Friday, August 28, 2009

Take This Tune - Life is a Highway





Jamie is the host of TAKE THIS TUNE and today she offered Rascal Flatts singing "Life is a Highway." Now I had to think of something inspired by her post, the song in the post, or the lyrics of the song.

The first highway that came to mind was "Route 66." Of course I think most of you know that it was the title of a 1960s TV series and a song.

Route 66 was also a “super-highway,” thought of in 1926, and it represented unprecedented freedom to travel across the American West. Spawned by the rapidly changing demands of America, entrepreneurs, Cyrus Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma and John Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri conceived of the grand idea of linking Chicago to Los Angeles and began lobbying efforts to promote the new highway. While other East/West highways existed at the time, most followed a linear course, leaving out the rural communities, dependent upon transportation for farm products and other goods.

No doubt a daunting task for the pair, the federal government finally pledged to link small town U.S.A. with metropolitan capitals in the summer of 1926 and designated the road as 66. Unfortunately, shortly after work began on the Mother Road came the depression, halting progress on the new “Super-Highway.

However, in 1933, thousands of unemployed men were put back to work and road gangs paved the final stretches of the road. By 1938 the 2,300 mile highway was continuously paved from Chicago to Los Angeles.


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"Route 66" was the name of an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, for two and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Maharis was ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod was shown traveling on his own. Tod met Lincoln Case, played by Glenn Corbett, late in the third season, and traveled with him until the end of the fourth and final season.

The series is best remembered for its iconic Corvette convertible and its instrumental theme song (composed and performed by Nelson Riddle), which became a major pop hit.


I have to say that I didn't know what to do because I never really liked the song as it played on the TV series. But I found on YouTube, The Rolling Stones singing it and , boy, it made all the difference in the world!! Listen to it!


LYRICS
Well if you ever plan to motor west,
Just take my way , that's the highway that's the best.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

Well it winds from Chicago to LA
More than two-thousand miles all the way.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

Well it goes through St. Louie down to Missouri
Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty.
You'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona,
Kingsman, Barstow, San Bernardino.

Won't you get hip to this timely tip
And think you'll take that California trip.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

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Well it goes through St. Louie, down to Missouri
Oklahoma city looks oh so pretty.
You'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona,
Kingsman, Barstow, San Bernardino.

Well you get hip to this timely tip
When you make that California trip.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

Go visit Take This Tune for other participants.


9 comments:

Durward Discussion said...

My favorite version is the classic written by Bobby Troup and sung by Nat King Cole or the version sung by Troup himself What makes it even more interesting is that Troup was married to Julie London who then married Jack Webb (a Jazz Lover) who then put them both in the TV show EMERGENCY. So much for life in California. :-)

Anonymous said...

OH my goodness the Vinyl. It's just awesome.. I loved this post. Brings back so many wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing :)

Connie T. said...

I have been on Route 66.

SandyCarlson said...

This is a fun meme. Thanks for this info, Mary. I enjoyed the read. Knew the road but not the TV program!

Putz said...

there is a group i git my kicks on route 66,,,,i listen to them all the time

carol g said...

This is a wonderful trip down memory lane. That was one TV show that my father actually allowed me to watch while he sat in the back ground making disgruntled noises... you know, I think he enjoyed it himself otherwise it would have been verboten.

Linda said...

I've only been down bits and pieces of Route 66 but I'm sure I would have loved it back in its heyday of kitschyness. Probably best seen from the back of a motorcycle, too, I bet! No doubt a person could really get their kicks back then no matter what song you happened to have stuck in your head at the time!

SouthLakesMom said...

What a fun link! I think it's interesting now to see the 'bits and pieces' of that iconic Rt. 66 that remain. Somehow we can't convince the kids of its importance!

Travis Cody said...

I've never heard that version! What a great tune! Made me want to Jive.