Published at 7:00 AM on January 4, 2009

By Rachael Maddux, photo by Rachael Maddux

Nine Great Songs About Roads

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"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - Elton John
The only strictly metaphorical road of the bunch, and the only to inspire a Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor!

"Highway 61" - Bob Dylan

Connecting Robert Zimmerman's home state of Minnesota with the Gulf Coast through New Orleans, Highway 61 was the end-all, be-all of road travel for Southern-bound Midwesterners for many years-- perhaps why everything from biblical sacrifice to the next world war happen here in this classic song.

"Avery M. Powers Memorial Beltway" - Ben Folds
This doesn't appear to be a real road, but it sure is a real weird song that comes to us from Fear of Pop, Ben Folds' 1998 side project with John Mark Painter, Fleming McWilliams and, uh, William Shatner.

"Cyprus Avenue" - Van Morrison
Morrison didn't likely intend this now-classic, stream-of-consciousness ode to the Belfast thoroughfare so literally, but this song sure is great to listen to while stuck in Atlanta traffic: It's beautiful, and 10 minutes long, so by the end of it, you may have moved a block or two. Conquered in a car seat, indeed.   

"On The Road Again" - Willie Nelson
If there's a more cliched tune in the annals of country music, I don't know it. Still, there couldn't be a more fitting anthem for this legendary troubadour, who'll turn 76 this year after a massive spring tour. Even now, it doesn't matter which road, Willie just wants to be on it.
 

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