OK my lovelies.
What’s your favourite song that names a specific town or city in the lyrics?
Here’s mine.
There’s a €25 Golden Discs voucher to be won for your troubles!
The winner will be chosen by my face mask.
Lines MUST close at 2am.
Please include video links if possible.
Nick says: Good luck.
Last week’s winner here.
Sponsored Link
Boney M – Belfast (Ruud’s Extended Edit)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx5SuuprJ3s
Snap SOQ!
Hehehehehe
That man sure can dance!
It had me thinking, I am sure there is an Orbital tune called Belfast, I am wondering could really it be a cover of boney m. I don’t think it so, the brothers orbital could be fans of Boney M, that could be ….anyway back to Boney M.
Orbital Belfast
https://youtu.be/ax68rWI4Tuk
He turned me gay- well at least made me appreciate my gayness- same thing. Anyways- you posted the wrong link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HNtsdtnBfk
Wonderful stuff which sent a shiver down the spine of many a chemically undressed person- surprise ice cubes to the back of the neck done the same thing btw.
Thanks for fixing the link.
an altogether different destination.
Glen Campbell – Galveston
https://youtu.be/ZTbTHlTmDX8
or the obvious one, Belfast by Boney M
https://youtu.be/7y1hrOpVGKE
By the Time I Get To Phoenix either
‘The Guns of Brixton.’
https://youtu.be/JcW8VNwYvL0
Technically not a town or city. But this competition is rigged anyways.
https://youtu.be/EfK-WX2pa8c
Or indeed London calling
Indeed.
This little beauty!!
https://youtu.be/Zj7OJeyhq2Q
NY the city i love and choose to live in has been going through a very tough time, with many my friends and neighbors bailing and moving upstate or out off state,whenever i feel like leaving or get a little down with all the death and dead bodies stacked in trailers on side streets,I play this by Jigga who grew up around the corner in the Marcy Projects and fall in Love with my city all over again.
Yea, yea I’m out that Brooklyn, now I’m down in Tribeca
Right next to DeNiro, but I’ll be hood forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsZlY0Vz4-o
Speaking of Brooklyn and Belfast, Stiff Little Fingers covered the Beastie Boys with No Sleep Till Belfast:
https://youtu.be/_4HRD01Qy5w
Hi Ben and thats fooking brilliant,I mainly wear old ‘rock n roll’ T-Shirts at work and proudly rock the classic SLF- T with the two fingers,you may have seen this,its a really good doc on the Beastie Boys.I’ve heard SLF were amazing live and and have listened Alternative Ulster once or twice late at night:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCyqR2RXoQU
Thanks I’ll definitely check that out! Love Alternative Ulster, used to listen to Inflammable Material a lot back in the day… Apparently it’s cover art inspired the cover of Massive Attack’s Blue Lines
I was on a boat one Sunday morning a couple of Summers ago – from The Titanic bit of Belfast – a live band played aboard – booze and burgers type of cruise – anyhoos, I was with a couple of friends, one friend, a Canadian says, that’s Jim O’Reilly from SLF. He confirmed that indeed it was himself, when I inquired. A slendid afternoon ensued. He wasn’t the original drummer, but Ringo, similarly.
Hi Shayna,I always enjoy your posts and thanks Ben for the Massive Attack background, one my fav joints for a while in NY was El Quijote at The Chelsea Hotel on 23rd St btw 6th and 7th Ave’s,its a run down block populated by meth dealers and junkies ,dollar and liquor stores, very old NY,sadly its currently closed and under renovation.
Regulars referred to it simply as the Chelsea and its been home to many Irish literary greats including Brendan Behan and Dylan Thomas, recently Jospeh O’Neil wrote Netherland while staying there.Its probably most famous in Irl for where Sid Vicious GF Nancy Spugen was found stabbed to death.
Other guests have included Arthur C. Clarke who wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey while staying at the Chelsea,Twain,Kerouach,Ginsberg and Burroughs were also guests.
Madonna lived at room 822 and shot “Sex’ there,Ethan Hawke,Tom Waitts,Patti Smith,Jim Morrison,Dylan and Iggy Pop have also lived there, the Kills wrote No Wow here.
During the late 60’s Leonard Cohen lived in room 424 and had an affair with Janis Joplin who was living in room 411,he immortalized this in two great songs Chelsea Hotel and Chelsea Hotel #2.
This Lana Del Ray version with a nice cup coffee and a spliff is how I often start my Saturdays in NY…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj_myXdOLV0
Here is Leonard giving some background to the song and a live version-Lana now owns it:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk7DOe5EGgM
Nicely done Johnny.
