There have been thousands of songs about the road. You can probably name 100 songs about this subject right off the top of your head. Well, we've narrowed things down to 9 of our favorites. Each song has instantly memorable or wonderfully wise lyrics.
The photo below shows nine songwriters associated with the nine road songs we have selected. You probably recognize most of them, but just in case you were born too late (Hi, Kids!) or too early (Hi, Dad!) they are (top, then middle, then bottom rows, left to right): Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, George Harrison; John Denver, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jackson Browne; John Fogerty, Lennon & McCartney and Bob Dylan.
You are probably wondering what in the world J.R.R. Tolkien, WW1 veteran, Oxford linguist and Lord of the Rings author is doing hanging around with this collection of folk icons, country legends and rock mop-tops? The good professor never played guitar as far as we know, and he never joined a rock band, surely. Nevertheless, he wrote many poems for his books, and other people have set those poems to music, so there you go!
Now here is the quiz. This should be easy and fun. Each of these men (or duos, in the case of Lennon/McCartney) wrote or popularized a memorable song about the road. I'll give you a short sample of words from each song. All you have to do is match up each lyric with one of the nine photos above. At the end (do not peak) I'll give the answers, plus a link to a music video of each song! You probably want to go to a very quiet room where you can hum or sing along with these lyrics until the song and singer pops into your mind. Here we go...
1.
"I hear her voice, in the morning hour she calls me,
The radio reminds me of my home far away,
And drivin' down the road I get the feeling
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday."
Who wrote these words?
2.
"In the day we sweat it out on the streets
of a runaway American dream.
At night we ride through the mansions of glory
in suicide machines.
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected,
and steppin' out over the line."
Who wrote these words?
3.
"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can."
Who wrote these words?
4.
"Well, I'm a-running down the road tryin' to loosen my load,
I've got seven women on my mind.
Four that wanna own me, two that wanna stone me,
One says she's a friend of mind."
Who wrote these words?
5.
"If you don't know where you're going,
any road will take you there."
Who wrote these words?
6.
"I've been to Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond Du Lac, Davenport,
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamontina,
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a?"
Who sang these words?
7.
"It ain't no use in turning on your light, Babe,
That light I never knowed.
And it ain't no use in turning on your light, Babe,
I'm on the dark side of the road."
Who wrote these words?
8.
"Bring a song and a smile for the banjo,
better get while the gettin's good,
Hitch a ride to the end of the highway
where the neons turn to wood."
Who wrote these words?
9.
"You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead."
Who wrote these words?
Got 'em all? OK, let's find out...
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Let the answers begin:
From the 1971 album Poems, Prayers and Promises.
The title track from the 1975 album Born to Run.
The video here features the late great Clarence Clemons, plus Billy Joel gets in on the fun, singing a verse in his best imitation of The Boss.
Recited in several variations in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. The video below is a lovely fan melody for the words.
Famously recorded by the Eagles, but some might prefer Jackson's version from the 1973 album For Everyman. The video below is a rootsy acoustic version with Browne accompanied by David Lindley on violin.
From his 2002 posthumous album Brainwashed. This is a lesser-known song, but it's a top-tapping treat and a happy way to remember George.
Adapted for North American place-names and popularized in 1962 by Hank Snow from a 1959 song about Australian towns by Geoff Mack. You've got to like a song with "Hackensack" in it.
Cash released the song in 1996 on Unchained.
From the 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
From the 1970 CCR album Cosmo's Factory.
From the final Beatles album to be released, 1970's Let It Be.
Scoring:
0-2: On the dark side of the road.
3-5: Sunday driving, not arriving.
6-7: Almost heaven, West Virginia.
8-9: You've been everywhere, man, including Hackensack.
Call us today at Steve's Auto Service, 973-829-1618 and we'll help get your car "further on up the road"!
