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65 Songs About Travel & Adventure For The Ultimate Wanderlust Playlist

Add these songs to your travel playlist to fuel your wanderlust..

Last updated on Jun 28, 2023

There's nothing better than having music in your life that encompasses what you are doing or how you are feeling. And what better time to have music explain your feelings than on vacation?

Whether you're looking for the perfect songs to accompany your travel videos or are putting together a playlist for your vacation, these songs about traveling will fuel your wanderlust and set the tone for adventure.

65 Best Songs About Wanderlust, Travel & Adventure

1. "go your own way" by fleetwood mac.

If you haven't heard this song before, it will likely become your favorite travel song. It's one of those travel songs that's infused with the best travel tips: go your own way.

RELATED: 7 Reasons People Who Travel A Lot Are More Likely To Be Successful

2. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul, and Mary

You can listen to music while traveling by downloading songs to your phone. If you're traveling by plane, this song will definitely set the mood for you. John Denver also has a popular recording of it.

3. "On The Road Again" by Willie Nelson

This song is absolutely perfect for road trips . Pump up the music and sing along with your friends.

4. "Come Sail Away" by Styx

You don't have to be literally sailing away for this song to resonate. Sailing away, metaphorically speaking, can represent leaving home to jump into the unknown.

5. "Road To Nowhere" by Talking Heads

This is a great song to rock out to when you're traveling to a new destination for the foreseeable future. When moving, you might have to wrestle with a lot of bittersweet, complex emotions. This song is perfect for coping with those changes.

6. "Midnight Train To Georgia" by Gladys Knight & The Pips

This Grammy Award-winning song is about traveling from L.A. to Georgia on a train that departs at midnight.

7. "Travelin’ Man" by Ricky Nelson

Or a traveling woman, or traveling person, of course. This song is quite literally about traveling, so it will be perfect for any travel-themed playlist.

8. "Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel

Ever wanted to travel so you could avoid home? This song is about leaving home and constantly being reminded of it.

9. "Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Root

This is a song about moving forward in life — but being happy and hopeful about it.

10. "Life Is A Highway" by Rascal Flatts

"Life Is A Highway" is a metaphor for living life to the fullest and taking big risks.

RELATED: The Best Road Trip Songs To Sing (& Rock Out To) While Driving

11. "Space Oddity" by David Bowie

"Space Oddity" came out the same year that astronauts landed on the moon: 1969.

12. "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman

If you're driving down the road in a fast car — or even a slow one — this song will be perfect for your travel playlist.

13. "Orinoco Flow" by Enya

In this song, the narrator fantasizes about sailing away and traveling the world.

14. "See The World" by the Kooks

Want to see the world? Turn this song up to the full blast.

15. "Road Trippin'" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

This song is perfect for your road trip playlist, as it is all about going on a road trip.

16. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by Sly & The Family Stone

Nothing screams summer vacation like hot fun summertime.

17. "Malibu" by Kim Petras

"Malibu" is such a good vacation song. It's perfect for relaxing and chilling by the beach.

18. "Island in the Sun" by Weezer

"Island in the Sun" is all about sailing away to a fantasy beach. If only escaping your problems could be so easy.

19. "Surfin’ USA" by The Beach Boys

The music was based on “Sweet Little Sixteen” by Chuck Berry. This song covers all of the best surfing locations in the United States.

20. "California Gurls" by Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg

California Girls — they're undeniable! If you've ever been — or lived — in California, it might not ring true. But it definitely covers all of the California stereotypes that potential tourists might assume are accurate.

21. "School’s Out" by Alice Cooper

Nothing better than the end of the school year! What's more fun than celebrating the beginning of summer with a little Alice Cooper?

22. "Don’t Worry, Be Happy" by Bob Marley

This carefree song will perfectly put your work-life woes on pause. Close your eyes, take a breath, listen to this song, and enjoy yourself.

RELATED: What Traveling The World For 450 Days Taught Me About Relationships

23. "Soak Up The Sun" by Sheryl Crow

Traveling to a sunny place? This song is perfect for listening to by the pool or beach.

24. "Vacation" by The Go-Go's

What better way to celebrate your vacation than with a song that's literally called "Vacation"?

25. "It's Nice To Go Trav'ling" by Frank Sinatra

It's nice to go traveling, don't you think? Rocking out to this song is the best way to enjoy your travels.

26. "Meet the Parents" by Kim Petras

In this song, Kim Petras sings about taking someone to the beach, Paris, Miami, and New York.

27. "Galway Girl" by Ed Sheeran

The song is about a narrator that falls in love with a girl from Galway, Ireland.

28. "New York, I Love You" by LCD Soundsystem

What better way to embrace the Big Apple than with this song? Though it's about contradictions and a love/hate relationship with New York City, it's a reminder for anyone traveling that this city has a lot of heart.

29. "Night in Bangkok" by Murray Head

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, and this song is great for traveling, as it describes what a literal night in Bangkok looks like.

30. "Free Man In Paris" by Joni Mitchell

Ever been to Paris? Ever been to Paris listening to this song? It's perfect for the first or next time your plane lands there.

31. "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco said he wrote this song because he loves Paris and Tokyo!

32. "American Boy" by Estelle ft. Kanye West

In this song, one of the narrators asks the other to take her to New York and L.A. And if either of those locations is your destination, you can rock out to this jam on the way there.

33. "Destination Calabria" by Alex Gaudino ft. Crystal Waters

This song is about leaving home without a plan set in stone.

RELATED: 5 Liberating Reasons Why You Should Consider Traveling By Yourself

34. "Havana" by Camila Cabello

Camila Cabello is from Havana, so who better to sing a song about this beautiful city than a native?

35. "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Whether you're visiting Alabama or just love the tune, it's a great song about never forgetting your roots.

36. "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton

"A Thousand Miles" is a fun travel song, especially if you're traveling a thousand miles (or more!) away from home.

37. "I’ve Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash

This song is great if you've been traveling all over the place and is known to inspire wanderlust in anyone who listens.

38. "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac

Though "Everywhere" may not be about travel specifically, it conveys the lovely feeling of being anywhere in the world with your love by your side.

39. "Roam" by the B52s

This song invites you to explore the world, wherever you want, whenever.

40. "My Traveling Star" by James Taylor

"My Traveling Star" explores the tension between home and the road.

41. "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones

This song is all about asking someone to leave with you.

42. "Shut Up and Drive" by Rihanna

Definitely consider adding this to your road trip playlist, especially if the driver talks too much.

43. "The Long Way Around" by The Chicks

Any song by The Chicks will suffice for your road trip blues.

RELATED: 75 Happy Songs To Make You Smile & Feel Good

44. "Route 66" by Nat King Cole

Route 66 is one of the most famous routes in the United States. So if you're planning to drive the entire 2,000-mile stretch, consider adding this one to your wanderlust playlist.

45. "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" by Tony Bennett

This is the perfect song when moving feels more bittersweet than sweet.

46. "Montego Bay" by Amazulu

Montego Bay is Jamaica's third most populous city, and this song is all about relaxing.

47. "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner

Originally performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival, this song is about a steamboat traveling up and down the river. But its deeper meaning has an encouraging message to appreciate the simple things in life outside of bills and work.

48. "On Top of The World" by Imagine Dragons

This song is all about moving forward and letting go of the past . It's an anthem that radiates positivity, and its upbeat energy and empowering message of triumph make it a perfect choice for a road trip or adventure.

49. "I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers

This song is perfect for road trips. It's one of those songs that everyone loves to sing along to in a car.

50. "Runaway" by Kanye West

This song is perfect for any trip, especially if you're traveling to get away from your problems.

51. Bruno Mars TikTok Song

This Bruno Mars remix is a staple for travel TikTokers.

52. TikTok Snapping Song

Transition your travel videos with a snap with this song in the background for a cool effect.

53. "Sunny Day" by Ted Fresco

This upbeat song adds a fun, lighthearted mood to your travel videos or wanderlust playlist.

54. "Vacation" by The Dirty Heads

This has quickly become the ultimate vacation video song thanks to TikTok.

55. "Paradise" by Bazzi

Show everyone a piece of your own paradise with this wanderlust song.

56. "Knee Deep" by The Zac Brown Band ft. Jimmy Buffet

An ultimate vacation goal is what this song represents. The Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffet paint a picture of a peaceful oceanfront property and not worrying about anything.

RELATED: Why I Travel To Cure My Broken Heart

57. "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys

Anyone going to New York City will be inspired by the glamorous and freeing descriptions of the concrete jungle.

58. "Traveling Alone" by Passenger

The song discusses wanting to travel all over, even if you're alone. So, if you have wanderlust this song is right up your alley.

59. "Down Under" by Men at Work

This classic 80s hit is all about how amazing Australia is. Once you hear it, you'll definitely want to visit the land down under.

60. "Guaranteed" by Eddie Vedder

This song was written for the film "Into The Wild" and won a Golden Globe. Why not add an award-winning hit to your playlist?

61. "Vienna" by Billy Joel

"Vienna" by Billy Joel discusses the importance of slowing down in life and enjoying the moment. It reminds us to take a break and smell the flowers.

62. "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf

If you love riding along the open road, this song is for you. Originally recorded in 1968, it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

63. "Graceland" by Paul Simon

This recording is a timeless masterpiece that has a vibrant and uplifting musical journey. Its introspective lyrics capture the essence of growth and exploration.

64. "Come Fly With Me" by Frank Sinatra

"Come Fly With Me" was written specifically for Frank Sinatra, and is a romantic song where Sinatra invites listeners to visit exotic places with him, like Peru and Bombay.

65. "Travelin Band" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

This is a high-energy rock and roll classic that captivates listeners with its infectious rhythm and spirited guitar riffs. You have to tap your feet when you hear it!

RELATED: 35 Best Songs About Life To Keep You Motivated On Your Journey

Izzy Casey is a freelance writer, former YourTango writer and associate editor, and copy editor who received her MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her work has been published in Corriere della Sera, The Iowa Review, Bennington Review, Gulf Coast, Black Warrior Review, BOATT, NY Tyrant, and elsewhere.

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Some songs just capture your wanderlust in an effortless way. Music has the capability of being the soundtrack to your life. Sometimes you may have a hard time putting your feels into words, so there's no better feeling than finding a song that can do it for you. Music has a way of lifting you up or comforting you when you're feeling blue. If you've caught an incurable case of the travel bug, then you'll be happy to know that there are some songs that'll speak to your wandering soul. These song lyrics about travel will capture your wanderlust and hold you over until your next journey.

Every travel lover has a favorite book or movie that inspires them to explore. Do you have a special song that fuels your wanderlust? We all want to hit the road, and many songs exist to capture that desire. Most of us don't have the desire to travel 24/7, so these songs make it easier to wait. They'll keep you excited for that big trip you have planned. They'll keep you dreaming until the day you're able to cross those goals off of your travel bucket list. Sometimes, the wait can feel unbearable, but these travel lyrics will make things a little easier until your next fix.

1. "Never looking down I'm just in awe of what's in front of me" — Empire of The Sun, "Walking On A Dream"

2. "See the world in green and blue. See China right in front of you. See the canyons broken by cloud." — U2, "Beautiful Day"

3. "We are always running for the thrill of it thrill of it." — Empire of The Sun, "Walking On A Dream"

4. "Wanna feel the warm breeze. Sleep under a palm tree. Feel the rush of the ocean. Get on board a fast train. Travel on a jet plane, far away." — Kelly Clarkson, "Breakaway"

5. "Tell everybody I’m on my way. New friends and new places to see. With blue skies ahead, yes I’m on my way." — Phil Collins, "On My Way"

6. "I wish that I could fly, into the sky, so very high, just like a dragonfly. I'd fly above the trees, over the seas in all degrees, to anywhere I please." — Lenny Kravitz, "Fly Away"

7. "Take me on a trip, I'd like to go some day. Take me to New York, I'd love to see LA. I really want to come kick it with you." — Estelle and Kanye West, "American Boy"

8. "I may not know it. But these are the moments that I'm going to remember most, yeah." — Miley Cyrus, "The Climb"

9. "We were staying in Paris. To get away from your parents. You look so proud, standing there with a frown and a cigarette, posting pictures of yourself on the Internet, out on the terrace." — The Chainsmokers, "Paris"

10. "I live for the nights that I can't remember with the people that I won't forget" — Drake, "Show Me A Good Time"

11. "If you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain." — Rupert Holmes, "Escape"

12. "But hold me fast, hold me fast, cause I’m a hopeless wanderer." — Mumford & Sons, "Hopeless Wanderer"

13. "Woke up in London yesterday, found myself in the city near Piccadilly." — OneRepublic, "Good Life"

14. "They call me the wanderer." — Dion, "The Wanderer"

15. "You belong among the wildflowers, you belong in a boat out at sea. Sail away, kill off the hours. You belong somewhere you feel free." — Tom Petty, "Wildflowers"

16. "Gonna travel, gonna travel wild and free. I’m gonna pack my bags because this great big world is calling me" — Elvis Presley, "Harem Holiday"

17. "I wanna kiss you in Paris. I wanna hold your hand in Rome" — Madonna, "Justify My Love"

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These 21 Songs About Adventure Will Get You Pumped for Your Next Trip

There's nothing like packing for a trip with an epic adventure playlist sounding off in the background. Add these to your travel playlist and get ready to explore!

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There's nothing like packing for a trip with an epic adventure playlist sounding off in the background.

Whether you're headed on a cruise, road trip, or hiking expedition, these 20 songs about adventure will get you pumped in no time.

Add them to your travel playlist and get ready to explore!

1) "Adventure of a Lifetime" by Coldplay

As the title suggests, this song is about taking chances and living life to the fullest. It's a great anthem for anyone who's feeling restless, itching for a new journey, or just looking for great songs about traveling.

2) "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey

There's a reason karaoke enthusiasts love this go-to classic — it's just so darn uplifting! Whether you're a small-town girl, city boy, or anything in between, sometimes you just want to take the midnight train and go anywhere, amirite?

3) "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz's 1998 jam, "Fly Away," is a perfect fit for this list of travel songs. In it, Kravitz sings about being as free as a bird and going wherever he pleases. The next time you're feeling cooped up, give this tune a listen. It's sure to lift your spirits.

4) "Life Is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane

This rock song about adventure was originally released in 1991 by Tom Cochrane, a Canadian singer-songwriter. It was later covered by Rascal Flatts for the 2006 Disney/Pixar film, "Cars." No matter which version you prefer, both are surefire ways to get you pumped for a road trip.

5) "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson

Traveling is about going to places you've never been before and seeing things you may never see again. The lyrics to Nelson's country song capture this feeling beautifully. It's sure to get your hands drumming on the steering wheel as you hit the open road.

6) "The Longest Road" by Morgan Page

What makes this electronic dance song about adventure so great? It features singer-songwriter Lissie, whose soaring vocals and carefree lyrics encourage you to "go down the longest road to nowhere." If this doesn't get you boppin' while packing your bags, then we don't know what will!

7) "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers

A feel-good song for travel lovers, "I'm Gonna Be" is an ode to going the distance. But you don't have to be in a long-distance relationship to appreciate this catchy tune's sentiment. Cue it up when you're packing your bags or planning your next adventure.

8) "Ready to Go" by Republica

Another '90s tune, this upbeat dance track earns its place on our list of the best travel songs. It's about being young and carefree, with a sense of wanderlust that can't be denied. It'll have you shouting from the rooftops, "Baby, I'm ready to go!"

9) "Orinoco Flow" by Enya

Are you preparing to go on a cruise or some other maritime journey? If so, this New Age song about adventure will encourage you to "sail away" and explore the world. From Peru to Cebu, Enya will get you in the mood.

10) "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2

U2's 1987 album, "The Joshua Tree," spawned hits like "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You." But the lead-off track, "Where the Streets Have No Name," stands out for its anthemic sound and Edge's signature, delay-drenched guitar. It also shows that some streets, like the ones in this location , don't have names at all.

11) "Two Tickets to Paradise" by Eddie Money

Eddie Money's smash '80s hit, "Take Me Home Tonight," may have eclipsed this song about traveling, but "Two Tickets to Paradise" is a close second. This 1978 ditty is about taking a much-needed vacation to get away from the daily grind. The lyrics say it all: "Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight."

12) "Around the World" by Daft Punk

You have to love a song about adventure whose entire lyrics are simply "around the world, around the world" for more than seven minutes. This shiny-helmet-wearing, French house music duo knows how to get people moving, and this song is no exception. Add it to your travel playlist stat.

13) "Sand in My Shoes" by Dido

They say art imitates life, and this adventure song is living proof. British songstress, Dido, penned this tune for her second studio album, "Life for Rent," after a personal event brought her beach vacation to an abrupt end. She literally had sand in her shoes while racing to catch a flight to Los Angeles. The song captures the bittersweet nostalgia of leaving paradise and returning to reality. Still, it's an upbeat tune that will make you look forward to your next exotic getaway.

14) "Roam" by the B-52s

Of course, a list of travel songs wouldn't be complete without a nod to the B-52s and their hit song, "Roam." This party classic is about exploring the world with your besties by your side. So, do as the lyrics say: "Take it hip to hip" and "rock it through the wilderness" with your crew.

15) "Africa" by Toto

This song about adventure is one of the most popular tunes of all time. Released in 1982, "Africa" by Toto was an instant hit and has since been used in countless movies and television shows. It's the perfect song to inspire wanderlust, with its beautiful imagery and catchy chorus. So the next time you're feeling the urge to explore, put on this classic tune and let it take you away.

