2024 Theme Mix Tape (Side B)
The Stronger Than Fear: January 2025 Theme Mix Tape (Side B) 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.
Good day and welcome to Stronger Than Fear, the January 2025 Theme Mix Tape (Side B) on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy, bringing you a mix tape with a theme of hope. Desmond Tutu defines hope as, “being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”. Emily Dickinson sees it as, “the thing with feathers that perches in the soul”. But my favourite definition is from Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games: “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear”.
I begin today’s tape with a disclaimer for those outside the United States – this month’s tapes are America-centric – but I believe what happens here affects the rest of the world and ultimately the resistance must be a world-wide effort. Those of us from the United States are at a sad and scary point in our country’s existence, a zeitgeist which our country may not survive.
England has a much longer history than ours; let’s draw inspiration from their long history and resilience – remember Americans are just Brits with a couple hundred years of new world experience! Not to mention the influence of individuals from every other country in the world.
In the words of my first tune, replace “Old England” with “America” and claim a positive future!
Originally written in the 18th century, Steeleye Span’s 1975 cover of “Hard Times of Old England” documents hard times not dissimilar to our own, with lines like, “Provisions you buy at the shop, it is true, but if you’ve no money, there’s none there for you, so what’s a poor man and his family to do?” and, “You must go to the shop and you’ll ask for a job; they’ll answer you there with a shake and a nod. Well, that’s enough to make a man turn out and rob”.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, for the final stanza of the songs asks us to join the singer in, “hop[ing] that these hard times, they will not last long; [hoping] soon to have occasion to alter my song – and sing, o the good times of old England. In old England, jolly good times”.
From their highest-charting album, 1975’s All Around My Hat, enjoy Steeleye Span and “Hard Times of Old England” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
Hard Times of Old England Lyrics
Steeleye Span is a British folk rock band formed in 1969 by Ashley Hutchings, the bass player for the English folk rock band Fairport Convention, and established London folk duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. They were part of the 1970’s British folk revival, and were commercially successful in that period, with four Top 40 albums and two hit singles: “Gaudete” and “All Around My Hat”.
Did you know the last album John Denver recorded was a train-themed children’s album? Released just two months before his tragic death in 1997, All Aboard! features fifteen covers and original songs, all themed around trains.
I like trains!
The story of the little engine that could is always presented as an ode to hard work, believing in yourself, and pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, but that’s not my takeaway at all!
Stick around to hear the moral as I see it after the song.
Here is John Denver with his version of “The Little Engine That Could”.
The Little Engine That Could Lyrics
John Denver!
As promised, my interpretation of the story. As I see it, the moral is ask for help; some people won’t but some people will. The moral isn’t believe in yourself, it’s you need people to believe in you and stand by you side-by-side in the trenches.
Let’s break down the story using depression as an example, but the interpretation works for any obstacle you might encounter.
Many times in life we are going along, singing, “Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, I feel so good today. Oh, hear the track, oh clickety clack. I’ll go my merry way”.
But then we encounter an obstacle we can’t overcome on our own (like crippling depression)! We give it the old college try but “all in vain, alas, alack”; we can’t get more than halfway over the hump before rolling back to the bottom. We get out and ask our friends to help push, but we still can’t make it.
The next step is to ask for outside help! In the story, the little engine asks a bigger engine who could easily help without any effort, but the mean engine says, “Don’t bother me, don’t bother me to pull the likes of you. Don’t bother me, don’t bother me, I’ve better things to do”.
While that is discouraging, we must not give up! Keep asking for help, even if those you ask make fun of you. Even though he is discouraged, our protagonist asks for help again, this time from a small engine who isn’t powerful enough to pull our hero up by herself, but together they brave the obstacle and succeed!
You too can make it over the mountains of depression (or any other obstacles in your life) by being willing to keep trying and repeatedly asking for help. You can do it – I believe in you!
Mavis Staples is an American R&B singer and civil rights activist who rose to fame as a member of her family’s band The Staple Singers, recording the hit singles “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again”.
Ben Harper is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and is known for his guitar skills, vocals, live performances, and activism. Some of my favourite songs of his are “Burn One Down”, “Another Lonely Day”, and “Gold to Me”.
All those bonus songs (from Staples, Harper, and others mentioned on today’s tape) are included on this mix tape’s bonus playlist, accessible by joining my Patreon tier of Beat Backer (only $17/mo) or above. You will receive access to bonus playlists for mix tapes all the way back to May 2024!
