Holding down a long-distance relationship is often frustrating, but worth it if you’ve found someone really special.
Fortunately, technology has evolved to make it easier with video calls and sending memes with “this made me think of you,” but it still doesn’t compare to the real thing.
So without further ado, here’s a list of the best long distance relationship songs to remind you that you aren’t the first (and definitely won’t be the last) to do it.
Long Distance – Bruno Mars
This song will have you pining for your lover if you can’t be with them. Bruno Mars sings of missing his partner due to traveling and promises he’ll be home as soon as he can. He hugs a picture of his partner to feel a little closer, showing how much he misses them. The pain of missing them is so bad that he tries to listen to music to make the time go by faster. That must be pretty hard when there are so many songs about long distance relationships!
The Girl – City and Colour
The singer sings of his love for his girl in this song and mentions some things he loves about her, like how she’s not materialistic and makes sacrifices for their relationship to work. The song starts slow and sad but crescendos to an upbeat pace. It’s as if he’s sad in the beginning, but thinking of her puts him in a happy mood, and his sad thoughts turn into joyful appreciation. It’s a testament to just how happy she makes him.
One Call Away – Charlie Puth
Charlie Puth wrote this song because a friend of his was in a long distance relationship at the time and missed his girlfriend. Charlie hoped to make a song that any long distance couple could listen to when they missed their loved ones.
You can be the judge, but Charlie seemed to have done a great job. “I’m only one call away” shows that whenever you feel alone, you just need to make a call, and your lover will be there for you. It won’t be the same as a hug, but it’s certainly better than nothing!
Calling You – Blue October
When you’re far away from your lover, all you want to do is call them. However, the singer in this song makes it known that they’ll keep calling and calling! This is because he’s madly in love with his lover and wants them to know it.
There’s a bit of insecurity showing in the song since he says he’ll keep asking if they still love him, but when there are several miles between you and your partner, little worries are bound to pop up at some point.
Related: see songs about feeling insecure.
So Far Away – Dire Straits
Do you think it’s hard to maintain a relationship over the phone today? Imagine trying to make it work in 1985 (the year this song came out) when you don’t have FaceTime or Zoom readily available in your pocket!
The singer, Mark Knopfler, sang this song for anyone who was in the situation. He sang of how tiring it is to be on the phone all the time and even said in an interview that a phone relationship can’t succeed due to how exhausting it is.
Related: One of Dire Straits best songs, this also appears on our list of missing you songs.
Distance – Christina Perri Feat. Jason Mraz
Christina Perri sings of a different kind of distance – the kind where you want to love someone, but you can’t for one reason or another.
Maybe that person isn’t in a place where they can be in a relationship, maybe they’re your best friend and you’re afraid to be honest, or maybe there really is distance preventing you from becoming something more. The love is secret, and the singer is obviously yearning to make her love known. Long distance relationships are difficult, but this kind might be the worst.
I Will Wait – Mumford And Sons
Everyone can find their own meaning in this song. Many interpret it to be about waiting for a loved one who is temporarily away. It could be someone who’s serving in the military or someone who is away because of work.
Others see it as a religious song based on the Christian belief that Jesus will return to the earth one day. They understand kneeling to be praying as they eagerly wait for his return. Since this song isn’t too specific, you can interpret it as you wish.
Related: see our songs about waiting playlist.
A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
This song is about feeling heartbroken after losing someone you love, whether you lost them to distance or a breakup. The singer is so broken-hearted that she’s in her own little world at the beginning of the song. “I’d walk a thousand miles” is what makes this song open to interpretation.
She’d either walk the miles that are currently between them, or she’d hypothetically be willing to go the distance to have the relationship. Vanessa Carlton said she wrote this song about a college crush she never talked to but wouldn’t reveal who because he became a well-known actor!
Related: see breakup songs.
Right Where You Want Me – Jesse McCartney
When couples can’t be together, they can’t help but think of each other. Jesse McCarney’s song fantasizes about being together once again, but it can also be used to celebrate a reunion after being apart for so long.
Jesse sounds nothing short of eager about seeing his girl again, and this song likely makes long distance couples antsy to get back to their lovers. “Take me on a journey” can be understood as a reference to the distance between the couple or the desire to go on a journey together that doesn’t require them to be apart.
Distance – Mariah Carey ft. Ty Dolla $ign
Many people say long distance relationships can’t last forever, and this song challenges the naysayers. The song says that anyone who says the relationship is over is just jealous and wishes they could have what they have.
It takes the saying “go the distance,” which is a phrase meaning to complete something, and turns it into a play on words. They’ll “go the distance” by remaining together while there is a literal distance between them.
So Far Away – Carole King
“Doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore?” The question sounds sad and exasperated, which is the perfect way to describe long distance relationships when lovers are severely missing each other.
