Carpe Diem Classics

Motivational Music Mix


The Bottom Line When life gets the better of you, you cannot give up. I suggest you do what I do -- listen to kickass music.

Have you ever been punched in the face with life's clenched fist? Have you ever doubted yourself? Have you ever had others view you as inconsequential?

Of course you have. After all, you are a member of the human race. You wouldn't ever be able to attain genuine happiness unless you have overcome obstacles or tragedies of some sort. Some people say "that which doesn't kill you only makes you wish that it had." I say "poppycock."

If you persevere in the face of adversity, then you become stronger, pure and simple. It has been my experience that adversity looms around every corner. Hell, sometimes it chases you like a shadow.

What do you do when this happens? You keep going. What if you find it harder and harder to do so? You still keep going. What if you have trouble finding motivation? Then, you listen to these songs (or perhaps others that tickle your particular fancy) and you find inspiration.


Track One: I'm Winning by Santana

You cannot win in life until you have lost first. Everybody loses at some point. The trick is to use defeats or failures to your advantage. Learn from them. This song embodies a spirit that victory is always within grasp, and I find it nearly impossible not to be emotionally stirred by it.

Sample Lyrics

I had a dream but it turned to dust,
What I thought was love that must have been lust,
I was living in style when the walls fell in,
When I played my hand I looked like a joker,
Turn around, Fate must have woke her
'Cause Lady Luck she was waiting outside the door.
I'm winning, I'm winning,
I'm winning and I don't intend on losing again.


Track Two: All-Star by Smashmouth

This undeniably catchy song has been featured in many films as a sort of anthem for losers (i.e. Mystery Men, Shrek) and that's no accident. The song has a positive confidence-affirming aspect to it that suggests that everybody is an all-star of some sort.

Sample Lyrics

So much to do, so much to see,
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
You'll never know if you don't go,
You'll never shine if you don't glow.
Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play,
Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid.
And all that glitters is gold.
Only shooting stars break the mold.


Track Three: End of the Line by Traveling Wilburys

What do you get when you combine Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison and Tom Petty? A great rock band capable of pop-flavored gems that make you feel good. I love this song because it lets you know things are all right, even when it seems that they are not.

Sample Lyrics

Well, it's all right, even if they say you're wrong,
Well, it's all right, sometimes you gotta be strong.
Well, it's all right, as long as you got somewhere to lay,
Well, it's all right, every day is just one day.


Track Four: Touch of Grey by The Grateful Dead

Along the same lines as track three, this song harbors the theme that even the good things in life are accompanied by bad things...but that's OK because "I will get by. I will survive." This is a great message that should be recalled from time to time, which is easy to do considering that this song is an unforgettable head-bopping, toe-tapping groove.

Sample Lyrics

I see you got your fist out,
Say your peace and get out.
I guess I get the gist of it, but it's all right.
Sorry that you feel that way,
The only thing there is to say
Is every silver lining's got a touch of grey.
I will get by. I will get by. I will get by.
I will survive.


Track Five: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by The Beatles

This is probably the ultimate feel-good song in rock-n-roll, and I know several people who dislike The Beatles, yet somehow love this song. Why? Because it is impossible not to smile when you sing along. Yes, it is easy to believe life goes on as you hum the chorus over and over.

Sample Lyrics

Ob-la-di ob-la-da, life goes on,
Bra-la-la, how the life goes on.
Ob-la-di ob-la-da, life goes on,
Bra-la-la, how the life goes on.


Track Six: I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty

Maybe it's just me, but I find it cool that somebody like Tom Petty, who doesn't have a good singing voice, can inspire so many with his songs. The funny thing is, Tom Petty isn't a deep lyricist. He projects simple messages with simple words...and it works perfectly. This spirit of this song is very inspiring, and sometimes, that is all you need, even when you feel like the whole world is against you.

Sample Lyrics

Well, I won't back down,
No I won't back down,
You can stand me up at the gates of Hell
But I won't back down.
Gonna stand my ground,
Won't be turned around,
And I'll keep this world from dragging me down.


Track Seven: We Are The Champions by Queen

This is an obvious choice, certainly, but I cannot imagine making an inspirational mix tape without this inclusion. This is the quintessential fight-back-against-all-odds song that has inspired sports teams all over the country. This song has always made me feel as though I could achieve anything I set my mind to.

Sample Lyrics

I've paid my dues time after time,
I've done my sentence, but committed no crime,
And bad mistakes -- I've made a few,
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through.
We are the champions, my friend,
And we'll keep on fighting to the end.


Track Eight: Jump by Van Halen

I suppose if you are feeling like a failure, then the last thing you should listen to is somebody screaming "jump." However, this song is as anti-suicidal as they come. Like the tracks from Tom Petty and Queen, this song inhabits the "never give up, never surrender" attitude that we all have needed at one time or another.

Sample Lyrics

I get up
And nothing gets me down,
You got it tough,
I've seen the toughest around.
And I know, baby, just how you feel,
You've got to roll with the punches
To get to what's real.


Track Nine: Fly By Night by Rush

Ah, there is nothing like a little power rock from Rush to brighten up your mood. There are so many great Rush songs that have motivated me over the years, but I think this song works the best because of one line: "My life begins today." I like the idea that life is always beginning for each of us because we are constantly changing. When things are at their worst, then you need only to remember that time heals all wounds. Sure, it also wounds all heals, but it will also heal those formerly-healed wounds once again.

Sample Lyrics

Start a new chapter, I find what I'm after
Is changing every day.
The change of a season's enough of a reason
To want to get away.
Quiet and pensive, my thoughts apprehensive,
The hours drift away.
Leaving my homeland, playing a lone hand
My life begins today.


Track Ten: Last Chance by Shooting Star

I saved my favorite song for last. Of course, it is also the most obscure tune in the list. Shooting Star rocked airwaves in the 1980s with this electrically-charged song, full of rip-roaring guitar, piano and drum solos, and also ripe with a great philosophy: You need to seize the day before it is too late. After all, today may be your last chance to live. The best line in the song underlines the notion that we cannot afford to feel sorry for ourselves: "The enemy is in your heart, self-respect robbed by self-pity." Amen.

Sample Lyrics

Stand up on your feet
'Cause your life is as short as Hell.
You could be dead tomorrow...
Today may be your last chance to believe in yourself,
Your last chance to yell,
Your last chance to be good to yourself,
Your last chance to drink from life's well.


Secret Track: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

OK. Since this is my mix tape, I am throwing in a secret eleventh track. If you need to find the will to survive and keep going, then who better to listen to than a group that called itself "Survivor"? I was very young and impressionable when this theme song for Rocky III hit theaters, and this song burned itself into my memory. I still get chills when I hear it, believing that I, too, can defeat Clubber Lang (a.k.a. Mr. T.).

Sample Lyrics

Rising up back on the street,
Did my time, took my chances.
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet,
Just a man and his will to survive.
So many times it happens too fast,
You trade your passion for glory.
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past,
You must fight just to keep them alive.


End Thoughts

Now, I realize that good music doesn't solve problems, but it can help you get in the right frame of mind that is necessary to face them. We all get frustrated and end up off course at some point. When that happens, we have music (specifically, some of the songs that I listed here) to remind us that everybody struggles.

Certain songs remind us that we are never alone and that is sometimes enough to give us strength to keep going until the next day...which keeps us going to the next day...and the next...and the next.