My Gen X Playlist: A Million Miles Away – The Plimsouls

Daily writing prompt

If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?

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I’m a sucker for those Honda commercials and their random acts of helpfulness. I’ve read various opinions online questioning if these are genuine or just a marketing ploy. I don’t care, I love the thought and feel of random acts of kindness. Everyone can use a pick me up that kindness can bring. I’d set aside some of the funds for continuous anonymous random acts of kindness. Maybe this could inspire others to pay it forward. What a nice thought.

I’d also donate funds to food banks or organizations that fight hunger. Everyone deserves to eat and groceries should never be considered a luxury. I had a friend who was an executive that was layed off due to a reorganization. He was off work for some time, but eventually found another position and got back on track. We thought he was doing fine, but that was what we saw on the outside. I later learned he would go days without eating because he wanted to make sure there was enough food for his daughter. He didn’t want her to feel the pangs of hunger. He’s since passed away from an unrelated illness but this will always come to mind when I think about him. Rest In Peace.

These prompts get to me sometimes. I never know where they will lead me. This one keeps bringing my back to the Plimsoul’s A Million Miles Away. This song has nothing to do with the prompt at all with the exception of it’s connection to a million. The song was released in 1982 and was featured in the movie Valley Girl with Nicholas Cage. Please don’t hold that against it. It really is a good song that unfortunately didn’t get much traction.

One of the most depressing songs in the world to me is “A Million Miles Away” by the Plimsouls. Not because it’s a bad tune or an overtly sad song. It’s actually a great singalong track that’s well executed and stands the test of time, one of those songs that stays with you after a single listen, that you swear you’ve heard before but can’t really place. It’s a quintessential power pop songs that should have topped the charts like Cheap Trick, The Replacements, or Marvelous 3. But it didn’t. And that’s what makes it so depressing.

– TinyMixedTapes

Great song with no relation to the prompt. I’m not going to sweat it. That detail is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Friday night, I'd just got back
I had my eyes shut, was dreaming about the past
I thought about you while the radio played
Should've got moving, some reason I stayed

I started drifting to a different place
I realized I was falling off the face of your world
And there was nothing left to bring me back

I'm a million miles away
A million miles away
I'm just a million miles away
And there's nothing left to bring me back today

Took a ride and went downtown
The streets were empty, there was no one around
To a place that we used to know
And all the places that we used to go

I'm at the wrong end of your looking glass
Just trying to hold on to the hands of the past and you
And there was nothing left to bring me back

I was a million miles away
A million miles away
I'm just a million miles away
And there's nothing to bring me back today
Bring me back today
Bring me back today

I started drifting to a different place
I realized I'm falling off the face of your world
And there was nothing left to bring me back

I'm just a million miles away
I'm a million miles away
I'm just a million miles away
And there's nothing left to bring me back today
Bring me back today
Bring me back today
Bring me back today