Contents
- The Story Behind “Big Jet Plane”
- Lyrical Meaning and Themes
- What Fans and Critics Think
- My Own Connection: Folk Nostalgia, Nature, and Songwriting
- Songs Like “Big Jet Plane”
- Why “Big Jet Plane” Still Resonates
- Conclusion
There are some songs that find you right when you need them. For me, Big Jet Plane by Angus and Julia Stone was one of those. I first heard it in my early twenties, right after a breakup, when life felt a bit like standing at a crossroads: not quite sure which way to turn, but quietly hoping for something that would feel like home again.
I’ve always been drawn to music that feels nostalgic, that takes you somewhere—a sound, a lyric, a feeling that lingers. Big Jet Plane has that in spades. Even now, all these years later, it pulls me back to old memories, lost summers, and the simple ache of wanting to escape, or maybe just to begin again.
In this post, I want to take a closer look at the Big Jet Plane song meaning, dive deep into the lyrics, and share how it shaped my own songwriting—particularly the nature-infused, folk style that’s woven into my songs like "The Mountain," "Son," "Ocean," and "Crossroads." I’ll draw on what Angus and Julia Stone have said, what listeners hear in it, and maybe find a little inspiration that’s bigger than just the music itself.
The Story Behind “Big Jet Plane”
Released in 2010 on the album Down the Way, Big Jet Plane became the breakout song for siblings Angus and Julia Stone. It’s simple on the surface, a gentle, folk-driven tune about longing and escape... but there’s something in the delivery that just lands differently.
The origin of the song is humble. Angus originally wrote and released Big Jet Plane solo in 2009. When Julia heard it, she suggested they rework it together. In an interview, Angus said:
“It’s a love song. But not in the traditional sense. It’s about that feeling of wanting to whisk someone away, take them out of the ordinary, just for a moment.”
Julia added her own view:
“There’s something magical about flying, about the idea of leaving everything behind. But it’s also about the hope that comes with new places, new feelings.”
That sense of movement, longing, and a kind of gentle yearning is at the heart of the Big Jet Plane lyrics meaning. Even though the verses are minimal, the emotion is unmistakable.
You can read more about the background and their creative process in this retrospective article.
Lyrical Meaning and Themes
Let’s get into the heart of it... the Big Jet Plane lyrics. The first lines set the scene:
She said, "Hello, mister, pleased to meet ya"
I wanna hold her, I wanna kiss her
She smelled of daisies, she smelled of daisies
She'd drive me crazy, she'd drive me crazy
These opening lines are simple, but somehow vivid. There’s a sense of innocence, a fleeting encounter, maybe, or the start of something that feels both immediate and impossible.
The chorus drives it home:
Gonna take her for a ride on a big jet plane
On the surface, it’s about adventure—taking someone away, flying above the noise. But there’s a longing here too, an ache to leave the ordinary behind. The "big jet plane" becomes a metaphor for escape, for possibility, maybe even salvation.
Later, the lyrics continue:
Be my lover, my lady river
Can I take ya, take ya higher?
“Lady river”... that’s such a gentle, almost biblical image. There’s a hint of something older, a kind of longing for home or for something eternal. It makes me think of all the stories in scripture where journeys are central—crossing rivers, searching for rest, stepping into the unknown. Like the Israelites heading toward the promised land, or the longing in Psalms for God to "carry us on wings of eagles." Maybe the jet plane is our modern-day metaphor for that longing to be carried somewhere safer, somewhere more hopeful.
The repetition in the chorus...
Gonna take her for a ride on a big jet plane
...starts to feel like a mantra, or maybe a prayer. There’s comfort in it, but also the possibility that it’s just a dream. That mix of hope and melancholy runs right through the song.
And then this part:
Gonna hold ya, gonna kiss ya in my arms
Gonna take ya away from harm
It’s protection, tenderness, a desire to shield someone from the world’s rough edges. There’s an almost sacred quality to it—like wanting to be someone’s refuge, or to find refuge together.
The song circles back, always returning to the idea of leaving—of taking off, but never quite landing. It leaves space for the listener to fill in their own longing, their own memories. That’s what makes the Big Jet Plane song meaning so enduring: it’s open enough for anyone to find themselves inside it.
For more lyric discussion, check out Genius lyrics analysis and see how others interpret the details.
Check Out My Top 10 Songs Similar to 'Big Jet Plane'
What Fans and Critics Think
This is one of those songs that seems to mean something slightly different to everyone. Some people hear it as a straight-up love song; others hear the melancholy just underneath.
