Sean recommends “Runner” by Alex G
I listen to Alex G’s “Runner” every time I drive to the park to do my long run for the week. Every Saturday morning I wake up, rub the crust out of my eyes, and feel a slight dread for the impending run. In the car I turn my head back and forth and wonder why my neck and shoulders are perpetually stiff and I think about all of the things that have piled up in my mind from the week. When I get to the chorus and hear Alex G sing “My runner, my runner, my man” it’s hard not to sing along. For a brief minute I forget about everything and my mood shifts and I feel ready to start my Saturday.
I’m not going to pretend I know what the song is about. A friend? A dog? Drugs? It’s definitely not about running. But it is very upbeat and catchy. It’s a track I could play in the car with my parents. A track he could perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While God Save the Animals is a great album, “Runner” is by far the most accessible track. Every time Alex G releases a new album I can’t quite understand why I like it. A lot of the songs have very strange musical choices, some even feel a little grating on the first listen. But there is always a track that pulls me in. On his last album, House of Sugar, it was “Hope”. On God Save the Animals it’s “Runner.”
I feel the same way about running as I do with Alex G’s music. I can’t totally understand the appeal. I definitely can’t explain to someone else why I like doing it. I’m not even sure I actually do like it most days. At the beginning of a long run I feel pain. Every little thing from the week that accumulated in my muscles like previous workouts, stress and anxiety, my cheap mattress from Wayfair, all begin to suddenly come out. But I eventually reach a point where my body goes into autopilot and everything sort of melts away into nothingness. Even the music I’m listening to fades out and for a brief time I exist in a void. Eventually I return to my body and the pain comes back, but I am able to face it much easier.
Similarly, we all have things in our mind that accumulate over the week and cause aches. You had a rough day at work. Your cat tore up the living room blinds again. Your partner said something that hurt your feelings. For me, singing along to a song like “Runner” helps take me to another place for two minutes and thirty-six seconds and I know that when I get back, facing these pain points will be much easier.
Sean Sullivan is from Mobile, Alabama where he writes and takes pictures. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @imseansullivan
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