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While musing through some old recordings, I was struck by the way some of them dealt with issues related to students' experiences abroad. I thought it might be interesting to compile a list of such songs, so I sent out a query on SECUSS-L.
The response was far greater than I had ever imagined it would be. (You can see the list of contributors here.) I was particularly struck by the number of people who commented that individual songs, or in some cases entire albums, had special meaning to them because of connections to their own experiences abroad: some had special songs that helped them through difficult phases of their stay abroad; some remembered songs because they were popular at the time, and were frequently being played on the radio; and others had songs that seemed to echo their own experiences.
While I was initially planning to limit the list to songs that related to education abroad, and not "merely" travel, many of the responses I received indicated that I should include a separate category for travel. And a few suggested that I include US travel, which might relate to experiences that foreign students have in the US.
Although I have included many songs that relate to travel, it would be impossible to list every song that mentions a geographical location. American rock and roll is full of such examples, from well-known cities such as New York and San Francisco, to imaginary destinations like Surf City and Margaritaville. So I've tried to include only those that convey some special character of the destination, or of the experiences one might have getting there. A few are included because respondents mentioned that they trigger special memories or thoughts for them, and I thought they might do the same for others. But I have generally not included traditional songs that deal with travelling (like "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," "Marching to Pretoria," or favorite camp songs like "Valdaree, Valdara").
As I was compiling songs, I came across one useful website that provides a list of every "Number 1" song from 1930 to 1999 which also has an index to search for lyrics or artists of "Top 40" songs since 1930. But many of the songs related to this project never made it to the Top 40, much less to Number 1.
As I began receiving suggestions for the list, I quickly realized that some singers/songwriters seemed to stand out as having more songs that people immediately remembered than anyone else. In particular, people mentioned tunes by Bob Dylan (whose "Boots of Spanish Leather" started me on this quest), Joni Mitchell (especially her "Blue" album), and Jimmy Buffett. Paul Simon's two albums, "Graceland" and "The Rhythm of the Saints, also deserve special attention. Jimmy Buffett can make up a list with his own songs, so rather than fill up this page with too many of his, I have created a separate Jimmy Buffett compilation, as well as including a few of his most relevant songs in the general listing. To reach the list of Jimmy Buffet songs, click here.
I realize that this list is not complete. I doubt that it ever can be. But it's been nearly twenty years since I first created this list. There is a new generation of study abroad professionals, and many of them will undoubtedly have ideas about songs that should be included here. Thus I welcome suggestions for additions to this list. Simply send me an e-mail by clicking the e-mail link at the bottom of this page . I will add suggestions as quickly as possible, as well as add names to my list of contributors.
I have tried to group songs into fairly general categories. Where possible, I've included a little information about the songs. When I originally set up this page, I included links to web sites or lyrics whenever I could find them. But over the years, many of those sites disappeared, or changed their URL. Some were "official" websites, while others were created by fans. Since many of the links went dead fairly quickly, I decided to do away with that feature altogether in this revision. Given the effectiveness of search engines today, it's fairly easy for anyone interested in finding lyrics to a given song to simply search for "[song name] lyrics" and pursue the options on their own. Similarly, you can listen to many of the songs on youtube.com, or the many music sites now available. I will leave those for others to explore on their own.
In addition to the songs listed here, I also received a few suggestions that were not really related to education or travel (abroad or in the US). Instead, they were submitted because they struck a sympathetic chord with students (or advisors) who have spent time abroad. In most cases, I did not include those, in order to at least try to keep this on my original focus, but some are here, nonetheless.
I hope you enjoy this list, and that it leaves you with a song in your mind and a smile on your face.
--Marv Slind
Revised March 12, 2019
PLEASE NOTE: I take no responsibility for anything
you may find on
these links. Explore to your
heart's content, but also at your own risk.
