Travelin' Man
Ricky/Rick Nelson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a travelin' man and I've made a lot of stops
All over the world
And in every port I own the heart
Of at least one lovely girl

I've a pretty señorita waiting for me
Down in old Mexico
If you're ever in Alaska stop and see
My cute little Eskimo

Oh, my sweet Fraulein down in Berlin town
Makes my heart start to yearn
And my China doll down in old Hong Kong
Waits for my return

Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea
I remember the night
When we walked in the sands of the Waikiki
And I held you, oh so tight

Oh, my sweet Fraulien down in Berlin town
Makes my heart start to yearn
And my China doll down in old Hong Kong
Waits for my return

Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea
I remember the night
When we walked in the sands of the Waikiki
And I held you, oh so tight

Oh, I'm a travelin' man
Yes, I'm a travelin' man




Yes, I'm a travelin' man
Whoa, I'm a travelin' man

Overall Meaning

In “Travelin' Man” by Ricky Nelson, the singer tells a story of being a world traveler and how he has love interests in different ports. With every stop he makes, he has won the heart of a lovely girl. He mentions his pretty señorita in Mexico, his little Eskimo in Alaska, his Fraulein in Berlin, and his China doll in Hong Kong. He also remembers his Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea whom he walked in the sands of the Waikiki with, and held tight. The repeating Stanzas of the Fraulein and the China doll help give a sense of nostalgia to the song, as the singer thinks of these women when he is away.


The song shows that despite his traveling lifestyle, the singer is capable of forming meaningful relationships with women. He also yearns for the familiar feeling of home—where he can be himself with people who understand him. The song conveys Wanderlust, freedom, and adventure. Each stop on this travelogue is a new discovery, offering a new adventure to make and a new girl to meet.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm a travelin' man and I've made a lot of stops
I am a person who loves to travel and have visited many places


All over the world
I have traveled to different parts of the world


And in every port I own the heart
I have won the love and affection of at least one girl in every place I've been to


Of at least one lovely girl
I have won the love and affection of at least one girl in every place I've been to


I've a pretty señorita waiting for me
I have a beautiful woman waiting for me in Mexico


Down in old Mexico
In Mexico, where my significant other is waiting for me


If you're ever in Alaska stop and see
If you visit Alaska, make sure to say hello


My cute little Eskimo
A playful nickname for my love in Alaska


Oh, my sweet Fraulein down in Berlin town
I have a beloved girlfriend in Berlin


Makes my heart start to yearn
Thinking about her always makes me feel sentimental and emotional


And my China doll down in old Hong Kong
I also have a significant other in Hong Kong


Waits for my return
She is waiting for me to come back to Hong Kong


Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea
I met a beautiful woman in Polynesia


I remember the night
I can recall a specific memory


When we walked in the sands of the Waikiki
We spent a romantic evening walking on the beach in Waikiki


And I held you, oh so tight
I held her close to me that night


Oh, I'm a travelin' man
I am someone who loves to travel


Yes, I'm a travelin' man
I really enjoy going on trips


Whoa, I'm a travelin' man
I am definitely someone who loves to travel




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Fuller

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@janeleekeller

@@LoneTinaja
Hi Lone, my name is JaneLee and I'm 75.
That Episode was called, "Ricky, The Drummer".

Tracy is, Thankfully, in Remission and is a Spokesperson for the type of Cancer She had.

I'm Glad to see Young People are able to appreciate Rick's Music.

Have a great day Lone 😊,
JaneLee - in Suburban Philadelphia
8/19/22



@cedriccompin5265

I'm a travelin' man
Made a lot of stops all over the world
And in every port I own the heart
Of at least one lovely girl

I've a pretty Seniorita waiting for me
Down in old Mexico
If you're ever in Alaska stop and see
My cute little Eskimo

Oh, my sweet Fraulien down in Berlin town
Makes my heart start to yearn
And my China doll down in old Hong Kong
Waits for my return

Pretty Polynesian baby, over the sea
I remember the night
When we walked in the sand of Waikiki
And I held you, oh, so tight

[Instrumental Interlude]

Oh, my sweet Fraulien down in Berlin town
Makes my heart start to yearn
And my China doll down in old Hong Kong
Waits for my return

Pretty Polynesian baby, over the sea
I remember the night
When we walked in the sand of Waikiki
And I held you, oh, so tight

Oh, I'm a travelin' man
Yes, I'm a travelin' man
Yes, I'm a travelin' man
Whoa, I'm a travelin' man



@janeleekeller

K_K
Glad to hear that. (about the song and Rick - Not your Mother !)

My Daughter, also Born in 1976, for some unknown reason, tells me She "Hates" the Beach Boys ! 😱

Other than Her, (named Alicyn), I've Never heard of Anyone Who "Hated" The Beach Boys.
It just seems Weird to me.

JaneLee
8/19/22



@flannerymonaghan-morris4825

The story behind Ricky Nelson recording this song is very interesting.

You see, it was written one day on the fly by the legendary Jerry Fuller, who banged out the melody on his car dashboard as he was waiting to pick up his wife from a party at a park.

Fuller then recorded a demo of this song with his guitarist Glen Campbell. Fuller was a BIG fan of Sam Cooke, and gave the demo tape to Cooke’s then manager at the time, J.W. Alexander, in hopes that Sam would record it. J.W. wasn’t a huge fan and threw the demo tape into the trash after playing it.

By coincidence, Joe Osbourn, Ricky’s bass guitar player and a good friend of his, was at the studio. When J.W. played the demo, Joe could hear it through the walls, and it caught his attention. He then went over to J.W. and asked him, “J.W., do you have that “Travelin’’ song you just played?”. J.W. simply replied, “Yeah, you can have it.”. He then pulled the demo tape out of the trash and gave it to Joe. Joe then played the demo for Ricky, who loved it and agreed to record it.

He also was a huge fan of Fuller and Campbell and Dave Burgess’s backing vocals on the demo tape and subsequently became frequent collaborators with Ricky as a result.



All comments from YouTube:

@ClassicHitsStudio

Do you remember Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO4I-0DGAn4&list=PLr60eSXgY4_CSusMczswc5Et9CEQVCMYJ&index=2&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB 🌊

@julikintatum7509

😊😊😊😊😊

@julikintatum7509

😊😊😊

@julikintatum7509

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

@irishledden4924

You bet your Obama I do!

@moemcgovern7345

This is Ricky Nelson

2 More Replies...

@andersvassli2349

Anyone here who is just a teen, but is still in love with the 60’s 70’s and 80’s

@237.z9

yes 🙋🏻‍♂️

@Noah_lindqvist

Yea

@Noah_lindqvist

På im also in 40s 50s

More Comments

More Versions