Katie's Geography Playlist
So I was thinking about songs about places today. And this is what I came up with. (That’s the playlist link; for all the songs individually, check out the list below.)
Decatur, Or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother! – Sufjan Stevens
Iowa – Dar Williams
Devil Town – Bright Eyes
America – Simon and Garfunkel
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynard Skynard
I Am, I Said – Neil Diamond
Rotterdam – The Beautiful South
Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight and the Pips (Mormon connection; bonus points for a blog like mine)
Jack and Diane – John Cougar Mellencamp
Los Angeles, I’m Yours – The Decembrists
No Children – The Mountain Goats (this one is pushing it, but it talks about never coming back to this “this town” again, so it totally counts. And thank goodness, because this song ROCKS; plus, it’s from an album called Tallahassee!)
What about you? Any tracks you’d add?
Posted on April 15, 2009, in Personal, Pop Culture, Tunes and tagged bright eyes, dar williams, gladys knight and the pips, john cougar mellencamp, lynard skynard, music, neil diamond, playlists, simon and garfunkel, sufjan stevens, the beautiful south, the decembrists, the mountain goats. Bookmark the permalink. 16 Comments.
Standing, Sitting, Lying Down 
Oh, I think Twin Falls by Built to Spill (and later covered by Ben Folds) is a must-have :-).
How about a little known song called “New York, New York”, by a quaint, little artist named Frank Sinatra…? Ever heard of it? Mr. Sinatra also sings a song called “Chicago”. Madonna sings “I Love New York”. Gomez has “Hamoa Beach” and “See the World”. Bon Jovi’s “Two Story Town” and Kravitz’s “Back in Vienna”
just to name a few. 🙂
“Frank Sinatra?”
What, you just makin’ stuff up now?
Sheesh.
“Ellwsorth, KS” (a haunting song about Alzheimers/dementia by Raskal Flatts) – it brings me to tears whenever I hear it.
“Oh, Canada” – I know; too easy.
“Gary, Indiana” – perhaps the silliest place song I know
Btw, I responded to your question on FMH. Somehow I missed it when you first asked.
“Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc.
…
What?
If You’re Gonna Play In Texas – Alabama
Song of the South – Alabama
Chattahoochee – Alan Jackson
Harlem’s Nocturne – Alicia Keys
You Don’t Know My Name – Alicia Keys
Ventura Highway – America
Thermopylae – Ancient Rites
Ypres – Ancient Rites
Lisbon – Angra
Tennessee – Arrested Development
The Girl From Ipanema – Astrud Gilberto
Love Shack – B-52’s
Siberia – Backstreet Boys
Going Down To Liverpool – Bangles
California Girls – Beach Boys
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
Norwegian Wood – Beatles
Say Goodbye To Hollywood – Billy Joel
New York State of Mind – Billy Joel
Allentown – Billy Joel
Goodnight Saigon – Billy Joel
Leningrad – Billy Joel
I Ain’t In Checotah Anymore – Carrie Underwood
London Calling – The Clash
Amsterdam – Coldplay
Omaha – Counting Crows
Raining In Baltimore – Counting Crows
Fire In Cairo – The Cure
Kyoto Song – The Cure
Abilene – Damien Jurado
Manhattan Skyline – David Shire
O Valencia! – Decemberists
Shankhill Butchers – Decemberists
Mary’s In India – Dido
Lubbock Or Leave It – Dixie Chicks
New York Minute – Don Henley
Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) – The Doors
L. A. Woman – The Doors
Life In A Northern Town – the Dream Academy
The Green Fields of France – Dropkick Murphys
Oak Cliff Bra – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
Jamaica Jerk-Off – Elton John
Caribbean Blue – Enya
Storms In Africa – Enya
Cliffs Of Dover – Eric Johnson
Santa Monica – Everclear
London Bridge – Fergie
Belleau Wood – Garth Brooks
Mighty Joe Moon – Grant Lee Buffalo
Paschendale – Iron Maiden
Carolina In My Mind – James Taylor
Mexico – James Taylor
There Is No Arizona – Jamie O’Neal
Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square – Jethro Tull
North Sea Oil – Jethro Tull
Fairbanks, Alaska – Joe Walsh
Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
Take Me Home Country Roads – John Denver
Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash
Tennessee Stud – Johnny Cash
Drive On – Johnny Cash
The Battle of New Orleans – Johnny Horton
Warsaw – Joy Division
Feelin’ Massachusetts – The Juliana Hatfield Three
Detroit Rock City – KISS
Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp – Led Zeppelin
Going to California – Led Zeppelin
Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
Bron-Yr-Aur – Led Zeppelin
Night Ride Across The Caucasus – Loreena McKennitt
Perfect Tan (Bikini Atoll) – Machines of Loving Grace
California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas
Jerusalem – Matisyahu
Mississippi Queen – Mountain
One Night In Bangkok – Murray Head
Unicorns L.A. – My Barbarian
Sugar Town – Nancy Sinatra
San Andreas Fault – Natalie Merchant
Alabama – Neil Young
Sahara – Nightwish
Bombs Over Baghdad – OutKast
Graceland – Paul Simon
Under African Skies – Paul Simon
West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys
Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel
San Tropez – Pink Floyd
The Nile Song – Pink Floyd
Up The Khyber – Pink Floyd
Ibiza Bar – Pink Floyd
New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 – R.E.M.
I Remember California – R.E.M.
Texarkana – R.E.M.
Mother Russia – Renaissance
Niagra Falls – Sara Evans
Winds Of Change – Scorpions
Anarchy In The U.K. – Sex Pistols
Te Dejo Madrid – Shakira
The Only Living Boy In New York – Simon & Garfunkel
Battle of Plakani, Battle of Veisi – Skyforger
Englishman In New York – Sting
Waiting For My Ruca – Sublime
Isle Of Skye – SuidAkrA
In Liverpool – Suzanne Vega
Once Upon The Seas Of Abyssinia – T. Rex
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants
Road Movie To Berlin – They Might Be Giants
New Orleans – Toby Keith
Mary Jane’s Last Dance – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
I Left My Heart In San Francisco – Tony Bennett
Africa – Toto
Vienna – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
The Wrong Side Of Memphis – Trisha Yearwood
The Dneiper Rapids – Turisas
South Texas Death Ride – The Union Underground
Exodus ’04 – Utada
Mendocino County Line – Willie Nelson
Gunpowder – Wyclef Jean & The Carnival
Also, about a million country songs, Broadway musical songs, and pieces of classical music.
Kullervo, how could you leave off “One Night in Bangkok” by Murray Head?
I didn’t! Check the list again; it’s on there.
I’m embarrassed.
But at least we’ve got easy access to that sweet, sweet music video now.
No no, I appreciate your vigilance. It would have been a true tragedy not to have it on there.
That’s one helluva list, Kullervo.
I’m hoping you had all those on your iPod…I mean, it’s not like you just came up with that off the top of your head, right?
Oh no, I scrolled down through my iTunes. That’s not cheating, is it?
South of the South- David Dondero
Dirty Old Town – Pogues
Goodbye California – Jolie Holland
Wanted Man- Johnny Cash
Corrido por Buddy – Jolie Holland
Devil Town- Daniel Johnston
You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma-Frizell and West
loved your list!
I can’t believe nobody mentioned “Hotel California” – Eagles.
“Little Rock” – Colin Raye (about a recovering alcoholic)
“Albuquerque” – Weird Al Yankovich (A really twisted song, even for him)
Idaho- Josh Ritter