The lists below include the following information:
| Song Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singer (Writer where available) | Comments/Info/Lyrics | |
 | ||
|
Education Abroad and Its Effects | ||
| Boots of Spanish Leather | ||
| Bob Dylan |
His girl friend is headed for Spain, their relationship is headed for disaster:
"Well, if you, my love, must think that-a-way, | |
| Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes | ||
| Jimmy Buffett |
(I think this title pretty much sums up the education abroad experience:)
"Reading departure signs in some big airport | |
| Good Riddance (The Time of Your Life) | ||
| Green Day |
"So make the best of this test, and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life." | |
| It Wasn't Me | ||
| Chuck Berry |
"I met a German girl in England who was studying in France I danced with her in Mississippi at an Alpha Kappa dance." | |
| Nineteen in Naples | ||
| Jonathan Richmond |
"When I was 19 I went across the sea and I found myself in italy oh, 19, 19 in naples" | |
| Road to Nowhere | ||
| Talking Heads |
"Maybe you wonder where you are I don't care Here is where time is on our side Take you there...take you there We're on a road to nowhere" | |
|
| ||
|
Coming Home | ||
|
Back Home Again | ||
| John Denver |
"Hey it's good to be back home again" | |
| Back in the USA | ||
| Chuck Berry |
On the pleasures of coming home: "Oh well, oh well, I feel so good today, We touched ground on an international runway Jet propelled back home, from over the seas to the U. S. A." | |
|
California | ||
|
Joni Mitchell |
"Sitting in a park in Paris, France Reading the news and it sure looks bad . . .
Still a lot of lands to see | |
|
Crash & Burn | ||
|
Savage Garden |
"When you feel all alone and the world has turned its back on you give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart
I know you feel like
when darkness is upon your door
let me be the one you call | |
|
Home | ||
|
Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros |
Alabama, Arkansas I do love my ma and pa Not that way that I do love you . . .
Ah, home, let me go home | |
|
Homeward Bound | ||
|
Simon and Garfunkel (music and lyrics by Paul Simon written on Widnes Train Station, between Liverpool and Manchester while waiting for the last train back to Manchester after a gig) |
"Homeward bound, I wish I was, Homeward bound" | |
|
I'll be home for Christmas | ||
| By Kim Gannon, Walter Kent, and Buck Ram Recorded by Bing Crosby |
"I'll be home for Christmas You can plan on me Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree Christmas Eve will find me Where the lovelight gleams I'll be home for Christmas If only in my dreams" | |
|
| ||
|
Travel | ||
|
Africa | ||
|
Toto |
"I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never had" | |
|
All Around the World; or, The Myth of Fingerprints | ||
|
Paul Simon |
About the commonalities shared by people around the world, despite historical & other differences
"He says there's no doubt about it | |
|
All I Want | ||
| Joni Mitchell |
"I am on a lonely road and I am traveling Traveling, traveling, traveling Looking for something, what can it be" | |
|
Along the Road | ||
|
Dan Fogelberg |
"Joy at the start, fear in the journey, joy in the coming home. A part of the heart gets lost in the learning, somewhere along the road.... Cursing the Quest, courting disaster, measureless nights forbode. Moments of rest, glimpses of laughter, are treasured along the road." | |
|
Another Suitcase in Another Hall | ||
|
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics by Tim Rice From the soundtrack of Evita |
"Call in three months time and I'll be fine I know Well maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow I won't recall the names and places of this sad occasion But that's no consolation -- here and now
So what happens now? | |
|
Anthem [The Russian] | ||
|
From the musical "Chess" (British version) |
