It is neither triumphant nor relating to mathematical space, but while sounding thoroughly splendid, it's an obscure 17th-century adjective meaning belonging to or associated with a wagon or carriage. So a vectarious journey might just as well be bumpy as well as luxuriant, and in the 17th century, a horse-drawn wagon would be regarded as superior form of transport. As a word that sounds so good, it's surely time for a revival, but does it ever appear in song lyrics?
Wagons are inextricably linked to the American story …
While this word was in use in 17th-century England, the wagon of course has a huge symbolic, and practical role in American history for its European, white pioneers. This vectarious transport seen as form of progress, of protection, of advancing to new territory, or bravery, of pioneering spirit. But how is it portrayed? Here's a perky little number sung by Ken Carson and the Choraliers – Wait For the Wagon, taken from the 1962 album The Treasury of the Golden West:
And Jimmy Dean sang an ode to a very long line of wagons in Wagon Train:
Jim Reeves added a romantic element in his 1952, inviting you to his Wagon Load Of Love:
Also in that decade, and harking back to a more traditional wheeled type, Guy Mitchell's goes for the big romantic gesture with Give Me A Carriage With Eight White Horses:
The horse and carriage is perhaps not quite so rosy in the context of that well-known 1955 song with words by Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen, most famously sung by Frank Sinatra:
And in another context, the old west was never that romantic either. Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard wrote a comedic song about the wheels coming off during a pioneering expedition as the Cherokees circle around in ambush..
Taking an English fashion now, here's Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra setting those Wagon Wheels merrily along, in a sentimental ode to the traditional mode of transport over the new the 20th century's new fangled motor car.
Perhaps the most vectarious of settings and camped up stylish of pop songs harking back to carriages of old England might be Adam and The Ants, with that big early 80s hit about the dandy highwayman:
Back in the US now, and early that century, Bessie Smith, accompanied by a young Louis Armstrong uses the wagon to describe the end of a relationship
Now, you better go to the blacksmith's shop and get yourself overhauled
There's nothin' about you to make a good homin' for
Nobody wants a baby when a real man can be found
You've been a good old wagon, daddy, but you done broke down
Another great 1920s and 1930s star Memphis Minnie sang about calling for the fire wagon. Tragically, the song is inspired by true events.
Ella Fitzgerald meanwhile took a satirical swipe at a man in the more metaphorical Your Red Wagon:
Moving the wheels forward in time now, Joshua Redman's Wagon Wheels expresses on different jazz evocation:
The wagon train could just keep on rolling onwards for miles for this theme, but let's end with couple of relatively recent songs, First from 2016, country star Miranda Lambert and her Covered Wagon.
And finally, Darius Rucker's 2013 itinerant Wagon Wheel:
So then, where is your train of thought? Care to roll out your wagon with some more songs? Please feel free to share any further examples in songs, instrumentals, on albums, film, art or other contexts in comments below.
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