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Travel Music

Volume IEntry 86 of 114 in 20112 min read12 comments ↓

Written by Gloria Metrick on . Published as written. It may not reflect how these systems work today.

Here in the US, with many schools having started, vacations done and work starting heavily next week, and Fall college semesters having begun, we’re convinced this is the last week of Summer. Try as you might to point to a date a few weeks into September but we see our Summer ending. For those countries where August is a month of holiday, I’d imagine they feel about the same right about now.

With the heavy emphasis on getting back to work, next week, those in the industry who frequently travel will be starting, yet again, to do their sales visits, attend conferences, go to out-of-town workshops, and make trips to visit their customers’ projects.

As it happens, I have an unnatural interest in travel-related music and, a few years ago, had come up with a plan to collect all the travel-related music I have access to. For anyone else who thinks this might be fun, I’m starting my list and welcome others to use the comments area to add to the list.

  • “King of the Road” by Roger Miller.
  • “I Live in a Suitcase” by Thomas Dolby, which I adopted as my theme song when I worked for Fisons Instruments.
  • “Security Joan” by Donald Fagen.
  • "Midnight Train to Georgia” by Jim Weatherly, but more famously recorded by Gladys Knight and the Pips.
  • “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver, but more famously recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary.
  • “Jet Airliner” by Paul Pena and recorded by the Steve Miller Band.
  • “Travelin’ Light” by Johnny Mercer, James Mundy and James “trummy” Young, probably most famously recorded by Billie Holiday. I seem to think there are other songs out there by this same name, as well.

Here’s a list of songs devoted to those of you who ask those of us who travel if we “like to travel” and, if we did, would there be so many blues songs about “travelin’”:

  • “Travelin’ Blues” by Jim Messina and recorded by Loggins & Messina.
  • “Travelin’ Blues” by Merle Haggard.
  • “Travelin’ Blues” by Lefty Frizzel.
  • “Travelin’ Blues” by T-BoneWalker.

Gloria Metrick
GeoMetrick Enterprises
http://www.GeoMetrick.com/

The conversation

12 comments from 6 people, September 6 to September 7, 2011. Gloria replied 3 times.

  1. Nancy Ridenhyour

    How about "Chattanooga Choo-Choo by Glenn Miller?
    Does "Sentimental Journey" count?

  2. Paul Keister

    I-95 by Fountains of Wayne
    Route 66 by Bobby Troup, first recorded by Nat King Cole

  3. Terry Iorns

    One of my favorites is Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again."

  4. John Trigg

    Day Tripper & Ticket to Ride (both by the Beatles)
    The Road to Hell - Chris Rea (feels like it sometimes)
    Rockin' Down the Highway - The Doobie Brothers
    Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell
    Lost in France - Bonnie Tyler (it happens!)

  5. Elliot Greene

    "Travelin' Man" by Rick Nelson
    "On the Road Again" by Canned Heat

  6. Terry Iorns

    "Fly Me to the Moon" sung by Frank Sinatra and others.

    1. Gloria MetrickAuthor

      "MTA" by The Kingston Trio

      This is also known as "The Man Who Never Returned" and, informally, as "The Charlie Song" (this song explains why Boston's mass transit system has a "Charlie" card).

      1. Gloria MetrickAuthor

        "On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe" written by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren, with other famous recordings by others besides Johnny Mercer but probably most famously recorded by Judy Garland for the movie "The Harvey Girls."

        1. Gloria MetrickAuthor

          "The Train" by Tuxedomoon

          (I'm starting to notice I have kind of a "thing" about train songs, here...)

  7. Linda Little

    I see someone beat me to "On the road again" but I'm going for the French version by Bernard Lavilliers (so really it's quite different, more "On ze road again")

  8. Terry Iorns

    Here's a few more that tend to show my age -- I think they all have a travel component.
    New York, New York - Frank Sinatra
    Take Me Home Country Road - John Denver
    Do you know the way to San Jose - Dionne Warwick
    Git along little doggies - Sons of the Pioneers
    Arrivederci Roma
    I left my heart in San Francisco - Tony Bennett
    California Here I come - Al Jolson
    I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino
    City of New Orleans - Steve Goodman
    Cruisin down the river
    I'm Going to Memphis - Johnny Cash

  9. John Trigg

    No Particular Place to Go - Chuck Berry
    On Every Street - Dire Straits
    Life in the Fast Lane - The Eagles
    Dancing in the Street - Martha Reeve
    Hit the Road Jack - Ray Charles

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