Here’s the 13 best travel songs. Following my stab at a list of the 13 best movies about travel, I thought I’d work to come up with the very best songs about travel.
That’s a very different exercise than the best songs for travel, this isn’t a ‘play list for the road’ it’s about borrowing someone else’s poetry to describe the travel experience. There’s no question that George Gershwin didn’t write Rhapsody in Blue to be about travel, but it’s equally clear that the 1924 composition has become inextricably linked with United Airlines.
What songs most evoke travel for you and are missing from my list? Which ones here are new to you?
The 13 best travel songs:
- Iggy Pop – The Passenger. This 1977 classic resulted from Iggy Pop travelling with David Bowie on tour in North America and Europe. Reportedly he didn’t have a license and the two drove around in Bowie’s car. Although it’s also said to be loosely based on a Jim Morrison poem.
The song features in the trailer for Up in the Air and in promos for Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. There’s probably nothing more evocative of travel.
- Paul Kelly – Sydney from a 727. I first discovered Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly on a visit to my family Down Under over 25 years ago. I was instantly a fan. He’s been a member of the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame for nearly 20 years, though a virtual unknown in the States though he’s toured here.
Listening to Sydney from a 727 (which was also recorded as being from a 747), you can almost picture coming in for approach off the ocean (“I can see Bondi through my window way off to the right”) while capturing the spirit to take off in search of something (“And quit your job on the spot / Bought that ticket yeah spent the lot”). While no song quite captures the landing sequence quite like this one:
And the captain says belt up now we’ll be touching down in ten
So I press my seat and I straighten up
I fold my tray and I stash my cup
As the red roofs are catching the first rays of the morning sun - The Animals – We Gotta Get Out of This Place. It’s an anthem that speaks to almost everyone, because everyone wants change. It was popular with soliders in Vietnam, with high school students who can’t wait to get out on their own, and with travelers who need to travel and feel cooped up when they’re at ‘home’.
- The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). As if taking a journey, taking a long arduous journey, to make your way to someone wasn’t enough someone once actually walked 1000 miles to convince his girlfriend to marry him. It turns out the journey wasn’t a real precondition of marriage and she was joking, but he did it anyway.
- David Byrne – A Million Miles Away. No, this singer who once led the Talking Heads isn’t talking about what you have to go through to earn lifetime elite status.
But he is singing about the need to get away — travel far, far away — and become someone else, and be seen as someone else (“A toad is a prince in someone else’s eyes
And you can’t tell a man by his clothes”). - Simon & Garfunkel – Homeward Bound. Is there any other song that’s truly the business traveler’s anthem? Waking up in the middle of the night, after being on the road for weeks at a time, and wondering what city you’re in you grab your phone because a weather app is on the home screen. And it tells you what city you’re in.
I’m sitting in the railway station.
Got a ticket to my destination.
On a tour of one-night stands my suitcase and guitar in hand.
…Every day’s an endless stream
Of cigarettes and magazines.
And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories
And every stranger’s face I see reminds me that I long to be,
Homeward bound - Johnny Cash – I’ve Been Everywhere. Originally an Australian country song which named that country’s towns, it’s amazing the song has been made to work for Singapore, Belgium, Canada and any number of other places too.
With all the US cities Johnny Cash has been to — Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity — I hope he’s saved up his miles and points because he could really use an international vacation.
- George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin’s classic is more United Airlines now than anything else, at least to a traveler. The original composition from the tunnel connecting United’s B and C concourses at Chicago O’Hare is a riff on Rhapsody in Blue.
- Phil Collins – Take Me Home. Maybe the song isn’t actually about going home. And maybe it’s a protest song against involuntary confinement in mental institutions. But for me it’s about longing for home, being on the road so long that you can hardly remember it but home is still your true North. (.. But, seriously.)
There’s a fire that’s been burning
Right outside my door
I can’t see but I feel it
And it helps to keep me warm…So take, take me home
‘Cause I don’t remember - Elvis Costello – Peace Love & Understanding. As I walk through this wicked world, searching for light in the darkness of insanity, I ask myself “Is all hope lost?”