On SongMeanings, one fan writes:
“Big Jet Plane is about romantic desire, adventure, and escape, using the metaphor of a jet plane to symbolize a journey with a loved one. The lyrics express a longing to take someone away from their troubles and create a special, exciting experience for them. While the song is upbeat, it also carries a sense of melancholy, hinting at dreams that may not come to fruition.”
Others see the song as a bittersweet story about wanting what you can’t have. There are plenty of comments on Reddit reflecting on how the song became an anthem for escape during tough times, or how it reminds them of late-night drives, heartbreaks, or the desire for something more.
A post on Reddit’s innuendo thread even laughs at the simplicity of the lyrics, suggesting that sometimes, it’s the songs that say the least that end up saying the most.
On TikTok, you’ll find Angus and Julia Stone sharing stories behind the song’s creation, talking about how sometimes inspiration comes from a place of simple longing—no big explanations, just the feeling of wanting to go somewhere new with someone you care about.
My Own Connection: Folk Nostalgia, Nature, and Songwriting
I said at the start that I heard Big Jet Plane after a breakup. What I didn’t say was how lost I felt... like I was in between chapters, waiting for a sign that things would get easier. There was something about the Big Jet Plane meaning that landed for me right then: the urge to get away, the hope that somewhere else could be better, or maybe just a place to start over.
But it was more than that. The sound... the acoustic guitar, the subtle use of effects, the almost fragile vocals, really changed the way I thought about my own music. Suddenly I wanted to write songs that felt like memories. Songs that sounded a little rough around the edges, like they belonged outside, under the open sky.
I started detuning my guitar, chasing that looser, folkier sound. On tracks like "The Mountain," "Son," and "Ocean," you can hear that influence. There’s a lot of open chords, ringing harmonics, and space... room for the listener to step in. In "Crossroads," I used subtle reverb and fingerstyle patterns inspired by the Stones’ production, letting the atmosphere carry the story as much as the words do.
Nature became a bigger part of my writing, too. Maybe it’s the New Zealander in me... always searching for mountains, rivers, and quiet places. But Big Jet Plane reminded me that music can be a kind of landscape, a way of travelling without leaving home. That’s something I still carry into every song.
And, honestly, there’s a little bit of biblical longing in there as well. The idea of being “carried” through the tough seasons, searching for refuge, hoping for restoration. Like the Israelites wandering in the desert, or Jesus finding space to pray in the wilderness, sometimes you need to step out, to journey, to find your way back to something true.
Songs Like “Big Jet Plane”
If Big Jet Plane is your kind of song, here are a few others that walk the same path... songs that blend nostalgia, folk, and a little bit of longing:
- Ben Howard – "Old Pine"
- The Paper Kites – "Bloom"
- Vance Joy – "Georgia"
- Daughter – "Youth"
- Matt Corby – "Resolution"
- Iron & Wine – "Flightless Bird, American Mouth"
- Hollow Coves – "Coastline"
What ties them together is a sense of place, of journeying, and an honesty that doesn’t try too hard. These tracks, like Big Jet Plane, let the listener find their own story inside the song.
Why “Big Jet Plane” Still Resonates
Years later, I still find myself coming back to this track. There’s a simplicity to the Big Jet Plane lyrics meaning that never really fades. Maybe it’s the dream of escape, or the gentle promise that things could be different. Or maybe it’s just the comfort of a song that says, "I know what you’re feeling... me too."
I try to hold onto that in my own music: to leave space for questions, to let the listener come with me, not just watch from the outside. If you listen to "The Mountain," "Son," "Ocean," or "Crossroads," maybe you’ll hear a little bit of Big Jet Plane in there too.
Conclusion
In the end, the Big Jet Plane song meaning isn’t just about love, or escape, or even nostalgia. It’s about hope... the kind that makes you pack your bags, or pick up your guitar, or just close your eyes and imagine being somewhere new. It’s about longing for something beyond what you can see.
Like a lot of biblical stories, it’s about the journey more than the destination. We’re all looking for a way out sometimes, or a way back home. And maybe, if we’re lucky, we find a song that carries us there, even for a little while.
If you’ve got a memory, a feeling, or your own story tied to Big Jet Plane, I’d love to hear it. Drop a comment or check out my own tracks if you’re after more of those nostalgic, folk-inspired sounds. Maybe they’ll take you somewhere, too.
