Route 66 (song)

"Route 66" (originally recorded as "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66") is a popular rhythm and blues standard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. The song uses a twelve-bar blues arrangement and the lyrics follow the path of federal highway U.S. Route 66, which traversed the western two-thirds of the U.S. from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California.

Nat King Cole, as the King Cole Trio, first recorded the song the same year and it became a hit, appearing on Billboard magazine's R&B and pop charts. The song was subsequently recorded by many artists including Bing Crosby, Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones, Them, Asleep at the Wheel, and Depeche Mode.

Composition and lyrics

The idea for the song came to Troup on a cross-country drive from Pennsylvania to California. Troup wanted to try his hand as a Hollywood songwriter, so he and his wife, Cynthia, packed up their 1941 Buick and headed west. The trip began on Highway 40 and continued along Route 66 to the California coast. Troup initially considered writing a tune about Highway 40, but Cynthia suggested the title "Get Your Kicks on Route 66." The song was composed on the ten-day journey, and completed by referencing maps when the couple arrived in Los Angeles.