Some of what we write here at AudioPhix is designed to introduce readers to overlooked bands. Some are intended to celebrate important historic achievements. Some are meant to shed light on current events from the wide swath of entertainment which touches on – and in turn, is touched on by – music. Well, this ain’t any of that.
I’m telling you upfront that this is frivolous, silly, and hopefully, fun. It’s a list that matches a song with a city. Said song may or may not have something profound to say about said city. It may be well-known and closely identified with the city. Or it may be fairly obscure. It just has to be related to the city in some reasonable way.
That’s really the point. I just want to call your attention to some really good songs, some of which you know, and some of which you don’t. I’m using the cities as an organizing principle. Maybe it’ll get you thinking about your city and the music it has inspired. Maybe not.
30 songs that represent 30 United States cities
Today, we are counting down the 30 most populous cities in the USA, and offering up one song that is somehow related. Beginning with this.
"BALTIMORE" by 5 Chinese Brothers (1992)
Frontman Tom Meltzer wrote this beautiful tribute to his hometown on the 5 Chinese Brothers’ first album Singer Songwriter Beggarman Thief. A jangly guitar and a lead accordion drive the upbeat tune that recalls the glory days.
“Once we won the Series, took it going away – Once we sat on top of the NFL and the NBA,” and concludes with the great observation “Everybody’s a fool for something, I’m a fool for Baltimore.”
The Midwest
"DETROIT ROCK CITY" by Kiss (1976)
Written and sung by Paul Stanley, with Ace Frehley adding a couple of classic guitar runs. It wasn’t a hit initially, but when its B-side, “Beth” unexpectedly took off, the grinding tribute to the Motor City took off as well. “You gotta lose your mind in Detroit – Rock City.”
"MARY JANE’S LAST DANCE" by Tom Petty (1993)
“She grew up in an Indiana town – Had a good lookin’ mama who was never around – But she grew up tall and she grew up right – With them Indiana boys on an Indiana night.” It’s never clear if Mary Jane’s last dance takes place in Indianapolis. There are “market squares” in other towns as well, and you can indeed see pigeons in some of them. Then again, Petty always remained cryptic about the meaning of his greatest song, and TBH, there aren’t a lot of great Indianapolis songs. (Though the Bottle Rockets do a great one.) I figure if you can claim a song as good as this for your own – depressing meaning notwithstanding – you should do it.
"ROAD OUTSIDE COLUMBUS" by O.A.R. (2003)
O.A.R. is made up of guys from Rockville, Maryland. I know this because Wooton High School, where most of them met, is about five miles from me. But they all went on to Ohio State, where they added a sax player from Ohio. And that’s how they came to write a song about Columbus … where they “found (they) have a second home.”
"LOUISVILLE, KY" by Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra (1940)
Written by Sonny Skylar, and performed by the 23-year-old Ella Fitzgerald and her band. She had taken control after the death of bandleader Chick Webb in 1939. A fabulous jazz arrangement accompanies Ella’s perfect vocals. “Take me back to Louisville, take me ‘neath that southern sky – Long to hear the whippoorwill, comin’ home, Louisville.”
"MY KIND OF TOWN" by Frank Sinatra (1964)
If you prefer “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town),” you can have that one. Sinatra had hits with both Chicago tributes. I think the Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Kahn is a little better, but I’m not gonna argue. “My Kind of Town” was in the Rat Pack movie Robin and the 7 Hoods and was nominated for an Oscar. Some of the songs on this list have been tributes. Others have been takedowns. None has been as unabashedly sentimental – “Chicago is my kind of town – Chicago is my kind of people too – People who smile at you – And each time I roam – Chicago is calling me home.”
The Southeast
"MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE" originally by Chuck Berry (1959)
Berry wrote it. Elvis recorded it. So did the Beatles. And Al Green. The most well-known version may have been the one that Johnny Rivers recorded in 1964. Doesn’t matter who is singing it. Equating fond memories of the city on the western edge of Tennessee with a dad missing his young daughter after divorce is a guaranteed heartbreaker. “We were pulled apart because her mom did not agree – and tore apart our happy home in Memphis, Tennessee.” (NOTE: my wife insists I let you know that she would have chosen Paul Simon’s “Graceland” in this slot.)
"NASHVILLE CATS" by The Lovin’ Spoonful (1966)
There are roughly seven hundred million songs about Music City by the likes of Dolly Parton. George Strait and Waylon Jennings. So I’m picking one written by a shaggy-haired rock folkie from Greenwich Village. John Sebastian wrote it as a loving tribute to all the great musicians who call Nashville home, and his simple lyric “Well there’s thirteen hundred and fifty-two guitar pickers in Nashville – And they can pick more notes than the number of ants on a Tennessee anthill – Yeah, there’s thirteen hundred and fifty-two guitar cases in Nashville – And any one that unpacks his guitar could play twice as better than I will,” – well, that kind of says it all.
