The Best Travel Songs (PART 2)

Kia Ora Whānau, for those of you that don't know, that basically means "Hello, my extended/non-nuclear family" in Maori, the native New Zealand language. See, I'm catching on already!
That's enough chit-chat let's continue my post from last week, on the best songs to travel with...


31. JACK JOHNSON - UPSIDE DOWN

Jack Johnson's music seems to conjure up images of Oceans, Beaches, Guitars and Fun - so it's basically perfect for traveling. There are a few of his songs that could feature in this list, so it's worth checking out his albums "To the Sea" and "In between Dreams".

32. CAS HALEY - SLOW DOWN

Cas Haley was brought to my attention by a guy, who let us tag along in his camper van, while driving along the great ocean road in South Australia. I'm now taking the time to thank him for this, as this song, and many others by Cas Haley still continue to chill me the f**k out.

33. ETHERWOOD - WEIGHTLESS

One of the few songs on this list that don't involve a man and his guitar, but none-the-less still an amazing song. Etherwood's debut album "Begin by Letting go" is jam packed full of great backpacking songs - the liquid-like Drum & Bass seems to fit, both, relaxing on the beach, and adrenalin-filled excursions.

34. BON IVER - HOLOCENE

"And at once I knew, I was not magnificent." Never has a sentence summed up traveling as good as this. It's a lovely song and quite haunting in places, perfect for those moments of deep thought when you've reached the pinnacle of your journey, and experiencing something far bigger and more profound than anything you've experienced before.

35. THE WHO - BABA O'RILEY

I was listening to this a lot when I got to Los Angeles and it just seemed to fit so well! Could be good for those moments when you're just entering a big city or alternatively just leaving one as it does speak of "the exodus" and "teenage wasteland".

36. FLEETWOOD MAC - GO YOUR OWN WAY

Great to sing along to! Imagine this coming on the car radio as your driving along the highway. Only issue is you will need someone else there too, so they can sing the back up parts like so - Person A: "You can go your own waaayyyy" Person B: "GO YOUR OWN WAAAAHAAAAYYYY".

37. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - BORN TO RUN

Inevitably I listened to this a fair bit when I reached the American leg of my journey. It's relevant to other Countries too, but this really excels in the US, Just makes you want to buy a pick-up truck, wear nothing but denim and plaid, and exclusively drink Jack Daniels for a few weeks.

37. WHITESNAKE - HERE I GO AGAIN

Another American classic, but this time of the hair-metal variety. This song reaches very, very high on the official scale of epicness (Yes, that is a word). A fun song to listen to when driving along a winding road and when you're in the mood for a spot of air guitar.

38.  TOM PETTY - FREE FALLIN'

The chorus to this song just encompasses that feeling you consistently have while traveling through all the beautiful scenery this world has to offer. another good song to sing along to - "And I'm Freeeeeeeeeeeee... Free Fallin'."

39. BOB DYLAN - LIKE A ROLLING STONE

This song always reminds me of a rooftop bar in the middle of Bangkok because they had the same Thai guy singing it, in very broken English, almost every night! Ahh Memories :( Another Dylan song worthy of a spot here is "The Wind".

40. JOSEPH ARTHUR - IN THE SUN

The tempo of this song and his voice are just so mellow it's perfect for those lazy days after a heavy night where you're hungover and just want to chill by the beach or even a park in the city.

41. KATIE MELUA - WALLS OF THE WORLD

Now, I'm a little bit in love with Katie Melua, so I may be biased, but ever since I photographed her in Bristol I've thought her voice is enough to give anyone goosebumps, This, combined with the lyrics of the song are the reason she's on my list. And she apparently has one of my photographs in her house! :D

42. ETHERWOOD - FALLING OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Another addition from the Etherwood album. I told you there were more that could go in! The vocals over this track are perfect for traveling, although it may be something to do with the fact that this video was filmed while backpacking through south-east Asia.

43. BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH - WHEN THE NIGHT FEELS MY SONG

This song is almost obnoxiously happy. It's one of those songs that everyone knows and loves, but yet most people have no idea how they know it. Great for backpackers hostels or camping in the country side.

44. THE BEACH BOYS - I GET AROUND

I love this song. I didn't even listen to it that much while traveling, but I feel stupid for not doing so! It's such a great song for the beach, driving, drinking, practically 80% of the things you do while traveling.

45. OASIS - ALL AROUND THE WORLD

This was literally the first song me and my Backpacking Buddy, Jordan listened to when we reached our first country, Thailand. I put it on when we got to our hotel on the first night. For that reason alone this song will always be a special one to me. It was the first song in the playlist of the greatest year of my life.

46. JOSE GONZALEZ - CYCLING TRIVIALITIES

  

When I first heard this song the lyrics fitted my predicament perfectly. I had ZERO money left, Jordan and I had split up to go to separate Cities in New Zealand, and I had no idea what I was going to do (Looking back on it, I can't even believe i let myself get into that situation) Luckily a Dutch friend and his skiing buddy let me stay with them for a while and I had an awesome time and met so many cool people.

47. THE KINKS - SHANGRI-LA

 

I'm a big fan of the The Kinks, they have a fair few songs that are nice to listen to while traveling. It's mainly due to Wes Anderson films why I like them so much, as he tends to use them in almost every one, especially Darjeeling Limited which is about a train journey across India. 

48. FLO RIDA - GOOD FEELING

Now, some would say that Flo Rida is one of the more talentless rappers out there, but not me. He's supplied some of the most upbeat, and catchy tunes of the past few years. This song, especially, was played in almost every club I attended through out traveling.

49. PITBULL - GIVE ME EVERYTHING FEAT NEYO

Shameful i know... But still, a feel good song that makes you want to dance arm in arm with your traveling buddies. Basically what I'm getting at is; which ever summer pop-song is played to death that year, you will associate it with traveling. I'm thinking this year's backpacker's song would be "Avicii - Hey Brother" or that other one he did...

50. THE DOORS - THE END

One of my all time favourite songs. I listened to it almost exclusively during the last few weeks of backpacking. I knew it was all coming to an end, and I was getting prepared for the depressing return to normality, otherwise known as the cold, wet,  and grumpy United Kingdom.

I know, I've left out A lot of great traveling songs on this list, but to be honest I'm drawing a blank at the moment. This list is more personal than general, and I'm sure it will be different for everyone. I may even add to this when the right time comes. Hope you enjoyed a little insight into my backpacking years and trust me there's plenty more where that came from! Until next time, Whānau.