During the summer, my wife and I do quite a bit of camping. We usually try to fit at least six or seven camping trips into three of the most decent months that Michigan has to offer. Michigan also has some of the best state parks to camp at.
One of the things that 
I actually have a Spotify play list that is called "Campfire Tunes". It is made up of some of my most favorite songs to listen to while sitting around the fire. It's a crazy mix of sing along tunes, ear worms, and reflective songs that really get you contemplating life.
With that in mind, I am going to share with you on this #threetunetuesday sponsored by 
I hope you enjoy!
When you are talking about Don McLean songs, "Castles in the Air" is probably not the first song that comes to mind when you are talking sing along campfire tunes. While I would agree, that "American Pie" does seem like the obvious choice, and I do love that song, I actually prefer "Castles in the Air".
I remember the first time I heard this song. My dad had a Don McLean greatest hits CD and somehow it came into my possession. I was immediately taken with this song the first time I heard it and it has kind of captivated me since.
There are actually two versions of this song (that I have heard). One is much quicker tempo and I honestly don't enjoy it as much as I do the one I shared above. There is something really special about it that just makes it flow and float. I love the fact that it kind of tells a story, and it has lots of references to things you find in nature, which I think fits in really well with camping.
I have a ton of all time favorite songs, but this one definitely sits up there towards the top. It's just a magical work of art.
While my wife and I haven't done any camping in the southern part of the United States, we absolutely plan on doing it at some point. I think this song fits in really well with that plan. I'm not sure when "I Dream in Southern" was release, but it only recently popped up on my radar and was immediately added to my "Campfire Tunes play list. I am a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson, so if I had to guess, I was probably listening to one of her albums and it just popped up.
There is something really smooth about this song that just fits really well with sitting around a campfire at night. I think it is cool that Kaleb Lee used to be one of Kelly's contestants on The Voice and she collaborated with him on this. I haven't seen any other songs from him yet, but if they are as good as this one, count me a fan.
I'd listen to a whole album of just the two of them singing any day.
Throw in a campfire and a whiskey in my hand and that's gotta be about as close to paradise as you can get here on Earth!
This is one of those songs that you probably wouldn't expect to pop up around the Campfire. I like to keep things eclectic though. I have a wide range of musical tastes and I love throwing in some nostalgia every now and then.
I've always been a fan of Tony! Toni! Tone! and "If I had no Loot" is probably one of their most famous songs. Raphael Saadiq is just amazing and I feel like he has only gotten better as he has gotten older. Some of his current stuff is just fire! You should check it out if you haven't listened to any of it.
I don't have a ton to say about this one honestly, it's just an awesome throwback jam. It gets you moving and it gets you singing along.
All I can say is this.
If the shoe fits, I want you to wear it and wear it good.
Finally, I am giving you this as a bonus track. If you have been reading my regular Tuesday blog posts, you know that I like a really well done cover. Orgy's version of "Blue Monday" fits that bill quite perfectly. While New Order did a quite good job with the original, there is something about this cover that I actually like a bit more.
There is a good chance many children of the 90's only know this version of the song.
As I said, you get a little bit of everything when you sit around my campfire. Country, Classic Country, Industrial, Rap, Pop, Rock, New Wave, Classic Rock, Hair Metal, you never know what is going to pop up next.
Heck, I might even throw a show tune in there just to get us all singing along!
The point is, it is never boring and it is always a good time!
All pictures/screenshots taken by myself or