Here’s an account of Behan’s sojourn in the Chelsea.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/behan-s-sojourn-in-hotel-chelsea-1.953359
As you say, Lana del Rey does a great cover of CH#2. Here she duets with Leonard’s young fella, Adam.
https://youtu.be/h7diak31x9E
Thanks Otis the IT piece was great my guide and historian is my neighbour and BFF-April,loved the backstory on the Chelsea and Behan.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/fashion/april-barton-chelsea-hotel-suite-303.html
SLF being formative to my musical youth in the early 80’s, the following lyric always gives me a giggle when it comes to the ridiculous and moronic Broadsheet profanity filter…
‘Cause he can play crap on the radio (on the radio)
You can play crap on the radio (play crap on the radio)
Be careful what you say
And you can play shite all day
‘Cause you can play crap on the radio, radio, radio
This was from almost 40 years ago lads. You gonna amend/delete this?!
Thanks all, enjoyed that segue into an SLF thread :)
Ween – Chocolate Town
https://youtu.be/7MLJ5WTssZk
Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman
Beautiful arrangement, melody, sentiment and visuals.
Jimmy Webb has to get a mention too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qoymGCDYzU
A song of great beauty yet melancholically. My favourite GC song and yes, the Jimmy Webb version is iconic.
Chicago or Go! CHICAGO! Go! Yeah! from Sufjan Stevens
https://youtu.be/edpLqHYp4XY
Elliott Smith – Alphabet Town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR09ggNWgEU
Although in the lyric at the start he calls it Alphabet “city”, pick one, mate!
Actually can I change mine? I don’t give a feck about d’voucher I just like trying to think of songs I like, innit?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq1bcVOmyjw
These girls are unbelievable, an amazing song with beautiful harmonies!!!
Enjoy the sound of 3 sisters who make up The Staves!!
https://youtu.be/hYV0Wp0MdZ4
Johnny Don’t Go to Ballincollig- Christy Moore/John Spillane
The song offers sound – and topical – advice to avoid Carrigaline and the ‘Collig. As an added bonus caution is also urged about visiting Mallow and London.
“Johnny don’t go to Ballincollig
Where you always get so disappointed
Johnny don’t go to Carragaline
I’m not coming with you this time…”
https://youtu.be/Xi7KUmmjhsE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMhWll_mfGk&list=RDMMhWll_mfGk&start_radio=1
Bagatell – Summer in Dublin
Drifts along ….can see myself on the board walk on a Sunday with this in my earphones
Let’s stay local!
Grian Chatten summons his inner Shane McGowan to deliver this mellow ode to new age Dublin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTeRIHoZ1Dc
Clonakilty as Charged – Julian Cope from the aptly named Drunken Songs album
The Antlers – Kettering
https://youtu.be/ipbukl6oFoQ
Jack L Baltimore I know it’s a cover but I like this version.
https://youtu.be/0Dy8snpOvo0
What ever happened to Jack L?
Drowning in south Dublin debt as half a dozen brats wave cards in Dundrum shopping centre no doubt.
??
What about this Gem, our alternative national anthem!!
https://youtu.be/RZ2oXzrnti4
How about Bruce’s Atlantic City handsomely covered by The Band?
https://youtu.be/Z6ZAujtEgVM
“Hot dog, jumping frog, Albuquerque”
King of Rock & Roll – Prefab Sprout – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T6e3GJCjow
Tom Waits – Johnsburg, Illinois
Tom Wait’s shortest and most beautiful and unaffected song, to his wife the mighty talented Kathleen Brennan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovv0xmgrM_o
Carrickfergus – Bryan Ferry
https://youtu.be/ZRpasZN7rCw
I like the Allison Mooder version of that myself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NUlABvwVTQ
Back in the late 90s, Brian Kennedy sang this during Feile an Phobail in Belfast. Just him and a guitar in front of about five thousand people and you could hear a pin drop. It was magnificent and I love the song ever since.
I went looking for funky town, up pops Toots
Funky Kingston
https://youtu.be/U79o7qwul48
Found Funky Town – Gotta move on.
https://youtu.be/ax68rWI4Tuk
Deadly :)
“Rollin’ down to Dublin Town
Comin’ from the Northside, headin’ Southbound
The glare of the city, you can see it in the sky
See it in the faces when I’m passing them by
Dublin Town
Bright lights all around
All the different sounds
Concrete surrounds
You need a few pounds or there’s nothing to do
No muns, no fun in the foggy dew
I be signing on, off Gardiner street
See all the people struggling just to make ends meet
The more unfortunate ones be begging at your feet
We’ll have to send a warning to the socially elite
And I repeat, if you keep a people down
In any old town
Or country
They’ll rise don’t you see
It’s the will to survive
That keeps them alive
And they’re starting to see through all the lies
That they’ve contrived, so I say to you all
To educate yourself, become well read
And start to use the head
Contemplate your own situation
Find the true enemy and stop banging heads
With the victims of its greed
Am I getting too serious?
