NXT's Corey Graves talks to WWE superstars, the Wonder Years, more about their go-to driving songs

November 4, 2015

We've all been there.

It’s sometime around 3 a.m. You glance down at the floor of your car, and it’s littered with energy drink cans. You look up, swerving to avoid hitting a shadowy animal that may or may not have been real. Maybe the promoter screwed you over on a hotel room. Maybe the prospect of sleeping in your own bed is just too appealing to miss out on. Either way, just a few more miles.
You need to kick out. Wake up. Power through. You know exactly the song.

You cue it up, crank up the volume and let the music take the wheel. (Remember having to flip through books of CDs or piles of cases? Thank God for iPods and smart phones.)

One of the most undeniable similarities between the wrestling and music worlds is the ungodly amount of miles spent on the road. The time between gigs that signify that actual “work” of our jobs. The reality is, not everyone gets a cushy tour bus, and these are the songs that have given some of us the second, or even third wind needed to get through those long nights.

My personal go-to is “What Drives The Weak” by Shadows Fall. Those first few riffs are like a punch in the face, exactly what I need.

I asked a few friends from the WWE & AP universes to see what songs they rely on to get them through those last few impossible miles.
Seth Rollins, WWE World Heavyweight Champion: “My go-to is always Haste The Day's record When Everything Falls. Particularly the track 'Walk On.' The whole album is just so raw and fast with some of my favorite breakdowns ever. 'Walk On' has one breakdown that just shakes my bones. Always gets my blood pumping.”

Dan “Soupy” Campbell, the Wonder Years: “Really, any Hold Steady song. For the sake of picking one, I'll say 'Chips Ahoy,' its combination of the energetic big-rock feel keeps me awake and the detailed storytelling keeps me focused and engaged helps me beat a night drive.”

Paige, WWE Diva: “Stick To Your Guns – Where the Sun Never Sleeps,' actually, because it reminds me of home. Makes me think I'm doing this for me and my family. Helps me kick out and appreciate what I have.”

Andy Williams, Every Time I Die: “In Every Time I Die, we do all the driving, ourselves. Sometimes you have to take your mind out of tour, so driving is like meditation. 'Mr. Blue Sky' by Electric Light Orchestra is the best late night drive song, cause it just takes you somewhere else and that's nice.”