The lyrics and the music for Route 66 were written in 1946 by Bobby Troup. Troup was a talented singer and jazz pianist who had experienced some success writing songs while in college. This was interrupted by World War II; Troup served as a Marine and was deployed to Saipan. After the war, he and his wife decided to try their luck in Hollywood so packed their belongings in their car and headed west. They traveled along two roads to get there- US 40 and US 66- and it was on the ten day journey along Route 66 that Troup wrote this song.
The version of Route 66 which our choir is singing is an arrangement by Dick Averre. Here's a vocal group singing this arrangement a few years ago: