9 great born-to-roam road songs

Welcome back to Road Trip Playlists. In this installment, we are going to look at born-to-roam songs. In other words, songs that celebrate the nomadic lifestyle.

As an RVer, you likely have this wandering spirit to one degree or another, but some of us are simply wired to wander.

I fall firmly into this category myself. I often hear people saying how great it is to get home after a trip. Not me. I’m the one who never wants to go home. In fact, I am not even sure where “home” is anymore.

As usual, I will try to pick songs in a variety of styles/genres. Although, that said, looking at my hours and hours of road trip songs on my personal road songs playlist, a lot of them seem to fall into the country genre, and so it is in the Born-to-Roam playlist (but not all).

I will also try to mix it up with songs you probably already know and love along with others you may have never heard of.

If you have other “Born-to-Roam” travel songs that fit this category, drop them in the comments below.

In the meantime, turn up the volume and enjoy!

Here’s a quick peak at the songs on the Born-to-Roam road trip playlist

• Ramblin’ Fever by Merle Haggard
• King of the Road by Roger Miller
• Heart Like a Truck by Lainey Wilson
• No Roots by Alice Merton
• Willin’ by Little Feat
• I’m a Rambling Man by Waylon Jennings
• Rambling Man by The Allman Brothers
• Traveler by Chris Stapleton
• Wanderin’ Star by Lee Marvin

Ramblin’ Fever by Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard has “Rambling Fever” in his blood and as any nomad knows, “There ain’t no kind cure for that disease!” Merle’s song personifies the life of someone who just HAS to roam.

King of the Road by Roger Miller

Roger Miller’s 1964 classic about a hobo who seems perfectly happy with his nomadic life is a great sing-along-in-the-car tune to get the whole family in the mood for a road trip!

Heart Like a Truck by Lainey Wilson

There are a lot of great country road songs, but overall this is not a favorite genre of mine. Nonetheless, Lainey Wilson’s 100% country declaration Heart Like a Truck truly understands me and I always find myself cranking up the volume when it comes on. If you are a true nomad, you’re sure to relate as well.

No Roots by Alice Merton

I am sure Alice Merton’s rocking “No Roots” is not actually about RVing, but growing up in and around the circus, that is what immediately came to mind for me the first time I heard it. Her song resonates with me as I, too, never developed roots or loyalty to any one place (and for me that is a good thing). Alice sings about her home never being on the ground, and neither are RVs!

Willin’ by Little Feat

Little Feat’s classic song Willin’ has been covered by a lot of people—in my opinion, to varying degrees of success. Case in point, Linda Ronstadt has a beautiful voice but is hard to believe in the lyrics to this song. Little Feat also released several versions of the song themselves. A little bit of music trivia, Lowell George wrote Willin’ when he was still part of the Mothers of Invention but first recorded it with his new band Little Feat.

I’m a Rambling Man by Waylon Jennings

One of Waylon’s most beloved hits, the upbeat country classic will resonate with a lot of folks while giving others fair warning: “Don’t mess around with a rambling man!”

Ramblin’ Man by The Allman Brothers Band

The Allman Brothers hope you will understand that when it is time for leaving, they were born rambling men. Time to hit the road with this Southern rock classic blasting on the sound system!

Traveller by Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton may not know where he is going, but he’s got to go in this terrific country track that’s a worthy next-generation follow-up to songs like Rambling Man and Ramblin’ Fever, albeit in Chris’s one-of-a-kind “smooth as Tennessee Whiskey” voice.

Wand’rin Star by Lee Marvin

The late actor Lee Marvin was not widely known as a vocalist, and for good reason. Nonetheless, he gives it a go in the closing song of the 1969 movie version of Lerner and Loew’s Paint Your Wagon. This was a favorite childhood movie of mine and this was my absolute favorite song from it.

Hmmmm, preparing this playlist has been psychologically enlightening for me as far as tracing the roots of my wanderlust and commitment phobia!

What are your favorites? What other born-to-roam songs would you add to this road trip playlist? Drop them in the comments below.

Coming next time to Road Trip Playlists

• The road tripping roadside America playlist

Previously in Cheri’s Road Trip Playlists

• 7 joyful road trip songs to start your journey
• 8 awesome “life on the road” songs

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