When planning a cross-country trip, there’s a truckload of things to consider. What route to take? Where to stay? What to see? How many climate zones and what weather conditions? What and how much to pack to accommodate weather and occasion? All important. But me, I began planning my cross-country trip by putting together my Traveling Playlist.
First song, of course, “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson. I can’t take a trip to the next state without playing it, much less across the country. After that, I had to think about themes. Songs about travel, certainly. Songs about leaving and coming home. Songs about roads, towns, states — and states of mind. Some songs mean so much, I own multiple versions by different folks. Here’s my list for now —132 songs, 8 hours and 9 minutes.
We’re not leaving until January, so please suggest new songs that I can add to my playlist. Just click reply at the bottom of this post.
My Playlist (so far)
99 MILES FROM L.A. | Holly Near |
500 MILES | Peter, Paul & Mary |
900 MILES | Woody Guthrie |
2000 MILES | The Pretenders |
10,000 MILES | Mary Chapin Carpenter |
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE | The Beatles |
ADIRONDACK BLUE | The Bacon Brothers |
ALMOST HOME | Mary Chapin Carpenter |
AMERICA | Simon & Garfunkel |
BABY WON’T YOU PLEASE COME HOME | Bessie Smith |
BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA | Johnny Mercer |
BADLANDS | Bruce Springsteen |
BASIN STREET BLUES | Louis Armstrong |
BEALE STREET MAMA | Bessie Smith |
BIG RIVER | Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash & Kris Kristofferson |
BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND | Peter, Paul & Mary |
BLOWING DOWN THIS OLD DUSTY ROAD | Woody Guthrie |
BLUE BAYOU | Linda Ronstadt |
CALIFORNIA NIGHTS | Lesley Gore |
CAR SONG | Woody Guthrie |
CHICAGO | Judy Garland |
COME AWAY WITH ME | Norah Jones |
COMING INTO LOS ANGELES | Arlo Guthrie |
COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY | Dixie Chicks |
DIRT ROAD BLUES | Bob Dylan |
DOWN THAT ROAD | Alisan Porter |
DRIVIN’ WHEEL | Little Junior Parker |
DUNCAN | Paul Simon |
DUST IN THE WIND | Sarah Brightman |
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND | Jay-Z & Alicia Keys |
ERIE CANAL | Bruce Springsteen |
FARAWAY LAND | Alison Krauss & Union Station |
FAREWELL TO TARWATHIE | Judy Collins |
FIRST WE TAKE MANHATTAN | Leonard Cohen |
FOLLOW ME | Mary Travers |
FOUR STRONG WINDS | Bobby Bare |
FREE FALLIN’ | Kimberly Nichole |
FREEWAY OF LOVE | Meghan Linsey & Blake Shelton |
GENTLE ON MY MIND | The Band Perry |
GEORGIA ON MY MIND | Willie Nelson |
GEORGIA ON MY MIND | Ray Charles |
GO MY WAY | The Bacon Brothers |
GODSPEED (SWEET DREAMS) | Dixie Chicks |
GOIN’ HOME | Fats Domino |
GOIN’ TO THE RIVER | Fats Domino |
GOING DOWN THE ROAD FEELING BAD | Woody Guthrie |
GRACELAND | Paul Simon |
HARD TRAVELING | Woody Guthrie |
HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED | Bob Dylan |
HIGHWAY IN THE WIND | Arlo Guthrie |
HIGHWAYMAN | Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson |
HIT THE ROAD JACK | Ray Charles |
HOME | Meghan Linsey |
HOME AGAIN | Ashley Campbell |
HOME AGAIN | Carole King |
HOMEWARD BOUND | Simon & Garfunkel |
I GUESS HE’D RATHER BE IN COLORADO | John Denver |
I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO | Tony Bennett |
I’M GOING HOME | Arlo Guthrie |
KEEP ON MOVING | Bob Marley |
KEY LIME PIE | Peggy Sarlin |