16) "Drive My Car" by the Beatles

This 1965 track from the Fab Four's album, "Rubber Soul," is a great song about traveling that encourages listeners to never stop dreaming. The lyrics are simple yet poignant: "Baby you can drive my car … and maybe I'll love you." Beep-beep, yeah!

17) "Why Does It Always Rain on Me? by Travis

Fran Healy of the Scottish rock band, Travis, wrote this song while on holiday in Eilat: a dry beach town in the southernmost tip of Israel. According to Healy, he wanted to escape the constant, rainy gloom of Glasgow, only to be greeted by yet more rain during his two-day stint by the sea. Think of it as the go-to consolation song for when your vacation plans don't quite go as expected.

18) "Vacation" by the Go-Go's

There's nothing quite like the excitement of planning a vacation. The Go-Go's capture this feeling perfectly in their 1982 single, "Vacation." Whether you're headed to Cancun or just taking a staycation, this classic song will get your toes tapping and have you daydreaming of sunny shores.

19) "Ruin" by Cat Power

American singer-songwriter, Chan Marshall, also known as Cat Power, delivers a delightful indie song that will transport you to exotic new places. With its infectious rhythm and captivating lyrics, this surprise head-bopper lists Saudia Arabia, Dhaka, Calcutta, Soweto, Mozambique, Istanbul, Rio, Rome, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Taiwan, Great Britain, Belfast, and the deserts of Spain in rapid-fire succession. We challenge you to sing along without getting lost!

20) "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash

Another tongue-twisting song about adventure, this classic track sees Johnny Cash weaving his way over 90 destinations around the world , totaling more than 100,000 miles. Whether you've been to all the places he mentions or just one, this song is sure to hit a wanderlust nerve.

21) "Volare" by the Gipsy Kings

Last but not least, we have this uplifting travel song from the Gipsy Kings. Originally written in Italian, "Volare" has been translated into multiple languages and covered by many artists throughout the years. Its lyrics tell of a traveler who takes flight on the wings of love and dreams of distant lands far away.

Adventure Travel With Gravel

Need some gear for your next adventure? Check out Gravel's online shop . You can use our toiletry bags , packable blankets , and other travel goodies to become the most intrepid explorer you can be.

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Are we missing any songs about adventure? Let us know your favorites in the comments below. And for more travel tips, be sure to check out the rest of the blog .

Happy adventuring! 🧳 🚗💨🛫 🌍✨

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67 Songs About Travelling: A Playlist for 2024

Are you looking for some of the best songs about travelling to inspire you or to accompany you on your next trip? Then you have come to the right place!

I’ve collected some of the best travel songs from the 1930s until today in this list. Musical genres range from pop and dance to rock, punk, and many others. So no matter what type of music you like, there should be something in it for you. The songs in the list below either talk about a place or the experience of travelling.

Some of my favourite songs on this list are #1, #17, and #39. Make sure to check them out and feel free to leave a comment if you think a travel song is missing. I’m updating this post frequently.

The Best Travel Songs of All Time

Songs About Travelling From 2000 Until Now

1. eddie vedder – guaranteed (2007).

This is one of my favourite songs of all time! Eddie Vedder wrote it for the film Into the Wild , and the lyrics are so powerful.

“On bended knee is no way to be free Lifting up an empty cup I ask silently That all my destinations will accept the one that’s me So I can breathe”

2. Nelly Furtado – I’m Like a Bird (2000)

“And baby all I need for you to know is I’m like a bird I’ll only fly away I don’t know where my soul is (soul is) I don’t know where my home is”

3. Tom Walker – Fly Away With Me (2019)

“So come on fly away with me To a place where we could be anyone we wanna be And we can bottle up our fears Brew a taste so sweet Knock us off our feet or more”

4. Weezer – Island in the Sun (2001)

“When you’re on a holiday You can’t find the words to say All the things that come to you And I wanna feel it too”

5. Manu Chao – Me Gustas Tu (2001)

“Me gusta el viento, me gustas tú Me gusta soñar, me gustas tú Me gusta la mar, me gustas tú”

6. Lost Frequencies – Are You With Me (2014)

I wanna dance by water ‘neath the Mexican sky Drink some Margaritas by a string of blue lights Listen to the Mariachi play at midnight Are you with me, are you with me?

7. Luca Aprile – Traveler (2018)

“You’re taking off to Mexico To Paris and I know you long for more I’m waiting for you all night long I wanna see the pictures on your phone”

8. Murray Head – One Night in Bangkok (2001)

“One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free You’ll find a god in every golden cloister And if you’re lucky then the god’s a she I can feel an angel sliding up to me”

9. KONGOS – Traveling On (2012)

“Maybe I’ll go it all alone See the world and make my way back home Or maybe I’ll keep traveling on”

10. Anna Kendrick – Cups (2012)

“I got my ticket for the long way ’round The one with the prettiest of views It’s got mountains, it’s got rivers It’s got sights give you shivers But it sure would be prettier with you”

11. Dirty Heads – Vacation (2017)

“ A-a-aye, I’m on vacation Every single day ’cause I love my occupation A-a-aye, I’m on vacation Every single day, every, every single day “

12. The Kooks – See the World (2006)

“I remember how we used to sing Writing poems in your bed sit Finding time to be the passenger But there you are you never saw me leave”

13. Estelle Swara ft. Kanye West – American Boy (2008)

“Take me on a trip, I’d like to go someday Take me to New York, I’d love to see L.A. I really want to come kick it with you You’ll be my American boy Tell ’em kno wagwan blud “

14. Alex Gaudino ft. Crystal Waters – Destination Calabria (2007)

“ Follow me And let’s go To the place where we belong And leave our troubles at home Come with me We can go To a paradise of love and joy “ A destination unknown

Travel Songs From the 80s and 90s

15. johnny cash – i’ve been everywhere (1996).

“I’ve been everywhere, man. Crossed the desert’s bare, man. I’ve breathed the mountain air, man. Of travel, I’ve had my share, man. I’ve been everywhere.”

16. Willie Nelson – On the Road Again (1980)

“And I can’t wait to get on the road again On the road again Goin’ places that I’ve never been Seein’ things that I may never see again And I can’t wait to get on the road again”

17. Toto – Africa (1982)

“The wild dogs cry out in the night As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company I know that I must do what’s right As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti I seek to cure what’s deep inside, frightened of this thing that I’ve become”

18. The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (1988)

“And I would walk 500 miles And I would roll 500 more Just to be the man who rolled a thousand miles To fall down at your door”

19. Desireless – Voyage Voyage (1987)

“ Voyage, voyage Plus loin que la nuit et le jour (voyage, voyage) Voyage (voyage) Dans l’espace inouï de l’amour Voyage, voyage Sur l’eau sacrée d’un fleuve indien, (voyage, voyage) Voyage (voyage) Et jamais ne revient “

20. Paul Simon – Graceland (1986)

“I’m going to Graceland, Graceland Memphis, Tennessee I’m going to Graceland Poor boys and pilgrims with families And we are going to Graceland”

21. Vengaboys – We’re Going to Ibiza (1999)

“Whoah! We’re going to Ibiza Whoah! Back to the island Whoah! We’re gonna have a party Whoah! In the Mediterranean Sea”

22. Sting – Englishman in New York (1987)

“See me walking down Fifth Avenue A walking cane here at my side I take it everywhere I walk I’m an Englishman in New York “

23. Daft Punk – Around the World (1997)

“ Around the world, around the world Around the world, around the world Around the world, around the world Around the world, around the world”

24. Madonna – Holiday (1983)

“If we took a holiday Took some time to celebrate Just one day out of life It would be, it would be so nice”

25. Nina Hagen – New York (1983)

“New York City is the hottest place For a honeymoon in a hotel room, uh-huh New York City is a place so nice Everybody says it so they had to name it twice”

26. Tracy Chapman – Fast Car (1988)

“You got a fast car I got a plan to get us outta here I been working at the convenience store Managed to save just a little bit of money Won’t have to drive too far Just ‘cross the border and into the city You and I can both get jobs And finally see what it means to be living”

27. Deftones – Be Quiet and Drive (1997)

“It feels good to know you’re mine Now drive me far away, away, away Far away I don’t care where Just far away I don’t care where Just far away I don’t care where, just far away And I don’t care”

28. Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Road Trippin’ (1999)

“Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies It’s time to leave this town, it’s time to steal away Let’s go get lost anywhere in the USA Let’s go get lost, let’s go get lost”

29. Men at Work – Down Under (1980)

“ Traveling in a fried-out Kombi On a hippie trail, head full of zombie I met a strange lady, she made me nervous She took me in and gave me breakfast “

30. Crowded House – Weather With You (1991)

“Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather, the weather with you”

31. The Beach Boys – Kokomo (1988)

“Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go Oh I want to take you down to Kokomo, we’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow That’s where we want to go, way down in Kokomo”

32. Will Smith – Miami (1997)

“Party in the city where the heat is on All night, on the beach till the break of dawn “Welcome to Miami” “ Bienvenidos a Miami” Bouncin’ in the club where the heat is on All night, on the beach till the break of dawn I’m goin to Miami “Welcome to Miami”

33. The B-52’s – Roam (1989)

“Roam if you want to Roam around the world Roam if you want to Without wings, without wheels Roam if you want to Roam around the world Roam if you want to Without anything but the love we feel”

34. Status Quo – The Wanderer (1983)

“ Well I’m the type of guy that likes to roam around I’m never in one place I roam from town to town And when I find myself falling for some girl Well I hop right into that car of mine and drive around the world ‘Cause I’m a Wanderer, yeah the Wanderer I roam around and round and round and round and round and round and round “

35. Tom Cochrane – Life is a Highway (1991)

“There’s a world outside every darkened door Where blues won’t haunt you anymore Where the brave are free and lovers soar Come ride with me to the distant shore”

Travel Songs From the 60s and 70s

36. john denver – leaving on a jetplane (1966).

“So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you’ll wait for me Hold me like you’ll never let me go ‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane Don’t know when I’ll be back again”

37. Iggy Pop – The Passenger (1977)

“I am a passenger And I ride, and I ride I ride through the city’s backsides I see the stars come out of the sky Yeah, they’re bright in a hollow sky You know it looks so good tonight”

38. Scott McKenzie – San Francisco (1967)

“If you’re going to San Francisco Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair If you’re going to San Francisco You’re gonna meet some gentle people there”

39. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama (1974)

“Sweet home Alabama Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama Lord I’m comin’ home to you”

40. The Mamas and the Papas – California Dreamin’ (1966)

“ All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown) And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray) I’ve been for a walk (I’ve been for a walk) On a winter’s day (on a winter’s day) I’d be safe and warm (I’d be safe and warm) If I was in L.A. (if I was in L.A.)”

41. Bob Dylan – A Hard Rain’s a-gonna Fall (1973)

“ Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? And where have you been, my darling young one? I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains, I’ve walked and I crawled on six crooked highways, I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests, I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans, I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard, And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall. “

42. Frank Sinatra – Love’s Been Good to Me (1969)

This song was covered by Johnny Cash in 2006 (which is how I got to know it), and his version is beautiful as well.

“I have been a rover I have walked alone Hiked a hundred highways Never found a home Still in all I’m happy The reason is, you see Once in a while along the way Love’s been good to me”

43. Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World (1967)

“I see skies of blue and clouds of white The bright blessed day, the dark sacred nights And I think to myself what a wonderful world.”

44. Ricky Nelson – Travelin’ Man (1961)

“I’m a travelin’ man and I’ve made a lot of stops All over the world And in every part I own the heart Of at least one lovely girl”

45. The Animals – We Gotta Get Out of This Place (1965)

“We gotta get out of this place If it’s the last thing we ever do We gotta get out of this place ‘Cause girl, there’s a better life for me and you “

46. Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild (1969)

“ Get your motor runnin’ Head out on the highway Looking for adventure In whatever comes our way “

47. Rupert Holmes – Escape (The Piña Colada Song) (1979)

“If you like piña coladas And gettin’ caught in the rain If you’re not into yoga If you have half a brain If you like makin’ love at midnight In the dunes on the cape Then I’m the love that you’ve looked for Write to me and escape”

48. Crosly Stills & Nash – Marrakesh Express (1969)

“ Looking at the world through the sunset in your eyes Travelling the train through clear Moroccan skies Ducks, and pigs, and chickens call Animal carpet wall-to-wall American ladies five-foot tall in blue “

49. Audrey Hepburn – Moon River (1962)

This song was written for the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s , in which Audrey Hepburn sings it. The song won multiple awards and was covered by many other artists.

“Two drifters, off to see the world There’s such a lot of world to see We’re after the same rainbow’s end Waitin’ ’round the bend My huckleberry friend Moon river and me”

50. The Sonics – Have Love, Will Travel (1965)

“Well, I might take a boat or I’ll take a plane I might hitch hike or jump a railroad train You’re kind of love drives a man insane So look for me walking just a any old way”

51. Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song (1970)

“We come from the land of the ice and snow From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow The hammer of the gods Will drive our ships to new lands To fight the horde, sing and cry Valhalla, I am coming”

52. Canned Heat – Going Up the Country (1968)

“I’m going up the country Baby, don’t you wanna go? I’m going up the country Baby, don’t you wanna go? We gonna go somewhere Where I’ve never been before”

53. Elvis Presley – Viva Las Vegas (1964)

“Viva Las Vegas with your neon flashin’ And your one arm bandits crashin’ All those hopes down the drain Viva Las Vegas turnin’ day into nighttime Turnin’ night into daytime If you see it once You’ll never be the same again”

54. Joe Dassin – Aux Champs Elysees (1969)

“Aux Champs-Elysées, aux Champs-Elysées Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit Il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées”

55. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Marrakesh Express (1969)

56. gladys knight & the pips – midnight train to georgia (1973).

“He’s leaving (leaving) On that midnight train to Georgia (leaving on a midnight train) Hmm, yeah Said he’s going back (going back to find) To a simpler place and time (and when he takes that ride) Oh yes, he is (guess who’s gonna sit right by his side)”

57. Eddie Money – Two Tickets to Paradise (1977)

“ I’m gonna take you on a trip so far from here I’ve got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we’re gonna disappear We’ve waited so long, waited so long We’ve waited so long, waited so long “

58. Chuck Berry – Promised Land (1964)

“ Workin’ on a T-bone steak a la carte, Flying over to the Golden State; When the pilot told us in thirteen minutes We’d be headin’ in the terminal gate. “

59. The Grateful Dead – Truckin’ (1970)

“Dallas, got a soft machine Houston, too close to New Orleans New York got the ways and means But just won’t let you be”

60. Roger Miller – King of the Road (1964)

“Third boxcar, midnight train Destination Bangor, Maine Old, worn out suit and shoes I don’t pay no union dues”

61. Steve Miller Band – Jet Airliner (1977)

“Leavin’ home, out on the road I’ve been down before Ridin’ along in this big ol’ jet plane I’ve been thinkin’ about my home But my love light seems so far away And I feel like it’s all been done Somebody’s tryin’ to make me stay You know I’ve got to be movin’ on”

62. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Travelin’ Band (1970)

“Take me to the hotel baggage gone, oh well Come on, come on won’t you get me to my room I want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band Yeah Well I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land, tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band”

63. Led Zeppelin – Ramble On (1969)

“Ramble on And now’s the time, the time is now To sing my song I’m goin’ ’round the world, I got to find my girl On my way I’ve been this way ten years to the day Ramble on Gotta find the queen of all my dreams”

Older Songs About Travelling

64. edith piaf – sous le ciel de paris (1951).

You can find the translation of this beautiful song here .

“Sous le ciel de Paris Coule un fleuve joyeux Hum, hum Il endort dans la nuit Les clochards et les gueux Sous le ciel de Paris Les oiseaux du Bon Dieu Hum, hum Viennent du monde entier Pour bavarder entre eux”

65. The Wizard of Oz – Somewhere Over the Rainbow (1939)

“Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly And the dreams that you dream of Dreams really do come true-ooh-ooh Someday I’ll wish upon a star Wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where trouble melts like lemon drops High above the chimney tops that’s where You’ll find me, oh”

66. Frank Sinatra – Come Fly With Me (1959)

“Come fly with me, let’s float down to Peru In llama-land there’s a one-man band And he’ll toot his flute for you Come fly with me, let’s take off in the blue”

67. Hank Williams – Ramblin’ Man (1951)

“Some folks might say That I’m no good That I wouldn’t settle Down if I could But when that open road Starts to callin’ me There’s somethin’ o’er the hill That I gotta see”

Songs about travelling – Final thoughts

I hope that you enjoyed this post featuring the best travel songs from the 1930s until today. This list is a work in progress, and I’m always on the lookout for other beautiful travel music to add to this list.

Can you think of other beautiful songs about travelling that are missing from this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Enjoyed this post? You may also like:

• Poetry About Travel: The 16 Most Inspiring Travel Poems
• Songs About Paris That Will Bring You There Instantly
• Short Travel Captions to Inspire Your Wanderlust
• Movies About Nomads That Will Inspire You

Pin it for later: Did you find this post helpful? Save it on Pinterest and follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more travel tips and inspiration.

Laura Meyers

Laura Meyers is the founder of Laure Wanders. She was born in Belgium and has travelled to over 40 countries, many of them solo. She currently spends most of her time between Belgium and South Asia and loves helping other travellers plan their adventures abroad.