It may not immediately seem like a travel song, but travel is about connecting with and engaging people and culture different from your own and yet building a common bond — of peace, love, and understanding. And it helps that the song was featured in Lost in Translation too.
- Frank Sinatra – Come Fly With Me. Come fly with me let’s fly let’s fly away. It spent 5 weeks at number one, and just as I want to claim George Clooney as one of us for Up in the Air we’ve got to lay claim to Sinatra…
- Ricky Nelson – Travelin’ Man. This 1961 classic shows its age, there’s no question it objectifies women, the song is about each city in the world in which he has a girl. But he clearly gets around.. to Mexico, Berlin, Hong Kong not to mention Hawaii and Alaska. But since its 1961, there’s no music video so it’s safe for work!
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Around The World (or maybe Aeroplane or Road Trippin’). When I first started thinking about this list it didn’t occur to me that The Red Hot Chili Peppers would be on it, but they have several songs about travel, from the plane to car but Around the World is the most meta and in some sense follows Elvis Costello with lines like “life is beautiful around the world” and indeed it is.
So what am I missing? What belongs on this list?
Radar Love comes to mind as one of the greatest driving songs. I do like all of these.
Drove All Night. Roy Orbison
Downbound Train. Springsteen
Land of Hope & Dreams. Springsteen
But for real travel: Break on Through (to the other side). Doors
How about “leaving on a jet plane”
This is what I wanted to mention but could not remember. T-Mobile Flash Mob at London Heathrow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU7pZO7cRDs from 15 years ago. Loved this commercial and found several of the original songs to add to my playlist.
Songs included. Artist shown are the originals not the ones who performed on the video.
1. “At Last” — Etta James
2. “Comin’ Home Baby” — Mel Tormé
3. “Return of the Mack” — Mark Morrison
4. “The Passenger” — Iggy Pop
5. “The Boys Are Back in Town” — Thin Lizzy
6. “Oh My God” — Kaiser Chiefs
7. “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” — Aretha Franklin and George Michael
8. “Welcome Home” — Peters and Lee
Plus there are so many more great ones
Iggy wrote and recorded The Passenger in Berlin, when living with Bowie. I visited that apartment in Schoneberg two weeks ago. It is also said the lyrics reflected his daily commutes on Berlin’s metro S-Bahn.
I agree about the United’s use of Rhapsody in Blue.
How about Scott McKenzie in “San Francisco”? Not as good is the Beach Boys song “Kokomo….Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas,…..Key Largo….”
A few I think I’d include
Call Me The Breeze – Lynyrd Skynyrd;
No Particular Place To Go – Chuck Berry;
Twenty-Five Miles – Edwin Starr
Speaking of United… was there a system outage last night? Saw some posts about that. Didn’t look pretty at ORD…
The Simon and Garfunkel song I’d put on this list is “America”. Hitchhiking, a Greyhound trip, and looking out of the window at the Jersey Turnpike. Evocative as all get out and some of Paul’s greatest lyrics.
Add on to the list: “This Flight Tonight”, specifically Nazareth’s cover. Anyone who’s ever taken off from LAS can empathize.
“Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf.
Every time it comes on the radio, my foot instinctively hits the accelerator. And I have to catch myself before the policeman does.
Speaks to the open road. (With “I Can’t Drive 55” a close second)
I’m a sucker for Glenn Miller so….”Chattanooga Choo Choo”
Steve Miller band.
“Jet Airliner”
Country Rosd
Chris Rea
Driving Home for Christmas
Allman Brothers Band – Ramblin’ Man
Dallas by the Flatlanders, an original Texas band founded by Jimmie Dale Gilmore along with Joe Ely. Note that Paul Kelly based “Sydney” on this song and if memory serves he plays homage to “Dallas” with the final line, “me I’ve never seen Dallas from a DC-9”!