"How can I leave her? Where would I start? Let man's petty nations tear themselves apart My land's only borders lie around my heart" | |
|
Back in the U.S.S.R. | ||
|
The Beatles |
"Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC Didn't get to bed last night On the way the paper bag was on my knee Man I had a dreadful flight I'm back in the U.S.S.R. You don't know how lucky you are boy Back in the U.S.S.R." | |
|
The Bergen | ||
|
Written by John Gerard Lowe recorded by Cherish the Ladies, Tannahill Weavers, and others |
"Sleep while you wake me with these dreams you bring Dreams come to me where I lay, And deep the melody the wild waves sing My love is far, far away. Oh, and pity the hearts The wild waves part My love sails the bonny boat, the Bergen" | |
|
Beaujolais Nouveau | ||
|
The Humpff
Family |
"The hardest part's not leaving The hard parts not going away It's the life you have to take with you And the price the other people have to pay" | |
|
By Weary Well | ||
|
Robin Williamson |
About going back home to Scotland and reminiscing about his first true love while visiting a historic site:
As I came down by the weary well | |
|
Budapest | ||
|
Jethro Tull |
"Her heart was spinning to the west-lands and she didn't care to be that night in Budapest. Hot night in Budapest." | |
|
Carey | ||
|
Joni Mitchell |
"The wind is in from Africa Last night I couldn't sleep Oh, you know it sure is hard to leave here Carey But it's really not my home" | |
|
China | ||
| Randy Stonehill
|
"A billion hearts are beating Far across the water China... And when the sun is shining Their land is cloaked in darkness China..." | |
|
Closer to Fine | ||
| Indigo Girls |
"I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains There's more than one answer to these questions pointing me in a crooked line The less I seek my source for some definitive The closer I am to fine" | |
|
Come Sail Away | ||
|
By Dennis DeYoung, recorded by Styx |
"I'm sailing away set an open course for the virgin sea I've got to be free free to face the life that's ahead of me On board I'm the captain so climb aboard We'll search for tomorrow on every shore And I'll try oh Lord I'll try to carry on" | |
|
Crusader | ||
|
Written by Mick Hanley, sung by Mary Black |
"There's a wilderness, it's a no man's land between Alice Springs and the ocean; 17 hundred miles of burning sand And a silken thread keeps a hold on you when the emptiness like a potion Tends to fray your reason strand by strand." | |
|
Dance on a Volcano | ||
|
Genesis (Written by Steve Hackett, Anthony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Phil Collins) |
"The music's playing, the notes are right Put your left foot first and move into the light The edge of this hill is the edge of the world And if you're going to cross You better start doing it Right" | |
| Daniel | ||
|
(Elton John and Bernie Taupin, recorded by Elton John) |
"Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain" | |
|
Dublin Blues | ||
|
Guy Clark |
"I loved you from the get-go and I'll love you till I die. I loved you on the Spanish Steps the day you said goodbye" | |
|
Early Morning Rain | ||
| Gordon Lightfoot |
"I'm a long way from home And I miss my loved ones so In the early morning rain With no place to go" | |
|
Embassy Lament | ||
|
From the Musical "Chess" (British version) |
An example of the bureaucracy of obtaining a visa:
"Oh my dear how boring | |
|
England Swings | ||
|
Roger Miller |
"England swings like a pendulum do, Bobbies on bicycles, two by two, Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben, The rosy red cheeks of the little children." | |
|
Englishman in New York | ||
|
Sting |
A "quirky ode to English ex-patriots"
"See me walking down Fifth Avenue
Oh, I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien | |
| Eurotrash Girl | ||
|
Cracker |
The misadventures of a man travelling across Europe, doing most of the things we don't want our students to do.
