WORTHINGTON — This past weekend I drove east to my hometown for the first time this month to visit some friends and family. The two and a half hour drive is always a good chance to tune in on many different genres of music. My chosen sounds range from rock to rap and folk to country — it’s really all over the place.
And I’ve done the drive so many times now, it’s muscle memory to lose myself in the music. (I still practice safe driving though.) I like to listen to each song intently, whether I try to put together the meaning of the lyrics, or pick out interesting instruments, such as a kazoo in Crosstown Traffic by Jimi Hendrix or a melodica in Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz.
Once I get on Interstate 90, I set my cruise and find myself resting my knee on the side of the door so that I can really feel the beat of the bass to songs such as Pride by Kendrick Lamar or Come Together by the Beatles.
On the road, music takes control and my daily life becomes The Last Thing On My Mind, which is a song by Chet Atkins, and one that college Chloe listened to on a loop when studying. It just has this light, catchy mood that made it easier for me to focus.
I was first introduced to the song in a film art class I took my freshman year at the University of Minnesota Duluth. We had watched Werner Herzog’s 1977 film, Stroszek, a comedy and drama about an unfortunate German busker who falls in love with a prostitute and they end up emigrating to the U.S. with their neighbor, but not without several road blocks.
With Wisconsin as their destination, the movie shows an iconic car scene of the long drive the trio endures. During the shot, The Last Thing On My Mind plays, which is a tune with no lyrics. I specifically remember sitting in the back of the classroom in awe at how a simple instrumental song brought so much more meaning to a few Germans riding in a truck across the states for the first time.
I highly recommend anyone to watch the movie as it explores the struggles of marginalized individuals in the modern world, trying to chase the American dream. And Herzog is a brilliant filmmaker who never uses storyboards and often improvises, yet his films still grip symbolism and carry important themes.
Just like movies, music holds so much power emotionally, socially and therapeutically.
Not only does it engage the brain by triggering memories or emotions, but music is also used as therapy to help retrain impaired brain circuits and improve overall well-being. It also lowers cortisol levels, slows heart rate and reduces blood pressure, which in turn, reduces stress, promotes relaxation and gives a sense of calm.
When a song like The Last Thing On My Mind can put you in this peaceful setting where you think of nothing else but itself, or it sends a serene wave down your spine, I think the magic of music is working. (At least, it does for me; it’s different for everyone.)
Maybe it’s too easy for music to sway me, I don’t know. But I do know from experience that a good (and random) playlist can dreamily drift me from Worthington all the way to the driveway of my parents’ home easily, and before too long, I’m inside swarming my dogs with kisses, with Sunday being the last thing on my mind.
Chloe Farnsworth became a reporter for The Globe in April of 2025. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree for journalism from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
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