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The Hiking Life

25 Greatest Walking Songs of All Time

Posted on January 22, 2020 December 19, 2020 Author Cam 41 Comments

Six years ago I put together a whimsical list of 10 songs about walking; or more specifically tunes that included “ walk “, “ walkin ‘” or “ walking ” in their respective titles. On my recent trip to the Alps, I jotted down a bunch of other such numbers while riding out a stormy night on the Stubai Hohenweg. As with its predecessor, this expanded listicle is completely subjective and hyperbolically titled, and really just meant to be a bit of fun.

Where it differs from the original collection is that this time around I’ve added a handful of “walking” tunes that reflect a lifetime of listening to blues records. Folks that are fans of this particular genre will likely recognise some of the songs in question. On the other hand, younger readers may well be left thinking along the lines of my twenty-something neighbour, who recently opined: “ Jeez, Cam, you really are an old fart. Do you like any music that was made this millennium?” 

“I’ve never actually walked 500 miles. I like walking, but that’s a bit much.” – Charlie Reid, “The Proclaimers.”

25.    I Walk the Line (Johnny Cash)  – They used the title of this song (sans “I”) for the 2005 biopic of the ‘Man in Black’. How great was Joaquin Phoenix in the role of Johnny Cash? The guy may be a few biscuits short of a full packet, but he sure can act.

24.  “ Walk all Over You (AC/DC) – From the legendary “Highway to Hell” album, which was the last record the band made with lead singer Bon Scott before his death in 1980.

23 .   Walking the Dog (Rufus Thomas)   – This smile-inducing number was covered by the Rolling Stones in 1964, a year after it was released by the inimitably funky Rufus Thomas.

21 .  Walking On Sunshine (Katrina & the Waves)  –  The only one hit wonder band on the list………ok, ok………technically speaking they did have a couple of other songs that hit the charts, but can anyone remember them (no googling)?

20. Walk on By (Dionne Warwick) – My mum would never forgive me if I didn’t include this beautiful song, which was composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by the soulful Dionne Warwick.

19. Take a Walk (Passion Pit) – This song came out in 2012. Who says my tastes are antiquated?! Shout out to Bernie Wolf for the recommendation.

18 .  Walk Like an Egyptian (The Bangles) – Speaking of antiquated, I was seventeen when this song was released in 1987, and if memory serves I had a crush on the lead singer Susanna Hoffs. In preparing this article I googled Hoffs – who is now 60 years old – and she still looks great!

17.   Wayfaring Pilgrim (Roy Buchanan) – One of only two songs on the list that don’t include a derivative of the word “walk” in the title (let’s call it ‘writer’s prerogative’). I was introduced to the raw and melancholic sounds of bluesman Roy Buchanan while at university in the early ’90s. Three decades later he remains one of my favourite guitarists.

16.   Walkin’ to New Orleans (Fats Domino) – In the 90’s and 2000’s I made multiple to New Orleans, and the only regret I have from those journeys was never having the opportunity to see the legendary “Fat Man” play live. A founding father of Rock n’ Roll and one of the Big Easy’s favourite sons, Domino passed away in 2017 at the ripe old age of 89.

15.   Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Mahalia Jackson & Louis Armstrong)  –  The Queen of Gospel joined by the one and only Satchmo at the 1970 Newport Jazz festival. Other luminaries performing at Newport that year included Dizzy Gillespie, Ike & Tina Turner, Buddy Rich, Albert King and Ella Fitzgerald. If only Time Travelling Machines really did exist…………

14.   Walk of Life (Dire Straits)   – Toe-tapping tune from the band’s classic, “Brothers in Arms” album. I remember spending a lot of time in 1985/86 wearing out my copy – favourite tunes from the record were “Money for Nothing”, “Your Latest Trick” and the title track.

13. Walk This Way (Run DMC & Aerosmith) – The “daddy” of rap-rock tunes. An infectious remake of the 1970’s hit, which not only played a part in bringing Rap music into the mainstream, but also helped revive Aerosmith’s career.

12.  Walking by Myself (Jimmy Rogers) – After putting together the original list of ten, I couldn’t believe I left out this blues classic. There have been some great remakes of this song – Canned Heat and Gary Moore come to mind – but it’s hard to go past the original artist, accompanied by the legendary Big Walter Horton on harp.

15.  Walking the Back Streets and Crying (Albert King) – The Velvet Bulldozer’s version of the Little Milton classic. Bonus Track : Albert and the equally incredible Stevie Ray Vaughan playing “Born Under a Bad Sign.”

10.   Walk (The Foo Fighters) – I’ve been a fan of Dave Grohl’s ever since being wowed by Nirvana at Fisherman’s Wharf on the Gold Coast, QLD, in January, 1992. The video of this song is a parody of the Michael Douglas film, Falling Down (1993), which co-starred the great Robert Duvall.

9.   These Boots Were Made For Walkin’  (Nancy Sinatra) – Nancy Sinatra’s best song after Bang, Bang (featured in Kill Bill Vol.1 ), and still one of the finest advertisements for mini skirts I have ever seen. Love the top comment under the Youtube video: “ Someone’s Grandma is looking good in this .”

8.   Baby Elephant Walk (Henry Mancini) – It’s almost impossible not to bop up and down when you hear this song. Seriously, how could you not like a tune titled Baby Elephant Walk? It would be like having something against waterfalls or Labrador puppies.

7 . You’ll Never Walk Alone (Gerry & the Pacemakers) – There are a lot of excellent versions of Rogers & Hammerstein tear-welling classic (e.g. Elvis, Sinatra & Cash), but generations of Liverpool football fans can’t all be wrong can they?

6.  Walking through the Park (Muddy Waters) – Picking my favourite Bluesman is a bit like picking my favourite hike. Practically impossible. But if I had to select just one, I think it would be Muddy. No one ever sounded like him before, and no one has ever sounded like him since. The support lineup for “Walking through the Park” was Carey Bell playing harmonica, Sammy Lawhorn on guitar, and the legendary Pinetop Perkins on piano.

5.   Walking Man (James Taylor) – Taylor’s soothing voice is like a warm fireplace on a chilly winter’s night. This particular song is one of his best; the story of a boy who misses his often absent father.

“Well, the leaves have come to turning and the goose has gone to fly, And bridges are for burning, so don’t you let that yearning pass you by. Walking man, walking man walks. Any other man stops and talks but the walking man walks.”

4 .  Walkin’ Blues (Joanna Connor Band) – This blues standard by Son House has been covered many times over the decades by luminaries such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton. While preparing this article I was blown away by this relatively recent version of the song by the Joanna Connor Band.

3.   Walk On the Wildside (Lou Reed) – “ Holly came from Miami F.L.A. / Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A./Plucked her eyebrows on the way/Shaved her legs and then he was a she/ She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side.” Gotta love Lou. In fact, I think I’m going to put on a Velvet Underground record as soon as I finish this post.

2.   Parisienne Walkways (Gary Moore) – The former Thin Lizzy guitarist has a few amazing songs with “walk” in the title, but if you had to pick just one, it’s impossible to go past “Parsienne Walkways.” Kick back, pour yourself a drink, close your eyes, and listen to the guitar legend from Belfast.

1.   I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (The Proclaimers) – Scottish twins Charlie and Craig Reid came out with this infinitely catchy tune in 1988. It went to number one in my homeland of Australia, and to this day I can’t hear “I’m Gonna Be” played without breaking out into a big smile. I suspect the Reid brothers feel the same way, as according to Charlie, “ it makes about five times more than the rest of our songs added up. It enables us to make other records and stay on the road, getting the rest of our music out there. I’ve never actually walked 500 miles. I like walking, but that’s a bit much.”

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41 Replies to “25 Greatest Walking Songs of All Time”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-rOuwEYTvYk I’m walkin by Fats Domino is one of my personal favorites.

Jolly good.

No Walk Away Renee?

Come on the ‘Pool!

How about “wander,” as a close relative to walk? If so, here is a great song: The Happy Wanderer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happy_Wanderer

https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/the-obernkirchen-childrens-choir/the-happy-wanderer

I love to go a-wandering along the mountain track And as I go I love to sing, my knapsack on my back. Valderi, valdera, valderi, valdera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Valderi, valdera, my knapsack on my back

I love to wander by the stream that dances in the sun So joyously it calls to me “Come join my happy song”. Valderi, valdera, valderi, valdera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Valderi, valdera, come join my happy song

I wave my hat to all I meet and they wave back to me And blackbirds call so loud and sweet from every greenwood tree. Valderi, valdera, valderi, valdera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Valderi, valdera, from every greenwood tree

High overhead the skylark wing, they never rest at home But just like me they love to sing as o’er the world we roam. Valderi, valdera, valderi, valdera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Valderi, valdera, as o’er the world we roam

O may I go a-wandering until the day I die And may I always laugh and sing beneath God’s clear blue sky. Valderi, valdera, valderi valdera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Valderi, valdera, beneath God’s clear blue sky.

I was going to mention this one. Not Blues of course, but when in Austria…. Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann und mir liegts auch im Blut hahahahahha

The Happy Wanderer would be my first choice.

Best long distance hiking song ever.

Agree. Best hiking tune!

I’m not sure why the sound is off. Just click the YouTube name and the sound comes on.

Got to have…….”Ain’t Nothing Gonna Break My Stride”. Elvis does a great You’ll Never Walk Alone too. And, yes to “I Love to go a Wandering” Thanks Cam. Great fun!

What about On the road to Santiago by the Oysterband? That’s my walking song.

Seems like “One Foot” by Walk the Moon should get honorable mention

Walk on by Neil?

Where’s ‘Walk hard’ by Dewey Cox?????

Walking on the Moon – The Police

and I second On the road to Santiago by the Oysterband

Maybe I’m dating myself, but I can’t believe you don’t list “25 Miles” by Edwin Starr. It’s so relevant to hiking. In fact I remember singing it to myself countless times while doing the Long Trail a few years back. “I got to keep on walking…I got to walk on…da da da da da da….”. Perfect.

Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn. Just saying..

Awesome list,I can dig it! If I could add one…Hot Tuna’s Walking Blues?

Being from Casnada, I’ve got to go with Sam Roberts’ “Don’t Walk Away Eileen”

https://youtu.be/5UJaHRTbfFE

“Walk On” by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee is a classic that’s downloaded on my phone for when I’m hiking.

Thanks to everyone for all the comments. As I mentioned in the intro, both the list and the article’s title are whimsical in nature. It’s really just a collection of songs with “walk” (or at least a derivative of the word) in the title, that popped into my head during a recent hike on the Stubai Hohenweg. I made a couple of exceptions to the “walk rule” because: A. I am genuinely a huge fan of Roy Buchanan’s music, and over the years I’ve often felt like a ‘Wayfaring Pilgrim’ on my travels, and; B. How can you have a walking song list without the Proclaimers?

Hot Tuna. Hot!

Check out Aerosmith’s version of “Walkin’ the Dog”:

For the chilled times, how about Ramblin’ Man by Lemon Jelly

https://youtu.be/KXDtQcuA5Bo

You’ll Never Walk Alone will be forever linked to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for me. Not sure how I feel about that ?

I’m old. After several days on the trail there are songs that make me reflect. They don’t all have the words walking. A lot have to do with being a wanderer/hobo too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClQcUyhoxTg Don’t Fear the Reaper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VecunpIqlg0 Gentle on my Mind “That tends to make me leave my sleeping bag behind your couch” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWooDCkkkVQ Rocky Mountain High. C’mon. What hiking list doesn’t have this. “Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forests and the streams.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z116O-p2g-E Home Again. “Sometimes I feel like I’m never gonna make it home again, it’s so far and outta sight.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V5ArTdMyL0 Miles From Nowhere “Miles from nowhere, guess I’ll take my time, to reach there. Look up at the mountain, I have to climb, oh yeah, to reach there.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGjJVcrKQU From The Beginning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9bcztN7NmA These Days “I’ve been out walking. I don’t do too much talking these days.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12DeNdF0KPA Dust In The Wind Well, yeah, you only get so many summers to hike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg_1atgn4jk Stronger “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Boy that applies to long distance hiking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhRmCMWdRqM Hard Time Killing Floors A VERY reflective song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c44JQWLqrCY Long Tall Glasses “I am a man of the road, a hobo by name. I don’t seek entertainment, just poltry and game.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5NtzB-voZo Live For Today “by chasing after money, and dreams that can’t come true.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thmJNbTzqW0 It Hasn’t Happened Yet An odd song about life and it’s expectations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSkaEP2ZqbY Baby James “And as the moon rises he sits by his fire, dreaming about women and glasses of beer.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pLpzNPiB48 Loves Been Good To Me “I have been a rover, I have walked alone. Hiked a hundred highways. Never found a home. Still in all I’m happy.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHtoayjVLAY King of The Road What long distance hike doesn’t this fit? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj2CD5xgpNY Overkill “Ghosts appear and fade away” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW7Z1VttPKk The Secret of Life “is enjoying the passage of time.” Even if it’s raining, even if it’s cold, even if I’m tired.

The Happy Wanderer Orbernkirchen Childrens Choir I love to go a-wandering Along the mountain track And as I go, I love to sing My knapsack on my back Val-deri, val-dera Val-deri, val-dera Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha Ha Val-dera My knapsack on my back I love to wander by the stream That dances in the sun So joyously it calls to me Come join my happy song Val-eri, val-dera Val-deri, val-dera Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha Ha Val-era Come join my happy song I wave my hat to all I meet And They wave back to me And blackbirds call so loud and sweet From ev’ry green wood tree Val-eri, val-dera Val-deri, val-dera…

Source: LyricFind

Has anyone ever heard a hiking song with the lyrics: “At the break of day, blow the clouds away, and go marching down the road….etc.

Damn near anything by Walkin’ Jim Stolz, e.g. Rainbow Trail

I second “The Happy Wanderer” – never can get that song out of my head.

THe happy Wanderer was in the Victorian primary school curriculum – I think we learnt it in Grade 6 in 1973. Many Victorians of this era would feel compelled to sing this while bushwalking! Thanks for the original list and the add ons too.

Jose Gonzalez – Step Outside – from the Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Walking like a zombie by jamie T my number one during my 2015 thru of the at!

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing the knowledge and keep up the good work.

I Walk the Earth – Voice of the Beehive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPFcP_3ByU

Saw them perform live at Newcastle Polytechnic in the UK way back in the late 80s…it must have been one of their earliest live gigs. A great song from a great debut album.

Good list and commentary, and agree with # 1. May I also take “writer’s prerogative” and suggest a couple from the best Rock and Roll band of all time? – “Ramble On” and “Misty Mountain Hop”:))

Being a born and raised Virginian, I can’t believe no one thought of Walking After Midnight by the great Patsy Cline

Thanks for a brilliant list!

A Walk In the Black Forest (Horst Jankowski) Walkin’ With My Angel (Bobby Vee) Walkin’ On Sunset (John Mayall)

I’m walking in the blackforest in June. Must find that song you suggested. ?

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45 Best Songs about Traveling and Adventure for Inspiration

Whether it is a road trip across America or a day trip to the beach with your best friend, every adventure needs an awesome playlist! Music is one of the best ways to set the mood for any outing, but especially vacations.

In this article, you will find the best songs about traveling and adventure. You will hear some great songs from road trips, fun beach ditties, and romantic wanderlust beats. Read on for some amazing tunes sure to kick your mood into overdrive and give you that traveler’s itch.

“Life Is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts

Song year: 2008

If you are on a road trip, this song is a staple for the journey! Road trips can be a boring thing if the destination is on your mind rather than the journey itself, but give this song a listen and suddenly that highway is much more intriguing! You never know what you will be able to see or do along the way.

While you are at it, put it on repeat. It really is just that good.

“Route 66” by Chuck Berry

Song year: 1946

This song reminds you that places often have a fantastic story behind them. Chuck Berry embraces the history of Route 66 and the thrill of traveling on it. With a piano front and center, the music even feels historic.

History may not be your favorite thing, but no one can deny the awesome past of Route 66. There is even a section of that road that plays “America the Beautiful” if you drive on the rumble strips going the speed limit. That would make a pretty great TikTok video.

“Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett

Song year: 1966

Even a dented Buick will feel like a Mustang with this song blasting from the speakers and you will surely feel like a goddess at the wheel. It may have come out decades ago, but this is one song that will never be old!

“Chillin’ It” by Cole Swindell

Song year: 2014

With a happy and carefree energy to it, this song is absolutely lovely for driving down the open road with the top down and hair flowing. The beat even makes it the perfect sing-along song. Cole Swindell’s voice is perfect in this song, with a nearly unparalleled energy to it.

“Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line

Song year: 2012

This song has more of an aimless journey feel to it, perfect for those trips to anywhere. Pop this on, shift into drive, and find out where on the map you end up. You can even double the fun and bring your best friend with you! The talented musicians in Florida Georgia Line would definitely approve.

“Rhythm Made Me Do It” by Shania Twain

Song year: 1999

Shania has the perfect voice for a road trip and this song is decidedly more rock than most of her other songs. The combination makes for some great highway driving music!

Even though her other songs are not necessarily about vacationing, they would still make some great additions to your road trip playlist, as well. She is certainly one of Canada’s best contributions to the music scene.

“Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf

Song year: 1969

You may not be a biker, but this song sure will have you feeling like one. You can almost feel the snarl of a powerful bike under you as you weave in and out of traffic on a busy highway. Unleash your wild side with this on your playlist, even if you are traveling on four wheels instead of two.

