We all have those songs that fuel our wanderlust and inspire us to hit the road. Here are the 10 best travel songs (in my opinion…) that make me want to pack up and head off into the sunset in search of adventures.
Lady GaGa – Gypsy
“So I just packed my baggage and said goodbye to family and friends, and took a road to nowhere on my own. Like Dorothy on the yellow brick; hope my ruby shoes get us there quick, ’cause I left everyone I love at home.”
This is absolutely THE ultimate travel song for me right now. She describes doing the very thing that I am working towards. The fact that she finds a happy ending in the shape of a fellow gypsy to share her adventure appeals to the closet romantic in me and makes this track my absolute favourite wanderlust-inspiring song.
Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind
“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. Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York.”
As a small-town girl, I almost always fall in love with the city lights and sounds, no matter what city I find myself in. New York is the ultimate city on most travel bucket lists and has to be experienced in order to understand the sheer magnificence of it. This song for me – along with the video – always transports me in my mind, so that I almost feel like I’m in Times Square surrounded by yellow cabs and flashing neon signs.
All Saints – Pure Shores
“I’m moving, I’m coming, can you hear what I hear? It’s calling you my dear, out of reach (take me to my beach). I can hear it calling you, I’m coming, not drowning, swimming closer to you.”
I spend most of my time in a cold, rainy environment here in Ireland (although when the sun shines it is a truly magnificent place to be), so the call of a sun-drenched beach often comes to me completely unexpectedly and can be overwhelming in its intensity. This song captures that feeling perfectly.
Ed Sheeran – Barcelona
“You and I, we’re flying on an aeroplane tonight. We’re going somewhere where the sun is shining bright. Just close your eyes, and let’s pretend we’re dancing in the street in Barcelona”
This one pretty much speaks for itself. Who wouldn’t be filled with wanderlust at the thought of dancing in the streets in Barcelona, carefree in the sunshine?
Bruce Springsteen – Hungry Heart
“Got a wife and kids in Baltimore Jack, I went out for a ride and I never went back. Like a river that don’t know where it’s flowing, I took a wrong turn and I just kept going.”
Firstly, don’t try this at home. Do NOT leave your wife and kids in Baltimore… BUT, here is the story of the stereotypical wanderer, who just cannot stay in one place. This is not the only Bruce track that could have been used here but it’s my personal favourite. From the opening notes, it picks me up and brings me on that journey with him.
Phantom Planet – California
“We’ve been on the run, driving in the sun, looking out for number 1. California here we come, right back where we started from. Hustlers grab your guns, your shadow weighs a ton, driving down the 101. California here we come, right back where we started from. California! Here we come!”
Maybe it’s because this song was used as the opening tune for the OC, and maybe it’s because it reminds me of my west coast Cali trip last summer…but whatever the reason, whenever I hear it, I imagine myself cruising in an old Mustang with the top down, the sun shining, and the radio blaring. Bliss!
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
“You got a fast car, I wanna ticket to anywhere. Maybe we can make a deal, maybe together we can get somewhere. Anyplace is better, starting from zero, got nothing to lose. Maybe we’ll make something, me myself I got nothing to prove”.
A classic song from a classic album, and coming from my favourite year in music, this song screams of the need to escape from the everyday and find something better, something exciting, something extraordinary.
Keane – Somewhere Only We Know
“I walked across an empty land, I knew the pathway like the back of my hand. I felt the earth beneath my feet, sat by the river and it made me complete.”
This song for me is about switching off from the pressures and the craziness of daily life, and just reconnecting with nature. No distractions, no technology, just the empty land and the river. The fact that it has a killer piano line is an added bonus.
Miley Cyrus – Party In The USA
“I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardigan. Welcome to the land of fame excess, am I gonna fit in? Jumped in the cab, here I am for the first time; look to my right and I see the Hollywood sign. This is all so crazy; everybody seems so famous.”
I know this one is super cheesy but I do love a good old-fashioned pop anthem. I’ve had that feeling she describes when I step off the plane in a new destination where I’ve never been before. The feeling of excitement mixed with nervousness and hope that this place will be amazing.
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
“Just a small town girl, livin’ in a lonely world; she took the midnight train goin’ anywhere. Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit; he took the midnight train goin’ anywhere.”
No travel songs countdown would be complete without this one. This small town girl and city boy have come from completely different worlds, yet they both have the urge to travel and to see what is outside their own comfort zone.
That’s it for my favourite travel songs. Click here to check out my favourite travel quotes.
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