The Playlist: L.A. Freeway

With the weekend almost upon us, it's time to kick back and relax with the Tribune's latest feature: a musical tribute to the news of the past seven days!

You'll probably need to download Spotify (for free) to fully enjoy the experience, but even if you don't have the program, here's a rundown of this week's list for your enjoyment:

This week features Guy Clark's "L.A. Freeway," a nod to Gov. Rick Perry's vision for Californians. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young channel Judge John Dietz in "Teach Your Children." Jimmie Rodgers' "I'm Free" parallels the plight of Michael Morton.

With "Amor Prohibido," Selena honors the University of Texas System regents' crackdown on inappropriate relationships. In "Every Breath You Take," The Police provide the perspective on unmanned drones, in which some lawmakers have taken an interest. New bills that would allow liquor sales on Sundays are memorialized in Johnny Cash's version of "Sunday Morning Coming Down."

The inclusion of Joe Jackson's "Cancer" refers to the plight of the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. Also included:  Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway" for Perry's call for more highway funding, Sly & The Family Stone's "Family Affair" in honor of Ross Ramsey's story on lawmakers with relatives in the lobby, and John Philip Sousa's "Boy Scouts of America" for obvious reasons.