Welcome back to Turntable Talk! Thanks once again to all the regular readers and welcome to any new ones. If you’re keeping count, this is our 13th instalment…hopefully lucky 13! For any new readers, briefly, on Turntable Talk we have a number of guest columnists from other music sites, sounding off on one particular topic. This month, our topic is This Song’s Going Places! We’ve asked our guests to pick a song, or even album that is all about going somewhere…there’ve been tons of great songs about traveling, either geographically or mentally , not to mention ones about specific destinations.A big category, and I look forward to seeing what piqued the others imaginations.
Today we welcome a new contributor, John, from The Sound of One Hand Typing, a fun and eclectic site he describes as “music, musings, memoir and madness.” We hope you’ll pay a visit there and in the meantime, let’s see where his song is going:
One of my favorite movies is Blazing Saddles, and one of the best scenes comes at the end, when Bart leaves Rock Ridge... Sometimes, the best destination for a trip is "nowhere special." A friend of mine once told me that when she and her husband would go on vacation, they would get in the car and drive. They'd stop to eat when they were hungry, stop for the night at a motel when they got tired, if they passed a Walmart or a shopping mall, they'd stop and see what they had, maybe buy things they needed... as it got close to the end of their time off, they start for home. No pressure, no reservations, just time together. Mary and I did that, not long after I separated from the company I had been with for almost 20 years. I still had vacation time, so we got in the car and drove north into Tennessee. We got to Mufreesboro and stopped for a couple of days, shopping at the antique stores and bookstores, dined at a couple of the finer establishments there, and on the way back to Atlanta we stopped in Lynchburg and toured the Jack Daniel's distillery. In short, we went for a ride. Not quite a ride in a beautiful balloon... but still quite nice... “Up, Up & Away” – The 5th Dimension Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon? Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon? We could float among the stars together, you and l For we can fly [we can fly Up, up and away My beautiful, my beautiful balloon The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky For we can fly [we can fly) Up, up and away My beautiful, my beautiful balloon Suspended under a twilight canopy We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us If by some chance you find yourself loving me We'll find a cloud to hide us We'll keep the moon beside us Love is waiting there in my beautiful balloon Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon If you'll hold my hand we'll chase your dream across the sky For we can fly (we can fly) Up, up and away My beautiful, my beautiful balloon Balloon... Up, up, and away Up, up, and awayup, up, and away... Source: https://genius.com/The-5th-dimension-up-up-and-away-lyrics To me, Jimmy Webb, who wrote "Up - Up And Away" described the perfect trip, where the destination was unimportant (or even unknown). The important thing was being with someone you love, just the two of you being together, away from everything, just hanging out in the clouds (or, in our case, Interstate 24). If that's not to your liking, think about this... Constantine Cavafy wrote one of the finest poems I ever heard, called "Ithaka," read here by Sean Connery. Here, you have a destination, but are in no hurry to get there. You might like that better. Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out? If not, do you think you might someday?
A Sound Day 
Thanks for taking part John, and the thought-provoking piece. There’s definitely an allure to a holiday with no fixed destination instead of a tightly-managed timetable and I would guess it ends up being more memorable ‘down the Road’. Jimmy Webb certainly did write some great tunes (‘Wichita Lineman’, ‘Galveston’ just to name two ) , this one is a happy sounding one which is excellent too. Did you ever go up in a balloon?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great song choice. I don’t fancy the thought of a balloon trip myself, but the idea of heading off into the (sort of) unknown, and with absolutely no time / financial pressures is VERY appealing. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never done the ‘go where the steering wheel takes us’ much- my better half and I are both too much fans of structure- but we have enjoyed some interesting stops along the way.
The Fifth Dimension song, to me, sounds from a previous era somehow- more an Andy Williams/ Ray Conniff Singers 1960 vibe than something I’d expect to hear from the Summer of Love . A fine song, It just feels slightly out of time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally . It’s also hard to hear it as the same writer as ‘Galveston’ etc…maybe it’s the 5th Dimension’s delivery. But as you say, a pretty nice tune, just one that sounded older than it was!
I’m usually one for planning as much as I can, have my daily to-do lists etc, but a couple of times when I was younger I took that type of mini-vacay and ended up fun if not what I expected. Once I intended to drive to NYC and got lost in the highway maze, saw bits of NJ and Connecticut unexpectedly and never did make it into midtown New York… but had a nice trip and loved the scenery and unexpected stops in the mountains along the way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, know what you mean. I’d love to be more of a free spirit too, but there’s always that nagging thought in the back of my mind— ‘is there enough gas in the tank if we go down this less travelled road…? ‘ ‘Did I top up the oil and the credit card balance…?’ ‘What if we get to the end of this road and there is only a (Bates) Motel and they don’t take the credit card…? ‘
So many ‘what ifs’ to take away the simple joy of the journey, at least for us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love those “nowhere special” trips. When I first got my driver’s license, I’d hop in the car and just drive. During the holidays, we often just drive to look at Christmas lights. Time together is always great – even if you’ve got (to quote Chuck Berry) no particular place to go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Repost: I Always Wanted To Go There – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Thanks for letting me play along! I reposted this over on my blog to get you a few more readers…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for that, and your blog! I think it struck a chord with quite a few readers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Blazing Saddles. Remember my parents taking me to the drive in back in the day to see this flick. The song as well is another blast from the past.
LikeLiked by 2 people
My dad liked it. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it though, or not since I was 5 or so
LikeLike
Something to be said for going where the wind takes you, even if you only do it once in your life. Hard to find a better tour guide than the evocative Jimmy Webb.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He was (still is?) one of the great songwriters of his generation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. He’s still kicking, don’t know about his song writing though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Heading out with no particular place to go sounds like an intriguing concept. I’ve never done that, at least not for a vacation. My wife and I like going on drives that sometimes don’t have a specific destination, but they only last for an hour or two. I also have to say Sean Connery, my favorite James Bond, has a fascinating reading voice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember that one from a long time ago…I love the movie Blazing Saddles…still love that movie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have been nowhere special many times myself with my late wife Celestine. we went there by following my nose. I might have to do a nowhere special post my self.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank for looking in here! Those sorts of trips do have appeal ,part of which is no stress in keeping to a timetable.
LikeLike
Pingback: Repost: I Always Wanted To Go There – Golch CENTRAL