Well this was meant to be a love song
Well it is a love song because I love my people
Not so long ago, back in the good old days
I dreamed of Irish laws and Irish ways
And saw that the present days weren’t so good
And the only thing I could think about them that was good
Was most of the people that surrounded me
But still I call them good old days because of the craic
That we had
We refused to stay sad
If you have your own around you and also possess your health
At the end of the day you’ll discover that that is the most
Essential wealth
I throw my mind back
And recall the days I used to have the craic
Back in Dublin town
Getting down to the Irish and Jamaican sounds
Listenin’ and learning about life
Helping me make it through the strife
Suckin on a big fat spliff full of rocky
Flagon in my hand
Be makin me feel grand
Discussing this and that
And thinking about the now
Thinking about the future, making myself a vow
I wasn’t going to waste my life
But I was going to live and love
Do the best that I could
I was going to bring some music to the people
And tell them that they were equal
But some of them wouldn’t listen
And this is what is pissin’
The rest of us off
You would wanna start listening to us, you would
Coz to you we aren’t going to be good forever
Yeh maybe even here, in the Dublin Town
Things could get turned upside down.”
https://youtu.be/yRAZABMTi-0
Fontaines DC?
Ha! Proper Duberlin lads.
I didn’t get no forty acres and a mule
But I did get you CC
https://youtu.be/DZaVA3NS7zE
When I saw the 40 acres reference I was expecting Gil Scott Heron,
train from washington
https://youtu.be/v9QC33os-uY
speaking of trains
Monkees – last train to clarksville
https://youtu.be/OA-KO04_KgM
Chooooooooo.
speaking of trains
Half man HalfBiscuit – time flies by.
Several “towns” mentioned is trumpton a town? I think it is near Chigley?
https://youtu.be/bpx7uM-5Y3Q
You’re a funky guy eamon. Have some nutbush city limits on me
https://youtu.be/ipOz_k9zvzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzsizwEb21Y
As a Kerry man trapped in Roscommon since March, it has to be my lovely Brosna Town.
T&C: May not be a town.
I don’t know if its a town…
Paul Brady – Lakes of Ponchartrain
https://youtu.be/Ad8RVexRUoQ
From the opening unforgettable riff, too the end!
A classic
https://youtu.be/YfpRm-p7qlY
Weller has form when it comes to inventing towns,strangetown
https://youtu.be/AVJlOPDiZNI
Not too shabby with the riffs here either
Luke Kelly anyone?
https://youtu.be/hVvk8zqvmhQ
Yes please. An absolute belter – blood and bone is the price of coal’
https://youtu.be/ORQj_j7_NM4
And one for the girls of Tuam.
https://youtu.be/TwjDXwHbLfc
Frank Sinatra New York New York
Galway girl!! Sharon Shannon version – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNs0vKDvs0g
I like the song but that video is absolutely dreadful.
This just popped into my head!!
https://youtu.be/v14lBgoWFEA
While you are in the area Andy why not visit Trench Town wit h Bob
Trench town rock – Hit me where it doesn’t hurt
https://youtu.be/FL_BshgpNmo
Gort a’ tSagart – sorry, can’t ever remember how it’s spelled in English – John Spillane’s lubricious, luscious canticle to his mother’s homeplace, sung here by Christy Moore. Note: fuil na n-aingeal is how they call fuchsia in west Kerry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C5pP-GbQtQ
Gort a’ tSagart – sorry, can’t ever remember how it’s spelled in English – John Spillane’s lubricious, luscious canticle to his mother’s homeplace out over the sea in the hills crossing from Cork to Kerry, sung here by Christy Moore. Note: fuil na n-aingeal is how they call fuchsia in west Kerry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C5pP-GbQtQ
Gortatagort
A fine piece of music from the hit factory!
It has to be “Navan is her name” by the great Eddie Who. Gone but never forgotten!!
https://youtu.be/NYGCK2gBB-o
Bee Gees – Marley Purt Drive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqtzloiPxZE
A tongue-in-cheek song about a Sunday drive out to Pasadena. Possibly my favourite Bee Gees track – because it sounds nothing much like the Bee Gees. Done in a ountry rock style, great vocal delivery by Barry Gibb, IMO
For Janet, who hates the Beatles;
Can’t you hear the balalaikas ringing out, come and keep your comrade warm
https://youtu.be/nS5_EQgbuLc
yup still hate em.;)
It has it all, Location, a car, the Lord and a girl!