“Highway to Hell” by AC/DC

Song year: 1979

If you are not careful when you listen to this one while driving, you will end up with a speeding ticket! This song embodies throwing out the rules and going with the flow. Just be sure you listen to it on the way to vacation, before all of those questionable decisions have been made!

“Electric Avenue” by Eddie Grant

Whether it is Electric Avenue or the open road, your car will dance right along with you as you listen to this classic. Few songs stay as popular and well-known as this one has over the last decade.

“Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson

Song year: 1977

It is almost criminal to spend a day at the beach without enjoying this delightful song! If any song is perfect for lounging in the sand with a colorful mixed drink, this is it. You can feel yourself relax from your head to your toes, leaving all your worries behind as you head for the beach.

“Vacation” by Thomas Rhett

Song year: 2015

While it definitely has an unusual tone, it captures all of the essentials of those sunny beach days. It is a fantastic hidden gem in the beach music world! Pop it in, crank it up, and dance your vacation away, preferably with a drink that has one of those cute little umbrellas in it. Do not forget your sunscreen!

“No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” by Kenny Chesney

Song year: 2002

Even the title sums up exactly how you want a beach trip to go. Kenny delivers a fantastically fun song that has you feeling the sand between your toes, even if you are not at the beach. For those who are not fond of country music, you should not count this one out until you listen to it. It is definitely not your usual country song.

“Pontoon” by Little Big Town

Who does not want to spend the day on a pontoon? Most people have great childhood memories of days spent out on the lake with family or friends and this song makes for some serious nostalgia. Summer rays, good friends, and good fishing…the perfect trifecta!

“Some Beach” by Blake Shelton

Song year: 2004

While this song is about wishing you were at the beach, you sure feel the satisfaction when you play it while you are actually there! Perfect mental images coupled with Blake’s velvety voice make this song more than ideal for a day on the sand. Even better, you fully appreciate the break from the daily grind that comes with a beach day.

“Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE

If you want to dance on the beach, this is the song you want to play. With a delightfully original beat and fun, quirky lyrics, few beach songs compare to this one! The lyrics are original and flow wonderfully with the overall feel of the song being incredibly playful.

Having been featured on the Teen Choice Awards, this is a great song for the whole family to enjoy during vacation. Your kids will probably even recognize it!

“Toes” by the Zac Brown Band

Song year: 2006

You will feel like you are already in the Bahamas when listening to this song. This band’s mental imagery is strong in both the lyrics and the beat. You would swear you can feel your toes squishing through the damp sand with the waves rushing up towards your beach chair.

Be sure to watch out for the tide!

“Kokomo” by The Beach Boys

Song year: 1988

This song is everything a steamy Bahamas vacation with your special someone should be. With major honeymoon vibes, listening to this will have your blood pressure rising and looking at your partner with fire in your eyes. The only other thing you need is a cute beach bungalow for the week…right on the sand, of course!

“Soak up the Sun” by Sheryl Crow

While this song definitely feels beachy, the beat is a bit more unusual than average. Even so, it is no less fun and catchy. Sheryl certainly knows what she is doing!

No one would be surprised if this song is responsible for more than a couple people calling in “sick” for a day to hit the beach.

“Blame it on Mexico” by George Strait

Song year: 1981

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and the same is true for Mexico! A Mexican beach is the perfect place to really let loose, and this song showcases that euphoria. Until you have been to Mexico, it is difficult to fully appreciate the unique ambiance of the country’s resort towns.

Do not forget to have a drink in a coconut shell cup! It is a Mexican vacation staple, after all.

“Island Song” by Zac Brown Band

This number has that classic Caribbean feel to it that everyone loves. It is so easy to visualize a bongo player showing off their tunes on the beach you are walking, mai tai in hand. Even better, two mai tais. Because priorities, you know.

“Redneck Yacht Club” by Craig Morgan

Song year: 2005

In all honesty, not every vacation is chic and expensive. Sometimes, it is just friends gathering and having a good time. In those cases, Craig Morgan lifts redneck to chic with this fantastic song. You certainly do not need a yacht to have a great time; you just need great people and the space to have some fun!

“I Get Around” by The Beach Boys

Song year: 1963

This is a fun, catchy tune with gobs of energy. The harmonization is so natural that you will probably find yourself humming along without even realizing it.

Besides, what vacation would be complete without the Beach Boys? The saying “oldie but goodie” absolutely personifies this group as a whole. If you enjoy their sound, check out the rest of their music for your playlist! Most of their songs fit perfectly with the beach vibe.

“Long Hot Summer” by Keith Urban

Song year: 2010

Summer has all the best things and Keith Urban knows it. He captures everything from the road trip to the beach to the night sky in the middle of summer. Your worries vanish while listening to this song and that traveler’s itch makes itself known. Do yourself a favor and listen to the call!

“All Summer Long” by Kid Rock

Song year: 2007

This song has always been a tried-and-true staple for river tubing playlists. It feels both nostalgic for childhood summers and perfect for summer activities with family nowadays. Michigan, where Kid Rock is from, is chock full of rivers and lakes, so day trips are a normal summer activity here.

Not all summer vacations involve a long road trip or even multiple days. Sometimes, the best memories are made close to home. This song drives home the point that they are no less special because of that.

“Sunshine and Summertime” by Faith Hill

One of the most notable women in country music, Faith Hill kills it with this fun summertime song. She personifies all of our hopes for this fun season, with optimism and happiness oozing from every note.

“Sideways” by Dierks Bentley

Song year: 2009

If you are going to a party, this song should absolutely be on your playlist. You can feel the energy of the dance floor in every syllable. With the crowd going crazy in the background, the ambiance is undeniable and infectious.

Remember, no one cares if you dance perfectly, so show off those moves even if you do not think you have them. Having fun is what matters!

“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper

Song year: 1983

A classic song about adventure, this one specifically about vacationing with your best friend. This one is best played at maximum volume! Cyndi Lauper has a very fun, infectious voice with a range that is so easy to sing along to. Besides, girls really do want to have fun!

“Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus

Given Miley’s reputation, this song was a pleasant surprise. It perfectly captures the essence of a summer bash with a high-energy beat and cheerful lyrics . The spring break vibes are strong with this one and it gives you a strong urge to hit the dance floor and dance your worries away.

“Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Song year: 1974

An indisputable staple of vacation songs, this number is perfect for southern road trips, in particular! Roll the windows down and sing along with the wind in your hair. It may be cliche, but they are cliches for a very good reason!

Bonus points for each car you can get to sing along with you! It definitely will not be hard.

“Catch and Release” by Matt Simons

We go on vacation to take a much needed break from real life and all of its responsibilities. When listening to this song, those responsibilities melt away and life becomes full of possibilities you could not see before. The itch to travel is made so obvious as these calming lyrics wash over you and you find yourself remembering what life is all about.

“Time Well Wasted” by Brad Paisley

This song throws into sharp relief how utterly important it is to take some time to enjoy life. After all, if you are not spending time on things you enjoy, what even is the point of this daily grind? Everyone can hear you loud and clear, Brad…mental health is important, too! Go “waste” sometime this summer.

“Drift Away” by Uncle Kracker

Most of Uncle Kracker’s songs are very explicit, but this one is an exception. No matter where you are, you will mentally drift away when listening to it! Everyone yearns for adventure and this song makes you want it even more.

Unlike most of his other songs, this is even appropriate for your children to hear, so there is no reason to be shy about blasting it in the car on the way to your destination.

“Katmandu” by Bob Seger

Song year: 1976

Everyone wants to go exploring after listening to this song, boasting the intricacies of a new place. Exploration and adventure are both in your very nature and Bob Seger knows that, without a doubt. You should go visit Katmandu, yeah?

“Ramblin’ Man” by The Allman Brothers Band

While people usually love living near family and having roots, the way this band describes the open road makes anyone yearn for the traveling lifestyle. Every note drips with freedom and a carefree attitude. You never know what you will find around the next bend and listening to this will have you aching to find out what is out there.

“Free Man in Paris” by Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell wrote this for a close coworker who mentioned that he loves Paris because of how it makes him feel. In her true style, Joni turned that into a song, even using his direct quotes in the lyrics.

The result was an almost haunting song that makes you not only hear what Paris is like, but truly feel it in your soul. One day, you will enjoy a buttery croissant at a Parisian cafe with a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower.

“Laredo” by Band of Horses

This song connects everyday difficulties with the relief a vacation offers. Everyone has had terrible days at the office or experienced that crushing feeling of life passing us by. Let this song take you away from all of that hardship and get some relief, even if you cannot physically get away from the daily grind.

“Heaven is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle

Most people know this song, which makes it a great singalong. It has lyrics that go with many interpretations, so even though it is not technically about traveling, it can certainly be interpreted that way! Even better, it is perfect for traveling couples looking for adventure.

“What We Live For” by American Authors

Song year: 2016

This tune makes you ache for a trip with your sweetheart. Too often, couples spend their lives firmly planted on the couch, binging Netflix shows, together but not truly bonding. These lyrics make it obvious what people are missing in that rut. Getting out of your comfort zone can be hard, but listening to this will make it that much easier to take that first step.

“Springsteen” by Eric Church

Song year: 2011

Beautiful songs about adventure and summer love always give me the carefree feeling that you crave on vacation. It feels like you are a teenager again, listening to Bruce Springsteen croon on my tape deck while drawing hearts around a certain picture in my yearbook. You may laugh, but you know everyone has done it! Let the memories wash over you with this well-crafted ballad.

“Adventure” by Matthew Parker

Who doesn’t want adventure? With a foot-tapping beat and emotionally intimate lyrics, this song showcases the best a relationship has to offer. Dreams are important to all of us and they feel so easily within reach while listening to Matthew Parker’s song. What is even better is the opportunity to include a person you love in those memories.

“When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney feat. Uncle Kracker

A steamy beach song for couples, this touches on the more intimate aspects of a relationship! Even so, most children will not recognize it for what it is, as this song is chock full of innuendos that most young ears will not pick up on.

If you were a country enthusiast back in the day, nostalgia definitely comes into play, as well. Who else spent yesteryear playing this song on repeat?

“Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles

Song year: 2020

A newer release, this quirky song is full of innuendos comparing a person you love with summertime. Of course, both of those things can elicit the same emotional response, so it definitely fits. It is certainly more fun than lovey, but still works with the theme! Besides, all relationships need more than a little fun.

“Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones

This is a slower song, but definitely a sweet one about traveling with the person you love. Making memories together is a wonderful part of any relationship and this song captures that essence beautifully. More intimate than most songs on this list, it nevertheless earned its place with ease.

“Destination Calabria” by Alex Gaudino

Even if you love your life, this song will still make you want to quit your job, throw your phone into a lake somewhere, and drive until you find something interesting!

The perfect balance between steamy and adventurous make this a great go-to song for traveling lovebirds, as well as a great inspiration for a trip without a destination. Everyone can use a little more whimsy in their lives.

“Not Today” by Imagine Dragons

Featured in the movie Me Before You, this song is perfect for those couples who are looking to find adventure and make memories together. The lyrics are flexible enough that it always feels personal, no matter what your personal situation is.

Imagine Dragons has made quite a name for themselves recently and this song is a prime example of why they have earned that spotlight.

Top Songs about Traveling and Adventure, Final Thoughts

Most of the songs about traveling on this list are catchy, fun, and whimsical in nature. If vacationing has a mood, that is definitely it. You may have a habit of giving up your vacation time, which can be great for the wallet but terrible for your state of mind. Be open to it and this list can remind you of those joyful moments that you need.

Life can be unpredictable sometimes and it is up to you to embrace that and let it carry you away once in a while. So throw that top down, turn your volume up, and go enjoy life! Your to-do list will still be there when you get back.

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43 Epic Songs About Travel to Inspire Wanderlust

Music in its many forms can be a great way to transport you away to another place and help you travel from home or wherever you are. We have several travel themed playlists on our Spotify from road trip anthems to peaceful in-flight songs. Whatever your taste in music this epic playlist of songs about travel recommended by bloggers will have you wanted to hop in the car or book your next flight as soon as possible.

Vienna by Billy Joel

Submitted by Erin from Pina Travels

Vienna was written by Billy Joel and released in 1977. Billy Joel wrote the song after visiting his estranged, elderly father, who was living at the time in Vienna, Austria. There are many different interpretations of the song, but one of the most common is that the song positions Vienna as a metaphor for old age.

The lyrics caution about how important it is in life to slow down, to dream, and to get what you want (rather than getting old). The final lyric of the song goes, “Why don’t you realize, Vienna waits for you?” Meaning, we all will get old one day. In listening to the beautiful piano chorus of this song, I always feel motivated to chase after my travel dreams. And of course, to visit Vienna, Austria.

California Girls by The Beach Boys

Submitted by Ali from Diary of a Detour

My favourite travel song has to be California Girls by The Beach Boys.  It was released in 1970 and to me sums up the Californian vibe perfectly.  When we were travelling on a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco it was on my playlist and it evokes a chilled, sunny, warm feeling.

As The Beach Boys sang, “I’ve been all around this great big world and I’ve seen all kind of girls…” but “I wish they all could be California Girls”!  This echoes my own feelings, having travelled to many different countries, but California is top of my list of places to revisit.

Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf

Submitted by Džangir from Dr Jam Travels

Born to Be Wild is a song performed by the band Steppenwolf. It was written by Mars Bonfire and recorded in 1968 for the Dunhill Records label. A year later it was on the soundtrack for the movie Easy rider that launched the song to the top of the charts.

The track essentially talks about riding on the open road and the freedom that comes with it, searching for adventure, and embracing nature. It is considered one of the first heavy metal songs. Also, it is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, when you hit the open road this tune should be on your list for sure.

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square by Vera Lynn

Submitted by Rosanna from Rosanna Etc

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square is about a pair of lovers on a romantic moonlit walk through central London. Written in 1939 by Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherwin it has become a jazz standard performed by artists all over the world including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole.  It was incredibly popular in the UK during World War Two and became an anthem for couples reuniting, especially after it was recorded by ‘the Forces’ Sweetheart’ Dame Very Lynn whose songs helped raise morale across the country. Berkeley Square is one of the largest garden squares in London. It was created in the 18th century and whilst Nightingales are rarely heard in London anymore, it is a still a beautiful place to roam around with all of the best London hotels, shops and restaurants nearby. 

Guaranteed by Eddie Vedder

Recommended by Martina & Jürgen from PlacesofJuma

 Guaranteed by Eddie Vedder, the singer of Pearl Jam, is a true classic among the most popular and best travel songs. This song was written in 2007 for the fantastic film “Into The Wild” and even won a Golden Globe in the category “Best Film Song”. If you haven’t seen this travel film, you should definitely watch it NOW.

The song Guaranteed basically embodies the struggle to go back to the simplest way of life. A very moving and especially touching song about the gift of life, about the freedom we have and also to realise it.

On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

Submitted by John from Your Destination is Everywhere

“On Top of The World” by Imagine Dragons is a masterpiece released in 2012. Although it can be interpreted in many different ways, I think the song is ultimate about not giving up on your dreams. We all have big dreams and we all work hard in pursuing them. If you are on this blog, then chances are, you want to travel. In the song’s chorus, it says that when you’ve finally made it, you’re standing “on top of the world”, whatever that may mean for you. You will smile, look down, and try to take it all in. Overall, this song is a beautiful reminder that success takes time, your hard work will pay off, the risks you take will pay off, and your dreams will come true. So keep pushing and don’t give up just yet.

A Horse With No Name by America

Submitted by Camille from  Everything Yoga Retreat

A Horse With No Name is a popular song from the folk rock band band America. It was released in 1971 in Europe, and in early 1972 in the United States. It is one the band’s most successful songs. 

This song is about a trip through the desert, which is why it was originally titled ‘Desert Song’. Dewey Bunnell, the writer of the song, says he was inspired by his childhood travels through Arizona and New Mexico when he wrote the song at age 19. It was composed to capture the dry, hot feeling of the desert that had been pictured in a Salvador Dali painting. 

A Horse with No name is a very inspiring travel song, and it’s definitely a must-have on a road trip playlist. 

Down Under by Men at Work

Submitted by Audrey Chalmers from See Geelong 

Released in 1982 the song “Down Under” by Men At Work has inspired many travellers to visit Australia. 

The catchy tune was a smash hit with lyrics that were easy to sing along with. Written by Colin Hay, Down Under is a lighthearted celebration of the Australian culture and lifestyle. 

The lyrics feature Australian slang and drug terms such as “chunder” (vomit), “zombie” (marijuana), and a “vegemite (spread) sandwich”. 

The song tells the story of an Australian man who travels the globe telling the people he meets along the way about his home country “the land down under”. 

He travels the hippie trail, gets taken in by a strange lady, meets a man full of muscle in Brussels, and ends up lying in a den in Bombay all the while extolling the virtues of Australia “the land of plenty”. 

Down Under has become an unofficial national anthem that’s played at sporting events and in pubs and backpacker joints around the world. It’s always a crowd favourite. 

Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts

Submitted by Kris from My Michigan Travel and Nilu from The Travelling CA

There’s no better song for inspiring you to get out on the road than “Life is a Highway,” originally released by Tom Cochrane from his album, Mad Mad World in 1991. This rock & pop version of the song was covered by Rascal Flatts as part of the soundtrack of Pixar’s  Cars  in 2005. The Rascal Flatts version became a hit, peaking at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The lyrics carry a deep meaning implying that life is a long road with no directions & no stops. You can’t really control anything in life, you just do the best you can. The singer is thankful for his life with its ups & downs. Life is after all just one really long roadtrip ; it’s up to you whether you’d want to have fun or sulk throughout the way! 

In addition to its lyrics about hitting the road, the song name checks a couple big cities – Memphis and Vancouver – and mentions Mozambique, which is fitting since Cochrane said that it was inspired by a visit to Africa for the World Vision famine relief organization. With its catchy chorus and upbeat lyrics like, “There’s a world outside every darkened door,” it’s the perfect soundtrack for a long drive, especially if you encounter any challenges along the way. If it doesn’t have you itching to pack your bags and go exploring, nothing will.

Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran

Submitted by Charlotte from Bursting My Bubbles

Galway girl is such an uplifting song from Ed Sheeran! Very aptly released on St Patrick’s day, 17th March 2017. This song hooks you from the beginning:

‘She played the fiddle in an Irish band, but she fell in love with an English man’.

These lyrics combined with the perfect mixture of Ed Sheeran’s well known guitar chords and traditional Irish music. As soon as it begins you just want to hop on a plane over to Ireland, in the song Sheeran depicts how one night he met an Irish girl and they fell in love. A heart-warming, relatable and yet dreamy love story, that gives you those excitable butterflies in your stomach. With just the prospect that this could happen, you’ll be wanting to visit Ireland for your very own Galway love story!

Passenger by Traveling alone

Submitted by Alexander and Cynthia from  Travel your Memories

Traveling alone by the Passenger is released in 2015 and is for sure one of the songs that motivate you to travel the world ! Traveling alone is one of those songs to relax and to wonder about places you would like to travel to. The song is self-explanatory, it has two separate stories of lovers who have experienced hardships that broke up their relationships. If you travel alone you can identify with the lyrics because traveling alone can sometimes hard.

The most beautiful part of the lyric in the song is the chorus. He sings “I’m loving a shadow”. That line has a deeper meaning in comparison to the rest of the song. This is a metaphor for loving someone you can’t be with. Easy explanation: a shadow is always with you but you can’t hold or keep it. “Loving a shadow” is loving the memory or the thought of someone. If you love to travel this thought is probably a trip you want to do. If you like songs like this we recommend listening to the whole album of Passenger called Whispers.

New York by Alicia Keys

Submitted by Ingrid from Christmas Time Made Easy

The song that most inspires travel for me is Alicia Key’s song New York Empire State Of Mind which was released in October 2009. Although this song is about New York, what I find most inspiring about it is how it represents that anything is possible, how we can all follow our dreams no matter who we are or where we are from. The lyrics:

‘In New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There’s nothing you can’t do now you’re in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new, Big lights will inspire you, now you’re in New York!’

This song inspires me to follow my dream to travel to New York and then from there the world awaits me. If I get to New York, I can go anywhere!

Knee Deep by The Zach Brown Band

Submitted by Jenny from Traveling Party of 4

Knee Deep by The Zach Brown Band with my favorite featured artist, Jimmy Buffett, was released in September 2010.  The song is about dreaming of experiencing a peaceful existence on the oceanfront and not worrying about anything — an ultimate vacation goal. My travel philosophy has evolved from ensuring that I experienced everything and didn’t miss out on any adventure while traveling to a much slower and more peaceful vacation experience.   Back in the day, I was exhausted when I returned from vacation.  This go-big-or-go-home way of life didn’t work after I had children.  AND I needed to chill out.   Nowadays, my ultimate vacation goal is rest, relaxation, peace, and wellness, and all of these things I find on the ocean.   When I hear the song “Knee Deep,” I think of losing myself in the warm crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean , the sound of the crashing waves, and the salty scent of the sea.  And as the song states, “when you lose yourself, you find the key to paradise.”

Ramblin’ Rover by Andy Stewart of Silly Wizard

Submitted by Erica at Trip Scholars

Fellow rambling rovers with a strong sense of wanderlust will be inspired and find great humor in this Scottish classic which was released in 1985. Listeners are reminded that those who love to travel, “see the world and rove and wander, and are happier as a rule.” The lyrics talk of roaming from Orkney down to Dover, stretching fully across Great Britain , and eventually they extend to traveling around the world. The song concludes with a laugh as we are reminded that as we reach old age and the end of life, for those who have traveled over the years, “at least we tried!” Whether you are compiling a playlist of travel inspired songs with the help of this post or looking specifically for Scottish tunes to enjoy  before your trip to Scotland , add this rousing and beautiful acapella gem to your list.

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

Submitted by Tanya from My Right Sock

Though originally not intended as a travel song, Fast Car by Tracy Chapman has a set of lyrics that will inspire you to leave everything behind and hit the road. Released in 1988, the song paints a wistful tale of escaping the everyday life in a ‘fast car’. The tenderness of Chapman’s vocals combined with the signature guitar riff makes the song absolutely arresting and a legendary piece of music.

 The rhythmic pace of Fast Car ties perfectly into the ending verse (“And I had a feeling that I belonged, that I could be someone”), fitting for a  romantic road trip . Upon its release, the song was an instant success and continues to be an enduring hit even three decades later.

Rocky Mountain High by John Denver

Submitted by Sarah from Our Little Lifestyle

Inspired by his move to Aspen, Colorado, John Denver wrote Rocky Mountain High with Mike Taylor in 1972 to describe the feeling he got while spending time in the Rocky Mountains. He likens his experience to coming home and finding a missing piece of himself that was missing. The song highlights the mountains and references the meteor shower above and the clouds below as well as the forest, and the streams. 

In the mid-1980s, with the song was at risk of being banned by stations nationwide, John Denver actually had to testify in front of Congress to explain the the “high” he is referencing is all-natural and one the mountains alone give you on a clear night or while you are camping with friends. 25 years later, the state of Colorado made Rocky Mountain High one of its official state songs. 

Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks

Submitted by David from Delve Into Europe

Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks is regarded by many as the anthem of London, but it was originally intended to be about the city of Liverpool instead. The song came to Kinks singer Ray Davies in a dream, partly inspired by his love of the Beatles, but he soon changed it to somewhere more familiar, Waterloo in central London. It was then recorded later in 1967.

Davies had seen many Waterloo sunsets in his childhood, having stayed long term at St Thomas’ Hospital there and watched at sunsets behind one of the most famous London landmarks , the Houses of Parliament.  The song is essentially an ode to London, mentioning the many taxi lights and people swarming around Waterloo Underground station, and it’s immensely evocative of the city to anyone familiar with it.

High on Life by Martin Garrix

Submitted by Jori from The Tejana Abroad

Whenever I want to get pumped up about a trip and travel in general, I listen to High on Life which was released in 2018. Although the song doesn’t mention specifically a certain destination, it is upbeat and talks about following a girl to the ends of the earth and living life to the fullest. It’s always a great listen for me when I may feel a bit burn out/exhausted during my trip. It also makes a great background music for any fun travel videos you might create!

The Nights by Avicii

Submitted by Em from That Travelista

“The Nights” is one of several well-known songs from the late Swedish DJ Avicii. It was first released in 2014 for digital download and is sung from the perspective of a man reminiscing on the lessons his father gave him as a young child.

Its inspiring lyrics include lines like “Go venture far beyond the shores, don’t forsake this life of yours,” “Son, don’t let it slip away … When you get older, your wild heart will live for younger days,” and, perhaps most poignantly, “One day you’ll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember.”

These thought-provoking words from Nicholas Furlong in combination with Avicii’s signature euphoric and upbeat sound leave the listener inspired to face their fears, explore the world, and make the most of this one life we’ve each been given.

I’ve Been Everywhere by Hank Snow

Submitted by Sharon Henry of What The Saints Did Next

Possibly one of the most fun travel songs you’ll ever hear is, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” which topped the US country charts back in 1962 with Canadian singer, Hank Snow. It tells the story of a hitchhiker who catches a lift on a semi and in conversation with the trucker, boasts about the places he’s been. Rattling the names of 90+ locations, up and down North and South America in fast-paced, auctioneer-fashion.

The original version was written in 1959 by Australian, Geoff Mack and mentions 94 dots on the Aussie map. It reached the Sydney number one spot with singer, Lucky Star in 1962.

The song has been covered multiple times, more famously by the great Johnny Cash in 1996 with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, later by Kacey Musgraves and was even featured in an episode of The Simpsons.

The song’s lyrics have been adapted globally with versions featuring, New Zealand, UK , Germany, Finland and many others. Try counting the number of places you’ve been, along with the well-travelled hitchhiker.

Sometimes I feel like I’m in Barcelona by D. Kay and E-Sassin

Submitted by Mal from  Raw Mal Roams

Sometimes I feel like I’m in Barcelona was released in 2004 and is about nostalgia and good memories from Barcelona. The author is saying that every time they hear this song, they want to go back. This is exactly how I feel when I hear this song. In the video clip, you can see all the main Barcelona sights such as Barceloneta Beach, La Rambla street, the Gothic Quarters, La Boqueria Market, and Casa Milo designed the Barcelona’s greatest architect – Antonio Gaudi. If you haven’t been to Barcelona yet, I strongly recommend listening to the song and watching the clip to get inspired. If you’ve been, also listen to the song. It will make you want to go back.

Mountain Sound by Of Monsters and Men

Submitted by Mia from Walk a While with Me

Released in 2012, “Mountain Sound” is a fabulous song by the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men. While the song doesn’t feature any specific location per se, it inspires the desire for travel, nature, and adventure, with lyrics like “hold your horses now (we sleep until the sun goes down), through the woods we ran (deep into the mountain sound).”

While there are many interpretations to the lyrics of the song, from running away from your problems to escaping into the wilderness to join the fey folk, the overall atmosphere of the song remains the same: one of adventure and travel.

In all honesty, the entire Of Monsters and Men album “My Head is an Animal” is perfect for road trips (especially around Iceland!). Additionally, their song “Dirty Paws” was featured in the film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” which is one of my absolute favorite travel films!

Barcelona by Freddie Mercury ft. Montserrat Caballé

Submitted by Vicki from Vicki Viaja

The song Barcelona by Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the epic rock band Queen and the Catalan opera singer Montserrat Caballé is one of the most outstanding songs in the history of the Catalan capital Barcelona.

Although the song was initially released in 1987, it was not until 1992 that it became a terrific international success. Because then, half a year after Mercury’s death, the song became the anthem of the Olympic Games in Barcelona.

 This song is still associated with the city’s unique flair for many today and therefore belongs to every  visit to Barcelona . But even today, also younger audiences connect the famous song with Barcelona.

Last Mango in Paris by Jimmy Buffett

Submitted by Susan from Travel Guideline

The entire repertoire of songs by Jimmy Buffett is a travel inspiration for me, probably because I left part of my heart in the Florida Keys years ago. (And I return at least once a year to visit it!) But one that rings particularly true for me is “Last Mango in Paris” which was released in 1985. 

The song starts off with Jimmy saying he “went down to Captain Tony’s” to escape the Key West heat. Captain Tony’s is a famous bar in Key West; it’s the original home of the famous Sloppy Joe’s, which is just up the road at its current location. But it’s also where Jimmy got his start – they even paid him in tequila sometimes! 

As the song continues, you find it is about so much more than Key West. The gentleman that is the subject of the song has spent time in Paris, Vietnam, China, Brazil, and Africa . He has clearly spent his life exploring many parts of the planet! And the lyrics hint at adventure: He ate the last mango in Paris. He took the last boat out of China. He dodged bullets and slept under the stars. 

I hope when I’m old and people describe my life, it too has many destinations and stories to share.

On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

Submitted by Victoria from Guide Your Travel

On the Road again by Willie Nelson is the perfect road trip song. It’s fun and upbeat while describing wanderlust and the constant desire to get back out there and see the world. The song was first recorded in 1979 and even reached number one on the US billboard Country charts. Willie Nelson manages to combine a light-hearted country song with a desire to see the world not alone but with your friends. This is an absolute must-have for any travel playlist especially when it comes to road trips and getting back to travel.

Beer in Mexico by Kenny Chesney

Submitted by Bailey from Inspire with Quotes

Beer in Mexico is a fun-loving light-hearted song about, you guessed it, enjoying a beer in Mexico! It is a country song by Kenny Chesney that was released in 2007. In fact, this song was the first written by Kenny Chesney himself that reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country songs Chart.  

The easy-listening nature of this song can’t help but make you want to visit Mexico and enjoy a beer while sitting at the beach. Similar to  quotes about beaches , this song tells us about how being at the beach often makes you ponder life. It’s those moments of relaxation and stillness that make us think of our past and present life decisions. Listening to it will definitely make you want to book that plane ticket to Mexico! 

Wide Open Spaces by The Chicks

Submitted by Sophie from Just Heading Out

Wide Open Spaces by The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) is the title track of their fourth album, released in 1998. The song became a hit and spent four weeks at number 1 on the US country charts.

The song covers the theme of leaving home and exploring the world. The chorus goes “She needs wide open spaces, room to make her big mistakes”. In the song, a girl says goodbye to her parents as she sets out on her own for the first time. Although no specific places are named in the lyrics, the music video was filmed in the Rocky Mountains.

California Waiting by Kings of Leon

Submitted by Rai from A Rai Of Light

California Waiting is the fourth single taken from the Youth and Young Manhood album by the Kings of Leon. Released in 2004, it describes the negative aspects of fame, fortune, and flying around the world . These knock-on effects are amplified when in a relationship. The reference to California is the very real likelihood of the end of a relationship resulting from accomplishments in the industry. The track is a replacement version of the song that appears on their debut, the EP Holy Roller Novocaine. It was recorded in a rush to finish the record. However, the band members were not satisfied with the outcome and recorded this version instead. The song has the ability to take you on a journey, not only through its lyrics, but also through its underlying theme of escapism.

London Calling by The Clash

Submitted by Clotilde from A Princess Travelling with Twins

London Calling by The Clash, 1979 is an apocalyptic song about the impending doom of our planet with ecological and nuclear disaster just around the corner, but that’s only if you actually listen to all of the lyrics! To the casual listener the stirring opening line of “London calling to the faraway towns” is an invitation, almost a demand, to leave their faraway town to visit and explore this amazing city.

Thankfully, the picture of horror depicted has not come to pass, although we still have a journey ahead to live in harmony with our planet, but London has certainly got swing and it’s not drowning yet! If London is calling to you too then make sure you  plan a good itinerary  to efficiently take you around the great many sights and attractions of London but leave you with enough energy to enjoy it.

Voyage, Voyage by Desireless

Submitted by Elisa from France Bucket List

Voyage, Voyage, a song by the singer Desireless, is one of my favorite tunes for a  road trip in France . This French song was released in 1987, and it expresses the singer’s wish to travel far away, to exotic places far from her reality.

Sang entirely in French, there was a general surprise when it became a huge international success, even in non-francophone countries like the UK or Germany.

Even if the lyrics mention different places like the Amazon, Mount Fujiyama, India, Spain , or the Equator, this song is more about general travel (the idea of traveling to faraway places) than about a specific country.

I especially like this song in the summertime, when I drive south to the French coast or other places different from my reality in Paris.

Andalucia by John Cale

Submitted by Alison from Alison in Andalucia

‘Andalucia’ featured on John Cale’s 1973 album ‘Paris 1919’, his third solo album. The melody is far removed from the passion and vibrancy of the traditional flamenco sounds that are synonymous with Andalucia. With this tune, though, Cale has written a beautiful, almost fragile, song evocative of the mournful tracks he created with Lou Reed during his time in The Velvet Underground. From the opening line ‘Andalucia when can I see you’ Cale’s vocals are delicate and you can feel the emotion in his delivery of the lyrics, with his voice quivering as he sings about his yearning for Andalucia. Although the lyrics are somewhat vague and open to interpretation (is Cale singing about Andalucia itself, or about someone (a lover perhaps) from Spain?) there’s no denying the heartfelt emotions he displays as he sings his love letter to Andalucia. ‘Andalucia Castles and Christians, Andalucia come to stay’.

Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys

Submitted by Ale from Sea Salt and Fog

Perhaps no other song perfectly encapsulates the all-American summer vibe like Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys. Released in 1968, Surfin USA gives you a list of beautiful surfing locations to inspire your summer travels. From sunny San Diego beaches in Southern California, all the way to  Santa Cruz  in the north, The Beach Boys take you on a “surfari” of famous surf locales. Plus, as with most surf rock songs, the catchy beat will have you singing along in no time. If you’re longing for beach time during the hot summer months, this is the perfect song to transport you to the beautiful California coast. 

Roam by the B-52’s

Submitted by Alanna Koritzke from  Periodic Adventures

If you’re looking for the perfect travel song, then look no further. Roam is a gem by The B-52’s that came out in 1989. It praises traveling and encourages listeners to roam the world. Although it doesn’t name any specific destination, lyrics like “kick through continents” and “roam around the world” are sure to inspire your next travels. Plus, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson sing about the wilderness, dusty trails, airstrips, sunsets, and more! It’s a great road trip song or perfect for sparking your wanderlust anytime!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Submitted by Alexandra from Perfect Day To Play

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow ” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (1993) is one of those unique songs that instantly sets you into a “vacation mode” and teleports your thoughts to the Hawaii paradise! You can smell the sweet aroma of tropical flowers and hear the bluebirds fly past you on your way to the beach. Feel hot sand between your toes, while the ocean is gently brushing your feet. You marvel at countless rainbows crisscrossing the sky while the soft cool mist from a nearby waterfall is caressing your skin.

