I was thinking about songs that mention actual NYC addresses or intersections, thinking it would be interesting to create a sort of musical map of the city, that you could stand in front of real places named in songs. Unfortunately, my knowledge of music isn’t that vast. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Stranded at Broadway and Bleecker - “Myraid Harbour” by the New Pornographers Where 7th Avenue meets Broadway (Times Square) - “New York City Boy” by the Pet Shop Boys Underneath the big clock at the corner of 5th Avenue and 22nd Street - “Four of Two” by They Might Be Giants Used to take the subway up to Houston and 3rd - “New York, New York” by Ryan Adams Lexington and 52nd Street - “Lexington and 52nd Street” from the TV show Smash 560 State Street - “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z
I’m sure I’m missing a hundred others. Any ideas? I’m looking for intersections and addresses, not just NYC places like “I recall Central Park in fall.”
Hanging out on Second Avenue eating chicken vindaloo-- The Ramones, Looking for Something To Do
Love was just a passing word when he dropped you off at East 83rd-- Oddyssey, Native New Yorker
Up to Lexington, and 1 - 2 - 5
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive -
I’m - I’m waiting for my man
[/Lou Reed]
ETA: ARGH!! Ninja’d by TWO prior posts - bravo, guys!
how about 53rd and 3rd by Dee Dee Ramone - where the rent boys used to hang out…crap, DChord beat me to that one, too!
The Bronx
Staten Island
The (Bronx) Zoo
Delancy Street
Mott Street
Coney Island
Central Park
Greenwich (Village or Street)
Bowling Green
Brighton
Jamaica Bay
Canarsie
Fifth Avenue
Flatbush
Inspiration Point
In the song “Streets of New York” by the Irish folk group the Wolfe Tones…
“We came in the Shore Parkway to the flatlands of Brooklyn
To me Uncle’s apartment on East 53rd.”
That’s Rodgers and Hart, not the Gershwins, but it’s a great example.
There’s a whole song about the jazz clubs on 52nd Street. It’s an old standard, nothing to do with Billy Joel, but unfortunately I can’t find it through Google because of other musical items that also were named after 52nd St. I have a recording of it by Elaine Stritch.
Roddy
