The hero always retreats to his beginnings. The healing power of some solitude to sort things out, the call of the wasteland/forest/”being down home” allows for recharging of the body, the mind. the spirit.
You see this in ancient literature, like in the Arthurian legends, where Lancelot, who showed up originally from the deep woods, disappears to the deep woods to bolster himself up after things get hairy.
You see similar themes in European and American literature, as well as in popular literature. There are plenty of times where Superman retreats to his secret hideaway for a while, before coming back into the fray, stronger in resolve and in ability than ever before.
Is this part of the male psyche? This Robert Bly ideal of the male ego, this retreat-and-recreation makes perfect sense to men. If you can retreat to the mountain-top, the deep wood, the secret hideaway… preferably the place where you have spent a lot of time doing both nothing and everything, you can space things out without outside interference. It’s usually a place where you found affinities for things that led you to needed skill sets, a place where you might have developed many of your aptitudes.
We see it in literature, and in movies where the hero is someone that we –as men– identify with. Somehow, it’s against the rules in a lot of situations to break away, sort things out, bolster our selves, ego included. Ladies, I’m sorry to tell you, but we do not get anything out of talking about it. It works for you, but not for guys.
You can’t become an epic hero thatta way.
1. Favorite Beatles song: Can’t Buy Me Love
2. Favorite Rolling Stones song: Shattered
3. Favorite Doors song: The Crystal Ship
4. Favorite Bob Dylan song: Just Like a Woman
5. Favorite Led Zeppelin song: D’yer Mak’er
6. TV Theme Song: Sanford and Son — Quincy Jones
7. Favorite Prince Song: Delirious
8. Favorite Madonna Song: Holiday (anyone remember Sidewalk Talk?)
9. Favorite Michael Jackson Song: Rock With You
10. Favorite Queen Song: One Vision
11. Favorite Motorhead Song: Snake Bite Love
12. Favorite Ozzy Song: Bark at the Moon
13. Favorite Public Enemy Song: TimeBomb
14. Favorite Song from a cartoon: Trogdor!!
15. Favorite Bruce Springsteen song: I’m on Fire
16. Favorite Depeche Mode song: Strangelove
17. Favorite Cure song: Fascination Street
18. Favorite song that most of your friends haven’t heard: Fiddle With the Volume — Lady Sovereign
19. Favorite REM song: Orange Crush
20. Favorite Beastie Boys song: Brass Monkey
21. Favorite Clash song: London Calling
22. Favorite Police song: Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
23. Favorite Eurythmics song: Missionary Man
24. Favorite Beach Boys song: 409
25. Favorite Cyndi Lauper song: Change of Heart
26. Favorite song from a movie: Raised on the Radio — The Ravyns [from fast Times @ Ridgemont High]
27. Favorite Duran Duran song: Wild Boys
28. Favorite Peter Tosh song: Shame and Scandal
29. Favorite Johnny Cash song: One Piece at a Time
30. Favorite song from an 80’s one hit wonder: Frankie Smith — The Double Dutch Bus (there wasn’t a single night at the skating rink that they didn’t play the hell out of that one)
31. Favorite song from a video game:
32. Favorite Kinks song: Ape Man
33. Favorite Genesis song: Tonight Tonight Tonight
34. Favorite Thin Lizzy song: The Boys are Back in Town
35. Favorite INXS song: Suicide Blonde
36. Favorite Weird Al song: White & Nerdy
37. Favorite Peter Gabriel song: Shock the Monkey
38. Favorite John Lennon song: Happy Xmas
39. Favorite Pink Floyd song: Learning to Fly
40. Favorite cover song: Darling Nikki — Foo Fighters
41. Favorite White Stripes song: Fell in Love With a Girl
42. Favorite dance song: Housequake — Prince
43. Favorite U2 song: Desire
44. Favorite song from an actor turned musician:
45. Favorite disco song: Made for Lovin You — KISS
46. Favorite Power Ballad: Love Song — Tesla
47. Favorite Guns N’ Roses song: Anything Goes
48. Favorite The Who song: Pinball Wizard -=or maybe=- Won’t Get Fooled Again
49. Favorite Elton John song: Saturday Night’s Alright
50. Favorite song, period: Depends on my mood
51. Favorite Ryan Adams song: Let It Ride
52. Favorite Green Day song: She
53. Favorite Alanis Morrissette song: Head Over Feet
54. Favorite Jamiroquai song: Cosmic Girl
55. Favorite Foo Fighters song: Best of You
56. Favorite David Bowie song: Space Oddity
57. Favorite Metallica song: Whiskey in th Jar
58. Favorite Jeff Buckley song: Mojo Pin
59. Favorite Pearl Jam song: Once
60. Favorite Grateful Dead song: Touch of Grey
61. Favorite Def Leppard song: Rock of Ages
62. Favorite Dixie Chicks song: There’s Your Trouble
63: Favorite Cowboy Junkies song: Misguided Angel
64. Favorite James Brown song: Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag
65. Favorite Barenaked Ladies song: It’s All Been Done
66. Favorite Creedence Clearwater Revival Song: Born on the Bayou
67. Favorite Garth Brooks song: the River
68: Favorite Chuck Berry song: Never Can Tell
69: Favorite Willie Nelson song: Blue Eyes Crying
70. Favorite Tom Petty (solo or with the Heartbreakers) song: You Wreck Me
71. Favorite Van Halen song: Dreams
72. Favorite Old School Soul song: She’s a Bad Mamma Jamma — Carl Carlton
73. Favorite Song That Totally Kicks Righteous Ass:
74: Favorite Song of Yours That Everyone Else Hates: None come to mind
75: Favorite ZZ Top Song: Got Me Under Pressure
76: Favorite AC/DC Song: Dirty Deeds
77. Favorite Blondie song: One Way or Another
78. Favorite Bob Marley Song: No Woman No Cry
79. Favorite Violent Femmes Song: Add It Up
80. Favorite Alice in Chains Song: Rooster
81. Favorite Wallflowers Song: One Headlight
82. Favorite James Taylor Song: Dany’s Song
83. Favorite Counting Crows Song: Round Here
84. Favorite Blues Traveler Song: Price to Pay
85. Favorite Drinking Song: Fire Escape — The Floating Men
86. Favorite Hendrix Song: The Wind Cries Mary
87. Favorite Break-Up Song: Jammin’ Me — Tom Petty
88. Favorite Allman Brothers Song: Blue Sky
89. Favorite Rusted Root Song: Drum Trip
90. Favorite Dave Matthews Band song: Tripping Billies
91. Favorite Elvis Costello Song: Heart-Shaped Bruise
92. Favorite Beck song: Girl
93. Favorite Muse Song: Sunburn
94. Favorite Radiohead Song: High and Dry
95. Favorite Stone Temple Pilots Song: Vasoline
96. Favorite The Eagles Song: Desperado
97. Favorite Janis Joplin Song: Try
98. Favorite Coldplay Song: Speed of Sound
98. Favorite Soundgarden Song: Burden In My Hand
99. Favorite 70s song: Don’t Look Back — Boston
100. Favorite Joan Osborne Song: Flyaway