It is easy to imagine yourself at the top of Haleakala Volcano at sunset watching demi-God Maui rolling the Sun across the horizon and drowning it in the ocean. An hour later find yourself amidst the mind blowing night sky sparkling with distant stars. And so you can’t help but tune in with IZ’s ukulele and sing along “…someday I’ll wish upon a star to wake up where the clouds are far behind me…” 

Shotgun by George Ezra

Submitted by Dymphe from Dym Abroad

One of the most travel inspiring songs is “Shotgun” by George Ezra. This is a song that was released in the year 2018, and it became a very popular song worldwide. This song is all about travel. It is about discovering new places, which inspires you to do the same. It is about architecture that is different and about a difference in atmosphere of the place he visits.

Moreover, the artist wrote the song when he was in Barcelona, but it features the country of Australia. This is not very obvious, but in the song, you can hear about the colours yellow and green, and he sings about the country being south of the equator and about the activity of deep-sea diving .

Africa by Toto

Submitted by Sharon from Tasmania Explorer

Released in 1982, Africa is a song I have been listening to all of my life. It made it to number one in the US and Canadian charts and the top 10 in many others. The song is meant to be about a love of Africa and the lyrics mention such places as Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. It’s easy to imagine travelling round the plains of Africa while listening to it.

When I finally made it to Africa in 2017, we did play this song as we drove around and it captured the landscape well. It’s a super catchy song and one definitely worth adding to your travel inspiration playlist

Montana by Owl City

Submitted by Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor from Montana Discovered

If you’re someone who’s ever dreamed of life under the big sky, Owl City’s song “Montana” will speak to your heart. The band’s one-man wonder Adam Young wrote the song in 2018 as a tribute both to the state and to his uncle who left the city to live there. The song is mainly about the area around Glacier National Park, the most famous part of the state and the home of its iconic jagged mountains.

Some of the lyrics are incredibly literal, telling the story of working in a restaurant, selling souvenirs, buying land, and building a cabin. But anyone who loves the outdoors will relate to lines like “Get lost in Montana / Where the mountains call you home.”

Kokomo by The Beach Boys

Submitted by Ruby from Voyage Florida

Kokomo by the Beach Boys was released in 1988 and was originally made for a film called “Cocktail”. While Kokomo is a made-up destination, it has inferred a lot of Caribbean destinations in the song.

The destinations in the chorus are Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas , Key Largo, Montego (which presumably refers to Montego Bay, also in Jamaica). One verse mentions the Florida Keys, where there’s plenty of islands to visit like Key Largo, Islamorada, Key West, and Marathon. This part of the verse talks about having a drink , which is a quintessential thing to do on vacation in the islands!

Listen carefully and you will also hear references to Martinique, Montserrat, and Port Au Prince (Haiti). While Haiti is not really considered a Caribbean tropical island destination, it still counts as something, right?

It is a fun and quirky song that one can use as a Caribbean bucket list. It is fun to just sing the song in your head and try to tick off destinations you’ve visited (or may visit in the future).

Runaway by Janet Jackson

Submitted by Sundeep and Bedabrata from Delhi Fun Dos

Talk about the early years of MTV in India and the audience here was swept away by fancy music video culture. Singers and video producers got even more creative and the videos became a visual treat. If there was a song that inspired travel those days, it had to be Runaway by Janet Jackson.

Runway was released in the year 1995 and had a certain edginess about it that was hard to miss. Janet Jackson jumping from one famous monument or city to another – the pyramids to Eiffel Tower, it was travel goals written all over the music video. The  nath  (nose ring with chain) and  tagdi  (the ornamental waist belt) made a beautiful India connection. Runaway was a complete package in fashion, entertainment, worldview and inspiration and is like a travel mantra even today.

Road Trippin’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Submitted by Nicole at Affordable Family Travel

Road Trippin’ by Red Hot Chilli Peppers was released in 1999.  The song is about driving the Pacific Coast Highway in sunny California. It references “west of the one” several times which is a reference to California State Route 1 also known as the Pacific Highway, which is the famous scenic route along the California coast. Road trippin’ also mentions, Big Sur which is a scenic town on Highway However, the song captures essence of a road trip with lyrics like “Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies”.  This song is great for when you are cruising down a highway with the sun shining “just a mirror for the sun”.

Down in The Valley by The Head and The Heart

Submitted by Rachita from Meander Wander

Down in the Valley by the folk band, The Head and the Heart, was released in 2010 and is one of my favorite travel songs. Although the song is more about the existential crisis, personally, what I love about this song is how it talks about all the places that are there to visit in this world. When you hear this song and listen to the lyrics lamenting about so many places to discover, it transports you straight into these beautiful valleys that the songwriter is talking about. This is one song that talks about how these amazing places are where you would find most travellers exploring or staying at. 

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers

Submitted by Ania from The Travelling Twins The Proclaimers is a band of twin brothers from  Scotland  singing about everyday life experiences. The album, Hollywood Soundtracks, is an excellent soundtrack to any road trip. Released in 1987 and consisting of 12 tracks offers an interesting mix between alternative rock songs like “I Would Walk 500 Miles” with the Celtic sound on other tracks such as “My Love will not Let you Down.” I first heard “500 miles on the road trip to Scottish Highlands and couldn’t get the song out of my mind. Later I rediscovered it while watching “How I Met Your Mother”, where Ted and Marshal had the song on their mixtape for the road trip. If you’re feeling stuck and need a change of scenery, switch on “I Would Walk 500 Miles” and hit the road. 

Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett

Submitted by Lynn from Be Your Own Travel Guide

Say the word vacation, and visions of sandy beaches, palm trees, and crystal-clear water often come to mind. There is no better song to transport you visually on vacation than Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. Listening to this breezy tune instantly puts you at ease and dreaming of better, lazy days spent in paradise.

Often considered to be the father of ‘island escapism’, Jimmy Buffett has many hits songs that center around his beach-bum image. His band, the Coral Reefers, spend their days in the tropics, drawing inspiration for their next song. Margaritaville so embodied the relaxing ideal of vacation that it led to the creation of the Margaritaville brand – a collection of hotels, restaurants, and stores that promote relaxation at every turn. With locations all across North America and as far as Sydney, Australia, you do not need to travel far for a good time.

What an incredible list of songs about travel! I hope this post has inspired your wanderlust, it certainly made us want to hop on a plane and we have created a whole new travel songs playlist from these recommendations!

For more wanderlust inspiration check out these posts:

• 25 Best Travel Memoirs and Non-Fiction Books about Travel
• 20 Best Fiction Books for Wanderlust Inspiration

Let us know your favourite travel inspiring songs or if you added any of these to your own travel playlist!

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Steph is the main writer of Book It Let's Go! and is arguably the better half of the couple. She is an expat originally from England currently residing in St Kitts where she teaches veterinary students. In 2019 Steph packed up her old life, her husband Lewis, and their 2 cats in to leave the cold and wet behind in exchange for beaches and palm trees. Now she has made the leap to move abroad she has no plans to return anytime soon and wants to help others make the leap to move abroad too. Steph is currently enjoying being based in the Caribbean and doing some island hopping while planning her next big adventure with Lewis.

Top 10 Travel Songs for Hopeless Wanderers

Editor’s note: This is an old entry back from when Intrepid Times was still figuring out who we are, and I was rattling around Europe and America by train and bus — this list has proven popular however, so we’re leaving it up in case any of these songs inspires you on your next adventure. 

Here are my top 10 travel songs for hopeless wanderers – serious travel songs best enjoyed in the company of a stiff drink or on a train late at night (or, ideally, both).

The choices are pretty personal so definitely not a great fit for everyone, but if you’ve got a bit of the old wanderlust in ya you’ll probably discover something here that you’ll like.

10. Wild Country – Chris Whitley

A song about escape which perfectly contrasts the freedom of the open wild with urban drudgery. It’s a song not about traveling but about longing to travel. If it’s been too long since your last adventure, then maybe you can relate.

9. Traveling Alone – Jason Isbell

I traveled from New York to Birmingham, Alabama on Greyhound buses just to see this guy in concert. Hands down my number one musician overall. ‘Traveling Alone” is a haunting tune for anyone whose been on the road for a bit too long. The imagery at the start “ mountains rough this time of year…” is incredible.

8. Tangled Up in Blue – Bob Dylan

This tale of misadventure as a man unwittingly pursues his lover across an America now long dead is a great travel anthem. Like most of Dylan’s best songs, you’re never 100% sure what he’s on about, but you feel every word.

7. Turn the Page – Bob Seger

“On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha…” with opening lines like that, need I say more? Much prefer Seger’s original, calm version to Metallica’s more aggressive cover.

6. Amtrak Crescent – Scott Miller

The Amtrak Crescent is a train route that runs from New York to New Orleans. When I first heard this song I was taking a slightly trimmed version of the journey, from Birmingham to Washington. Like most great travel songs “Amtrak Crescent” has vivid descriptions of place; “bet it used to be pretty on the Eastern shore… but now it’s more New York down to Baltimore.”

5. Play a Train Song – Todd Snider

A great wee tune about an East Nashville character who was constantly hollering at bands to play him a “train song.” A Kerouc-esque tribute to living in the moment and the adventures of road.

4. Like a Hobo – Charlie Winston

Throwing something a bit more upbeat into the mix. A motivational, jaunty song about the freedom of travel.

3. Fort Worth Blues – Steve Earle

Steve Earle wrote this heartbreaking tribute to his mentor, Townes Van Zandt, shortly after his death. This song is the perfect tribute from one road weary wanderer to another.

“ You always said the highway was your home, but we both know that that ain’t true. It’s just the only place a man can go, when he don’t know where he’s traveling to.”

2. Waiting ‘Round to Die – Townes Van Zandt

Possibly one of the finest poets of 20th century America, certainly one of the all time great songwriters. Waiting Around to Die was Towne’s first original song, and it’s a chilling, haunting description of the salvation and dangers of life on the road.

 1. Wicked Twisted Road – Reckless Kelly

“My first love was the wicked twisted road, I hit the million mile mark at 17 years old Never saw the rainbow, much less the pot of gold Yeah my first love was the wicked twisted road”

A deeply felt, beautiful song that every true traveler will feel was written especially for them.

Let me know what I’ve missed! Happy wanderings Nathan Thomas

Thank you for reading travel writing with heart! You can support Intrepid Times and help us keep paying our writers by attending our events , buying our travel books , and booking flights , hotels , and experiences through affiliate links to our trusted partners .

Nathan James Thomas

Nathan Thomas founded Intrepid Times in 2014 as a vehicle for sharing stories from the road and as an excuse to meet and interview his favorite writers. It has since grown into a global community of writers and travelers who believe in sharing stories with heart that make you think and make you feel. Originally from New Zealand, Nathan is currently loosely based in Eastern Europe.

Rhythms of the Road

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Wandering Lyrics as written by James Taylor

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I wish this song has some comments for us to read. Love this song so much, the music behind the lyrics soothes my soul, and somehow makes me want to cry. I guess the lyrics speaks for myself too...

'coz I am too might never stop wandering my whole life.

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Have you ever got comfortable in your flight or train seat, reached for your earphones and then panicked because you realize that in the end moment packing hassle you forgot to keep them with you? We feel you mate.

Music, from my perspective, is one of the most important things about traveling.

There is a good reason I say that.

Music has the power to transport us; to the place, we are visiting/back home/ in somebodies arms/ to that memory you wished lasted a lifetime.

Music has the power to heal us or maybe pull us through that restless night or that broke day.

But most importantly, music is a universal language. You could be of any race or religion, speak any language, follow any tradition when Ludovico Einaudi plays his piano, everybody understands.

Below is a list of 59 songs I am thankful for.

Trust me and listen to them once.

Rest is up for you to decide.

1. Nobody knows – The Lumineers

2. Mountain sound – Of Monster and Men

3. Step out – The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

4. The Wolves and The Ravens – The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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Also Read: 6 Ways you can Earn Money while you Travel.

What is your favourite travel song and why? Drop a comment below and we might add it to our next list of ultimate travel playlist.

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• Country Songs with Surprisingly Dark Meanings

The Best Country Songs About Traveling

If there’s one genre that has a monopoly on great road trip songs , it’s country music. The songs listed here are all excellent examples of country songs about traveling, offering up tales that pass through thousands of towns all over America and beyond.

Some of the greatest country songs about travel involve four wheels and a lot of asphalt. Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” certainly deserves a spot on this list, as does Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” and Roger Miller’s “King of the Road.” More modern era country road trip travel songs include Rascal Flatt’s cover of Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway” and Zac Brown Band’s “Highway 20 Ride.” And of course, Kacey Musgraves’s “My Home” is perhaps the ultimate country travel song – her home is her RV.

In case you were wondering, yes, occasionally country music artists sing country travel songs about flying. Dierks Bentley indulges in a bit too much alcohol and gets “Drunk on a Plane,” and John Denver is “Leaving on a Jet Plane” with no idea when he’ll return.

Enjoy these great country songs about traveling, and be sure to vote for your favorites.

Take Me Home Country Roads

Amarillo by Morning

On the Road Again

East Bound and Down

I've Been Everywhere

Heads Carolina, Tails California

King of the Road

Drivin' My Life Away

I'm a Ramblin' Man

Red Dirt Road

Wagon Wheel

Life Is a Highway

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Traveling Man

Dirt Road Anthem

Drunk on a Plane

Highway 20 Ride

Take a Back Road

Every Mile a Memory

One Way Ticket (Because I Can)

Let's Go to Vegas

Drive South

Sing a Traveling Song

Nothin' But The Wheel

The Road Goes on Forever

A Good Day to Run

Rhythm of the Road

Gone To Carolina

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Lists of the best country songs about things country people love, from hard work to drinking whiskey.

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Caroline Polachek Explains Her ‘Straight-Up Grunge’ Moment

Caroline Polachek is sitting in the sun in front of an “endless hedge” in her Los Angeles backyard, chatting cheerfully about abject loneliness. We’re talking about her new single, “Starburned and Unkissed,” a soaring, bruised track on the carefully curated soundtrack for I Saw the TV Glow , in theaters this weekend. The A24 film is writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s second, and much like their debut, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair , it’s an eerie exploration of modern alienation, transgender identity, and the way we can lose ourselves in the seductive glimmer of our screens. It’s also something of a love letter to the ’90s, following a pair of teenage suburban outcasts (Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine) who become unhealthily obsessed with a late-night, SNICK-style TV show called “The Pink Opaque.”

“Starburned and Unkissed” is a departure for Polachek, marking both her first song for a feature film and the first time she’s done, as she puts it, a “straight-up grunge track.” The genre shift is tonally apt for a film that pays painstaking homage to everything from Twin Peaks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Are You Afraid of the Dark to the Smashing Pumpkins. This one is for the ’90s kids: Smith’s Owen and Lundy-Paine’s Maddy eagerly pop VHS tapes into their basement TVs late at night to watch their beloved, uncannily lo-fi TV show about teen girls fighting crime on the “psychic plane”; artists like Sloppy Jane and Phoebe Bridgers pop up unannounced to perform freaky, Julee Cruise –style tracks at a local dive; the school’s got Fruitopia vending machines; Owen’s dad is played by Fred Durst. “Starburned and Unkissed” plays over an early scene where Owen wanders, dissociated and alone, down his high school’s track-lit hallways, Polachek’s yearning vocals scoring his inarticulable inner torment.

I saw the movie before I knew you were involved at all, and I instantly heard your voice in the background of that scene and was like, “Wait, this is Caroline!” It’s actually not a very “me” song, in a lot of ways. It’s a straight-up grunge track, and that’s a genre that I’ve never really dipped a toe into — in terms of the kind of ripping, angsty, full-belt vocal delivery. So the film was a perfect place to do it.

Tell me a little bit about Jane coming to you with the pitch and how it all came together. Jane approached me in 2022, and at that point We’re All Going to the World’s Fair was out and receiving all the accolades. And I was on tour at the time, and I had just moved to L.A. And as happens when you move to L.A., the brain cells start tingling: Oh, it’d be cool to get involved in films. But I was holding out for the right project. When I watched We’re All Going to the World’s Fair , I was so struck by how inventive it was formally, how genuinely spooky and how totally unique it was. I’d never seen anything like it; it just felt so modern. And of course it was amazing to see Alex G stepping into a scoring role on that film as well. I’m a massive fan of his and anything he touches. At that stage, I Saw the TV Glow was still pretty nascent, so Jane and I had a couple chats where they just sort of described to me the tone and the basic plot points, what was going on, but wanted to keep things really open and also just wanted to attach me to it very early in the process, which was of course a real honor. And as I was setting about to make a song for the film, I suddenly realized that I already had the perfect song sitting in my back pocket.

When did you write it? Not that much earlier than when Jane originally contacted me. I had just moved to L.A., and moved into this house by myself while my boyfriend was in Europe waiting for his visa to clear, because he’s English. And I was feeling maybe a way that anyone who’s in a long-distance relationship can feel sometimes, which is like, “Is this real? Are you even there? I’m setting up this life for us in this house, but where are you?” The time difference was so severe, and I sort of just felt really shaken by the virtuality of the long-distance situation and everything happening through the phone and it not feeling real.