"Well I've been up to Paris | |
|
Fairytale of New York | ||
| The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl (Written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan) |
Deals with the reality of immigration to America:
"It was Christmas Eve babe | |
| Ferry 'cross the Mersey | ||
|
Gerry And Pace Makers (Written by Gerry Marsden) |
In favor of NOT going anywhere:
"Life goes on day after day | |
|
Finlandia | ||
|
Jean Sibelius--words as performed by the Indigo Girls |
"This is my song Oh god of all the nations A song of peace For lands afar and mine
This is my home
But other hearts | |
|
5 A.M. in Amsterdam | ||
|
Michelle Shocked |
"It's 5 a.m. in Amsterdam And this is how I know There's a church beside a park And it fills the dying dark With five strokes There it is again Did you hear that?" | |
| Fisherman's Blues | ||
| The Waterboys |
"I wish I was a fisherman tumbling on the sea far away from dry land and it's bitter memories casting out my sweet life with abandonment and love no ceiling bearing down on me save the starry sky above with light in my head and you in my arms I wish I was the brakeman on a hurtling fevered train crashing a-headlong on into the heartland like a cannon in the rain with the beating of the sweepers and the burning of the coal counting the towns flashing by and the night that's full of soul with light in my head and you in my arms tomorrow I will be loosened from the bonds that hold me fast with the chains all hung around me will fall away at last and on that fine and fateful day I will take me in my hand I will ride on the train I will be the fisherman with light in my head you in my arms" | |
| Fraulein | ||
|
Words and music by Lawton Williams, recorded by Bobby Helms, as well as Steve Lawrence, Chuck Berry, and others |
"Far across the blue water lives an old German's daughter By the banks of the old river Rhine Where I loved her and left her but I can't forget her I miss my pretty Fraulein" | |
| From a Distance | ||
|
Written by Julie Gold, performed by Nanci Griffith, Bette Midler, and others |
"From a distance the world looks blue and green And the snow capped mountains white From a distance the ocean meets the stream And the eagle takes to flight " | |
|
Get out the Map | ||
| Words and music by Emily Saliers Performed by The Indigo Girls |
"Get out the map Get out the map and lay your finger anywhere down We'll leave the figuring to those we pass on our way out of town Don't drink the water there seems to be something ailing everyone I'm gonna clear my head I'm gonna drink that sun I'm gonna love you good and strong while our love is good and young" | |
|
Girl from Ipanema | ||
|
Antonio Carlos Jobim and Norman Gimbel Performed by Astrid Gilberto, and others |
"Tall and tan and young and lovely, The girl from Ipanema goes walking, And when she passes Each one she passes goes "a-a-ah!" | |
| Goodnight Dallas | ||
| Carlene Carter |
"Nothing's felt better than my feet on the ground on the road that leaves out of town" | |
| Green & Grey | ||
|
By Heaton / Sullivan Performed by New Model Army |
"The time I think most clearly The time I drift away Is on the bus ride that meanders Up these valleys of green and grey I get to think about what might have been And what may yet come true And I get to pass a rainy mile Thinking of you" | |
|
Halfway Round/Walking the Line | ||
|
Burach from the CD "the weird set" |
"just another day, lying in the sun, can in your hand, all the best intentions a well laid plan, the pieces all in place, forget to check the time, everything flies in the air farewell, I'll see you again I'll see you when the world comes around again talk to anyone, that you meet, don't expect hello, from a total stranger pass you as you go, not say anything and look at you like you're from another country I really meant to write you, how can I reach you, your lying on beach, somewhere in Central Asia every time I see the papers, feels so strange, I think the place you are's the only place that I should be" | |
| Havana Moon | ||
|
Chuck Berry |
Similar to Louie, Louie:
"Havana moon, Havana moon | |
|
I know What I know | ||
| Paul Simon |
"She moved so easily All I could think of was sunlight I said aren't you the woman Who was recently given a Fulbright" | |
| I Would Bring You Ireland | ||
|
Nanci Griffith |
"I would bring you Ireland, the cool sweet of the Dublin rain If you would keep my heart for me, in the quiet of your Texas days And my old friend, will you shelter me from pain In return I'd bring you Ireland" | |
|
In the Times of India (Bombay Valentine) | ||
|
Ian Anderson |
Based on Valentine's classified ads in the Bombay newspaper | |
|
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) | ||
| Words by Jimmy Kennedy and Music by Nat Simon Performed by the Four Lads, They Might be Giants, and others |
Istanbul was Constantinople Now it's Istanbul not Constantinople Been a long time gone Old Constantinople's still has Turkish delight On a moonlight night | |
| Jamaica Farewell | ||
|
Harry Belafonte |
"Down the bay where the nights are gay And the sun shines daily on the mountain top I took a trip on a sailing ship And when I reached Jamaica I made a stop" | |
|
Judgement Day | ||
|
Randy Stonehill |
Contrasts US/western wealth with impoverishment elsewhere: " The cruise ships painted white Are anchored in the bay The tourists fill their plates from the lunch buffet And the people on the shore Gazing up like silent ghosts Are doomed within a life That is worlds away" | |
| Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues | ||
|
Bob Dylan |
"When you're lost in the rain in Juarez And it's Eastertime, too" | |
| Kashmir | ||
|
Led Zeppelin |
"My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon, I will return again, Sure as the dust that blows high in June When movin' through Kashmir." | |
| Katmandu | ||
| Bob Seger |
"I got no quarrel with the Midwest, the folks out there have given me their best. I lived there all my life, I've been their guest, I sure have loved it, too.
