Songs about places

March 3, 2007 8:04 PM

This gem got me thinking: Songs about a place. Some are more evocative of the geography, some of a tangential longing merely rooted in a place and others -- while about a place -- are really rooted more in a time. Some places immortalized in song you want to visit, others you don't , and others don't really exist at all, though we may know somewhere like it. But near or far, border to border, coast-to-coast (from the west side* to the east side and somewhere in the middle as well, there's musical pins all over the map. [links go to videos] *no direct link, second entry
posted by spacely_sprocket (16 comments total)

There used to be (until last August) a band in Madison called the Super Eights, which played only quick bursts of jangle-pop about places. Mostly about American states, but occasionally about cities or other countries. They had absolutely nothing online when they were together, and still don't, but I recorded and posted video of three songs from their final show -- New Mexico, Massachusetts and Texas.
posted by aaronetc at 10:02 PM on March 3, 2007

And sometimes the places referred to in the song are rooted to a time. I (re)watched Cyndi Lauper cover Joni Mitchell's Carey last week, and went looking for the Mermaid Cafe in Matala... closed in 1980.
posted by JParker at 10:24 PM on March 3, 2007

Ray Charles. Georgia On My Mind.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:57 PM on March 3, 2007

Sweet Home Alabama.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:01 PM on March 3, 2007

amarillo by morning...
posted by bruce at 11:04 PM on March 3, 2007

California Dreaming. (And check out the chicks dancing in bathtubs!)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:05 PM on March 3, 2007

By the Time I Get To Phoenix.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:07 PM on March 3, 2007

And let's not forget I've Been Everywhere.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:13 PM on March 3, 2007

Okie From Muskogee.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:15 PM on March 3, 2007

Don't forget that song written about our dirty water.
posted by rollbiz at 11:31 PM on March 3, 2007

benson, arizona attained mythic status after the movie "dark star"
posted by bruce at 12:02 AM on March 4, 2007

California
posted by kersplunk at 8:52 AM on March 4, 2007

Anyone have a line on where I could get the cover of Carey by these guys, that was slated for the Joni Mitchelll tribute album...but not used for whatever reason?

any help appreciated
posted by timsteil at 10:52 AM on March 4, 2007

"It's a Typical Day (In Dogpatch, U.S.A.)"
"Bali H'ai"
"Brigadoon"
and

"I come from the town of Mira,
Beyond the bridges of St. Claire.
I guess you've never heard of Mira---
It's very small but still it's there.

"It had the very greenest trees
And skies as bright as flame....
But what I liked the best in Mira
Is everybody knew my name."

---Bob Merrill, CARNIVAL!
posted by realjanetkagan at 1:39 PM on March 4, 2007

Anybody else getting annoyed by the amount of songs about California the Red Hot Chili Peppers have made? Do they have a deal worked out with Schwarzenegger or something? It's a wonderful state, but after 20 years you'd think they would've explored new material. Or mebbe it's just me..
posted by hypersloth at 2:58 PM on March 4, 2007

Poe's "That Day" even comes with a map in the liner notes.
posted by adipocere at 10:37 PM on March 4, 2007