From Mavis Staples’ fantastic 2019 solo album We Get By (also featured in Savage Starfish – Side A of this mix tape), enjoy the title track.
Harper’s guitar solo (beginning at 1:40) reminds me of the Edge’s guitar part in U2’s “In A Little While” from the 2000 album All That You Can’t Leave Behind.
American pop rock band OneRepublic hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has been active since 2002. From their 2021 album Human, they claim hope for a better future, singing, “Oh, I know that there’ll be better days, oh, that sunshine ’bout to come my way. May we never ever shed another tear for today, ’cause oh, I know that there’ll be better days”.
I’m DJ Ponyboy and this mix tape is not a Pollyanna denial of reality. Things are dark, but to keep fighting the dark, we need also to spend time embracing the hope that we will survive, thrive, and be okay together. We need to stand up and speak it, claim it, and believe it – for the benefit of our friends, families, and our own mental health.
Niko Moon is an American country pop singer and songwriter who has written songs for Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, Rascal Flatts, and Morgan Wallen. He sings, “I know it won’t be long ’til we’re outta the woods; never know when things could turn around for good”.
From his 2024 album These Are the Days, here is “It’s All Good” on KMTJ-DB, Denver, Colorado.
Bob Marley: One Love is a 2024 American biopic based on the life of reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley, from his rise to fame in the mid-1970’s until his death in 1981.
The original version of our next song was included on the May 2024 Countdown From 20 (Side B) mix tape; friend of the channel Kacey Musgraves shares her fantastic cover recorded for the movie, reminding us to take joy in the little things, like, “Three little birds by my doorstep, singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true”.
I like to remember the words of Mary Schmich, “Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum”.
But what do you do when it feels like the sky is falling every second of every day? Make sure to join me next month for mix tapes themed around protecting and improving your mental health. In the meantime, English rock band Ian Drury and the Blockheads asks the musical question, “Why don’t you get back into bed?” and provides a musical answer with a list of “Reasons to Be Cheerful, Pt. 3”.
I dare you to listen to this track beginning-to-end without smiling. 😀 My favourite bits are when he rhymes boats with nanny goats, equal votes, and porridge oats; and the distinctly British slang (do you know what it means to be in your nuddy)?
Ian Drury and the Blockheads with 1979’s “Reasons to Be Cheerful, Pt. 3” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
Reasons to Be Cheerful, Pt. 3 Lyrics
The inimitable Jennifer Hudson reminds us, “We’ve been here before, lost on these roads. Yeah, we know where they go, but this year, darlin’, we gon’ be the change.”
From 2024’s The Gift of Love (a Christmas album featured in my Twisted Tinsel mix tape), Jennifer Hudson claims of her and hers, “This year and every year, we are gonna find the love”.
I’m DJ Ponyboy and you have been listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado. If my music curation helps brighten your days in these dark times, please consider supporting me and the mission of Mix Tape Journey.
We offer exciting products like my guide Chasing Sunshine: A Guide to Educating Yourself on Popular Music, custom-curated playlists, and Patreon subscriptions, with five different tiers of support with five levels of rewards.
Mike Äpt claims victory over his future: “See that I know that I’m gonna make it. Thought they stole what’s inside of my soul. Gonna make it through”.
From 2023’s Exported, here is “Make It Through” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
I’m DJ Ponyboy and I have a message for you. Yes, you.
Stop what you’re doing and listen to me. “The sun will rise to better days”. We will make it together. “Just close your eyes and let it rain”.
“You’ll Be Okay”.
From the album Is There Anybody Out There?, American pop rock musical duo A Great Big World with 2014’s “You’ll Be Okay”.
Thank you so much for joining me today. I trust one or more of my songs are able to help bring a little hope to your spirit.
Closing out today’s mix tape is a song that encapsulates my view of the next four years. “Oh, I don’t know where we’re going, but I know we’ll find our way. There’s a light that shines to guide us even on our darkest days. May your cup be overflowing with a smile upon your face; hope you cherish every moment, may your days be filled with grace.”
Nathan Evans with “Old Man’s Grace”, a brand-new song released just this month. If you are interested in keeping up with new music, make sure to visit me on the first Sunday of every month for my curated list of the very best new songs released during the previous month.
You have been listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy.
Until next time, stay gold.