I'm tired of looking at the TV news.
That's why I'm going to Katmandu,
K-K-K-K-K-Katmandu, | |
| Kokomo | ||
|
Beach Boys |
"Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go, Jamaica" | |
| The Lake Isle of Innisfree | ||
|
Words by William Butler Yeats Music by Aoife Clancy Performed by Cherish the Ladies and others |
Recognizing the power of memories to evoke deep feelings about special places.
"I will rise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
I will arise and go now, for always night and day | |
| Land of Canaan | ||
| Indigo Girls |
"You can go to the East to find your, inner hemisphere You say we're under the same sky babe, You're bound to realize, Honey, it's not that clear. I'm not your promised land I'm not your promised one I'm not your Land of Canaan, sweetheart, Waiting for you under the sun. . . . It's not the fallen man, It's not the call of time, It's just the London skyline telling me you're not mine." | |
| Leaving on a Jet Plane | ||
| John Denver
(also recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary) |
On the loneliness of travel: "I'm leaving on a jet plane, Don't know when I'll be back again" | |
| Leeds | ||
|
Words and Music by Emily Saliers Performed by The Indigo Girls |
"It's dark at 4 pm in Leeds the steeples pierce the skylight till the last of it bleeds the absent sound of another day as it recedes into the shadows until it's nothing" | |
|
Let's Go To Tahiti | ||
|
by Bill Boatman and Roger Tillison, Recorded by JJ Cale |
In the spirit of "Margaritaville":
"Everybody on board, let's see if she'll float | |
| London Calling | ||
|
By Strummer/Jones, recorded by the Clash |
"London calling to the faraway towns Now that war is declared-and battle come down London calling to the underworld Come out of the cupboard, all you boys and girls London calling, now don't look at us All that phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust London calling, see we ain't got no swing 'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing" | |
| Louie, Louie | ||
|
Words and Music by Richard Berry, Most famous version recorded by The Kingsmen (also recorded by dozens of others, including Chuck Berry in 1955) |
The unofficial state song of Washington (Similar to Havana Moon)
"See Jamaica, the moon above | |
|
Marrakesh Express | ||
|
Crosby, Stills and Nash |
"Looking at the world through the sunset in your eyes, Traveling the train through clear Moroccan skies . . . Wouldn't you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express, they're taking me to Marrakesh. All aboard the train. | |
|
Me and Bobby McGee | ||
|
Kris Kristofferson (recorded by Janis Joplin, Roger Miller, Gordon Lightfoot, Jerry Lee Lewis,and others.) |
"Busted flat in Baton Rouge; Waitin' for a train, feelin' nearly faded as my jeans, Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained; Took us all the way to New Orleans" | |
| Mexico | ||
|
James Taylor |
"Oooh, Mexico I've never really been But, I'd sure like to go Whoa, oooh Mexico I guess I'll have to go now." | |
|
Montego Bay | ||
|
Bobby Bloom |
"Vernon'll meet me when the BOAC lands Keys to the MG will be in his hands Adjust to the driving 'n' I'm on my way It's all on the right side in Montego Bay" | |
|
Mozambique | ||
|
Bob Dylan |
"And when it's time for leaving Mozambique, To say goodbye to sand and sea, You turn around to take a final peek And you see why it's so unique to be Among the lovely people living free Upon the beach of sunny Mozambique." | |
| Never Been To Spain | ||
|
(Hoyt Axton, recorded by Three Dog Night) |
As one colleague put it, "How many times a day do study abroad advisors hear this one?":
"Well I've never been to Spain | |
|
1984 | ||
|
by Justin Sullivan Performed by New Model Army |
"Two nations under one crown divided more and more In our own sweet green and pleasant land in 1984" | |
| No Plane on Sunday | ||
| Jimmy Buffett |
Advice for anyone travelling by plane:
"You can throw your luggage down | |
| On a Slow Boat to China | ||
|
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser, performed by Kay Kyser, Jimmy Buffett, and others |
"I'd love to get you On a slow boat to China, All to my self alone." | |
| On the Other Side of the World | ||
|
Chaka Khan |
