Song Meanings and Facts

Song Meanings and Facts

  • The Black Keys

Have Love Will Travel by The Black Keys Lyrics Meaning – Exploring the Depths of a Modern Blues Odyssey

by SMF AI · Published January 16, 2024 · Updated April 26, 2024

  • Music Video

The Eternal Quest for Connection and Belonging

Uncovering the song’s hidden meaning: love as a driving force, a resonance that transcends time: the universality of blues, the anthem of the hopeful romantic: memorable lines that captivate, modern nomads: wanderlust fueled by the heart.

I travel from Maine down to Mexico To find that girl that loves me so No matter where I’ll be I’ll find that girl and she satisfy me Have love will travel Have love will travel

If you need lovin’ Oh baby, I travel

If you need lovin’ Oh baby, I travel I might take a boat and I take a plane I might hitch-hike or jump a railroad train

Your kind of love drive a man insane So look for me walkin’ just any old way Have love will travel Have love will travel

Full Lyrics

Among the rumbling guitar riffs and raw, unvarnished vocals of The Black Keys, lies the track ‘Have Love Will Travel’. At first glance, it may seem like another blues rock anthem about a man’s quest for love, but a closer inspection reveals layers of emotional texture and a universal narrative about human connection and resilience.

The stark simplicity of the lyrics, combined with the gritty, foot-stomping rhythm, encapsulates a journey of the heart that is both personal and universal. The willingness to traverse great distances for love is an age-old theme, but The Black Keys manage to infuse it with a fresh sense of urgency and poignancy in this modern blues classic.

The narrative of ‘Have Love Will Travel’ suggests a protagonist who is restless, driven by a profound need to seek out and grasp that elusive spark of love. The idea of traveling from ‘Maine down to Mexico’ is symbolic of the lengths one might go to find the person who ‘loves me so’, an odyssey that is not just geographical, but also emotional.

This relentless search is indicative of the human condition: our innate desire for connection and belonging, a theme that resonates deeply in the collective consciousness. The Black Keys tap into this universal quest seamlessly, providing not just a backbeat for the journey, but a shared anthem for all seekers of connection.

Beneath the gritty exterior of tireless travel and undying commitment, ‘Have Love Will Travel’ serves as an allegory for the transformative power of love. It isn’t just a love song; it’s a testament to love’s ability to propel us into action, to inspire us to overcome any obstacle, and to persist against all odds.

The Black Keys do not just sing about love; they sing about a love so potent that it ignites a boundless journey. The relentless pursuit is not only physical but also deeply metaphoric for the inner journey we undergo when we are motivated by love—whether it be romantic, platonic, or self-love.

At its core, The Black Keys’ rendition respects the universal appeal of blues music. The song echoes the heartache and the highs that have been sung about in countless taverns and on lonesome roads. Blues is the grand equalizer, and in ‘Have Love Will Travel’, we hear the echoes of every traveler who has ever set out in pursuit of heart’s yearning.

This connection to the blues tradition is part of why the song resonates with so many. It taps into a continuity of experience that spans generations, making it as relevant today as it would have been a half-century ago.

Lyrics like ‘If you need lovin’, oh baby, I travel’ serve as a rallying cry for the hopeful romantic. These lines aren’t just memorable for their simplicity; they stand out because they encapsulate a declaration of willingness that is both personal and extravagant.

It’s a poetic affirmation of availability and readiness to seek and to cherish love, reaching out to listeners in their own quests and reminding them of the fervent passion that lies within the promise of love — a sentiment as timeless as the blues itself.

The Black Keys capture the nomadic spirit of the modern era with ‘Have Love Will Travel’. The song’s reflectiveness evokes imagery of the solo traveler, hitchhiking, riding trains, and crossing continents. Yet, what the song truly suggests is an emotional journey, charting a map of the heart that doesn’t rely on physical distance, but on the vast expanses of human emotion.

In an age of hyperconnectivity, the song harkens back to a rawer, more primal form of connection — the physical quest for love and understanding. It’s a reminder that, despite all advancements, the need for love remains the most powerful impetus for movement and discovery.

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Song Meanings & Facts

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"Have Love Will Travel" lyrics

  • The Black Keys Lyrics

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Meaning of Have Love Will Travel lyrics by The Black Keys

The song "Have Love Will Travel" by The Black Keys revolves around the willingness to go anywhere and do anything for the sake of love. The narrator explicitly states that if someone is in need of love, they are ready to travel and seek out that love, no matter the distance or challenges involved.

In the first verse, the lyrics address the narrator's determination to travel across vast distances, from Maine to Mexico, in search of a girl who deeply loves him. Regardless of where he may be, he is determined to find a girl who can fulfill his desires and bring him satisfaction.

