As recommended by PF77, pubbore, BeckyDavidson, AppleCatcher and Carefree
The song from 1968 is the story of two lovers' journey through America. They begin by hitchhiking but eventually catch a Greyhound bus along the New Jersey turnpike to New York City. The couple board the bus in Pittsburgh to “look for America”. Carefree tells us “I want to be a passenger on the New Jersey turnpike one day just so I can say I've been 'counting the cars on the New Jersey turnpike … they've all come to look for America'” Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
As recommended by mcruz, sampurnell, Praglue and LongDanSweeney
Readers suggested this song from the 1976 album A Night on the Town due to the lyrics “Leaving home on a Greyhound bus, cast out by the ones he loves”. The protagonist of the story, Georgie, travels to New York by Greyhound after coming out to his parents Photograph: PR
As recommended by qwerty0
Thise song from 1969 is about a struggling musician who arrives in the small town of Lodi to play a gig. He arrives by bus: "Rode in on the Greyhound, I'll be walkin' out if I go." The song was the B-side to Bad Moon Rising Photograph: Michael Putland/Getty Images
As recommended by slowdoge
This song tells the story of a rogue spending time in jail and trying to make his way home afterwards. The driver of the Greyhound demands “cash on the barrelhead” for a lift on the “old grey dog”. slowdoge suggested the song and said: “Listening to Charlie and Ira sing it is no small potatoes, but the fact that Gram [Parsons] and Emmylou [Harris] duet it on Grievous Angel makes it essential” Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
As recommended by Frances Rousseau, East Finchleyite, and Tomgar24
Several readers cited the last scene of the 1994 film Shawshank Redemption. The character Red, played by Morgan Freeman, takes a Greyhound to Fort Hancock. The scene begins with a shot of a New England landscape whizzing by before the shot shifts to reveal an iconic Greyhound making its way up the road. Tomgar24 tells us “that's a damn good scene” adding, Red is “brimming with an optimism and hope” Photograph: PR
As recommended by alexguy and BewilderedMark
This 1976 song discusses catching a Greyhound bus on the Hudson River Line route. Supposedly Billy Joel got the inspiration for the song as he was travelling home to New York on this exact route. The song is an ode to Joel's home city and suggests that while others were catching flights to Miami Beach and Hollywood, Joel was satisfied “takin' a Greyhound” back to the Big Apple Photograph: PR
As recommended by wherearewe
This song is from the 1972 album Heads and Tales and explores the lows of travelling by Greyhound. The song laments: “Take the Greyhound/It's a dog-gone easy way/To get you down” Photograph: Underwood & Underwood/Corbis
As recommended by Dan North, joshthedog and Matt Le' Rookie
As the title suggests, several modes of transport are involved in a tortuous journey from New York to Chicago. Included is a memorable scene in which Neal (Steve Martin) and his shower-curtain-ring salesman pal Del Griffith (John Candy) take a nightmarish trip by Greyhound Photograph: PR
As recommended by Mysterious Spok
From the 1973 album Brothers and Sisters by the country rockers. Mysterious Spok quotes the lyrics: “Well, my father was a gambler down in Georgia/He wound up on the wrong end of a gun/And I was born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus/Rollin' down Highway 41” Photograph: PR
As recommended by cheveguara
This 1965 song is about a Greyhound journey from Norfolk, Virginia, to the “promised land” of Los Angeles. The bus only made it as far as Birmingham, Alabama, before “that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded". cheveguara notes that there are also versions of the song by Elvis and Johnnie Allan Photograph: Marc Sharratt/Rex Features
