Music and traveling. They’ve always gone hand-in-hand for me. Whenever I planned a trip, I started thinking about the music that would match the excursion. Jimmy Buffet traveled with us on our trips of sand, sea, and endless umbrella drinks. John Denver crooned to us as we traversed the twisty roads up to the Rocky Mountains. Elvis belted out “Viva Las Vegas,’ of course, as we jetted off to Sin City, and it was always a Vegas tradition to also blast, “Hot, Hot, Hot!” I’m not even sure who sang the latter, but I will forever equate that song with Las Vegas!
I think that’s what music does, and why it is so important. It directly connects you back to those vacation memories long after you’ve departed the destination. I’ve heard your sense of smell is the strongest in terms of memory, but I think if we had a sense of music, that would be right up there, too. Who doesn’t remember the musical soundtrack playing during key vacation moments?
Some songs just capture the essence of our journeys. The music, the lyrics, they both seem to tap in to the inner wanderluster in us. There is freedom and fun and adventure and reckless abandon inside those lyrics, and we just let go and live for a moment inside those words. For about three minutes and thirty seconds, we are lost, but yet forever linked. That one song will forever connect us with that one moment and the people/person with whom we shared it. It’s amazing, actually.
So I started thinking about some good travel songs. The songs that make me dream of traveling and fuel my desire to want to wander more and experience more. The songs that make me want to strip the chains and anchors of my nine-to-five version of myself and be a more uninhibited, untethered version. These are my top 12. May you find your own Traveling Tunes list, and may you build great traveling memories!
Song Title Performed By: Written By:
12. Born to Be Wild Steppenwolf Mars Bonfire
11. Boat Drinks Jimmy Buffet Jimmy Buffet
10. I’ve Been Everywhere Johnny Cash Geoff Mack
9. No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems Kenny Chesney Casey Beathard
8. I Don’t Have to Be Me ‘til Monday Steve Azar Steve Azar
7. I Lived One Republic Ryan Tedder
6. Roll Me Away Bob Seger Bob Seger
5. I Wanna Do It All Terri Clark T. Nichols, R. Giles, G. Godard
4. Anywhere With You Jake Owen B. Hayslip, D.L. Murphy, J. Yeary
3. Wide Open Spaces Dixie Chicks Susan Gibson
2. Born Free Kid Rock Kid Rock
1. Rocky Mountain High John Denver John Denver