Spelling It Out On Repeat
If you’ve ever spelled a word in your head because of a song, congratulations….you’ve been musically conditioned.
On our recent episode of What’s In Your Earbuds?, Joe Hardin and I tackled a theme that felt simple at first: songs that spell words out in the lyrics, the title, or even the artist’s name. I thought we’d come up with five or six and call it a day.
I was wrong. Very wrong.
Why Spelled-Out Songs Stick
Let’s start with the obvious. When you hear “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” you don’t see the letters. You hear the voice. When someone says “U-N-I-T-Y,” you don’t think grammar, you think rhythm. And if “Y-M-C-A” comes on? You’re doing the arm dance whether you’re at a wedding or mile 12 of a long run.
These songs don’t just live in playlists. They live in muscle memory.
Cultural Memory Meets Cadence
Here’s what hit me during the show: spelling in music becomes cadence. And cadence becomes pace.
As endurance athletes, rhythm is everything. Easy runs, tempo sessions, long rides….your body locks into patterns. A spelled-out lyric creates a built-in beat. It’s sharp. and punchy while also being unforgettable.
And when things get hard, say like mile 80 of an ultra, those lyrics can become mantras.
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When The Audience Took Over
What I love most about this show is that it’s not just Joe and me talking into microphones. The live audience shows up.
We had everything from cartoon theme songs to hip-hop deep cuts. Gwen Stefani’s B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Classic rap tracks. Songs that made us laugh. Songs that made us go, “How did we forget that one?”
The hip-hop section alone could’ve been its own episode. Our audience understood the assignment.
Building a Playlist for Everyday Athletes
During this one episode, we added nearly 20 songs to our What’s In Your Earbuds playlist. We’re sitting at 24 hours of music now. Our goal for the year was 75.
At this rate? We might need to spell out a new goal.
The bigger point is this: training doesn’t have to be serious all the time. Yes, we chase finish lines. Yes, we want PRs. But joy matters. Laughter matters. Community matters.
Music connects all of that.
Spell It. Hear It. Run It.
If you’re an everyday athlete who believes your long run deserves a soundtrack… if you like conversations that drift off the rails but somehow circle back to meaning… if you’ve ever caught yourself spelling a word mid-workout because of a song—
This one’s for you.
Drop your favorite spelled-out songs in the comments below. I’m always looking for the next track to carry me through the next mile.
So tell me—
What’s in your earbuds?
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