What’s Your Travel Song?

What's Your Travel Song?

Is there a certain song that makes you want to travel or reminds you of special travel adventures?

Being asked for an interview orto contribute to a blog post is always fun but I especially liked Raphael @JourneyWonder‘s request for me to suggest a “song that inspired you to explore the wonders of the world”.

You can check out the post here but this is the travel story and song I shared:

My travel song is Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver. Many moons ago (1989!) when I was a poverty stricken backpacker touring Egypt on a shoestring and staying in the grottiest places ever, my friend and I managed to sneak into the ultra posh Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor on the banks of the River Nile.

Previous guests have included Jimmy Carter, Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill and, although we wouldn’t be staying the night, we were thoroughly enjoying a taste of luxury.

We didn’t look as posh as these people but, for scruffy young backpackers, we were doing our best to fit in and slip under the radar.

travel-songs-winter-palace

It was utter bliss being somewhere clean, safe and hassle free for a change and probably the first time in Egypt we could really relax.

So there we were sunning ourselves on a lounger by the pool while a steel band played when they launched into Leaving On a Jet Plane. There was no one singing but we knew the words, sung along and loved it.

That song still hits me with the excitement of travel every time I hear it. It’s corny and romantic but I love it. Here’s a grainy old video of John Denver singing leaving on a jet plane and some of the lyrics so you can sing along. All together now!

All my bags are packed
I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin’
It’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’
He’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die

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
Oh babe, I hate to go

When I was researching this travel song memory I discovered that John Denver actually died in a plane accident which is a bit spooky.

I won’t let that bother me though. Booking flights, hopping on a plane and arriving somewhere new are still thrills for me and hearing that song reminds me of my travels in Egypt and lounging by this pool.

Travel songs winter palace pool

I’ll never stop loving travel and adventure and love it or hate it Leaving on a Jet Plane is my travel song.

What’s YOUR travel song? Leave a comment below, I’d love to know. 

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11 Comments

  1. Steve May 26, 2014 at 12:05 pm - Reply

    “City of New Orleans” by Steve Goodman. Denver had such a great voice and was a hell of a writer.

  2. Tim May 26, 2014 at 4:45 pm - Reply

    Where the streets have no name by U2 … might not be directly related to travel, but the song title is exactly where I like to be!

  3. Jon May 27, 2014 at 12:14 am - Reply

    Big California.by Raygun Ballet. The whole album revolves around road trips through California. For big, life-changing moves across country it would have to be Texas by Chris Rea. “They got big, long roads out there.”

  4. Seana May 28, 2014 at 2:17 pm - Reply

    Is it ironic that it’s a Scottish song for Scotland: ‘Big Country’ by Big Country… a fantastic track to listen to as you pass through Glencoe.

  5. Purva Bhatia December 18, 2015 at 2:07 am - Reply

    This is my fav travel song too! Another song that awakens the travel bug in me is a Hindi song “Pataka Guddi”

  6. Cynthia April 7, 2016 at 9:15 am - Reply

    My travel song is ” Born Free”
    Lyrics:
    Born free, as free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows,
    Born free to follow your heart.
    Live free and beauty surrounds you, the world still astounds you,
    Each time you look at the stars.
    Stay free where no walls divide you, you’re free as the roaring tide,
    So there’s no need to hide.
    Born free and life is worth living, but only worth living
    Cause you’re born free.

    • Annabel Candy April 7, 2016 at 9:42 am - Reply

      Hi Cynthia,

      Oh that’s a great travel song. I loved those movies with Elsa the lion. Thanks for the reminder :)

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