"I'll be waitin' for you Never believe their hearts are stone They may warm your bed when you're alone But I can warm your heart and soul On the other side of the world" | |
|
On the Road Again | ||
|
Willie Nelson |
Actually about life as a musician on the road, but it deals with some of the general aspects of travel as well:
"On the road again. | |
| One Night in Bangkok | ||
|
From the Musical Chess Written by Murray Head |
"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free" | |
|
Only a Dream in Rio | ||
|
James Taylor |
"More than a distant land over a shining sea more than the steaming green more than the shining eyes" | |
|
Peace Train | ||
|
Cat Stevens |
"I've been smiling lately Dreaming about the world as one And I believe it could be Something good's bound to come" | |
|
The Rhythm of the Saints | ||
|
Paul Simon |
Most of the album deals with foreign sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences. | |
| Roam | ||
|
B-52s |
"Roam if you want to Roam around the world Roam if you want to Without wings, without wheels Roam if you want to Without anything but the love we feel" | |
| Romance in Durango | ||
|
Bob Dylan |
"Past the Aztec ruins and the ghosts of our people Hoofbeats like castanets on stone." | |
| Rotterdam (or Anywhere) | ||
| Beautiful South |
"This could be Rotterdam or anywhere Liverpool or Rome 'Cause Rotterdam is anywhere Anywhere alone" | |
| Rum and Coca-Cola | ||
|
Words by Morey Amsterdam, music by Jeri Sullavan and Paul Baron Recorded by the Andrews Sisters |
An example of the many Calypso's from the English speaking Caribbean that deal in clever, tongue-in-cheek ways with cultures in contact.
"If you ever go down Trinidad | |
|
Russians | ||
|
Sting |
A song from the Cold War: "We share the same biology Regardless of ideology What might save us me and you Is that the Russians love their children too" | |
| Safe European Home | ||
|
By Strummer/Jones, recorded by the Clash |
"Well, I just got back an' I wish I never leave now Who dat martian arrival at the airport? How many local dollars for a local anaesthetic? The Johnny on the corner was a very sympathetic I went to the place where every white face is an Invitation to robbery An' sitting here in my safe european home I don't wanna go back there again" | |
| Seconds | ||
|
U2 |
"Lightning flashes across the sky East to west, do or die Like a thief in the night See the world by candlelight. ... USSR, DDR, London, New York, Peking It's the puppets, It's the puppets Who pull the strings " | |
| Send Me on My Way | ||
|
Rusted Root
|
I would like to reach out my hand ombe seyo ombe tell you to run bobodey see bobodeyam Well pick me up with golden hands ombe seyo ombe tell you to run bobodey see bobodeyam Well I would like to hold my little, hand we will run we will crawl" | |
|
Serengeti Moon | ||
|
Dan Fogelberg |
"The grass is high and the work is done Send the sun to his sleeping place Now we'll dance and make love beneath the Serengeti moon The Gods are laughing their twinkling eyes Shine on us in the clear night sky Take my hand...let us walk beneath the Serengeti moon" | |
| Shanghai Breezes | ||
| John Denver |
On being far away from one's loved ones:
"And though I seem a half a million miles from you | |
| Silver Wings | ||
| Merle Haggard |
"Silver wings shinning in the sunlight, roaring engines headed somewhere in flight. Their taking you away, leaving me lonely, silver wings slowly fading out of sight. | |
| So Far Away | ||
|
Dire Straits |
"So far away from me So far I just can't see So far away from me You're so far away from me" | |
|
Song for Ireland | ||
|
Words and Music: Phil Colclough; recorded by Mary Black, Dick Gaughin, Mary J. Blige, and others |
"Living on your western shore Saw summer sunsets, asked for more I stood by your Atlantic sea And sang a song for Ireland" | |
| Southern Cross | ||
|
Crosby, Stills and Nash |
"When you see the Southern Cross For the first time You understand now Why you came this way" | |
| Sunny Goodge Street | ||
|
Donovan (also recorded by Judy Collins) |
What we hope we and our students won't encounter on the London Tube:
"On the firefly platform | |
| Tangier to Casablanca | ||
|
Philip Baites |
A song inspired by a year studying abroad in Morocco, in particular by the death of his host mother's father.
"The train from Tangier to Casablanca never runs on time." | |
| Time to say goodbye (Con te partirò) | ||
