Adventure Theme Mix Tape
The Here Be Dragons Adventure Theme Mix Tape (Side A) can be found on Spotify. Listen in-blog below for a more rich experience, or on Spotify for uninterrupted music. Please note below each song is a link to song lyrics for accessibility. Check out more details on how to best enjoy mix tapes.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition, defines adventure as, “An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature; an undertaking of a questionable nature, especially one involving intervention in another state’s affairs; or, an unusual or exciting experience”.
I think one of the most challenging things about an adventure is the sheer number of times you will find yourself in situations where you do not know what to do, and do not have any answers.
In today’s first pick, English punk rock band The Clash asks the musical question, “Should I Stay or Should I Go”?
Should I Stay or Should I Go Lyrics
The Clash, with a track from 1982’s Combat Rock, “Should I Stay or Should I Go”.
Our next tune wants a bit of introduction. Though released in 1984, my connection with the tune dates back to about 2008.
Picture it: a summer afternoon in Tennessee with that eerie stillness that precedes a big thunderstorm. Our main character (let’s call him Joe) had just finished smoking a fat joint on the balcony, watching the change in weather, when the phone rang. On the other end was his fiancé (we’ll call him Tom) calling from his workplace, stating there was a tornado warning and he wanted Joe to come to Tom’s place of employment “so he would know he was safe”.
Side note, kids: this is an indication of a controlling and manipulative partner, who doesn’t care about his partner’s safety.
Joe argued, saying he was very stoned and in the event of a tornado would be safer at home than in a car, but Tom insisted; as Joe got into his sports car and began the fifteen-minute drive to his fiancé’s workplace, our next song came on the radio.
The sky was green and the high winds were visible in the trees and the swinging stoplight cables. Not a single vehicle could be seen driving on the roads.
Joe wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of being caught in a tornado in his car, so he stepped on the gas. He traversed winding roads at high speed, past windswept trees under a greenish sky, our next song acting as the soundtrack to his adventure.
Turn it up for one of the most incredible rock songs of the 1980’s, Van Halen’s “Panama” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
Joe’s adventure wasn’t just that drive through tornadic weather (which he survived), but also surviving (end ending) his relationship with a controlling and emotionally abusive partner.
When we hear the word adventure, we often think of faraway places, big leaps, or joyful milestones – but adventures don’t always look like that. Sometimes, the adventure is learning how to notice the good right where you are: to pause, reflect, and be present amid difficulty or change.
Our next song reminds us that our entire life is an adventure (and a series of adventures). Later in life’s journey, it can seem obvious that all roads would eventually lead to where we end up, but hindsight is 20/20, and along the way it is never so clear.
Stay tuned after our next track for a unique and helpful way to view life’s challenges that I was gifted a while back and wish to share with you.
But first, American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile tells us “The Story”.
Many years ago my brother shared with me a thought experiment that a friend had shared with him, and it blew my mind. I call it the Avatar Theory.
He said, “Imagine your soul is actually a demi-god/goddess in an alternate reality, and the body you inhabit is an avatar in a life-long video game your demi-god self is playing to wile away eternity. What does a gamer want in a game they are willing to invest a lot of time in? A compelling story with a unique and bizarre timeline, full of fun and complex challenges to overcome! When you encounter difficulties in your life, look at it as you are a video game avatar; attempt to appreciate the challenge, be creative in problem-solving, and try everything available to you to overcome said challenge.”
The title of today’s mix tape, “Here Be Dragons”, refers to dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of adding illustrations of mythological creatures to areas of maps where little was known and potential dangers were sure to exist.
Our next song explores what it’s like to suddenly be somewhere you’ve never been before, never thought you’d be, and have no clue where to go. There is no map and no longer any sidewalk.
Though it’s primarily about the ending of a relationship, it could apply to many “adventures” we might encounter in our lives.
Jon Foreman with “Where the Sidewalk Ends” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
Where the Sidewalk Ends Lyrics
We are told Jesus had an adventurous childhood and an adventurous ending to his life, but we don’t have a lot of information about the in-between years.
One of my favourite songwriters, John Prine, imagines what the adventurous middle might have been like, in.
Jesus, the Missing Years Lyrics
So, why all this talk of adventure? Because life is filled with adventures – both exciting and exhausting, and because I have developed a line of Adventure Journals to accompany you on life’s adventures.
Combining the powers of music, art, and reflection, and themed around some of my most popular mix tapes, Adventure Journals are designed for when your adventures feel heavy or overwhelming.
Inside each you will find hand-curated songs paired with original colouring pages and thoughtful journal prompts to help you process emotions, set intentions, and connect with yourself.
Today I, DJ Ponyboy, am introducing the first two of four initial Adventure Journals, with plans for more.
The first is scheduled to be released on August 8th, 2025.
From the It’s Okay to Not Be Okay Adventure Journal, a song you may remember from the 1986 film The Adventures of Milo and Otis; Dan Crow encourages us to take a “Walk Outside” today on KMTJ-DB – Denver, Colorado.
From British jazz and blues singer Katie Melua’s debut album, 2004’s Call Off the Search, our next track explores the idea of “What might we learn from our painful adventures? Can there be a silver lining to our sorrow and misery?”
Katie Melua and “learning the blues”.
Katie Melua. “learning the blues”. Fun fact: Katie is not short for Katherine, Kathleen, or Kaitlin, but Ketevan. The British artist was born in Kutaisi, Georgia and raised in Belfast and London.
Unfortunately, I am unable to share my favourite version of our next song with you, as it is not currently on Spotify. This is only one of several reasons why it is so important to seek out and purchase physical copies of the music you love the most. Check out my Physical Media page for more.
Frank Emerson, covering a Mickey MacConnell song, detailing shared adventures across a relationship in “Supermarket Wine”.
Frank Emerson and “Supermarket Wine” on KMTJ-DB – Denver, Colorado.
My second Adventure Journal is scheduled to be released September 5th, 2025.
From the Attitude of Gratitude Adventure Journal, Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author Mary Gauthier brings us “Drag Queens In Limousines”.
Drag Queens in Limousines Lyrics
Some adventures are relationships – like Joe’s earlier in the episode. Our next song documents the long, slow deterioration of a romantic relationship to the point where “I love you” becomes harder and harder to say.
The Avett Brothers with the heartbreaking tune, “I And Love And You”.
The Avett Brothers, closing out today’s adventure-themed mix tape, Here Be Dragons (Side A).
Make sure to come back next week for Spiller’s Corner, and the week after that for the exciting conclusion to Here Be Dragons (Side B), where I will announce release dates and titles for the next two Adventure Journals.
You have been listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy.
Stay gold.