Well, I’m a standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
Such a fine sight to see
It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flat-bed Ford
Slowin’ down to take a look at me….
Take it easy – The Eagles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpay8gumw0
If you are taking a drive why not venture …..
America – Ventura Highway
https://youtu.be/tnV7dTXlXxs
Reading these comments is like visiting an old folks home.. have none of ye listened to something from this century let alone the past 5 years.. anyway: I don’t care, two towns for the price of one: https://youtu.be/8PMK9wbWQlY
Oh yeah! That reminds me: Little Old Lady from Pasedena, a celebration of dangerous driving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MhiHZvq8zc
As talented as Versatile may be, is it worth pointing out that the style of music they make is essentially mid-90s era rap? That’s old-timer retro music Quarter of a century old. Welcome to the club, good to have you on board!
Stop that… (mutters under his breath.. feck..)
From the man himself, the legend Johnny Cash, the streets of Laredo
https://youtu.be/tSzfWLlvlAE
Arguably U2’s finest song in the guise of Passengers, Miss Sarajevo…https://youtu.be/Zlmg0yzxKvQ
I see your Miss Sarajevo and I raise you U2’s superb homage to Billie Holliday.
Angel of Harlem
https://youtu.be/ZNI-2gTcSGU
Isley Brothers – Ohio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs9IjuCOsLw
cover of Neil Young’s protest anthem
Not a mention of a Pacific town but still a great bloody tune!!!
https://youtu.be/m6wNNYwooO0
Can this be allowed????
https://youtu.be/m6wNNYwooO0
Or
https://youtu.be/aR7bqYYFPFE
I see you one horse, and give you two
Stereo Mc’s – two horse town
https://youtu.be/jsvcf-UA67E
Has to be Summer in Dublin By Bagatelle, such a beautiful song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMhWll_mfGk
I love Harrisburg by Josh Ritter
Americana at its best.
The video below is from his Iveagh Garden gig in 2010 and comes with a helping of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game thanks to the impressively moustachioed Zack Hickman.
https://youtu.be/OIG3WCGBGvQ
The Boss deserves a mention here.
You have Atlantic City
https://youtu.be/M3eu1gW-bQ8
but this week it been all about the Streets of Philadelphia
https://youtu.be/4z2DtNW79sQ
The Pogues: Fairytale of New York. RIP Kirsty Mac Coll
https://youtu.be/j9jbdgZidu8
Christy Moore: Lisdoonvarna
https://youtu.be/cCd16mQO32M
For the day that’s in it: Joxer Goes to Stuttgart
https://youtu.be/nzr6RTU6Q_0
The Looping Header Heard Around The World https://www.broadsheet.ie/2020/06/12/the-looping-header-heard-around-the-world/
The Dublin Saunter rather poignantly sung by Noel Purcell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmlTDGaTcBU
The song encapsulates how Dublin was once upon a time :)
Dublin can be Heaven, with Coffee at Eleven
And a Stroll in Stephens Green
No Need to Hurry, No Need to Worry,
You’re a King and the Lady’s a Queen
Grafton Street’s a Wonderland
There’s Magic in the Air
There are Diamonds in the Lady’s Eyes
and Gold-dust in Her Hair
And if you Don’t Believe Me, Come and Meet Me There
in Dublin on a Sunny Sunday Morning
Castle of Dromore, Noel Kelehan Quintet.
Original Irish Jazz from the year of the auld birth- and well worth a try next time the wine and cheeses are out!
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kF8QwP_9IpPqzjib-YYR4Tsl0yhe9oyuQ
Such a shame they didn’t keep at it..
I went for a listen, thoroughly enjoyed what I heard.Thanks for that, must try it with wine & cheese.
Some how i ended up here though, a people, not a town.
The Israelites by Monty Alexander and Ernest Ranglin
https://youtu.be/jsvcf-UA67E
Nice cover of Desmond Dekker! (love his ‘007’)
Glad you liked the Kelehan Quintet, there’s a fascinating RTE Doc on One podcast about the story of the recording.
I was otherwise going to say Nina Simone’s Baltimore… Wonder have McNulty and the guys got it cleaned up yet..