|
Written by Francesco Sartori (music) and Lucio Quarantotto (lyrics) Recorded by Andrea Bocelli (alone, and with Sarah Brightman), and others |
"Time to say goodbye To countries I never Saw and shared with you, now, yes, I shall experience them. I’ll go with you On ships across seas which, I know, no, no, exist no longer,
with you I shall experience them again. | |
|
Under African Skies | ||
|
Paul Simon |
"Joseph's face was black as night The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes His path was marked By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere And he walked his days Under African skies" | |
| What a Wonderful World | ||
|
Louis Armstrong |
"I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom for me and you And I think to myself what a wonderful world." | |
|
When I Paint My Masterpiece | ||
| Bob Dylan |
"Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble, Ancient footprints are everywhere. You can almost think that you're seein' double On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs. Got to hurry on back to my hotel room . . . Sailin' 'round the world in a dirty gondola. Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola!" | |
|
When the Ship Comes In | ||
| Bob Dylan |
Re-entry fantasies? " Oh the time will come up When the winds will stop And the breeze will cease to be breathin'. Like the stillness in the wind 'Fore the hurricane begins, The hour when the ship comes in." | |
| You Belong to Me | ||
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Words and music by Pee Wee King, Chilton Price, and Redd Stewart Recorded by Jo Stafford, as well as Patti Page, Dean Martin, and the Duprees |
"See the pyramids along the Nile Watch the sun rise on a tropic isle Just remember, darling, all the while You belong to me. See the marketplace in old Algiers Send me photographs and souvenirs But remember when a dream appears You belong to me" | |
| You Can Call Me Al | ||
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Paul Simon |
"A man walks down the street It's a street in a strange world Maybe it's the Third World Maybe it's his first time around He doesn't speak the language He holds no currency He is a foreign man He is surrounded by the sound The sound Cattle in the marketplace Scatterlings and orphanages He looks around, around He sees angels in the architecture Spinning in infinity" | |
| Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea | ||
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Passenger |
"I wanna lay by a lake in Norway I wanna walk through Swedish fields of green I wanna see the forests of Finland I wanna sail on a boat on the Baltic sea I wanna feel a Russian winter I wanna go to my Polish grandmothers home I wanna see Hungarian lanterns I wanna walk on a road that leads to Rome I wanna be free as the winds that blow past me Clear as the air that I breathe To be young as the morning and old as the sea I wanna lose myself in the Scottish highlands The west coast of Ireland the Cornish breeze I wanna rest my bones in the Spanish sunshine The Italian coastline is calling me" | |
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Paris | ||
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An American in Paris | ||
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George Gershwin |
I know, it's not "popular music", but I heard those sounds all around me in Paris, and it can't fail to remind one of "the City of Lights." | |
| April in Paris | ||
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By Freddy Martin, Recorded by Billie Holiday, and others |
" I never knew the charm of Spring, Never met it face to face, I never knew my heart could sing, Never missed a warm embrace, 'Til April in Paris," | |
| Free Man in Paris | ||
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Joni Mitchell |
"I was a free man in Paris I felt unfettered and alive There was nobody calling me up for favors And no one's future to decide" | |
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Give Paris One More Chance | ||
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Jonathan Richmond |
"Well if you've been to cities but you've had enough Have you been to Paris, France? And if you doubt that Paris was made for love Give Paris one more chance The home of Piaf and Chevalier Must have done something right to get passion this way If you don't think Paris was made for love Give Paris one more chance" | |