"CHARLOTTE’S IN NORTH CAROLINA" by Keith Whitley (1985)
Whitley plays with the name Charlotte here – singing about the woman who left him to go to North Carolina. Did she go to Charlotte? Maybe she went to Fayetteville or Wilmington. But I’m sticking with Charlotte. Whitley’s classic country twang – taken from the world by his alcohol-related death in 1989 – is utterly heartbreaking. As a city, Charlotte seems especially prone to generating songs with cryptic references – like Lute’s “Ford’s Prayer,” and Anthony Hamilton’s gorgeous “Comin’ From Where I’m From.” Unless you want a song about NASCAR – then the references are right out in the open.
"GIMME THREE STEPS" by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)
They were from Jacksonville, but if you didn’t know that, you might not be able to identify this near-tragic tale of harmless flirtation gone wrong as being part and parcel of the River City. Except the opening line tells you “I was cutting a rug down at a place called the Jug – with a girl named Linda Lu.” And The Jug Saloon is in Jacksonville, not far from where Ronnie Van Zandt grew up. The story goes that Van Zandt had the run-in described in the song at a different Jacksonville establishment, but “The Jug” fit the lyric better, so it became famous.
"WASHINGTON DC HOSPITAL CENTER BLUES" by Skip James (1966)
Robert Johnson’s only rival as the greatest delta blues singer of all time. James recorded his account of getting treated at the hospital in Washington on one of his two glorious ‘60s albums after his rediscovery. “The doctors and nurses, they shakin’ their heads – Said ‘take this poor man and put him to bed – because he’s a good man, we know he’s a poor man – We can understand.” This may be the most complimentary song ever written about a hospital.
The Southwest
"OKLAHOMA CITY" by Zach Bryan (2020)
The simple fact is that it is much easier to fit “Tulsa” into a song lyric than “Oklahoma City.” So even though there have been dozens and dozens of songs about the Sooner state, most talk about Tulsa (or about Lake Eufaula, which is the setting for the single greatest Oklahoma song). Oklahoma City often gets overlooked. If anyone was going to rectify that wrong, it was Zach Bryan, who refers to his Oklahoma roots in many of his songs. His wistful tribute assures “If you ever decide to bring your pain and your pride back to this side of Oklahoma City – They’ll be a porch light on from the post you leaned on before you wound up on the wrong side of pity.”
"DENVER" by Willie Nelson (1975)
Willie’s minimalist love song covers a meeting at a dance in under a minute. And its opening lyric – “The bright lights of Denver are shining like diamonds – like ten thousand jewels in the sky,” is a little bit more laudatory than my other favorite Denver-based song, Hold Steady’s “Denver Haircut,” which proclaims “I’m sorry but this city’s a cesspool.” Never having been there myself, I can’t say which is more accurate, but I’d like to believe that Willie’s is.
"FURNACE FAN" by Robert Earl Keen (2003)
OK, this may specifically be set in Scottsdale, but I think it captures Phoenix rather well, especially in the lyric “You can fry an egg out there on the city sidewalk – You can fry your bacon and and and and – I understand why lizards live in sunny Arizona – Why people do and call it home I’ll never understand.”
"VIVA LAS VEGAS" by Elvis Presley (1964)
After his first couple of movies in the late 1950s, Elvis didn’t do many good films. They were mostly slapdash affairs. Viva Las Vegas stood out from his ‘60s movies in part because it had Ann-Margret, and in part because it had this awesome song, written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. ZZ Top and Bruce Springsteen have covered it, as has Jello Biafra, who mentioned speed and coke, something Elvis left out of the original.
The West Coast
"TALKING SEATTLE GRUNGE ROCK BLUES" by Todd Snider (1994)
It was a hidden track on Snider’s debut album, but it was his live version on 2003’s Near Truths and Hotel Rooms that truly showcased the song. A mini-history of the grunge movement and the fleeting success of pop trends, Snider alternates his talking blues story with the catchy little chorus – Hey, hey, my, my – Rock and roll will never die – Hang your hair down in your eyes – Make a million dollars.”
"(SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY" by Otis Redding (1968)
Sure, if you want to be picky, Otis Redding was in Sausalito, across from San Francisco when he wrote this achingly beautiful portrait of loneliness – all the more poignant to history because he died before the song could be released. Written with Steve Cropper and with backing by the finest musicians the 1960s had to offer – Cropper and the rest of Booker T and the MGs, along with a couple of members of the Memphis Horns, I’m claiming this one for Frisco.
"DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE" by Dionne Warwick (1968)
Was there ever a more perfect songwriting-singer collaboration than that of Burt Bachrach, Hal David, and Dionne Warwick? Warwick handled Bachrach’s complex pop melodies and David’s playful wordsmithing so effortlessly that it made difficult songs sound breezy. “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” was not the peak of that collaboration, but it was a massive hit, and it gave the overlooked city some real cache by juxtaposing it against the fleeting plasticity of LA.
"SAN DIEGO SERENADE" by Tom Waits (1974)
Waits got his start in San Diego, and recorded this lovely piano-driven homage on his second album. Contemporary critics complained about the ramshackle voice and meandering melodies. But over the years, countless listeners have recognized Waits’ beautifully classical constructions as deeply affecting. “I never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long – I never heard the melody until I needed the song” may not be specific to San Diego, but it sure does capture the very cryptic nature of home.
"STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON" by NWA (1988)
Up until this point, I’ve had to make some tough decisions about what song to choose. The first song I thought of here for Los Angeles was X’s “Los Angeles” and the next one was the Doors’ “LA Woman.” I briefly toyed with the Grouch’s underrated gem “The Bay to L.A.” And then there were about twenty others.
But I’m going with the song that burst out of boom boxes in 1988 and helped create an entirely new culture. I can’t really quote the lyrics on this family site, but I’m guessing you already knew that. LA is far too big and diverse for any one song to capture it in its entirety, but this one captures a major piece of it extraordinarily well.
"PORTLAND" by the Replacements (1989)
“It’s too late to turn back, here we go – Portland, oh no – Portland, we’re sorry.” Paul Westerberg wrote this apology to an entire city after a drunken, incoherent performance at the Pine Street Theater in 1987. Drunken, incoherent performances were nothing new for The Replacements, who could also be brilliant at times. But this one became the stuff of legend.
Texas
"AUSTIN PRISON" by Johnny Cash (1966)
Austin was the outlaw counter to Nashville, so it makes sense that one of its most iconic songs is about a man escaping from prison, recorded by the godfather of outlaw country music. It doesn’t exactly paint the city in the best of lights, referencing a lynch mob and the evil men on the jury. But the jailer was righteous, the man escaped his fate, and Austin had one more mythic tale to tell.
"DALLAS" by the Flatlanders (1972)
Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock had no success as The Flatlanders in the early 1970s. This gorgeous, haunting portrait of Dallas failed to register with the public. Eighteen years later, both the band and the song came roaring back to life. “Well, I came into Dallas with the bright lights on my mind – But I came into Dallas with a dollar and a dime – Well, Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes.”
"SAN ANTONIO GIRL" by Lyle Lovett (2003)
Lovett takes the listener on a detailed tour of San Antone, stopping by the Alamo, and the Hemisfair, and strolling along the River Walk, but he doesn’t stop there. He takes us to the suburbs – to Helotes and San Marcos – all with his San Antonio girl because she’s “the whole wide world.”
"HOUSTON" by Dean Martin (1965)
When at his best, Dino could sing anything. Here, he begins accompanied by one guitar string and a coke bottle. Then a chorus and some strings join in, and eventually, a harmonica wails a short interlude. But it’s really all Dean, remembering the warmth and comfort of his home in Houston compared to the uncaring unnamed big city in which he finds himself. (For the record, Dean’s actual hometown was Steubenville, Ohio, but that fit neither the rhythm nor the atmosphere of the song.)
"FORT WORTH BLUES" by Steve Earle (1997)
Townes Van Zandt was a beacon to multiple generations of an ever-changing cadre of country singer-songwriters who bristled under strict Nashville rules. Townes was a Fort Worth native, and when he died at age 52, it inspired Steve Earle to write this homage. Fort Worth takes on a mythic quality, with Earle acknowledging that it “was never really your kinda town – But you went around with the Fort Worth blues.”
"EL PASO" by Marty Robbins (1959)
It won a Grammy. It hit number one, and not just on the country charts. The lovely Latin rhythm and happy love-song melody play as an outstanding counterpoint to the tragic story told by the lyrics. It is one of the seminal American country songs.
The Northeast
"STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA" by Bruce Springsteen (1994)
When Whitney Houston presented Springsteen with the statuette for Best Original Song at the 1994 Oscars, it set up one of the best acceptance speeches I have ever heard. After a brief message about tolerance and thanking director Jonathan Demme and Neil Young (who also had a nominated song from the movie Philadelphia), he signed off with “Thanks for inviting me to your party.” It’s a haunting song about acceptance and grace in the midst of tragedy. AIDS ravaged every city in the country, but this story happened to take place in Philadelphia.
"DIRTY WATER" by the Standells (1965)
“Down by the river, down by the banks of the River Charles – That’s where you’ll find me, along with lovers, muggers and thieves.” The Standells were a garage band from SoCal who had never even been to Boston when they recorded this track. Their producer Ed Cobb wrote the song after being mugged on a visit to Beantown – hence the reference to muggers and the overall snarky tone. Snarkiness aside, Boston has embraced it. Just go to any sporting event in town – you’ll hear “I love that dirty water – Boston you’re my home.”
"LIVING FOR THE CITY" by Stevie Wonder (1973) and "THEME FROM 'NEW YORK, NEW YORK'" by Frank Sinatra (1979)
As I said, some cities are too big for just one song. But I’m reserving my one and only tie for the biggest city of them all. These two iconic songs, made famous by two iconic singers, capture the duality of the Big Apple.
Sinatra, whose 1979 recording supplanted Liza Minelli’s original as the standard, sings about aspiration – “I want to be a part of it – New York, New York.” Stevie Wonder sings about the underbelly. “His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty – He spends his days walking the streets of New York City – He’s almost dead from breathing air pollution – He tried and fought but to him there’s no solution.” That is the dichotomy of New York.