Immigration remains one of the hot political issues of the year, despite the irony of the country’s founding. The very men who forged our Constitution were immigrants, as we are all different from the Native Americans who inhabited the earth before the explorers came.
The most famous of the immigrants is, of course, Christopher Columbus, an Italian who stumbled upon the New World while sailing under the command of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. He has gained such renown that he has numerous cities named after him, as well as his own holiday.
Colón has also been mentioned in dozens of songs, including Bob Dylan’s 115 sleep and Loudon Wainwright Kings and Queens. British new wave artist Graham Parker, a contemporary of Elvis Costello and The Police, even named an entire album after the explorer, called Goodbye Columbus.
Here are ten other famous explorers who have been referenced in popular songs by well-known artists.
ponce de leon by Hall and Oates
This Spanish Voyager appears in boredom in the mountains from the duo’s debut album.
Cortes the killer by Neil Young
The man who conquered the Aztecs is the subject of this song by Zumaa very underrated record from the early seventies.
Doctor Livingstone I guess by Moody Blues
This European, famous for teaming up with Henry Clark to survey Africa, is the subject of a song by the British band In search of the lost chord.
Swing Lo Magallanes by dirty projectors
The first man to sail around the world provides the title character on a track on the alternative group’s 2012 self-titled album.
francis drake by Sammy Hagar
browsing‘ is the theme that alludes to the British explorer, and the album light roast it is the seventeenth effort of the veteran rocker.
Lewis and Clark by C. W. McCall
Two of the first boys to explore the Mississippi region have the same last names as the two men who Convoy the singer writes in this melody.
henry hudson by Nico
dream of exile is an appropriate title for an album that mentions an explorer, which serves as the title for this song.
Soto Son by Animal Collective
The Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto is the reference to the title of this song by campfire songs.
Sir Walter Raleigh for the beatles
“I’m So Tired” moans John Lennon in this classic from the white albumwhereupon he curses the main character for having discovered tobacco.
Marco Polo by bow wow
The most famous Asian explorer is the title of a song by the Japanese rock band of the eighties, who in this song talk more about the game than about the man.
