The Transit Lounge

There’s nothing quite like pelting down a highway to the sounds of a great road song. Even when we’re standing still, songs that talk about travel and transitions can give us a sense of freedom and power, making us feel we’re living life in the fast lane.

So, what makes a good travel song?

An early rhythm and blues classic, (Get your kicks on) Route 66, is a swinging homage to the iconic US highway that has been covered by countless artists including Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones and the Cramps.

Hit the Road Jack, by the brilliant Ray Charles and the Rayettes, celebrates the end of a relationship: a man’s life changes as a strong woman lays down the law.

Another early pop favourite, We’re all going on a Summer Holiday can’t help but evoke the innocence and fun of carefree days —  even despite its embarrassingly naff lyrics and tune. Meanwhile On the Road Again (just can’t wait to get on the road again…), made famous by Willie Nelson, very nearly has the wind blowing in your hair before you’ve left the house!

Bob Dylan is a master of in-transit titles, including It Takes a Lot to Laugh, it Takes a Train to Cry and Train A-Travelin’, songs that reference modes of transport but are more about the complex journeys of the heart and mind.

In the 80s we heard from The Triffids, with their hit song, Wide Open Road. The band hailed, unsurprisingly, from Perth; the sound of the Nullarbor stretching on for an eternity can be heard in their unique brand of indie pop. Though many mistake Wide Open Road as a call to the outback it is, on closer listening, about psychological and experiential spaciousness, the unknown and unknowable that looms following a love lost.

But perhaps the most quintessential travel song of all time is Born to be Wild, immortalised by Steppenwolf on the Easy Riders soundtrack. When it says, “Get your motor runnin’, get out on the highway,” it tells us what it means to travel through life with boldness.