I was asked the other day, “What’s your favorite song?” As I have written before, I’m not much of a music buff, but I do have a favorite song. I didn’t even have to think about it. It came immediately to mind, “Hill Country Rain” by Jerry Jeff Walker, a singer/songwriter from Austin, Texas. I have it on my phone and I do listen to it occasionally, but it’s not something I do every day. I wasn’t very surprised that I thought of the song as my favorite, but the question caused me to reflect as to why.

In 1972, when the song was first recorded, I was single, back from Vietnam, going to school at the University of Texas on the GI Bill, working at the Daily Texan, the student newspaper, and enjoying life. It was a happy time and the song represents that. It’s a happy song.

The first couple of lines help explain … “Sometimes I just wake up hummin’, feeling like the world is right” … yeah, and I still do, but that first line always takes me back to those hot mornings on my uncle’s ranch in the high hill country west of Austin.

“Want to jump right up and run outside, take in that morning light” … when the day is fresh, and cool and full of promise … “makes we want to dance, clap my hands and dance.” I do love the early morning.

“Sometimes it just takes my lady to smile and make my day complete.” That hasn’t changed, except that having five daughters now, there are more ladies and many smiles and they never fail to brighten my day.

There is advice in my favorite song. “People, they tell me, you’re living too fast. Slow down now David, (The name ‘Jerry’ is in the lyrics, but I’ve substituted my name – it is my song after all) take it easy, let some of life pass.” Good … but not for Jerry Jeff or me.

“But I don’t know no other way, got to live it day to day. And if I die before my time, when I leave, I’m leavin’ nothin’ behind.” I can’t think of a better way to say it. My goal has been for most of my life to leave it without a bucket list. I want to do it all while I am able and die without regrets, but I wonder if any of us leave without some unfinished business.

My song is a toe-tapper. It’s hard to hear it without moving. It does truly make you want to run and dance and I suppose that is the reason I love it and it has stuck with me all these years. I don’t see it being played at my funeral, but it would be a fitting send-off. It is a pretty good marker of my life. I guess that’s why it’s my favorite song.

My song has celebration too. What’s a favorite song if it doesn’t celebrate something – love, won or lost, some achievement, or even death?

Mine celebrates life. “Cause I got a feeling, something I can’t explain. It’s like running naked in that high hill country rain.”

Some of you may think that’s a little over the top, but if you haven’t dreamed of it, you need to, and if you haven’t done it, it’s time, ‘cause I’d hate to leave that one behind.

Yeah, scratch that one off the list.

David Wilson Atwood is a local freelance writer whose human-interest columns offer a unique perspective. He may be e-mailed at david@starchasers.us.