Songs about your hometown

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Janet Bean of Freakwater released a solo album last year called Dragging Wonder Lake, named after my hometown in northern Illinois. Her parents met there. A really excellent album, totally overlooked when it was released.

also, on the east side of the lake, about three miles away is the town of Johnsburg, IL, which was namechecked in TWO songs: Tom Waits' "Johnsburg, IL" and the Handsome Family song "In the Air", from the album of the same name. It's a tiny town, maybe a thousand people. Same as mine.

― gear (gear), Saturday, 31 December 2005 06:40 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't have a hometown, really, but I don't know any songs about either the place I was born (Palo Alto) or grew up in the general vicinity of (Rochester). Someday I will write the Palo Alto Rochester Blues.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 31 December 2005 07:33 (eighteen years ago) link

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005TO15.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Saturday, 31 December 2005 07:58 (eighteen years ago) link

There a really terrible Tom Cochrane song about a club in Vancouver (where i live)

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 08:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Taxi Girl - PARIS

― snowballing (snowballing), Saturday, 31 December 2005 10:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Sods: Copenhagen ("Copenhagen cancer city kill")
Love Shop: Copenhagen Dreaming

― Jay-Kid (Jay-Kid), Saturday, 31 December 2005 10:45 (eighteen years ago) link

"Susie Cincinnati" The Beach Boys
"Cincinnati Fatback" Roogalotor
"Cincinnati Jail" Lonnie Mack
"Camp Washington Chili" Lonnie Mack
"Oh Atlanta" Little Feat (describes CVG airport)
"Cincinnati Daddy" Duke Ellington
"Cincinnati Stomp" Big Joe Duskin
"Cincinnati Dancing Pig" Tennesse Ernie Ford
"The Cincinnati Kid" Ray Charles

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 31 December 2005 12:14 (eighteen years ago) link

John cale - PARIS 1919
(on est dans la place, mister boule de neige!)

― My life with Baaderonixx and the Choco-pops babies (Fabfunk), Saturday, 31 December 2005 14:10 (eighteen years ago) link

I think the song's called "The Pop Place" or something (it's on the third Trashcan Sinatras album, a Happy Pocket) but it does namecheck my hometown of Dumfries, Scotland.

― Binjominia (Brilhante), Saturday, 31 December 2005 14:43 (eighteen years ago) link

there have never been any songs written about either brooklyn or new york to my knowledge.

― is this an institution of learning or a teenage brothel? (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 31 December 2005 14:44 (eighteen years ago) link

although technically i was born in queens. one day i'll write a song called "queens."

― is this an institution of learning or a teenage brothel? (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 31 December 2005 14:45 (eighteen years ago) link

pharoahe monch beat you to it

― jermaine (jnoble), Saturday, 31 December 2005 15:46 (eighteen years ago) link

i won't tell if you won't

― is this an institution of learning or a teenage brothel? (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 31 December 2005 15:48 (eighteen years ago) link

fourteen years pass...

The Tannahill Weavers, "Gloomy Winter's Noo Awa'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiwXsaPR14w

― Sonny Shamrock (Tom D.), Friday, 31 July 2020 17:49 (three years ago) link

The Fegs, "Mill Street Law and Order"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Gm9OXQFog

― Sonny Shamrock (Tom D.), Friday, 31 July 2020 17:50 (three years ago) link

... (translation) All coppers are bastards.

― Sonny Shamrock (Tom D.), Friday, 31 July 2020 17:55 (three years ago) link

Beside the ones already mentioned (love ´em both : Cale and Taxi Girl), to me the best is « Paris S’Eveille » by Dutronc.

― AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 31 July 2020 17:59 (three years ago) link

Oh you'll have hundreds of them, I don't have many to choose from, that Tannahill Weavers one is lovely though.

― Sonny Shamrock (Tom D.), Friday, 31 July 2020 18:01 (three years ago) link

We love to get down in Ypsilanti.
https://youtu.be/e_vyGFvPaMs

― BrianB, Friday, 31 July 2020 18:18 (three years ago) link

one year passes...

This never fails to crack me up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUY6dBdgWR

Attn: jaymc

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Friday, 11 March 2022 21:17 (two years ago) link

Accurate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAqZakJoMg

― The sensual shock (Sund4r), Sunday, 13 March 2022 00:04 (two years ago) link

I'm going to post this one again because the link I posted before no longer works and this song is so lovely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU0HLLfSVEI

― Alfred Ndwego of Kenya (Tom D.), Sunday, 13 March 2022 00:16 (two years ago) link

Also the story of Robert Tannahill, whose statue I must have passed hundreds of times, is so sad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tannahill

― Alfred Ndwego of Kenya (Tom D.), Sunday, 13 March 2022 00:18 (two years ago) link

A ton of The Hold Steady's songs are about places I grew up around, so I figured one would mention where I grew up (Burnsville), and indeed one does:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwQWnv-PyGc

― deep luminous trombone (Eazy), Sunday, 13 March 2022 00:21 (two years ago) link

I took the train to Richmond that fell
It was a time I remember, oh so well

― zacata, Sunday, 13 March 2022 13:36 (two years ago) link

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