We are getting out of the city and heading to the country in this installment of Road Trip Playlists with eight great going-to-the-country road trip songs that celebrate the more rural side of life.
And why not? More often than not, RV road trip journeys do take us to the country (although I do love me some urban RVing too).
As usual, I will try to use a mix of genres and combine songs you know and love with those you might not have heard before. Coincidentally or not, a lot of songs that fit this one seem to come from the ’70s.
A quick peek at the Going-to-the-Country road song playlist:
- Out in the Country by Three Dog Night
- Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
- Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America
- Country Road by James Taylor
- Heart of the Country by Paul and Linda McCartney
- Festival of Flowers by Tish Hinojosa
- Going to the Country by Bruce Cockburn
- Nothing But Flowers by Talking Heads
Out in the Country by Three Dog Night
This was a minor hit for Three Dog Night in the early 1970s. It has that groovy-man ’70s soft rock vibe, but the sentiment of needing to get away from it all and out into the country remains timeless.
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
One of John Denver’s most beloved hits, the lyrics may focus on the country in West Virginia, but in a more general sense, it was the first song everyone I polled thought of when I asked them to name a song about going to the country. Plus, it’s a great tune to crank up the volume and sing along to. [I love this! Thanks for my nickname, John! —Diane aka Mountain Mama (since 1971)]
Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America
In this whimsical song, The Presidents of the United States of America are moving to the country so that they can eat a lot of peaches. For sure, fresh produce is one of the highlights of going to the country. “Millions of peaches, peaches for me!” I frequently find this fun song getting stuck in my head any time I travel through farmland.
Country Road by James Taylor
James Taylor says his feet know where they want him to go and that is “walking on a country road.” Can you feel it?
Heart of the Country by Paul and Linda McCartney
Paul and Linda McCartney were looking for a home in the heart of the country in this song that celebrates the rural lifestyle that we RVers can have any time. The song is from 1971 Ram, my personal favorite work of his post-Beatles.
Festival of Flowers by Tish Hinojosa
I had a tough time finding a video of Pete Seeger’s original Festival of Flowers, a song about a romantic day out in the country. But Tish Hinojosa’s gorgeous voice does the song justice, in English and in Spanish. Tish recorded this version for a Pete Seeger tribute album.
Going to the Country by Bruce Cockburn
Nothing personifies a visit to the country like Bruce Cockburn’s joyful 1970 song. Those joys have not changed over the years. The song, with its simple guitar accompaniment, has a timeless feel. It was written decades ago, but it might have been last week.
Nothing But Flowers by Talking Heads
I will close out this Going to the Country road song playlist with one of my all-time favorite road songs. This tongue-in-cheek environmental commentary postulates on a futuristic time when we will miss the honky tonks, Dairy Queens, and 7-11s because there is nothing but flowers.
What other songs would you add to the Going to the Country road song playlist? Be sure to drop them in the comments below.
Previously in Cheri’s Road Trip Playlists
- Lone Star state playlist: 8 great songs about Texas
- 10 road songs for lovers
- 10 great American road trip/roadside America songs
- 9 terrific “born to roam” songs
- 8 awesome “life on the road” songs
- 7 joyful road trip songs to start your journey
##RVT1103
Again..Please suggest some new music…sheesh!
Well done on tucking some Talking Heads into this week’s list.
As full timers, we like the chorus to the opening song of the musical Paint Your Wagon. “Where are we heading? We don’t know. When will we get there? We ain’t certain. All we know is we are on our way.”
Yes, that is a great one. I did put Wandrin’ Star in another playlist, but Paint Your Wagon is also great.
Canned Heat. “Going Up the Country”
Absolutely! How was this Canned Heat classic missed?
I thought about it and now I can’t remember why I left it out.