By Curt_Anderson February 28, 2022 12:49 pm Category: Music (5.0 from 1 vote)
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Currently on American television there are at least two commercials featuring the old song "I've Been Everywhere". The US Postal Service uses the Johnny Cash version in their ad. Peloton uses a female vocalist to promote the different locations one could virtually jog through on their treadmill.
"I've Been Everywhere" was written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959, and made popular by Lucky Starr in 1962. Mack's original version was something of a novelty song. The lyrics are in the voice of well-traveled but annoying hitchhiker who wears out his welcome with a trucker who gives him a lift.
The song as originally written listed Australian towns (see featured YouTube below). It was later adapted by Australian singer Rolf Harris (best remembered for "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport") with British place names (1963), and by John Hore (later known as John Grenell) with New Zealand toponyms (1966). Geoff Mack said there are at least seven different national versions of the song including Canadian (first citation link), German and Japanese locations.
In 1962, the song was a number-one US country hit for Hank Snow, and #68 on the Hot 100. The song was also recorded by Lynn Anderson (US 1970), Asleep at the Wheel (US 1973), Johnny Cash (US 1996), among others.
Geoff Mack parodied his own song with a hilarious, hypochondriac version called "I've had everything" (second citation link).
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