Transamerica is the original soundtrack, on the Nettwerk label, of the 2005 film Transamerica starring Felicity Huffman and Kevin Zegers. The album consists of songs from various artists in the country and bluegrass genres.
This song is about a journey on the road to find home and identity. Parton references "The Wayfaring Stranger (song)" and "I Am a Pilgrim", both examples of American folk music about the search for identity on the road. Parton said she wrote the song because of her status as an outsider and her belief that "It's all right to be who you are."[1] She wrote the song on her tour bus in one day.
The song was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and for the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Song, though it won neither award. According to the New York Times website, "Travelin' Thru" won for best original song at the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2005.