The singer dreams of seeing her lover once again and is sick of hearing songs about being on the highway. It’s a painful reminder that she’s traveling further away from the one she desperately wants to see again. The frustration she has that her lover is “just time away” shows that she has obligations that are preventing her from turning around and going back.
Here Without You – 3 Doors Down
‘Here Without You’ is a lamenting song about the lonely life of a musician. The singer, Brad Arnold, is on the road trying to enjoy his road to fame, but he can’t help but think that it’s a bit overrated as he misses his lover. Even though the song is often perceived as a sad one (how could you see it any other way?), Brad did say in an interview that his intentions were for it to be happy, because although you’re lonely, you have your dreams to keep you company.
Related: check out our lonely songs playlist.
Long Distance – Megan & Liz
Sometimes the long-distance pain is so much that you wish you’d never gotten into the situation in the first place. The duo Megan & Liz sing about these conflicting feelings in this emotional song about love and regret.
It tells the story of a girl who ran into a musician and instantly fell in love with him. They spent the day together and decided to try to make it a long-term relationship, even though he would have to be away most of the time. The girl has regrets, but now she’s committed. Love makes you do crazy things sometimes.
Home – Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé wrote this song for his fiancé he had at the time because he was away from her and missed her. He says in the song that he wrote letters for his fiancé but never sent them because they didn’t quite sound right. The song sounds like Michael is about to call it quits and go home because he misses his fiance so much. He can’t even enjoy Paris and Rome, and he says, “I’ve had my run.” Imagine missing someone so much you can’t enjoy famous cities!
Related: take a trip around the world with our songs about cities playlist.
Jet Lag – Simple Plan ft. Natasha Bedingfield
This song is about being on the other side of the world, away from your loved ones. Long distance relationships are tough, but they’re even harder when there’s a big difference in time zones!
While this song can certainly apply to a lover, it can also apply to family members or friends you have to be away from. It’s hard to sync up schedules to say hello or chat for a bit when they’re several hours behind or ahead of you.
From Where You Are – Lifehouse
Jason Wade wrote this song for the insurance company Allstate for their Teen Driving Program to promote safe driving. The song came out in 2007 but didn’t appear on a Lifehouse album until 2010.
While the song was dedicated to teens who lost their lives in car accidents, it can certainly be interpreted to be about someone who’s missing a significant other because there are many (literal) miles between them. “I wish you were here” can always be interpreted in many ways.
Long Distance – Brandy
This is the same ‘Long Distance’ sung by Bruno Mars (see above). The song was written by him and others, and Mars made a demo of it. Brandy sang an extended version of it, which Mars also eventually sang. The song is perfect for when you miss a lover, but it can also apply to family and friends. Brandy said she met a woman whose husband was away in the military, and she shared the song with her because it fit the situation perfectly.
Ours – Taylor Swift
Taylor sings of being in a relationship that others don’t approve of. Unfortunately, long distance relationships are often on the receiving end of that negativity. But this song says that none of that matters because people like to try to mess up the “things that shine,” so when people disapprove of your relationship, you should just ignore it and carry on with your life. It’s a comforting, sweet song that will encourage couples to hang on through the tough times.
Related: see songs about sticking together during tough times.
Many the Miles – Sara Bareilles
This song fittingly covers a lot of ground with the lyrics. Of course, it can apply to a long distance relationship since it talks about going many miles to reach someone. But, it also talks about living life to the fullest, taking chances, and staying positive through the tough days. Whew, talk about a meaningful song!
Whatever meaning you take from it, it’s safe to say that long distance relationships require positivity and risks to make it work, but it will be worth it if you stay dedicated.
Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
Richard Marx wrote this song for his partner, who was overseas to film a movie. They weren’t yet married, and he couldn’t get a visa to visit her. So, he wrote this song and mailed the track to her.
He didn’t initially want the song to be public since it was like a love letter, but his friends insisted until he finally did. In the song, he assures his partner that he’s waiting for her to return and lets her know how much he misses her.
I Can’t Wait Forever – Simple Plan
In this song, the singer is determined to wait however long to be with his lover again. He’ll wait forever, even if it causes him emotional or physical pain. “You look so beautiful today” can either refer to a picture his lover sent to him, or he already knows she looks beautiful because she does every day.
Either way, it’s obvious he’s longing for her and can’t wait to get back home to her.
Wish You Were Here – Avril Lavigne
‘Wish You Were Here’ is a bittersweet song, and you can take the meaning you want from it pretty easily. It’s about missing someone after being away from them. But, the sweet part comes from the feelings she has for this person.
But, the song can also refer to someone you can’t be with because you had a fight or broke up. “All the crazy things you said” can refer to an argument, and the longing to have them with her can be the desire to patch up the relationship.
