3 Songs to Play When You Feel Stuck
(Posted on Friday, August 15, 2025)
I posted recently about feeling stuck.
It’s something we all go through—moments where momentum disappears, where we feel trapped, or even oppressed by the weight of our circumstances.
Over the years, I’ve found that music often becomes the first tool I reach for when I’m in those places. It’s not just background noise—it’s fuel. It’s connection. It’s a reminder that other people have been here too and made something beautiful out of it.
So, if you’re in one of those stuck places today, here are three songs I turn to when I need to break free:
1. Rusty Cage – Soundgarden (or the Johnny Cash Cover)
There’s something about this song—the grind of the guitar, the insistence in the lyrics—that speaks to the need to break out. The Johnny Cash version adds a different kind of grit. Both versions demand movement. They remind you that the cage—real or metaphorical—isn’t forever.
2. Get Behind the Mule – John Hammond or Tom Waits
This one’s about perseverance. It’s grimy, raw, and filled with the kind of truth you don’t always get in neatly packaged pop songs. It’s a reminder that sometimes the only way out is to keep pushing. You keep working the land, keep showing up, and eventually, something gives.
3. Subtext Destroyer – The Guidance (by my son, Stefan Pruett)
This one is deeply personal. Stefan was my son—and also the music director of my life. He created under the name The Guidance, and this track hits especially hard when I need to shake something loose emotionally. It’s powerful, layered, and full of the energy he carried through everything he made.
Stefan’s Legacy: Sound as Uplift
Stefan had a rare gift.
He wasn’t just a musician—he was a student and scholar of sound. There wasn’t a genre he didn’t know or play or remix into something new. He adored Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry, yet most of his own career spanned punk, metal, electronica, dance music, and ambient soundscapes.
But no matter the genre, his mission was always the same: to energize positive thinking, to spread peace, and to foster love.
I like to think he got his eclectic taste in music from me. But what he built with it—his artistry, his message, his reach—was all his own. I miss him deeply, and I carry his music with me every day.
Pick Your Anthem. Get Unstuck.
If you’re feeling stuck today, pick one of these songs. Really listen. Look up the lyrics. Let the beat hit you. Let the words rattle around until something shifts.
Make one of them your unstuck anthem.
Music won’t solve everything. But it can start something—an emotional current, a little momentum, even a deep breath. And sometimes, that’s enough to get you moving again.