# Songs about planes and flying **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 31, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675 "2025-01-31T13:07:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/61 "2025-01-31T16:45:31Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > A man was afraid to fly. “Mr. Play-It-Safe.” (I wonder if he ever met Mr. Smoke-Too-Much.) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/62 "2025-01-31T16:46:56Z")
I had always assumed the song [**Shadows of the Night**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadows_of_the_Night) was about aviation based on [Pat Benatar’s music video for it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZInRE-KryGA). But the Wiki page for the song says it’s really about “two young runaways in New York City.” Huh. Her video has nothing to do with two runaways. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/63 "2025-01-31T16:49:58Z")
Not really literally about flying but there is **Foo** **Fighters** and **Learn** **to** **Fly.** TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/64 "2025-01-31T16:50:31Z")
Shirley Temple - **On the Good Ship Lollipop** (the “ship” in question is an airplane) ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/65 "2025-01-31T16:51:51Z")
Here’s one from Jefferson Airplane’s corny phase - _[Planes](https://youtu.be/mrfsyhdtYRA)_. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/66 "2025-01-31T16:53:39Z")
**Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder** (or, as it’s actually titled, “The U.S. Air Force”) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/67 "2025-01-31T16:53:59Z")
Flying Down To Rio - Fred & Ginger (Don’t watch the clip if you’re a nervous flyer) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7wZywIm9gUg/hqdefault.jpg "Fred & Ginger - Flying Down To Rio HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wZywIm9gUg) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/68 "2025-01-31T16:57:01Z")
Flying, but a plane is not involved: [Flight of Icarus by Iron Maiden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4w2BZXL6Ss) “On second thought, I should have taken a plane.” - Icarus’ final words ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/69 "2025-01-31T16:57:09Z")
Marc Blitzstein’s **Airborne Symphony** is a full-length song cycle of “songs about planes and flying,” starting with an intro that recaps the history of aviation: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_rEGmcQBbFk/maxresdefault.jpg "Airborne Symphony: I. Theory of Flight") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rEGmcQBbFk) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/70 "2025-01-31T17:04:20Z")
_Rhapsody in Blue_ was associated with flying for a while. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/71 "2025-01-31T17:07:46Z")
Often underrated Pub Rockers **The** **Motors** with **Airport** TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/72 "2025-01-31T17:14:45Z")
[Boulder to Birmingham](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edON26OBGi4) - Emmylou Harris _I don’t want to hear a love song_ _I got on this airplane just to fly_ _And I know there’s life below me_ _But all that you can show me is the prairie and the sky_ ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/73 "2025-01-31T17:17:30Z")
_The wing on the aeroplane Has just caught on fire I say without reservation We ain’t getting no higher_ -Glow Girl / The Who ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/74 "2025-01-31T17:27:02Z")
“Fly By Night” - RUSH [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/naz5khvSlaE/maxresdefault.jpg "Rush - Fly by Night [HD]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naz5khvSlaE) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/75 "2025-01-31T17:29:36Z")
[“High Flight”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Flight) by [John Gillespie Magee, Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gillespie_Magee_Jr.) is sort of the aviators’ national anthem. It has been set to music a couple of times. Here is John Denver’s version: > **[John Denver Sings "High Flight"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xNGgWNRUf8%2F)** > > John Denver sings a special version of “High Flight”. The famous aviation poem was written by 19-year-old RCAF Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee who died in... ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/76 "2025-01-31T17:30:16Z")
[“American Eagles” This is the Army 1943 HD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtmYWlP1vuM&ab_channel=MuricaForever) [Twelve O’Clock High](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uubEuPhti-I&ab_channel=kbmf0580) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/77 "2025-01-31T17:31:48Z")
“Come Fly With Me” - Frank Sinatra [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yOzEeJZ92X8/maxresdefault.jpg "Come Fly With Me (2008 Remastered)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOzEeJZ92X8) “Dallas From a DC-9 at Night” - Joe Ely [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/M30z7xsiGHc/hqdefault.jpg "Joe Ely Dallas from a DC-9 at Night") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M30z7xsiGHc) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/78 "2025-01-31T17:37:25Z")
[Dam Busters Theme [Highest Quality]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Si2H479Es&ab_channel=NewCarthage) [633 squadron theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWXQUhBsUVM&ab_channel=monty5364) [Royal Air Force March](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV3hscgyuAs&ab_channel=TheMarches09) [Luftwaffe March](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1teoC2aMVtY&ab_channel=xboxlivechris2368) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/79 "2025-01-31T17:37:41Z")
“Sydney From a 727” by Paul Kelly and the Messengers. > **[Sydney from a 727](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB7W8STyPT8%2F)** > > Provided to YouTube by Virgin Music GroupSydney from a 727 · Paul KellyComedy℗ 2014 Gawd Aggie RecordingsReleased on: 2010-06-25Writer: Paul KellyAuto-genera... ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675/80 "2025-01-31T17:45:02Z")
British Ska giants **The** **Specials** and **International** **Jet** **Set** (a scathing look at international travel.) TCMF-2L [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-planes-and-flying/1013675.md?page=5)