The Dublin Saunter rather poignantly sung by Noel Purcell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmlTDGaTcBU
The song encapsulates how Dublin was once upon a time :)
Dublin can be Heaven, with Coffee at Eleven
And a Stroll in Stephens Green
No Need to Hurry, No Need to Worry,
You’re a King and the Lady’s a Queen
Grafton Street’s a Wonderland
There’s Magic in the Air
There are Diamonds in the Lady’s Eyes
and Gold-dust in Her Hair
And if you Don’t Believe Me, Come and Meet Me There
in Dublin on a Sunny Sunday Morning
Microdisney – Town To Town (Oslo, Glasgow, Bonn, Bordeaux, Dresden, Dublin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6wNNYwooO0
Prefab Sprout – King Of Rock And Roll (Albuquerque)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T6e3GJCjow
The Thrills – Big Sur
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1fGNCvZL_w
America! by Bill Callahan, who has become one of my favourite lads to listen to during lockdown. What a voice. Was absolutely gutted to miss him last year.
https://youtu.be/w___6SgSFl8
‘Dublin’ by Phil Lynott / Thin Lizzy. Great lyrics and nice guitar sound
https://youtu.be/6-rOSwfLI18
Not quite..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU4mqvGw-wY
changed me mind. Buddy Rich “Norwegian wood”!!! different planet!!!
changed me mind. Buddy Rich “Norwegian wood”!!! different planet!!!
Just watched that!!! BBC 4 Beatles covers show! Great stuff
My Favourite country song, for now anyway.
Marty Robbins – El Paso
https://youtu.be/-zBzZJd-nfw
Cradled two loving arms that I’ll die for……….
Ryan Adams – Dear Chicago
https://youtu.be/mjzV_xP7VNg
“Today and tomorrow and yesterday, too, The flowers are dyin’ like all things do, Follow me close, I’m going to Ballinalee, I’ll lose my mind if you don’t come with me…”
For some reason Bob Dylan’s recent single, I Contain Multitudes, name checks the obscure Co. Longford village of Ballinalee.
Cassandra Voices mull it over
https://cassandravoices.com/society-culture/culture/bob-dylans-new-song-and-ballinalee-county-longford/
Nina Simone – Baltimore
Lovely piece of mellow-paced funk with a tinge of reggae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0HmdB7OZnw
Marianne Faithfull – The Ballad of Lucy Jordan:
At the age of thirty seven
She realized she’d never ride
Through Paris in a sports car
With the warm wind in her hair
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MfapKxWamIM
Leonard Cohen: First we take Manhattan
https://youtu.be/JTTC_fD598A
“First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0rZ2CPCYBQ&ab_channel=DaveJoern
:-)
Except the Jennifer Warnes version doesn’t include the full lyrics of Cohen’s song, viz:
And I thank you for those items that you sent me, ha ha ha
The monkey and the plywood violin
I practiced every night, now I’m ready
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin (I am guided)
Ah remember me, I used to live for music (baby)
Remember me, I brought your groceries in (ooh, baby, yeah)
Well, it’s Father’s Day and everybody’s wounded (baby)
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin
Belfast Child Simple Minds
One day we’ll return here,
When the belfast child sings again
When the belfast child sings again
Brooklyn again – Song from Hope St (Brooklyn, NY) from David Kitt
https://youtu.be/mvg0XcbNKQ0
(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville from REM’s 1984 2nd album Reckoning:
https://youtu.be/6fXCjSgItgw
David Kitt also did a nice cover of this
Love that track :)
Arlo Guthrie – City of New Orleans
Good morning America how are you?
Don’t you know me I’m your native son
I’m the train they call The City of New Orleans
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMS_ykiLiQ
Harlem Shuffle by Bob and Earl.
Its opening chords would later be used to create the most famous hip-hop intro ever.
The original is still brilliant though.
https://youtu.be/6bZyk5mixXk
I thought I posted this yesterday but I don’t see it…
Lady Bertie’s favourite song
George Michael – Going to a town
https://youtu.be/8DZJQjn3jV8
John cooper Clarke.. tp start your day with a wry chuckle
Evidntly chicken town.
The sanitised version
https://youtu.be/3KgB-sI2H-c
late to the party but one for me auld Da
https://youtu.be/zl9TdYWfSio
I wish I was back home in Derry
and one for moi
Paris c’est beau quand ….
https://youtu.be/c5HuOnZ8NFY
Born In the USA by Bruce Springsteen
https://youtu.be/lZD4ezDbbu4
City of Reno, Nevada
song, Folsom Prison Blues
by Johnny Cash
https://youtu.be/_Xyp63MaSBs
Smoke on the water by Deep Purple. Rollicking tune with a great story. Play it loud.
https://youtu.be/ikGyZh0VbPQ
How about a bit of this, always makes me smile > https://youtu.be/r6DUwMnDxEs
New York Alicia Keys