Our planes may be grounded, our ships docked, out trains in their stations but we’ve still got a song in our hearts.
And we’re keeping ourselves going with a playlist of Travel Songs.
Here are ten until we can travel again.
Life’s a Beach
Sloop John B, Beach Boys, California
Only I didn’t, and don’t, wanna go home.
There are few songs, or singers more synonymous with their home than the Beach Boys.
You get it about California when you see the Boys in Anaheim, as you do, and Mike Love touches your hand.
The Beach Boys Get Around all right by boat, plane, car or surf board. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Hail Mary
Proud Mary, Tina Turner, Mississippi
Watching those river boats, rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ down the river to Mississippi made me Mr Happy.
And reminded me of Proud Mary… and Proud Beverley.
Pumping her arms and rolling her body on stage at Rising Star Karaoke club on CiyWalk at Universal Orlando…
Proud Beverley that is, a proud Scot who was supposed to be the warm-up act for my Lady Marmalade but who absolutely slayed it on our Orlando recce.
The Mississippi is, of course, America’s South to North artery and a playground or play waterway if you like.
And it’s how you really want to do The Deep South although that’s to take nothing away from our unforgettable road trip through Tennessee and Mississippi.
Hit the Road Jock
Jack, Ray Charles, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
You might not immediately associate Ray Charles and Jazz with the Czech Republic.
But then you can’t have been or you would have seen the saxophonists on Charles Bridge in Prague.
It was probably Hit the Road Jock when I dance with Swedish Agnetha in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic’s Spa Triangle back when.
Jazz has truly travelled the world and is in itself a music of travel with many a song of a vagrant worker eking out a living on the road.
Sounds all too familiar.
On the sunny Caribbean Sea
Woah, I’m going to Barbados, Typically Tropical, Barbados
Now I’ve never been on Coconut Airways and I wasn’t off to see ma girlfriend Mary Jane… at least that’s what I told the Scary One and I’m sticking to that story.
No, it was Virgin Airways, and I was the guest of Visit Barbados and then the second time with Tropical Sky.
Woah, I’m going to Barbados may not be the pure Soca they so love in Barbados and me too but they will sing along too.
As the house singer at Club Barbados who had a bow tie and dress shirt designed on to his T-shirt delivered without any degree of corniness.
I can’t wait to be…
On the Road Again, Willie Nelson, Pilgrimages in Spain and Italy
And my go-to song when I’m out on the road is Willie Nelson’s standard… it’s my mission statement when I hit a pilgrimage, and my friend Aileeen Eglington’s Destination Anywhere radio show on Dublin South FM.
You’ll get plenty of time on your own when you’re on your Camino on your way to Santiago or your Via Francigena into Rome.
And yes, of course, I can’t wait to be…
MEET YOU ON THE ROAD
