Yesterday afternoon, I was with a group of friends trying to list songs about imaginary places. Now I have decided to mix a CD composed entirely of these songs. Alas, I do not have enough for a full CD, which is why I’m coming here for help. If anyone can think up more of these songs, it’s dopers.
So far I have:
Island in the Sun
Castle on a Cloud
Bimbombey
Pleasant Valley Sunday
Jungle Land
Strawberry Fields Forever
Last Train to Clarksville
Any more?
Do you want only songs that mention imaginary places in the title? Songs primarily ABOUT imaginary places? How about songs that just MENTION imaginary places?
Songs with imaginary places in the title include:
"The Big Rock Candy Mountain (traditional folk song)
“Sugar Mountain” by Neil Young
“Lonesome Town” by Ricky Nelson
“Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley (“Lonely Street” qualifies as an imaginary place to, guess)
Songs that mention imaginary places:
“Puff the Magic Dragon” by Peter, Paul & Mary (“a land called Hana-lee”)
Strawberry Fields is a real place.
Clarkesville is a real place.
Thanks. Guess that means I need even more songs.
I am looking for songs primarily ABOUT imaginary places. Not neccessary to have them in the title.
Two more by the Beatles
Yellow Submarine (“the Land of Submarines”)
Cry Baby Cry (“The King of Marigold”)
Fenris
Was Penny Lane a real place?
Adding to Neptune’s post, from “The Billboard Book of Number One Hits” – “Bobby [Hart, cowriter of the song] picked a favorite Arizona town for the train’s destination, and Clarksville became the fourth American city (after Kansas City, New Orleans and El Paso) to be mentioned in the title of a number one song”. Also, according to this book, “Penny Lane is a bus roundabout in Liverpool”.
Some additions: China Grove, the “sleepy little town down around San Antone” according to the 1973 Doobie Brother’s 1973 hit, is mythical. Also, in 1965 Nancy Sinatra sang about the charms of Sugar Town. And on a 1972 B-side, David Bowie told us about Suffragette City. And who could forget Olivia Newton-John’s 1980 ode to Xanadu. Or when Jan and Dean, in 1965, sang about Surf “two girls for every boy” City. Both Lipps, Inc. and Pseudo Echo have expressed a desire to move to Funkytown. And in 1968 Jeannie C. Riley recounted the events which took place at the Harper Valley P.T.A. , while in 1989 XTC reviewed the achievements of the Mayor of Simpleton.
Atlantis (Donovan)
Atlantis Calling (Flash and the Pan)
Brigadoon (an entire musical about a mytical place)
Armenia, City in the Sky (the Who)
Tommy’s Holiday Camp (the Who)
Octopus’s Garden (Beatles)
Hotel California
A big Beatle fan I know says it is. I believe my friend but can’t offer any proof.
What about “Evermore,” as in Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of.” Wasn’t Evermore a place (haven’t really listened to LZ in years) in this song? I’d also consider Led Zep’s “Kashmir” a fictional locale, depsite the real world political entity–Robert Plant just sort of attached the name of the place to the weird vision he was writing about. Zeppelin also mentions Tolkein’s Mordor in one of their songs. Oh yeah, and then there was “Misty Mountain”–I don’t know if misty mountain was supposed to be about a real place or not.
I think Ronnie James Dio mentioned a “Nevermore” in one of his songs, as well as a Silver Mountain, and a bunch of other mystical locales from his own personal mythology (or D&D campaign). Or was it Evermore?
I’ll think of a million songs with fictional locales when I leave my computer in a little bit. No doubt I’ll forget them all when I return.
Oops. I didn’t notice whitetho’s explanation about Penny Lane before I posted.
Xanadu
Heaven by the Talking Heads
Apart from ONJ&ELO, Xanadu also features in the Dave Dee c.s. classic from the sicties: The legend of Xanadu.
And I can’t believe that no-one has mentioned Avalon (Roxy Music) yet…
Yep, been to Pleasant Valley, IA, a number of times.
Was there ever a Scarborough Fair?
Kenny Loggins sings about Pooh Corner
(I love that song)
What about Long Ago and Faraway by James Taylor? And Inside My Guitar? Cannot remember who sang that, though.
While we’re at it and Chuck mentioned “Briagadoon”, lemme add a few more musicals about imaginary places:
Camelot (“Where winter is forbidden 'till December/And exits March the seocond, on the dot”)
La Mancha (as in Man of La Mancha)
“River City” Iowa (from the Music Man. It’s actually Mason City and Wilson didn’t even try to hide the fact. But still)
Metropolis (Fritz Lang’s not Clark Kent’s) was a musical.
Rocky Horror features a song about the planet “Transsexual Transylvania”
Was “The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” railroad real? If not, it was from The Harvey Girls.
And, on preview, I’d missed the most obvious: The Wizard of Oz.
Fenris