FFO: exercise, analytical essays, classical and contemporary music
To some, running is kind of ridiculous. I get it. You just put on your workout clothes, step outside, and then take off? No special equipment? Just you and your steps? It seems so anti-climactic, but in the end, it is the only form of exercise that I absolutely love. The thrill of getting into a rhythm, breathing in the fresh air, and accomplishing something just for yourself. Not to mention the time to think about life, the time to listen to music…
When I go for a run, I like to listen to my favorite songs and let the beats guide me from step to step. I know that there are others who like to listen to songs and podcasts and audiobooks in this way, but there are also others who like to run in silence and let the sounds of nature or the commotion of the city take hold. And then there are people like Ben Ratfliff.
In his new book, Run the Song: Writing About Running About Listening, Ratliff listens. He thinks. And he runs. All at the same time. So, what does he listen to? What does he think about? Where does he run?
Through bustling city streets and neighborhoods, Ratliff finds his path for the day—whether it’s in the vastness of Van Cortlandt Park, up and down hills in Yonkers, or along a road in Western Massachusetts. He tells us what is around him, making note of specific intersections, buildings, people he sees, terrain, weather patterns… As we find out, the setting is an important aspect of a run, as it can emphasize what we hear, feel, and think.
When I picked up Run the Song, I knew it was going to be an intellectual experience. Ratliff is a highly esteemed music critic and author, so of course he knows how to express an opinion or two about albums and artists and songs. Yet, I didn’t fully know the extent. Was this going to be a casual project, where he shares how important a specific song is to his workout? Was this going to be analytical, a breakdown of the relationship between a melody and the body?
Turns out, Run the Song is more of the latter. From chapter to chapter, Ratliff touches on random facets of exercise and movement, comparing how a rhythm or tempo can symbolize a breath, a thought, a mood. He will explain the relationship (or lack of) between his favorite musicians and how that relationship might play out today, in the modern city he runs through. He dissects Ice Spice’s voice on her first EP, finding that the motion in it is not too far removed from the motion he exhibits in his runs. He recalls the difficulty of listening to Beethoven’s Opus 131 because there’s a lot to take in—one cannot really understand it all in just one session.
While some of this was not the easiest to process, the appreciation Ratliff has for music, for running, and for writing was fully recognized. If you know the emotional and physical toll that running can have on you, then you can relate to Ratliff’s observations. If you enjoy some of the more underlying aspects of a pop song or an orchestral piece, then you will find truth in Ratliff’s words. And if you know how important it is to relay music from headphone to pen and craft such meaningful sentences from what you have heard, then you will be able to find value in each chapter.
Overall, Ratliff bridges the gap between running and listening to music. In fact, he takes it to a whole new level. Anyone can listen to a song while running and bask in the glory of hearing a high note just as you round a corner, for instance, but Ratliff pushes further. He wants to know why this moment is powerful. There is so much to discover about the world, and one way to have a better grasp on it is to see it from another point of view. It’s interesting to consider the runner’s point of view, but in the end, the reader—as well as the runner—learns so much. Run the Song will encourage you to pause, to feel, and to dig a little deeper about what you experience in your daily life. And if you’re unsure about any of it, just put on a tune and run it back.
Run the Song: Writing About Running About Listening by Ben Ratliff is available now via Graywolf Press. You can purchase a copy here.
Learn more about Ben Ratliff here.
