Yesterday I accomplished my 936 mile, 16 hours trek up the turnpike from Florida to Kentucky. Yes, I do it straight thru most of the time. I hit the road at 4:00AM and pulled into the drive at 8:00PM. What keeps me going is a little traveling music. With the modern day 6-CD changer I can get home by the time the songs have played twice.

Opening drive: Hey, a little Lynyad Skynyrd. How can you beat two of the greatest Southern Rock songs ever recorded? “Sweet Home, Alabama” starts the disc and “Free Bird” ends it. Play that electric guitar riff, Lynyard.

Second fiddle: Husky throated singer, Tanya Tucker starts it with ‘Delta Dawn,” then tells us she is “Down to Her Last Teardrop.” She is one sad Texan.

Third base: Now I absolutely love Barbara Mandrell. Although her TV career is over, she still complains about “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed,” but offers her prospect, “You Can Eat Crackers in My Bed Anytime.”

Fourth Estate: How can drive with out some Garth Brooks? “Good Ride Cowboy” starts the CD and it ends with a little “Beer Run” for he and his friend Willie (Nelson, that is).

Fifth Dimension: Now I made this a family affair and have Garth’s wife, Trisha Yearwood’s “How Can I Live Without You” and “There Goes My Baby,” which is what her ex-husband and Garth’s ex-wife said as they were deserted so these two C&W stars could marry each other.

Sixth and Final: Believe me, I listen to more than C&W so I included a mix my daughter put together for me of top Disco songs. Sister Sledge starts the show with “We Are Family” and the Village People tell us about the fun young men can have at the “Y. M. C. A.”

A couple of times through the player and I am crossing the Kentucky border. Good Ride, Cowboy, I say to myself. Here is Garth Brooks’ tribute to the great C&W song writer and performer, Chris LeDoux, who died way too young. It was nice that his "Life's A Highway." was the featured song in the fantastic box office hit, "Cars."

Good Ride Cowboy

From the hills of Kaycee, Wyoming
Where life's wooly and wild
Came a navy brat in a cowboy hat
And that Copenhagen smile
And from buckin' broncs to honky tonks
He always sang a cowboy's song
We were much too young, havin' too much fun
As we all sang along
We sang 'Life's A Highway'
There's only one way you're gonna get through it
When she starts to twist be more like Chris
Pull your hat down tight and just LeDoux it
When that whistle blows
And that crowd explodes
And them pickup men are at your side
They tell you good ride cowboy, good ride
From gold buckles to gold records
Once again he was spinnin' 'round
Took the whole world on
And he turned us on to that Western Underground
And from Bareback Jack to This Cowboy's Hat
The songs were stronger than his pain
He would not slow down from town to town
Like children running through the rain
We sang 'Life's A Highway'
There's only one way you're gonna get through it
When she starts to twist be more like Chris
Pull your hat down tight and just LeDoux it
When that whistle blows
And that crowd explodes
And them pickup men are at your side
They tell you good ride cowboy, good ride
We sang 'Life's a Highway'
There's only one way you're gonna get through it
When she starts to twist be more like Chris
Pull your hat down tight and just LeDoux it
When that whistle blows
And that crowd explodes
And them pickup men are at your side
They tell you good ride cowboy, good ride
Bet he cross that river Jordan
With St. Peter on the other side
Singin', 'Good Ride Cowboy, Good Ride'
Say, 'Good Ride Cowboy, Good Ride'