Be Giants, who pulled me in with just one song.  Y’all were the other.  And it was the same thing.  The very first time I heard that guitar and then heard your wonderfully Scottish voices, I was instantly enraptured.  I bought “Sunshine On Leith” on cassette and wore that one out, and years later I bought the CD of “Sunshine On Leith” and was pleasantly surprised to discover “Long Black Veil” as a hidden track, which is still one of my favorite songs of all time.  I remember walking down to The Electric Fetus during college, incredibly hung over as was the norm, and looking specifically for anything you made because I’d heard one of your songs in “Bottle Rocket” the night before and immediately had to track it down.  I love y’all so much, The Proclaimers.

I’ve listened to this song 500 times and I’m going to listen to it 500 more.  You knew I was going there, The Proclaimers.  But let’s be clear:  1000 times is not enough times to listen to this song.  Thanks for making life so much better by being in it.

lyrics to “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”