History

“I’ve Been Everywhere” was written by Geoff Mack in 1959 as an opener to his cabaret act. Initially titled “The Swagman Rock”, it would not become popular until renamed and released by the singer Lucky Starr in January 1962 when the song went straight to number one on the Australian Music charts and stayed there for fifteen weeks.

The initial version of the song listed Australian towns but later versions for other countries were released, all writhed by Geoff Mack:

– North American (primarily United States)
– New Zealand
– Great Britain
– Canada

Lucky Starr released an EP called “Lucky’s Been Everywhere,” which contained four versions: Great Britain, U.S.A., New Zealand, and Australia (Festival Records FX-10.485 (Australia)).

The song was a number 1 hit in Country Music in November 1962 in the United States for the recording artist Hank Snow and was also used in the title sequence of the 2004 film Flight of the Phoenix.

The song haas also been recorded by:
– Lynn Anderson (USA 1970)
– Asleep At The Wheel (USA 1973)
– Johnny Cash (USA 1996)
– Chip Dockery
– Ted Egan;
– The “Farrelly Brothers” from the television series The Aunty Jack Show (Australia 1974 (parody))
– John Grenell (NZ 1966)
– Mike Ford (Canada, 2005)
– Rolf Harris (UK 1963)
– Clifton Jansky
– Willie Nelson
– The Sunny Cowgirls
– The Statler Brothers.

Subsequent versions have been written by other writers and these include:

Alaska (adapted by Michael Faubion)
Beers – (the drink, not places – adapted by Jon Chalmers)
Belgium
Canada (adapted by Tom Connors and Mike Ford)
Czechoslovakia (adapted by Ladislav Vodička)
Faroe Islands
Germany (adapted by Jackie Leven)
Pennsylvania (adapted by Earl Pickens)
Pubic Hair (adapted by MacLean & MacLean)
Springfield’s state (adapted by Tim Long for a Simpsons Episode)
Texas (adapted By Brian Burns)
Houston (adapted By Hayes Carll)
Scotland (adapted By Charlene McGowan)

SOURCES:
– Interview by Richard E Patterson Country Music News Magazine Canada at the 2000 Tamworth Country Music Festival
– Wikipedia