To music or not to music

Music. Loud good music. I remember listening to a debate about whether one could listen to music and still achieve good work. It was such a non issue, hands down. Music. I focus when I listen to music. I have the radio in my studio, and my mp3 player when I'm out-and-about.
I just lost my ear phones for a week, and it was trying. I mean, I still work without it, but, it helps.
The thing is, I NEVER use music when doing something illegal or putting up pieces. I don't freakin dare. It blocks out sounds of my breathing and heartbeat, and the sound of people and cars. But sometimes I wonder if I should listen to a song or too. I know I get super paranoid and turn everything I hear into an emergency-run-away-fast sound. But maybe those are the sounds I love. Now, if I could record that feeling and those high-adrenaline songs and play them back while working, maybe I'd have something different altogether.