| He went to Paris | ||
| Jimmy Buffett |
"He Went to Paris looking for Answers to questions that bothered him so" | |
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History of Us | ||
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Indigo Girls |
"I went all the way to Paris to forget your face Captured in stained glass, young lives long since passed Statues of lovers everyplace I went all across the continents to relieve this restless love I walked through the ruins, icons of glory Smashed by the bombs from above" | |
| I Love Paris | ||
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Cole Porter, recorded by Nat King Cole |
"Every time I look down on this timeless town whether blue or gray be her skies. Whether loud be her cheers or soft be her tears, more and more do I realize: I love Paris in the springtime . . . " | |
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My Father | ||
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Judy Collins |
"My father always promised us That we would live in France We'd go boating on the Seine And I would learn to dance" | |
| Paris In The Spring | ||
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Ray Noble |
"Paris In The Spring, Love is in the air Life's a love affair And ev'ry pair of arms a rendezvous for two." | |
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Raspberries, Strawberries | ||
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Will Holt, recorded by the Kingston Trio |
"A young man goes to Paris as every young man should" | |
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Travel in the USA | ||
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Alaska | ||
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Maggie Rogers |
"I was walking through icy streams That took my breath away Moving slowly through westward water Over glacial plains" | |
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City of New Orleans | ||
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Written by Steve Goodman Also recorded by Arlo Guthrie and others |
"I'm the train they call the 'City of New Orleans,' I'll be gone five hundred miles when the days is done" | |
| "Flowers are Red" | ||
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Harry Chapin |
Not about travel, but about seeing things from different perspectives | |
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Lubbock Texas in my Rearview Mirror | ||
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Mac Davis |
Changing perspectives:
"I thought happiness was Lubbock, Texas in my rearview mirror." | |
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No Particular Place to Go | ||
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Chuck Berry |
The ultimate "cruisin' song":
"Cruisin' and playing the radio | |
| "Portland, Maine" | ||
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Donovan Woods |
I don't wanna be talking on the phone every night 6 pm, which timezone, yours or mine? Ain't gonna worry where ya are, who you're with Let's just agree this is it Portland, Maine I don't know where that is | |
| Promised Land | ||
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Chuck Berry |
"Los Angeles, give me Norfolk Virginia, Tidewater four ten O nine Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin' And the poor boy's on the line." | |
| Sedona | ||
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Houndmouth |
"The red sandstone it fell Right smack on top of Sedona Arabella The Jon boats said won't you hop on in And the stagecoach baby gonna take you for a spin, oh oh, oh oh" | |
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Instrumentals | ||
| Mr. Acker Bilk | Stranger on the Shore | |
| Dave Brubeck |
Jazz Impressions of Japan Jazz Impressions of Eurasia | |
| Duke Ellington | Far East Suite Latin American Suite Togo Brava Suite Afro-Eurasian Eclipse | |
| Martin Denny (Albums) | Exotica Quiet Village Afro-Desia Afro-Eurasian Eclipse Latin Village (and others) | |
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To reach my
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To send me
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