My friend Simon passed this onto me earlier in the week (originally found of Flavorwire). I like the concept (click on it to enlarge), but I feel that it's missing about nine-dozen other spots, notably "Dance (Pt.1)" by the Stones (West 8th Street & Sixth Avenue), "I Love New York" by the Pop-O-Pies (St. Marks Place), "At the Zoo" by Simon & Garfunkel (Central Park), "Balloon Man" by Robyn Hitchcock (Sixth Avenue & Bryant Park), "People Who Died" by the Jim Carroll Band (Upper Manhattan, The Tombs), "Hung Again" by Cop Shoot Cop (the Williamsburg Bridge), "Broadway (So Many People)" by Low (Broadway, just north of Houston), etc. etc. etc.
What other Manhattan topographical-song-citations can you name? Ready? GO!
Sadly, this would have been a wonderful item to put up on The New York Nobody Sings, but it seems that said blog has had its plug pulled. Pour one out.
Lennon's "New York" from Sometime in New York City, 1972.
Lyrics mention Max's Kansas City, Staten Island Ferry (I know not in the city), Fillmore and Apollo,
cycling through the Village,
Statue of Liberty (I know again, but significant)
This is a good overall New York song.
Posted by: Fred | April 21, 2011 at 12:28 PM
Oh, man... This is a project that requires a whole book. It's not quite rock 'n' roll but few songs contain as many New York City references as Rodgers & Hart's "Manhattan".
Mott Street (tell me what street), Delancey (it's very fancy), and so on...
Posted by: James Taylor | April 21, 2011 at 03:41 PM
Soul Coughing's "True Dreams of Wichita" (standing on the edge of the Williamsburg Bridge...) pops to mind.
Posted by: Erik | April 21, 2011 at 05:10 PM
Well, speaking of S&G, what about The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)? Also Life During Wartime by Talking Heads (this ain't no Mudd Club or CBGB's).
Posted by: Rick Schindler | April 21, 2011 at 05:25 PM
Awesome, keep'em comin'
Posted by: Alex in NYC | April 21, 2011 at 06:16 PM
"Avenue B" by Major Thinkers
Posted by: bb | April 25, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Syd Straw - "CBGB"
Blondie - "In the Flesh" (Went walking one day on the Lower East Side)
Posted by: Charlie in CA | April 25, 2011 at 12:05 PM
Sunken-Eyed Girl by Mike Doughty (Delancey and Ludlow Streets), Positively 4th St by Bob Dylan, Red Dragon Tattoo by Fountains of Wayne... I have an epic playlist devoted to NYC songs.
Posted by: Casey@Good. Food. Stories. | April 25, 2011 at 12:10 PM
The Magnetic Fields - Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
Beastie Boys - An Open Letter to NYC
In addition to Waiting for the Man, I think a big part of the Velvet Underground/Lou Reed catalog could be included on this list.
Also, while I don't know if it's specifically about NYC, Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" always plays in my head when I'm stuck in a bus of a cab creeping across town.
Posted by: Nathan | April 25, 2011 at 12:33 PM