And so I wrote this really frustrated piece of music sort of about digitally imposed … or maybe, I don’t know, just sort of solitude in the digital age, but through a very surrealist but teenage kind of lyrical bent.

And then I made this song with A. G. Cook in a session around that time when I was still formulating my last album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You . And he, at the same time, was formulating his rock band called Thy Slaughter and experimenting with pedalboards, which is pretty radical for him because he’s, like, a true digital electronic producer. So for him, having his guitar era was pretty wild. And we synced up in this moment when the style he was exploring really suited this emotion that I was steeped in, and we made this song that didn’t really belong anywhere. I kind of forgot about it, forgot it existed. And then when Jane and I were chatting one day, I realized, “Oh my God, wait a minute. ‘Starburned and Unkissed’ couldn’t fit this film more.”

What about it felt like a fit with the film? It’s about these two teenagers who are trying to find themselves and their gender expression and their life paths in this place that doesn’t fit. And at the same time, they’re so consumed with the screen, screens pulling them in, and they have this push-pull with it. And I was like, Wait a minute. Yes, yes. This is it. I sent Jane a rougher version of the song, and they freaked out. They were like, “I’m building a cue around this song. It’s going to get this hallway sequence.”

Who was in your mind, who were you channeling, when you were going for this ’90s grunge moment with it? Was it, like, Alanis? So I was too young to participate in actual grunge — I was 10 years old when Nirvana, when Alanis were peaking, and I think I experienced it in a very kid way. I experienced it through MTV. I experienced it through bands like Silverchair, which were late-generation, glossy major-label teen grunge. And then I watched it sort of have multiple levels of revival in things like Sky Ferreira, in kind of nü-metal incarnations like Kittie. I was obsessed with Kittie. And then I sort of came face to face with it in a really unexpected way when my boyfriend, Matt Copson, was commissioned to write the libretto for an opera about Gus Van Sant’s film Last Days , which I realize is so many steps removed from Kurt Cobain. But it was about Kurt Cobain’s suicide, and that film was adapted into opera. And the idea behind that opera was to completely not include any grunge music at all, but to sort of get at the feeling of it, the angst of it, and put it in a classical music vocabulary. So I was living in the periphery of all these conversations about grunge music without the grunge actually there. So Kurt Cobain became a kind of symbolic fixture in the house for the last couple of years.

What kind of conversations did you and Jane have about the movie’s tone? What kind of things clicked for you in terms of the movie’s aesthetics? We spoke really compellingly about this sort of crossover between the feeling of horror and the feeling of crush, where there’s this sort of liminal adrenaline feeling that connects the feeling of fear and crushing. Later, seeing the film, I could really understand where that was coming from. But that was a sort of footnote for me while I was finishing the music.

In the press notes, Jane talks about how they wanted the soundtrack to feel like an “essential contemporary document of the vanguard of queer music right now.” What does that mean to you? Does it feel like a “queer song” to you? It does, the more and more I live with it, actually, because I think it’s about that kind of frustration. And that battle between the virtual embodiment I think is a big part of so many queer journeys and especially teenage ones. And of course, those are all things that I felt as well. But I think especially in the narrative of queer experience, it feels super synced up.

How did you, or do you still, relate to this concept of being someone who felt out of place in reality, but embodied or deeply understood by a piece of art? Is there art — or was there art — that did that for you? Oh my God, I will never forget hearing Kid A for the first time. I was at my grandmother’s 80th birthday, which was sort of a family reunion. We all went down to Florida. And there was a golf course at the edge of the place we’d rented to have the party in, and I snuck away from the party and put my headphones on and had the Kid A CD. I’m wandering around this golf course, which is closed, in this kind of impossibly dense sunlight. And I think maybe I never felt more alone and more seen at the same time, in that album. The feeling of alienation, the feeling of coming up against the systems of reality, whether it’s the work system, the education system, the digital world — it was all just done with so much sophistication and dreaminess and sexiness. And I was just like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t know that art could do this.’ I was just so rocked by that album, and still am.

I had a very similar experience with that album at that age. It blew my mind. Where were you?

I remember listening to it in my room on my little CD player with five little CD slots — that and Fiona Apple’s Tidal just on repeat. Just blew my mind. What’s the most recent thing that has done that for you? Ooh, that’s a cool question. Okay, let me simmer in alienation. Am I allowed to open my Spotify? I take this question very seriously.

I would love that. Yeah. [ She disappears for a minute. ] Okay. Pretty much the entire Oneohtrix Point Never catalogue does that same thing for me, but also this French artist called Torus. It gives me that same kind of … What do they call it when you’re out of your body and you’re dreaming?

Astral projection? Yes. It gives me that same kind of hyper modern, lonely, astral-projected feeling. This artist Malibu, her work does that as well, but all in very different ways. I think I’ve probably clocked more hours of listening to Malibu than anyone else in the world because that’s all I listen to when I’m flying, when I’m on tour.

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot, after watching the film twice now, is this idea of art as a life raft, but also something that can drown you. I’m curious how you’ve navigated that as an artist, from your end, whether it’s your relationship to your art or to your fans. Do you feel that you have to sort of draw a line there? Wow, that’s so interesting to position the movie as about fandom, actually, or the siren song or even the toxicity of fandom. I think I’ve honestly been exceptionally lucky to have really cool fans, but I was chatting with a friend of mine over the weekend who has a stalker who threatens to kill himself all the time. And the kind of responsibilities that artists get put in, in those kinds of positions — I can’t even imagine how distressing that must be. But there’s an interesting waltz with boundaries, because ultimately what you’re trying to do as an artist is create a compelling world that has infinite depth, that people can keep going into and keep going into. And as an artist, I’m making it because that’s what I love in art, not because I’m really trying to manipulate anything. But I think there is a question of responsibilities too, once people do go all the way in. What is your relationship with them? What do you owe them? What do they owe you? And I don’t have the answers to any of these things, but we’re definitely living in a time where those boundaries are getting wild as hell.

Your music is very aesthetically minded and everything is tied together in this specific world you’ve created, sort of like the world of the Pink Opaque. I wonder if people feel like they know you or own a piece of you because of that. I think there’s definitely an impulse to speak to artists online, and I’m definitely subject to this as well, as if they owe you things and as if you can tell them what to do or sway their output in different directions. I find it very easy to ignore that. Incredibly easy. But I think it’s also because my music, even with a song like “Starburned and Unkissed” that does come out of a personal situation in my life, I’m not Taylor Swift. I’m not describing in very narrative musical theater terms the actual events of my personal life. I’m not an open book, and I never really have been. I’m much more interested in the slippery lines between dreaming and symbolism and the texture of reality — just letting things go into this space where the reality is found in the fantasy. I think the film is also about that, especially in the way that transitioning is depicted in the film. But I think that’s the kind of language my music exists in, which thankfully, I think, helps people intuitively understand a sort of boundary because they have to meet me in that dream space. They’re not meeting me in the reality space. So there’s no leverage in the reality space either.

I was just reading an interview with Jane where they said, “Promoting a movie as a trans person right now involves a participation within the capitalist machinery that I’m too sensitive not to be sickened by, so I need to go and remember who I am.” Do you feel that you have to kind of step back and heal yourself from these types of things? When I was younger, I felt like these kinds of things were really violent — the branded stuff, the promo, the need to present in a capitalist landscape this work that felt so personal. And the more I’ve grown up, the more I don’t really see the difference anymore and I can actually approach it with a lot of goodwill. I’m like, “Oh, the people in these spaces are here because they want to make good shit, and I’m here because I want to make good shit, so let’s just get on with it.” And maybe that just comes with getting older and feeling less defensive and less scared of people. The older I get, the more I see it all as one playground.

I want to talk a little bit about your made-up words. “Wikipediated,” “mythocological,” “hopedrunk.” Do these come fully formed to you? Do you labor over them? I’m really inspired by how German does it, just these endless compound words. But beyond loving how it looks and how kind of, I don’t know, psychedelic and yummy and Alice In Wonderland- y it is to have these compound words, it’s just straight-up useful often in songs, not just for lyrical phrasing, but trying to say something succinctly. I think if I was to try and say “starburned and unkissed” in another way, it would take me three times the amount of syllables. So it’s sometimes just economic to do it.

In the case of a song like “Blood and Butter,” which has the words “mythocological” and “Wikipediated” in it, that was actually purely practical because the rhythms of that verse had to be so specific. It was almost like a drumbeat [ sings ] da da da da da da, da da, da da, da da, da da da, and that was a big part of the hook of that song, sticking with these rhythmic patterns. And unfortunately, the lyrics that I wanted to say were either too short or too long for those phrases. So I had to add. I wanted to say mythological, but I was two syllables short, so I was like, “Fuck it, I’m adding a couple of syllables in here.” And then “Wikipediated,” I wanted to describe something much more elaborate, but I couldn’t squeeze it into the line. I was trying to describe someone who just gets high off knowledge, and so I had to just be really creative about squeezing it down.

What about “starburned and unkissed”? I remember distinctly walking around L.A. as we just moved here and feeling like, Oh my God, this is so hostile. This environment is so Martian. I don’t even feel like it’s the sun. I feel like the atmosphere isn’t even there. I feel like I’m in outer space, like I’m being scalded by this star that’s just giving me some kind of ultraviolet cancer. I shouldn’t be here, as an animal. And in my Notes app, while scribbling about it, the word “starburned” came up and I was like, Oh, I like how that almost plays into Hollywood and showbiz and all this stuff as well.” So I just had that word kicking around, and then it made a nice layer cake with my temporary celibacy . [ Laughs. ]

I remember when we spoke a few years ago, you said you’ll sing along to a track and the words will come out while you’re doing the melody pass. I’m curious about the evolution of the lyrics in this one, which are really visually evocative: “Deep fried, this isn’t how to be, naked of charms in your long sleeve, a bitter little seed, a digital sand.” I am a melodic writer. I always start with just a scratch non-lyrical vocal. In the case of this one, I just sounded so tired and just so frail and blah in the take. And I said, “Okay, I love that, and I want to actually keep that spirit through the lyrics.” So to go chronologically: “Deep fried” comes from the style of memes where you take an image and you sort of compress it through screenshotting it endlessly, and it starts to take on that really crusty, crispy, almost neon color-saturated look, like a deep fried JPEG or deep fried meme. I was just thinking stuff like, that’s not only how I feel, but also how I feel like my image looks, like on FaceTimes, and it’s really unflattering and crusty. “This isn’t how to be” in a relationship or as a person — “naked of charms,” without any of my affectations or my maintenance, just doing these calls right in the morning when I’ve just woken up, no chance to groom myself or no perfume. Not much to respond to, just turning up without any charms. And a seed being planted in sand — it can’t grow first of all, but especially if the sand isn’t physical, it definitely can’t grow, which is kind of how I felt. The lyrics are fun pictures, but they really actually were very personal, all of them.

You just finished your tour, right? Are you home for a while? Are you chilling? Are you working on new stuff? Yeah. I’ve taken a couple weeks just to rest. This last month I’ve just been doing some kind of systems renovation, rebuilding my digital life, my plug-in library, my cybersecurity stuff, my archives. Just getting ready to plunge myself into the next album. But it feels like a massive luxury just to be able to take a beat before getting into writing. I had to write a lot of Desire while I was on the road touring Pang . So it feels like a luxury to just be able to stop and think. And I’ve been doing a lot of writing, which is interesting. Because as I was saying before, I tend to write melodically first, but I’ve stored up so much writing this last month that I think there might be a lot of material on the next album that actually is text-driven, which is new for me. So we’ll see.

So you’re giving yourself a long runway for this one? Yeah, I’m definitely going to let the writing and the music guide the schedule. So music’s going to take precedence over anything else being booked in. So yeah, it’ll be finished when it’s finished, which is, again, a massive luxury.

• i saw the tv glow
• jane schoenbrun
• caroline polachek
• starburned and unkissed

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Taylor Swift fans flock to London pub believed to be 'Black Dog' inspiration

Taylor Swift has put a local British pub on the map.

On her new album,  “The Tortured Poets Department,”  she has a song called “The Black Dog,” and fans think it’s about a London bar with the same name.

In the song, Swift sings about a bar called The Black Dog and how she used to go there with someone she loves.

She says, “How you don’t miss me / In The Black Dog / When someone plays The Starting Line and you jump up.”

Since the song was released April 19, hundreds of fans have been wandering into the bar to find clues about Swift’s love life.

“Why did you guys come here?” NBC News London correspondent Kelly Cobiella asked a couple of Swifties at the bar.

“For Taylor Swift,” they both replied with a smile.

Lily Bottomley, events and social manager at The Black Dog, said Swift has made the bar a hotspot.

“I got reports that a few leaked songs had come from her album. And suddenly saw ‘The Black Dog,’” she said. “Then obviously, it just went from 1 to 100.” 

The Black Dog has since gone viral on social media. The bar even  shared a video  exploring the theory that Swift may have visited with either her ex  Joe Alwyn  or rumored ex  Matty Healy . The clip shows someone who works at the pub “desperately” trying to figure it out by checking their security cameras.

“We think it’s Joe,” one bargoer said. “Because Matty didn’t even come to London. Gotta be about Joe.”

Bottomley shared that the pub has “had reports of a certain blond regular,” but they “wouldn’t want to give too much away.”

The pub has even renamed one of their signature beers as the Swift pint, and one of their sandwiches as the Swift burger.

The Black Dog said that many pint glasses have been taken as souvenirs by bargoers. But with more merch coming soon, those headed to the bar will hopefully be able to leave with official memorabilia ( if  you can get a reservation).

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‘Push through the feelings of: I’m worthless, this sucks’: can anyone learn to be a top songwriter?

Songwriting courses are exploding in popularity, with everyone from Mark Ronson to Alicia Keys as teachers. On a retreat in north Wales, our folk music critic tries to write her first song

I magine you’ve spent the past 20 years writing about songs but never had the chops to write one. This is my penance: sitting in a room in north Wales, with a tiny keyboard and notebook spidery with attempted lyrics, the only rhythm in my ears my rave-energy heartbeat, the only melody in my mind the lilting panic of my inner critic going: “Argh!”

It’s the final day of a four-day songwriting course at Literature Wales’s 16th-century HQ, Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre , led by Brian Briggs of folk band Stornoway and Welsh poet and songwriter Paul Henry . Tonight, I have to perform an original song with two relative strangers, in front of people I didn’t know four days earlier. This particular terror is the climax of a bigger endeavour on my part: to explore the growing popularity of songwriting courses, and to find out if they work.

These courses are everywhere in 2024. Spotify has recently teamed up with BBC Maestro , which offers recorded online songwriting lessons with Gary Barlow and music production tutorials with Mark Ronson. US platform MasterClass has Alicia Keys, St Vincent and John Legend on its glamorous roster. Real-time contact is available too, with Big Thief’s Adrienne Lenker recently running a Zoom course with US institution School of Song , while in the UK, creative writing centres such as Moniack Mhor and Arvon have critically acclaimed musicians such as Boo Hewerdine and Kathryn Williams running songwriting retreats.

These courses are booming “because lockdown gave people time to reflect,” reckons Williams, whose new album, Willson Williams, made with Dan Willson (AKA Withered Hand ) stems from a friendship that has involved them teaching together. Since Covid, “people have been finding ways to retreat,” Williams adds, “and songwriting feels accessible, revealing of ourselves or a way of working out past situations. It can be stepping into another character or seeing something from another perspective.”

But where does a newcomer begin? Williams recommends Jeff Tweedy’s book How to Write One Song , full of warm-hearted guidance. I try some online classes, and find St Vincent calms my nerves, a bit. “Push through the feelings of: I’m worthless, this sucks, I’m a fraud,” she tells me, sentiments I recognise. “That’s half the battle of writing.” Gary Barlow encourages me to listen to lyricists I love, so I mainline Leonard Cohen, Amy Winehouse and CMAT , hoping their genius seeps into me.

I also listen to the most popular singer-songwriter in the world in a fan-compiled YouTube video of her top tips. “I think as a songwriter there is that urge to connect,” Taylor Swift says. “To say: ‘This is how I feel sometimes’, and have fans say: ‘Oh my God, I feel that way sometimes too.’” She reminds me of the human dimension behind the common urge, in all these different people, to write songs.

As I procrastinate at home, I realise a retreat, a space to write with like-minded people – which Williams also recommended – might propel me along. But does it matter if I don’t have a clue what I’m doing? I ask Williams this, and her answer is reassuring: “Being a beginner, and being OK with that, is the best way to be creative.”

L ocated high above the sea on the Llŷn peninsula, Ty Newydd is an inspirational setting, though it starts to feel a bit inauspicious when I learn that David Lloyd George died in the library where we meet for evening sessions. The course is about links between poetry and songwriting, and my classmates include people who have published poetry collections, played on folk-rock albums, and regularly perform humorous songs (one entertains us in a showcase on the final night with a song about haemorrhoid cream).

We start every morning with Briggs teaching us a cappella songs, which exercise our lungs, our ears and my nerves. We go on communal rainy walks, where we’re encouraged to write freely, without filter, about how we’re inspired by the sounds of wind, weather and water, to put together unusual combinations of words that speak to us.

We also eat together, constructing an intimate creative community, and in sessions, we have fascinating discussions about what songs do that poems don’t. Henry talks about how great melodies elevate cliche and abstraction, while poetry has to deal with the “harsh terrain” of the page. He also says that one sound in a song – such as Clare Torry’s vocal from Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig in the Sky – can articulate emotionally what “a whole poem by John Donne could do”. I think of the thrilling chord at the start of the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night, and how it still ignites my heart.

