10 Songs About Airplanes You’ll Love Listening To
We know that there’s tons of songs about cars, and perhaps even a few about trains or buses or boats, but what about planes? It’s a huge mode of transportation worldwide, but it doesn’t exactly seem like the Billboard Hot 100 is littered with songs about airplanes.
Well, that’s where I come in, my friends. Because in this article, I’m going to provide you with my favorite songs about planes and flying, as we’ll cover music genres that range from pop to rock to hip hop and even country.
Songs About Airplanes You Will Love
Let’s begin with a song by Mayday.
Airplane Mode by Mayday!
Some people actually look forward to being unreachable and untouchable, as Mayday proves in this song.
On this track, we encounter a dude that is stressed—and he wants to totally check out. So he decides to put himself in “airplane mode.” To those who haven’t flown, that’s the mode that the aircraft crew often tell passengers to put their phones on so wireless signals don’t interfere with the plane’s communication systems.
During this time, you usually can’t get calls or messages. And as a metaphor for this song, “airplane mode” is a time when you can isolate yourself from everyone else, relax, and get yourself together mentally.
And that’s what Mayday apparently needs. He’ll come back eventually and reconnect with the world. With a slow and mellow beat, the music fits the theme of relaxing to a “T.” Definitely a tune to help combat any flying anxiety you may have.
” Fly high by myself. I just wanna be alone. Get high by myself. I put myself on airplane mode.”
Next Plane to London by The Rose Garden
This one comes from the late sixties and was a one hit wonder. But it’s still retro gold!
It’s a story of a young woman making her way to London. She wants to be a star someday, but she’ll have to leave her love to do that. The lyrics of this song outline that she can’t seem to make it in Hollywood, so she’s going to take a chance across the pond. She doesn’t explain why her special someone can’t go with her, but she does confess that she doesn’t want his heart to break with her leaving. She even says that his heart is more important than any chart she could be on.
She promises to come back for him once she makes it big, but she might have to check that heavy heart she’s carrying with her for now.
“Next plane to London, leavin’ on runway number five. Next plane to London and I’m missin’ him more and more, that baby of mine.”
Planes by Jefferson Airplane
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Jefferson Airplane (which later transformed into Jefferson Starship after some member changes) caught quite a lot of flack for this song. Lyrics paint a picture of a young and unloved boy who uses fantasies of planes and flying to escape his sad life. He even draws pictures of planes on his tests, according to a little girl who sits beside him in class.
The boy eventually grows up and gets married. He then passes down his love of everything sky to his own son. But this time around, his little boy is loved, and those fantasies have the opportunity to become reality someday. The usually psychedelic/rock group faced a lot of criticism with this venture into a different direction—and its blunt if not basic lyrics.
But many instantly loved the song (although opinion of the music video is still “up in the air”—-bad flight joke) and found it inspiring. When the band said they loved planes in the lyrics, they weren’t lying. The band obviously really loves anything that can fly.
“I love planes. Jet aircraft.”
On the Plane by Cheryl Wheeler
If you love cynical humor, you’ll love Cheryl Wheeler’s take on traveling through air. Opposite of our previous pick, this song is totally comedic yet completely realistic—and kind of negative about the whole flying process.
From gate “suggestions” for arrival to someone committing the sin of coughing on a plane, Cheryl covers it all. If someone you love keeps trying to convince you to buy a ticket even though you hate flying, play this song for them. It might just convince them to take the bus instead.
“On the plane, all is well! Just think of it as practicing for hell!”
Gotta Get the First Plane Home by The Kinks
He’s far away. He’s lovesick. What’s a boy to do? Buy a ticket and book it home, of course!
Being with his friend was all fine and dandy for a while, but our singer claims he’s been feeling empty since they’ve reached their destination. He can’t stay any longer. His girl is his home and she’s somewhere far away, and he’s got to get back to her ASAP.
The music really sets the pace here, and you can feel our Romeo’s urgency to return to the love of his life. If you are traveling for love, this pop-rock classic can be your hype song as you race through the terminals to catch that last minute flight.
“Got to wing, wing, fly over the sea. There’s a little girl that’s waiting for me.”
Who’s Driving Your Plane? By The Rolling Stones
Rock and roll descended from the blues, and our boys throw it back to the old days on this bluesy track. Definitely a metaphor in this situation, Mick asks the girl he’s talking to, “Who’s driving your plane?” She has been controlled by her mom and dad who’ve taught her to just submit. Now, she’s just trying to be like everyone else, trying to fit in (and it seems she’s not succeeding).
Will she ever be her genuine self?
“Who’s driving your plane? Are you in control or is it driving you insane?”
This Plane Don’t Go There by Jason Aldean
Planes are amazing. They take you wherever you need to go. But unfortunately for Jason, they can’t go back in time.
That’s all our country boy wants on this track, as he regrets losing someone special from his past. He describes a scene where his love would be at the gate, and he’d catch her just before she said goodbye. It could be from a romantic movie. But alas, planes aren’t time machines.
“But this plane don’t go there. This plane can’t take me back in time.”
Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver
Since it’s been covered by so many great artists, you’ll probably find a different version every time you look this song up. Personally, we enjoy Denver’s rendition. His voice portrays a heartbroken man who has to leave his beloved. He doesn’t even want to wake her up just to break her heart. But he’s got a plane to catch and a dream to follow.
He acknowledges that he’s not been the best partner, but he promises to make up for it with a ring when he comes back. But even he doesn’t know when that will be.
“’Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again. Oh babe, I hate to go.”
Airplanes by B.o.B and Hayley Williams
B.o.B. reminisces on a time before he was famous. Those days when he was rapping because heloved it, not because he wanted to stay popular on the charts. He even misses the days when he was working at Subway and hoping to get a few tips.
He keeps it real as he mentions his hate for the politics in music and tells us he wishes he could go back. As Hayley (from Paramore) sings about being so desperate for wishes, they’ll pretend passing airplanes in the night are shooting stars.
“Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?”
Drunk on a Plane by Dierks Bentley
Dierks is down as he’s going up—meaning the poor guy got left at the alter and his honeymoon tickets are nonrefundable. Ouch—some people are just so freaking mean. Anyway, Dierks has decided he’s taking the trip to Cancun without his runaway bride.
What starts as a story about a guy who’s sad and alone, turns into a full-blown party above the clouds. Our singer gets everyone drinking (except the captain, of course) and having a ball. He even gets to join the Mile High Club with a sexy stewardess.
“I couldn’t get my money back so I’m in seat 7A. I’m getting drunk on a plane.”
Conclusion
While some of us may love flying, and others may be too scared to even drive to the airport, the one thing we can all likely agree on is the fact that songs about airplanes can really tug at our heartstrings, make us laugh, or even make us want to throw a party while soaring through the sky.
That’s the amazing power of music, and why great lyrics involving planes work from both a literal perspective, as well as a figurative or metaphorical one.
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