The chorus reinforces the sentiment expressed in the intro, emphasizing the narrative's readiness to go the distance in pursuit of love. The repetition of the phrase "Have love will travel" conveys the message that love is a powerful driving force, motivating the protagonist to overcome any obstacles or hardships that may come their way.

In the second verse, the narrator describes the various means he may employ to reach his destination. Whether it is taking a boat, a plane, hitchhiking, or even jumping on a train, he is prepared to undertake any mode of transport necessary to find the love he seeks.

The lyrics suggest that the love the protagonist desires is intense and capable of evoking madness, as it drives a man insane. This further accentuates the importance and urgency of finding this love, suggesting that it could be the ultimate source of fulfillment and happiness.

Overall, "Have Love Will Travel" portrays an unwavering commitment to love and an eagerness to go to great lengths to find it. The song celebrates the power of love and the willingness to embark on journeys, both physical and emotional, in pursuit of genuine connection and satisfaction.

This meaning interpretation was written by AI. Help improve it with your feedback

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Black Keys’ Patrick Carney: ‘We Got F-cked’ Amid Tour Cancellation

By Althea Legaspi

Althea Legaspi

Patrick Carney of the Black Keys has shared a mysterious message following the abrupt cancellation of  the North American leg of their International Players Tour and an “ amicable parting ” with their management team.

On Monday, Carney took to X, formerly Twitter, to write , “We got fucked. I’ll let you all know how so it doesn’t happen to you. Stay tuned.” It’s unclear what he is referencing, but the band has been making news with changes to both their schedule and their representation.

In May, the Black Keys canceled the aforementioned tour, which was set for arenas and amphitheaters through the fall, beginning at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Sept. 17. The dates were erased from the band’s social media pages and official website, with no further explanation.

A rep for the band declined comment on Carney’s tweet. A rep for Azoff referred Rolling Stone to the original statement and was not available for further comment. A rep for CAA, the band’s booking agent, confirmed the band is still on its roster as of Monday. 

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As for their original tour, one date remains — their performance on July 6 at NASCAR Chicago Street Race.

Their cancellation comes alongside other big tours being nixed, including Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me… Live tour . Of the Black Keys’ tour cancellation, Billboard noted that “no other reason was given for the cancellation of the arena dates, though it has been widely speculated that slow ticket sales were to blame.”

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'Stay tuned,' Black Keys drummer says of reasons for tour downgrade and management split

The Black Keys Perform At The O2 Academy Brixton

The drummer for rockers the Black Keys hinted Monday that an explanation for the band's recent troubles is coming.

In a post on X, Patrick Carney gave a short message to fans: "We got f---ed. I’ll let you all know how so it doesn’t happen to you. Stay tuned."

The note follows a round of headlines for the Ohio-born duo that have signaled turmoil.

Late last month, the band announced it was canceling its planned tour of arenas in favor of more intimate venues — though dates for the new shows have yet to be announced.

Then last week, the band said it had split with a management team led by entertainment executive Irving Azoff. Azoff confirmed the news , first reported by The New York Times, to Variety, calling it an “amicable parting.” The Black Keys had been with Azoff and another manager, Steve Moir, since 2021.

A representative for Azoff said he had no comment. A representative for Moir did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Azoff is best known as the manger of the Eagles and the former CEO of Ticketmaster and former chairman of its parent company, Live Nation. Another Azoff-connected group has been directly implicated in the U.S. Justice Department's anti-monopoly suit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation . In their complaint, federal prosecutors named Oak View Group, a live entertainment advisory service, as having a relationship with Live Nation that unduly influenced the market.

Azoff cofounded Oak View, though is no longer listed as an executive there. He is not directly named in the Justice Department's suit.

In addition to the Eagles, Azoff has also managed legendary artists like Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Journey and Bon Jovi. Over the years, he earned a reputation for the bare-knuckle tactics in negotiating on behalf of the groups and artists he represents. The L.A. Times has reported that Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker said they’d hired Azoff because he “impressed us with his taste for the jugular … and his bizarre spirit.”

And at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Eagles co-founder Don Henley said, "As I’ve said before, he may be Satan — but he’s  our  Satan."

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Rob Wile is a breaking business news reporter for NBC News Digital.

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Live Music Blues: Are Black Keys, Jennifer Lopez Just the Beginning?

By Robert Steiner

Robert Steiner

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Illustration of a microphone with a big red X painted over it

One year following a record-breaking summer for live music led by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, and 2024 has so far been defined by thin crowds and canceled shows.

Last week saw the one-two punch of music veterans the Black Keys and Jennifer Lopez canceling their respective U.S. arena tours, seemingly due to low ticket sales. These announcements arrived as screenshots of blue-specked Ticketmaster seating maps and videos of empty shows have become regular sightings on social media.

