Music And Travel Vol. I: Musings Of A Writer Who Travels Through Songs

You remember that feeling when you are stuck in a 10X10 cell and I do not mean a prison cell. Okay, let me be precise, you are in a cubicle (at your office) looking out of the window, that is if your seat has the view, with earphones plugged in waiting for the next song to inspire you to travel. Or just break the monotonous routine of time that you are caught in. Well, why wait, when you can listen to some great music and travel. So, without any more introduction, here are my choices:

Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UWRypqz5-o

I was born 20 years after this song was released. Just emphasizing that good music never dies. A classic heavy metal rock song that shows the ‘biker culture’ and makes you reach out for that imaginary guitar and pelt out riffs. If you are thinking of breaking free, this song does that. It just makes you want to get your motor running because we were born to be wild.

Interesting Fact (IF): This song had been used in numerous movies and the cover versions just keep flowing. When Paris Hilton asked Steppenwolf to use the song for her show, the band denied. This just shows that they not only make good music, but also sound decisions!

Aerosmith – Fly Away From Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xzDj-XOX2U

Well, if you are looking to run away with a loved one, this song is apt. The power ballad talks about the usual stuff: packing our bags, following our hopes and dreams and not letting time pass us by. But when Aerosmith performs it, suddenly you want to do it all. So, it is never too late to start again.

IF: This song featured in a slide show of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to inspire people to not be bogged down by the events and instead take control of the situation.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwWUOmk7wO0

You knew this was coming. There have been over 40 songs written about this state. The reason for picking this song over the others is because this was not just about the state, but an answer to two songs written by Neil Young. Neil talked about racism and slavery in the American South in ‘Southern Man’ and ‘Alabama’. You will have to read the Wiki page for the complete controversy. Nevertheless, this song makes you want to visit the state.

IF: The song also mentions the Watergate scandal. Historians suggest that the band was telling the northerners to stop judging southerners for the racial problems as they were not judging them for the failure of their leaders, precisely Nixon.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Around the World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9eNQZbjpJk

If you want a world tour with a funk rock element then this song shall do justice. It describes different terrains across the world, making you aware that there is still so much to travel and experience. From California and Mumbai, to Sicily and Russia, this song shall give you many destination ideas for your next journey.

IF: Roberto Benigni's film ‘Life Is Beautiful’ was a lyrical inspiration for this song.

The Beatles - The Long and Winding Road

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9kG0hgIoxo

If you are wondering whether this song should be in the list of ‘Top romantic songs’, you are correct. But, when you hear the song, it gives you the familiar feeling of travelling to a place that you have already been to but cannot get enough of.. It’s the perfect track to inspire you to go to that happy place of yours, no pun intended.

IF: Paul McCartney wrote this song in his farm in Scotland and imagined it being sung by someone like Ray Charles.

Stay tuned for the Volume II.