A U.S. Senator Stops by Track Star HQ to Talk Music
6/17/202638 min
Today on the Track Star Podcast, Jack is joined by Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy for a conversation about everything from touching grass to the pursuit of happiness, discussing how community engagement and human connection have the power to uplift and heal.
With a carefully curated playlist, Jack walks Senator Murphy through different times and different lives, and facilitates a conversation about how consumerism and globalization have contributed to a cultural disconnect.
Today’s episode shows how music can lead to important discussions, as Senator Murphy explains how genuine connection is the most important thing in society today.
This Episode’s Tracklist:
00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Your Body Is a Wonderland - John Mayer
06:27 - End of the Road - Boyz II Men
11:01 - Rich Men North of Richmond - Oliver Anthony
16:18 - The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby and the Range
25:16 - Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
34:36 - Could It Be Another Change - The Samples
34:56 - Carry On - The Samples
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJack Coyne· Host0:00
All right. Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready?
Chris Murphy· Guest0:02
I'm ready.
Jack Coyne· Host0:03
Okay, before we start with the music, just introduce yourself.
Chris Murphy· Guest0:05
Uh, I'm Chris Murphy, and I am currently a United States senator from Connecticut.
Jack Coyne· Host0:10
That's the nu- nutmegger state?
Chris Murphy· Guest0:12
It's the nutmeg state. Yeah. Uh, we are, um, nutmeggers.
Jack Coyne· Host0:16
Yeah.
Chris Murphy· Guest0:17
I think, like, the official title, if you're from Connecticut, is you're a Connecticution.
Jack Coyne· Host0:21
[laughs] Con- Conne- I always thought Connetian would be a nice- Connetian? ... way to say it.
Chris Murphy· Guest0:26
Connecticuter?
Jack Coyne· Host0:27
[laughs] Connecticuter.
Chris Murphy· Guest0:28
Connecticut- Connecticutie?
Jack Coyne· Host0:29
Connecticutie is a good one.
Chris Murphy· Guest0:31
Yeah. Nobody really knows what we are, right? It's not as easy as New Yorker, so- Yeah ... like, there's still, uh, there's room for improvement.
Jack Coyne· Host0:36
I was looking into musicians from Connecticut- Yeah ... you know, before this conversation, and, and one name I, I remember, I'll start with this guy first. Um, I remember learning that he was from Connecticut and thinking, like, "He went superstar on us."
Chris Murphy· Guest0:50
Who's that?
Tupac Shakur· Soundbite0:50
We got it.
Chris Murphy· Guest0:52
Yeah.
Jack Coyne· Host0:52
Who's this guy?
Chris Murphy· Guest0:53
Uh, that is Fairfield, Connecticut's John Mayer.
Jack Coyne· Host0:57
John Mayer.
Chris Murphy· Guest0:58
Yeah. So I was studying, uh, for the bar.
Jack Coyne· Host1:01
Yeah.
Chris Murphy· Guest1:01
And right before I st- was studying for the bar, um, ruptured two discs in my back, and so I was studying for the bar sitting down in constant pain and addicted to that album, so John Mayer's breakthrough album. And so I listened to that album ad nauseam and, like, what I r- remember is just seething pain, right? The pain of studying for the bar and [laughs] of having two ruptured discs in my back. So I have, like, a little bit of a negative connotation.