I love driving and I love listening to music while I drive.

I crank it up and roll the windows down. It just sounds better with the wind whipping my hair around. (You know. Like a sexy model.)

But seriously, it’s just my thing. It calms me down. Relaxes me.

So tonight while I was doing this, along with singing as loudly as possible, I thought of some of my favorite musicians. I’ll give you a couple that spark the fire in my soul.

Let me start with Ryan Adams. Not Bryan Adams, the Canadian star who brought such hits as “The Summer of ’69” and “I Do It For You.”

The one who married Mandy Moore. Ok. Now that I overly clarified, let me delve in.

Adams is the kind of singer who makes me wish I was sitting at his feet (or beside him) while he’s playing his acoustic guitar. I picture dancing under twinkling lights on a warm summer night.

“When the Stars Go Blue” is a perfect example of this whimsically romantic feel. And I am a romantic. A slightly cynical romantic, but all the same. (Tim McGraw did a version of this song and tends to get the credit. But make no mistake. Adams wrote this song.)

“Where do you go when you’re lonely? Where do you go when you’re blue? Where do you go when you’re lonely, I’ll follow you. When the stars go blue.” I’m melting.

I like the idea of someone chasing after me when I’m upset or being so concerned when I’m the least bit sad. It’s every girls dream… Thanks a lot Janet Evanovich. You’ve ruined me.

Next, Joan Armatrading. I haven’t listened to a great deal from this person, but I discovered her while watching one of my favorite shows Sons of Anarchy.

She’s no Ryan, but hey. Armatrading hails from England and has toured with Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. She’s got soul and has continuously revised her sound throughout her career.

“This Charming Life” is another song that makes me swoon a little. Joan sings about being so in love with a person that you want to be around them all the time. “I want to be with you all the time. Every day, every night. Don’t mind deja vu.” The lyrics aren’t exactly sparkling with originality and witty prose, but it has a catchy beat.

There are many more songs that get me going, but I’m a little brain dead after an evening run. Here’s a little running advice. Never eat a ton before running. It really messes up the stomach.