With Briggs, we analyse snippets of music by different artists (such as Bruce Springsteen, Nina Simone and, deliciously, Kylie Minogue) and talk about how songs are intricate jigsaw puzzles of words, sounds, atmospheres and arrangements. “People often feel a pressure to put intense emotion into a song to give it power,” Briggs says, but advises that subtler musical punctuation often works better, like a little fingerpicking (the subtle majesty of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car), or the suggestion of a drone (tons of folk songs) to give tension.

My song starts to emerge from a free-writing session where we’re given lines of poems as prompts. One leaps out at me – “My father and mother, my brother and sister” – suggesting something gothic. Why would someone list their family like that? The idea of a murder ballad starts to trickle on to the page, as we’re told to look for moods and energies in our words, and not to worry whether we’re copying anyone.

I find out later that the line comes from a Paul Muldoon poem, Sightseers, about a family trip. The poem ends with a detail about the horrors of the Troubles, but the song I write is very different. And as we go off to write, Briggs offers the most unnerving comment of the week: “Whatever you do, your song will always end up sounding like you.”

T his takes us to the final day: me in the library with a keyboard. We’ve been encouraged to collaborate, which makes me feel weirdly vulnerable. Thankfully, my classmate Ellen happens to write excellent poetry and helps me out. We twist Muldoon’s line into a rhyme – “my father and mother, my sister, brother”, repeating it as a refrain sung by different voices, like an echo of a folk song.

The idea of a ghostly girl wandering around a house emerges. Ellen and I work on a narrative with a twist at the end, mixing ordinary lines (“I open the door”) with ghostlier ones (“I fall through the floor”). After my keyboard skills fail me, an emergency call is placed to Ellen’s husband, Josh, a fellow course participant, who helps me out on the guitar.

Our song is titled (The Rather Rough-and-Ready Ballad of) Georgina, as a nod to the late David Lloyd George. It sounds like Lankum , Josh says, and later I notice how my melody and singing are heavily influenced by (and highly inferior to, plus less in tune than) the Irish band’s singer, Radie Peat, and how its lyrics are inspired by a conversation with another classmate about Penelope Farmer’s Cure-inspiring 1969 novel, Charlotte Sometimes. Its chanted refrain also carries echoes of our morning a cappellas with Briggs. My subconscious has been doing its work after all.

When we come to perform it, I’m terrified, but also strangely excited. As our group has built a shared sense of trust and loyalty, it feels OK that what we’ve made is pretty rough and ready. I also realise that these courses aren’t about writing hit singles, but the joy of trying out new things with new people.

And thanks to Ellen and Josh, the song’s debut isn’t a total disaster. Afterwards, I approach my tutors for a review; they are unsparing but kind. Henry says that he would have loved me to play around with first- and third-person perspectives in the song, and maybe even speak the last verse to vary its tension. Briggs points out that my layering of lines on top of each other makes the refrain “hard to understand”, and suggests some development with its chords and arrangement to “stop its dirginess, getting too, well, dirge-y”.

Then comes my best review to date: “I loved its intensity. Personally, I’d love to hear your song as drone-y heavy metal.” Not a direction I thought I’d be encouraged to pursue at 45, but watch this space. I ask Briggs what it’s like to criticise a critic. “It’s never easy to read reviews,” he says. “But I try not to let them influence what I’m doing next. Not everyone will like what I do. You should listen to that advice too!”

I think of what I might say about my song as a critic. I’d say that its repetition was a little leaden, and the mood was clearly derivative. But from now on, I’ll also think about how people don’t necessarily write songs to fit into trends, or around reviewers’ assessments. There’s a thrill and sweetness in the act of writing songs, and what that can provide in people’s lives: a new, urgent rhythm, and a fresh voice.

Listen to Jude’s song (The Rather Rough-and-Ready Ballad of) Georgina, and read her lyrics

My father and mother My sister and brother All under the cover Of darkness are gone

I stand by the window I wait on the stairs I sit at the table There’s nobody there

I listen for breathing I open the door I find it so empty I fall through the floor

I crouch on the landing I rock on the chair I died in the water I live in the air

You said you were leaving Before the day came I long for your voices To call out my name

My father and mother My sister and brother All under the cover Of darkness – I’m gone

• Pop and rock
• Music industry

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Jessica Pratt, out of the L.A. underworld and into a (gentle) wall of sound

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Walking south on Vine Street past the Capitol Records Building, musician Jessica Pratt was reminded of the first time she visited her current home of Los Angeles.

It was 2011, and she had recently watched “Mayor of the Sunset Strip,” a documentary about the infamous DJ and nightclub owner Rodney Bingenheimer, which lays bare the glitz and sleaze of the ’70s music scene. It also features outsider figures, like Ronald Vaughan, a friend of Bingenheimer’s who has self-released music as “Isadore Ivy, Spaceman at Large.” Still taking in L.A.’s strange frequencies, Pratt saw Vaughan wandering outside the Capitol Building — probably not there on business, or was he? — and couldn’t help but be starstruck. “I was like, ‘Wow,’” she remembered, “‘I’ve really made it in Hollywood.’”

Pratt, whose new album, “Here in the Pitch,” is an anachronistic, dreamlike blend of folk music and chamber pop, is no longer a true outsider herself. But she hangs tight to a love of the bizarre L.A. underworld that often glitters in broad daylight in places like Hollywood. Pratt still looks as if she belongs to it too; as we headed toward Musso & Frank Grill, in search of a spot at the bar, her vintage boots clicked on the pavement and her bleach-blond hair shone in the springtime sun.

“I wear a lot of juniors department mall clothing from the ’90s,” she said, describing her trademark black-suit look. Due to the changing of thrift-store eras, she explained, it was becoming more difficult to find what she liked. “Which is sad,” she added, “because it’s how I get a lot of my trousers.”

Pratt, 37, mainly grew up in the Northern California town of Redding but felt the allure of Hollywood before she ever stepped foot in the place. “Hollywood is tumblin’ down,” she sang on the song “Hollywood,” from her self-titled debut LP, which was recorded in 2007, when Pratt was 19.

A stroke of good fortune led to the record’s belated release in 2012: Tim Presley, the musician known as White Fence, heard the music through a distant connection and decided to put it out himself. Pratt’s early catalog, bolstered by the more deliberate 2015 album “On Your Own Love Again,” bewitched a devoted fan base into existence with a minimal approach (mainly just nylon-string guitar and vocals) that hasn’t been particularly viable since Leonard Cohen arrived in the late 1960s.

“It was definitely like stepping into a tapestry or a quilt or something,” said musician Angel Olsen, describing the feeling of discovering Pratt’s records. “The way her voice and harmonies continue in an endless stream — the way that her melody lines continue, like little separate rivers — it’s really wild.”

Pratt’s 2019 album, “Quiet Signs,” subtly expanded the palette, adding touches of instruments like piano and flute; from the outside, it felt like a fuller sonic realization of someone in control of a grand vision. But when Pratt hears that record now, she’s brought back to some of the toughest years of her life.

In the time leading up to “Quiet Signs,” Pratt explained, she was dealing with the death of her mother and subsequently suffered from a period of poor health. She also was navigating the rekindling of a relationship with her father, who left the family when Pratt was 5 and became completely estranged when she was 14. (Her father wore his body down with addiction issues and eventually died of COVID-19 in 2020.) Pratt was “running on fumes,” she said, unable to write music. “I tried to, but I didn’t really have the juice.”

Helping her convalescence was Matt McDermott, whom Pratt had met when they were working together at Amoeba Music in Hollywood in 2014. Pratt was at Amoeba for only a short time, at one point helping with the events (“I’d be getting ‘Weird Al’ bottles of water or whatever”), but stayed friends with McDermott. The two eventually became involved romantically, and they’re now engaged.

Alongside Pratt’s co-producer Al Carlson, McDermott ended up providing an ancillary musical hand in the studio on “Quiet Signs.” And for “Here in the Pitch,” the trio didn’t mess with the formula — except this time, Pratt’s music was coming together with a brightness and vigor that wasn’t there before.

“I think she’s grown stronger during this whole period,” McDermott said over the phone from the home he and Pratt share in Elysian Heights. “And now you can really hear it, where her songs have a swagger that wasn’t there in the past.” He laughed, recalling Pratt coming back in the door one day and telling him, “I just walked around the block listening to [Frank Sinatra’s] ‘My Way’ five times in a row.”

The swagger is clear from the opening sounds of the record: a “Be My Baby”–style drum intro to the song “Life Is,” which is particularly notable for being the first time Pratt has featured percussion in her music. But the drums quickly retreat, and the record is at points sparse and sinister. In other words, it’s still clearly a Jessica Pratt production — one where restraint is just as much a factor as the ornate melodies and her idiosyncratic voice.

“Here in the Pitch” runs just 27 minutes, and Pratt spent three years making it, returning over and over to a studio in New York, tinkering with every arrangement, waiting until it all felt just so. In an age of streaming freneticism — when people hardly blink when Taylor Swift releases a 31-track double album — it feels particularly jarring to be given a slice of something so clearly unconcerned with maximizing every aspect of itself.

“Just because of the machine we’re up against,” said Ryley Walker, a notable indie-rock figure who also plays guitar on “Life Is,” “my tolerance for long amounts of time in between music has been totally sizzled and evaporated. Jessica has the gift from God of patience.”

Pratt said she was “certainly happier and more present making this record,” but she still sees the gloom lurking within the music too. The title “Here in the Pitch” refers in part to pitch darkness, and Pratt said she envisions the phrase as “a threat or welcoming you into some shadowy realm.” There’s something conspiratorial in a song like “World on a String,” which plods forward with a slow menace, as inviting as it is eerie. “I want to be the sunlight of the century,” Pratt sings on that track, her claim becoming complicated in the song’s video, which appears to be a hazy, colorful depiction of a cult meeting of some kind. It ends with Pratt, the presumed cult leader, in a coffin.

When asked about the cult element, Pratt is unabashed in the way that her fascination with Charles Manson was drifting around in her mind while making this record. There’s the ordinary human-nature element of being interested in “sordid, frightening things,” of course. But Pratt’s fascination also is guided by the way that, from a certain perspective, you start to feel sorry for the members of the Family, heinous as they were to innocent people. “I don’t know, man,” she said, “I think a lot of people could fall into the same thing. To me, it’s no different than being in a gang or something, and killing people and going to jail for that.”

Pratt likewise can’t deny that Manson’s nylon-string and vocals song “Look at Your Game, Girl” influenced her music — particularly her breakthrough 2014 track, “Back, Baby,” which was recently sampled by pop star Troye Sivan. “I think [Manson] really did it with that one,” she said, “and then he never did it again.”

Manson, who generated some genuine interest as a songwriter before turning on the world, is perhaps the ultimate L.A. musical outsider. His story is a grim reminder of how poisonous the business can be to those looking to make it — but Pratt can’t help but feel somewhat uncomfortable in finding herself on the more fortunate side of things.

“[This is] the first time I’ve ever had the big industry push,” she said, sitting at the Musso & Frank bar, doodling little stars and hearts on a napkin. “It kind of freaks me out a little bit, I won’t lie.”

Usually, when Pratt is asked what her songs are about, she’ll say that, while they all have “meaning” to her, they’re not really about anything in particular. Not so with the album finale, “The Last Year,” which she readily admits is about her and McDermott. “I think we’re gonna be fine,” she sings over a chord progression that feels almost elemental — like you can’t believe someone else didn’t come up with it before her. “I think we’re gonna be together.” It’s an optimistic song but slightly hesitant as well. Pratt is doing better now, but she continues to see garish images when she glances in the rearview mirror.

“Even if you do recover from something like that,” she said, describing the trials at the heart of the song, “you have this sort of propensity to go a little crazy. I definitely don’t think I have the most solid mental health of anybody on the planet. It’s just like, ‘This is how it is, and I’m trying to do as well as I can.’”

As we had been walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Pratt mentioned a working theory that there might only be male waiters at the 105-year-old Musso’s. But after we had settled in at the bar, and were discussing which celebrities we’d seen there — Pratt’s favorite sightings were comedian Fred Willard and writer-musician Pamela Des Barres — we noticed a woman bartender. Progress, I muttered.

“I don’t really care, to be honest,” Pratt said. “If they want to live in the past, it doesn’t matter to me.”

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AI can now generate entire songs on demand. What does this mean for music as we know it?

Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney

Disclosure statement

Oliver Bown receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the European Research Council to support his research into creative AI. He has ongoing collaborations with music AI companies including Uncanny Valley (Sydney) and DAACI (London).

UNSW Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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In March, we saw the launch of a “ ChatGPT for music ” called Suno , which uses generative AI to produce realistic songs on demand from short text prompts. A few weeks later, a similar competitor – Udio – arrived on the scene .

I’ve been working with various creative computational tools for the past 15 years, both as a researcher and a producer, and the recent pace of change has floored me. As I’ve argued elsewhere , the view that AI systems will never make “real” music like humans do should be understood more as a claim about social context than technical capability.

The argument “sure, it can make expressive, complex-structured, natural-sounding, virtuosic, original music which can stir human emotions, but AI can’t make proper music” can easily begin to sound like something from a Monty Python sketch.

After playing with Suno and Udio, I’ve been thinking about what it is exactly they change – and what they might mean not only for the way professionals and amateur artists create music, but the way all of us consume it.

Expressing emotion without feeling it

Generating audio from text prompts in itself is nothing new . However, Suno and Udio have made an obvious development: from a simple text prompt, they generate song lyrics (using a ChatGPT-like text generator), feed them into a generative voice model, and integrate the “vocals” with generated music to produce a coherent song segment.

This integration is a small but remarkable feat. The systems are very good at making up coherent songs that sound expressively “sung” (there I go anthropomorphising).

The effect can be uncanny. I know it’s AI, but the voice can still cut through with emotional impact. When the music performs a perfectly executed end-of-bar pirouette into a new section, my brain gets some of those little sparks of pattern-processing joy that I might get listening to a great band.

To me this highlights something sometimes missed about musical expression: AI doesn’t need to experience emotions and life events to successfully express them in music that resonates with people.

Music as an everyday language

Like other generative AI products, Suno and Udio were trained on vast amounts of existing work by real humans – and there is much debate about those humans’ intellectual property rights .

Nevertheless, these tools may mark the dawn of mainstream AI music culture. They offer new forms of musical engagement that people will just want to use, to explore, to play with and actually listen to for their own enjoyment.

AI capable of “end to end” music creation is arguably not technology for makers of music, but for consumers of music. For now it remains unclear whether users of Udio and Suno are creators or consumers – or whether the distinction is even useful.

A long-observed phenomenon in creative technologies is that as something becomes easier and cheaper to produce, it is used for more casual expression. As a result, the medium goes from an exclusive high art form to more of an everyday language – think what smartphones have done to photography.

So imagine you could send your father a professionally produced song all about him for his birthday, with minimal cost and effort, in a style of his preference – a modern-day birthday card. Researchers have long considered this eventuality, and now we can do it. Happy birthday, dad!

Can you create without control?

Whatever these systems have achieved and may achieve in the near future, they face a glaring limitation: the lack of control.

Text prompts are often not much good as precise instructions, especially in music. So these tools are fit for blind search – a kind of wandering through the space of possibilities – but not for accurate control. (That’s not to diminish their value. Blind search can be a powerful creative force.)

Viewing these tools as a practising music producer, things look very different. Although Udio’s about page says “anyone with a tune, some lyrics, or a funny idea can now express themselves in music”, I don’t feel I have enough control to express myself with these tools.

I can see them being useful to seed raw materials for manipulation, much like samples and field recordings. But when I’m seeking to express myself , I need control.

Using Suno, I had some fun finding the most gnarly dark techno grooves I could get out of it. The result was something I would absolutely use in a track.

But I found I could also just gladly listen. I felt no compulsion to add anything or manipulate the result to add my mark.

And many jurisdictions have declared that you won’t be awarded copyright for something just because you prompted it into existence with AI.

For a start, the output depends just as much on everything that went into the AI – including the creative work of millions of other artists. Arguably, you didn’t do the work of creation. You simply requested it.

New musical experiences in the no-man’s land between production and consumption

So Udio’s declaration that anyone can express themselves in music is an interesting provocation. The people who use tools like Suno and Udio may be considered more consumers of music AI experiences than creators of music AI works , or as with many technological impacts, we may need to come up with new concepts for what they’re doing.

A shift to generative music may draw attention away from current forms of musical culture, just as the era of recorded music saw the diminishing (but not death) of orchestral music, which was once the only way to hear complex, timbrally rich and loud music. If engagement in these new types of music culture and exchange explodes, we may see reduced engagement in the traditional music consumption of artists, bands, radio and playlists.

While it is too early to tell what the impact will be, we should be attentive. The effort to defend existing creators’ intellectual property protections, a significant moral rights issue, is part of this equation.

But even if it succeeds I believe it won’t fundamentally address this potentially explosive shift in culture, and claims that such music might be inferior also have had little effect in halting cultural change historically, as with techno or even jazz, long ago. Government AI policies may need to look beyond these issues to understand how music works socially and to ensure that our musical cultures are vibrant, sustainable, enriching and meaningful for both individuals and communities.

• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Intellectual property
• Machine learning
• Songwriting
• Music production
• Generative AI

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