LA International Airport by Susan Raye in 1971
“City of New Orleans” (Steve Goodman, though people outside of Chicago generally know the Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson versions)
Coincidentally, Steve used to perform “Born to be Wild” in concert while wearing an oversized motorcycle helmet. Hilarious.
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Just A Song Before I Go?
Roll Me Away…Bob Seger
Ventura Hiaghway, America 1972
California Zephyr – Hank Wiliams
Came to dislike Rhapsody in Blue after getting to hear too many times while waiting for United Reservations even as a 1K
I always loved “Life is a Highway” from Cars movie!
Faithfully, by Journey
@Leonard
1. “At Last” — Etta James
That was actually a tune originally performed by Glenn Miller. But…as much as I love Glenn Miller, she definitely blew his version away.
“I’m leaving on a jet plane; don’t know when I’ll be back again. Oh, babe I hate to go.”
United Broke My Guitar
Dead Kennedys- Holiday in Cambodia
The Clash – Safe European Home
Sex Pistols -Holidays in the Sun
747 – Saxon
Take the Last Train to Clarksville – The Monkeys
Bad Motor Scooter – Montrose
Yellow Submarine – The Beatles
2000 Light Years From Home – The Rolling Stones
Major Tom – David Bowie
Yeah…should have been Space Oddity and not Major Tom…though Peter Schilling did a riff on Bowie with Major Tom.
Comin’ Into Los Angeles (carrying A Couple of Key’s) Arlo Guthrie
“Back in the USA” – Linda Ronstadt
Kraftwerk’s “Trans Europe Express” with lyrics “From station to stationback to Düsseldorf City. Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie”. Urban myth on its hip hop influence?
Iggy’s “The Passenger” — recall hearing it on a Carnival Cruiseline TV commercial.
You didn’t include my 2 favorites: The old American Airlines boarding music (that stuck with me for a while during the many years that AA flew to Venezuela, and now we gladly have them back) and ‘Fly me to the moon’ also by Sinatra
Flying Home by Chris DeBurgh
Fountains of Wayne – Seatbacks and Traytables
The Rolling Stones. Whos Driving your Plane. Not their best song by a long way (see what i did there?!!!) But i had to get The Rolling Stones on the list!
I thought for sure you’d include “Cheap flights, cheap flights, cheap as they can be! Bedad, we found an airline selling flights for 50p.”
Re “At Last,” great song but can’t stand the Etta James version (which, as noted, is not the original) as she doesn’t sing enough of the correct notes and omits the verse. This is not to say she isn’t a fantastic performer.
@Seth “Cheap Flights” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVASZ2lCY5Y
Fun Post!!!
I know I’m late to the game, so I’m surprised no one has mentioned:
Jimmy Buffet – “Come Monday” and;
Chuck Berry: “Promised Land”
Tim O’Brien said:
“Call Me The Breeze – Lynyrd Skynyrd”
Live version from “One More for the Road”, July 1975, Fox Theatre, Atlanta GA, only please!
David Keneipp said:
“City of New Orleans” (Steve Goodman…) – A great song but I think “Eight Ball Blues shudda got the love, my favorite Steve Goodman song
Michael Stanley – “Somewhere Over Paris”
Ricky Nelson – “Travelin’ Man”
Warren Zevon – “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and Jimmy Buffet – “Cowboy in the Jungle”; they say the journey is the destination but not in these songs
A bit eclectic and maybe a little more cynical, but I’d give Thomas Dolby’s “Flying North” (1982, The Golden Age of Wireless) a listen, especially for those experiencing ‘modern travel burnout.’
And if one is traveling to Hungary, consider Dolby’s ‘Budapest by Blimp’ (not really a song about ‘travel,’ more metaphorical, and a bit dark, but a wild sonic journey, nonetheless.)
A tie:
“Silver Wings” Merle Haggard (not have many C&W fans on this blog)
And being an alumni of RVN (Class of 67-68) a vote for The Animals – We Gotta Get Out of This Place