LEAVING SONG | Mary Chapin Carpenter |
LIKE A ROLLING STONE | Bob Dylan |
LONG JOURNEY HOME | Sweet Honey in the Rock |
LONG OLD ROAD | Bessie Smith |
LUCKENBACH, TEXAS | Waylon Jennings |
MANY RIVERS TO CROSS | Tessanne Chin |
MARYLAND | Vonda Shepard |
ME AND BOBBY MCGEE | Janis Joplin |
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD | The Pretenders |
MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA | Gladys Knight & The Pips |
MISSISSIPPI | Dixie Chicks |
NEW YORK, NEW YORK | Liza Minnelli |
NOWHERE ROAD | Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson |
OH, ATLANTA | Alison Krauss & Union Station |
OKLAHOMA | Gordon MacRae & Charlotte Greenwood |
OLD CAPE COD | Patti Page |
ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND THE SANTA FE | Judy Garland |
ON THE ROAD AGAIN | Bob Dylan |
ON THE ROAD AGAIN | Willie Nelson |
ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL | Johnny Cash |
OVER THE RAINBOW | Judy Garland |
PEACE TRAIN | Cat Stevens |
RAMBLIN’ BOY | Tom Paxton |
RAMBLIN’ MAN | Hank Williams |
RAMBLIN’ MAN | The Allman Brothers Band |
READY TO RUN | Dixie Chicks |
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH | John Denver |
ROUTE 66 | Natalie Cole |
RUNNING DOWN THE ROAD | Arlo Guthrie |
SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY | Doris Day |
SHENANDOAH | The Ebony Hillbillies |
SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD | B.B. King |
SNOWBIRD | Anne Murray |
SO FAR AWAY | Carole King |
SO LONG | Fats Domino |
SO LONG, MARIANNE | Leonard Cohen |
SOMEWHERE | Aretha Franklin |
ST. LOUIS BLUES | Bessie Smith |
ST. LOUIS BLUES | Bessie Smith & Louis Armstrong |
STEAMROLLER BLUES | Meghan Linsey |
STONES IN THE ROAD | Mary Chapin Carpenter |
TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS | John Denver |
THE 59TH STREET BRIDGE SONG | Simon & Garfunkel |
THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS | Arlo Guthrie |
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD | The Beatles |
THE LONG WALK HOME | Glen Campbell |
THE LONG WAY HOME | Norah Jones |
THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER | Highwaymen |
THE WANDERER | Johnny Cash & U2 |
THE WATER IS WIDE | Arlo Guthrie, Holly Near, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert |
THE WIND | Laura Nyro & LaBelle |
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND | Peter, Paul & Mary |
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND | The Weavers |
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND | Woody Guthrie |
TILL WE MEET AGAIN | Suede |
TOP OF THE WORLD | Dixie Chicks |
TRAV’LIN’ LIGHT | Queen Latifah |
TRAVELLER | Chris Stapleton |
WALKING TO NEW ORLEANS | Fats Domino |
WAY OVER YONDER | Carole King |
WAYFARING STRANGER | Eva Cassidy |
WE’VE COME A LONG WAY | Holly Near |
WELCOME TO NEW YORK | Taylor Swift |
WEST COAST BLUES | Nancy Wilson |
WHERE YOU LEAD | Carole King |
WICHITA LINEMAN | Glen Campbell |
WIDE OPEN SPACES | Dixie Chicks |
WON’T YOU COME HOME BILL BAILEY | Bobby Darin |
You should listen to Midnight Ryder by The Allmann Brothers on your trip! It is always a feel good song to me when it comes on the radio.
Great addition. I also added “Melissa.”
IM JUST PISSED THERES NO DIRTNAPPERS ON THIS LIST!!!! But I’m going to give this list a shot- good road tunes!
My Traveling Playlist nows has three Dirt Napper tunes: “In Her Rearview Mirror,” “Rafferty Train,” and “When We Reach the Other Side.” Especially love that last one.