27 Songs that Get Stuck in Your Head Backpacking

Today, we’re out adventuring ourselves, so we dug into our big gear shed of archival stories to pull out this beauty for new and old readers alike to enjoy. – Ed.

As he crawled back down to base camp after shattering his leg on the descent from 20,813-foot Siula Grande, after his climbing partner had cut the rope and dropped him into a crevasse, in the midst of three days without food or water, Joe Simpson began to experience disco hell: He could not get the song “Brown Girl in the Ring” by Boney M out of his head.

We’ve all been there. The rhythm of your steps plodding those last few miles down the trail back to the car jiggles something in your head, and suddenly you can’t stop hearing “Jingle Bells” between your ears. Or “YMCA.” Or “Who Let The Dogs Out,” DAMMIT. Earworms.

We conducted a completely informal survey and asked folks what songs got stuck in their heads on backpacking trips. Here are our favorites. Er, least favorites. If we missed yours, leave it in the comments.

1. “Yellow Submarine” – The Beatles
Because:
We all live in a yellow submarine
A yellow submarine
A yellow submarine

2. “Just a Friend” – Biz Markie
Because:
Bay-bee YOO
you got what I NEE-EED

3. “Send Me on My Way” – Rusted Root
Because:
Simmee omma way
Simmee omma way
Simmee omma way
Simmee omma way
Simmee omma way
Simmee omma way
Simmee omma way

4. “Get Lucky” – Daft Punk with Pharrel Williams
Because:
We’ve come too far
To give up who we are
So let’s raise the bar
And our cups to the stars

Also, good lord, what an earworm.

5. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers
Because:
I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door

6. “What’s My Name?” – DMX
Because:
ANGER

7. “Ironic” – Alanis Morrisette
Because:
It’s like ray-ee-ain…

8. “Robots” – Flight of the Conchords
Because:
the world is quite different ever since the robotic uprising of the late ’90s

9. “It’s Tricky” – Run DMC
Because:
It’s tricky to rock a rhyme that’s right on time. It’s tricky.

10. “Low Rider” – War
Because:
ba-dump bump ba bump ba ba-dump ba

11. “Gangnam Style”
Because:
Najeneun ttasaroun inganjeogin yeoja
Keopi hanjanui yeoyureul aneun pumgyeok inneun yeoja
Bami omyeon simjangi tteugeowojineun yeoja
Geureon banjeon inneun yeoja

Naneun sanai
Najeneun neomankeum ttasaroun geureon sanai
Keopi sikgido jeone wonsyat ttaerineun sanai
Bami omyeon simjangi teojyeobeorineun sanai
Geureon sanai

12. “No Woman No Cry” – Bob Marley
Because:
Everything’s gonna be all right
Everything’s gonna be all right
Everything’s gonna be all right
Everything’s gonna be all right
Everything’s gonna be all right
Everything’s gonna be all right
Everything’s gonna be all right
Everything’s gonna be all right

13. “Three Little Birds” – Bob Marley
Because:
Every little thing gonna be all right.

14. “Here Comes the Sun” – The Beatles
Because:
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say it’s all right
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
It’s all right
It’s all right

15. “The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)” – Ylvis
Because:
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow

16. “Theme from Golden Girls” – Cynthia Fee
Because:
Thank you for being a frayyyy-yend

17. “Livin la Vida Loca” – Ricky Martin
Because:
1999

18. “Tables and Chairs” – Andrew Bird
Because:
There will be snacks
There will
There will be snacks
There will be
There will be snacks

19. “Intro” – The XX
Because:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm-ViInMmlw

20. “Baby Got Back” – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Because:
I like
big
butts and I cannot lie

21. “The Hills Are Alive” – Julie Andrews
Because:
Julie Andrews

22. “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga
Because:
ah wan yah lauv
lauv lauv lauv
ah wan yah lauv

23. “Theme from Rawhide” – Frankie Laine
Because:
Billy Crystal in City Slickers and/or Jake and Elwood in The Blues Brothers

24. “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” – Meatloaf
Because:
Do you love me
Will you love me forever
Do you need me
Will you never leave me
Will you make me so happy
For the rest of my life
Will you take me away
And will you make me your wife

25. “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)” – Boston Pops Orchestra
Because:
hike becomes death march

26. “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” – Rupert Holmes
Because:
you like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain. You’re not into yoga, you have half a brain. You like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape. You’re not much into health food; you’re into champagne. You like the feel of the ocean and the taste of champagne.

27. “White Winter Hymnal” – Fleet Foxes
Because:
I was following
I was following
I was following
I was following
I was following
I was following
I was following
I was following
I was following the pack

Photo: Frantisek Duris