The concern from fans and mild schadenfreude from online rubberneckers might distract from the artists currently pulling big numbers on tour, including Olivia Rodrigo , Bad Bunny and Morgan Wallen , to name a few. But seeing multidecade road warriors such as the Black Keys or multihyphenate household name J.Lo not selling tickets is nonetheless surprising — and possibly reflective of a few realities the live music industry must contend with going forward.

The first reality affecting touring artists is the same one impacting music festivals : The cost of going to a concert is eclipsing consumer demand for live music. Before J.Lo quietly scrapped several dates and rebranded her tour as a greatest-hits show, tickets were generally in the $150-plus range , with the highest price being $224 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

The Black Keys, meanwhile, have historically packed the likes of Madison Square Garden across numerous tours, but a noticeable increase in ticket prices seemed to deter even die-hard fans this time around.

As noted in Variety Intelligence Platform’s 2023 “Peak Performance” special report , tickets in the $150-$200 range are hitting the threshold of most consumers’ willingness to shell out for concerts. Also, the top deterrents to attending a concert for most of those surveyed were ticket prices and add-on fees.

Even as the average resale price for upcoming summer shows is slightly lower than this time last year, audiences are contending with rising costs and tighter budgets, and therefore are likely being more selective about the artists they’ll pay to see.

The other possibility behind the concert drought is the post-pandemic live music surge is leveling off. Such a shift doesn’t happen overnight, of course, and maybe seeing Taylor Swift boost local economies and other tours make a killing last year led some artists to reach overly optimistic conclusions ahead of 2024.

Reality is the post-pandemic boost may not have been as potent as prevailing narratives assumed. VIP+’s “Peak Performance” report found that only 30% of respondents said the pandemic impacted their willingness to buy VIP-level tickets, while over half said their stance was unchanged.

Given that ticket prices across all levels, from the front row to the nosebleeds, have seen price hikes, it’s not a stretch to assume audiences have only become more frugal since last year.

The result is that legacy acts are now feeling the growing pains of a shifting, more costly industry and are unable to sell venues they might have packed a decade ago. Current artists, meanwhile, may be miscalculating what they can realistically sell in today’s economic environment, leading to them taking bigger risks than anticipated.

Sure, cool-kid pop darlings Charli XCX and Troye Sivan might bring in crowds in NYC and L.A. on their co-headlining tour, but can they fill an arena in Dallas on a Wednesday ?

The final explanation is that audiences and artists alike are plain old tired of Live Nation Entertainment’s antics. The hulking company created from Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s infamous merger has received increased accusations of price gouging , intimidating both artists and venues and excessive hidden fees in recent years. And, of course, to cap off the bad press there’s the new lawsuit from the Department of Justice accusing LNE of monopolizing the live music business .

But even for those who don’t know anything about LNE, the process of buying a ticket from Ticketmaster, often the only option outside of resale sites, has become an excruciating experience . At this point, it seems only intervention by the DOJ or Congress will make the process easier, and until then, artists are ultimately the ones who have to weather the storm.

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IMAGES

  1. The Black Keys

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  2. Have Love Will Travel Lyrics

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  4. The Black Keys The Moan / Have Love Will Travel

    black keys have love will travel

  5. The Black Keys

    black keys have love will travel

  6. The Black Keys The Moan / Have Love Will Travel

    black keys have love will travel

VIDEO

  1. The Black Keys « Have Love Will Travel » Zénith de Paris 13052024 France

  2. The Black Keys

  3. The Black Keys "Have Love Will Travel" live @ Les Nuits de Fourvière Lyon 3/7/2023

  4. Patrick explains how black keys survived the music business

  5. Have Love Will Travel

  6. John Mayall

COMMENTS

  1. Have Love Will Travel

    Provided to YouTube by The Orchard EnterprisesHave Love Will Travel · The Black Keys · Not DocumentedThickfreakness℗ 2003 Fat Possum Records, LLCReleased on:...

  2. The Black Keys

    "Have Love Will Travel" from The Black Keys' album ThickfreaknessListen/Purchase: https://theblackkeys.ffm.to/thickfreakness.OYD_____https://www.fatpossum.co...

  3. The Black Keys

    Single from the album 'Thickfreakness' by the band 'The Black Keys'. This song is a cover, originally written and recorded by Richard Berry.

  4. Have Love, Will Travel

    "Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry. While the song may have been recorded before the end of 1959, the correct release date appears to be January, 1960. ... Blues rockers The Black Keys on their 2003 album Thickfreakness, their 7" vinyl single, and their 2004 EP The Moan.

  5. The Black Keys

    [Intro] / If you need lovin', oh baby I'll travel / [Verse 1] / I'll travel from Maine down to Mexico / To find that girl who loves me so / No matter where I be / I'll find that

  6. The Black Keys

    Add similar content to the end of the queue. Autoplay is on. Player bar

  7. Have Love Will Travel

    Provided to YouTube by Redeye Worldwide Have Love Will Travel · The Black Keys The Moan ℗ Black Keys Released on: 2008-01-29 Music Publisher: Black Key...

  8. Have Love Will Travel by The Black Keys Lyrics Meaning

    If you need lovin'. Oh baby, I travel I travel from Maine down to Mexico To find that girl that loves me so No matter where I'll be I'll find that girl and she satisfy me Have love will travel Have love will travel. If you need lovin' Oh baby, I travel If you need lovin' Oh baby, I travel I might take a boat and I take a plane I might hitch-hike or jump a railroad train

  9. Have Love, Will Travel

    Watch the video for Have Love, Will Travel from The Black Keys's Live At The Mason Jar for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Playing via Spotify Playing via YouTube Playback options

  10. Have Love Will Travel

    Length. 3:04. Lyrics. If you need lovin', oh baby I'll travel. "Have Love, Will Travel" is a "rhythm and blues" song written and recorded in 1959 by Richard Berry, the author of Louie Louie. A… read more. blues rock. rock.

  11. The Black Keys

    Have love, will travel Have love, will travel If you need lovin, oh baby I travel If you need lovin, oh baby I travel I might take a boat, I might take a plane I might hitch-hike or jump a railroad-train Your kind of love drive a man insane So look for me walkin' just any old way Have love, will travel Have love, will travel If you need lovin ...

  12. Have Love Will Travel

    Listen to Have Love Will Travel on Spotify. The Black Keys · Song · 2003.

  13. Have Love Will Travel

    Provided to YouTube by Redeye WorldwideHave Love Will Travel · The Black KeysThe Moan℗ Black KeysReleased on: 2008-01-29Music Publisher: Black KeysComposer:...

  14. Meaning of "Have Love Will Travel" by The Black Keys

    The song "Have Love Will Travel" by The Black Keys revolves around the willingness to go anywhere and do anything for the sake of love. The narrator explicitly states that if someone is in need of love, they are ready to travel and seek out that love, no matter the distance or challenges involved.

  15. The Black Keys

    Turn Blue. The Black Keys. Released. 2014 — Europe. CD —. Album. Explore the tracklist, credits, statistics, and more for Have Love Will Travel by The Black Keys. Compare versions and buy on Discogs.

  16. Have Love Will Travel

    Have Love Will Travel by The Black Keys released in 2004. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.

  17. The Black Keys

    beginner. Tuning: E A D G B E. Capo: no capo. Author newg [a] 64,803. Last edit on Jan 06, 2019. View official tab. We have an official Have Love Will Travel tab made by UG professional guitarists.

  18. The Black Keys

    Have Love Will Travel Tab. by The Black Keys. 48,643 views, added to favorites 223 times. Capo: no capo. Author hyphensprint [a] 303. Last edit on Feb 13, 2014. View official tab. We have an official Have Love Will Travel tab made by UG professional guitarists.

  19. Have Love Will Travel Tab by The Black Keys

    93 94. Have Love Will Travel Tab by The Black Keys. Free online tab player. One accurate version. Play along with original audio.

  20. Black Keys

    Sept 22, 2004 at the High Noon Saloon in Madison WI

  21. Black Keys

    Black Keys - I Got Mine. 2. Black Keys - Little Black Submarine. 3. 6 versions. Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel, lyrics, tabs. Band The Black Keys Album Thickfreakness Song Have Love Will Travel Tuning Standard.

  22. Have Love Will Travel Chords by The Black Keys

    To learn The Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel chords with lyrics, begin by getting comfortable with these sequence: D, E, Am, D, A, D, E, C, D, Am. Begin your practice at a relaxed 29 BPM, then work your way up to the song's BPM of 58. Set the capo considering your vocal range and favored chords, aligned with the key: G. Download PDF.

  23. The Black Keys' Say 'We Got F-cked' Amid Tour Cancellation

    Matthew Baker/Getty Images. Patrick Carney of the Black Keys has shared a mysterious message following the abrupt cancellation of the North American leg of their International Players Tour and an ...

  24. The Black Keys

    Live Black Keys

  25. 'Stay tuned,' Black Keys drummer says of reasons for tour downgrade and

    The drummer for rockers the Black Keys hinted Monday that an explanation for the band's recent troubles is coming. In a post on X, Patrick Carney gave a short message to fans: "We got f---ed. I ...

  26. Live Music Blues: Are Black Keys, Jennifer Lopez Just the ...

    The Black Keys, meanwhile, have historically packed the likes of Madison Square Garden across numerous tours, but a noticeable increase in ticket prices seemed to deter even die-hard fans this ...