# "I Love L.A.," "Phila. Freedom," and other "city songs" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140 "2007-01-16T00:55:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/1 "2007-01-16T00:55:55Z")
Do you live in a city that has a rock or pop song about it? How often is it played on local radio? And are you sick to death of it yet? ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/2 "2007-01-16T01:15:12Z")
“Kansas City” Going to Kansas City Kansas City here I come They got some crazy little women and I’m a-gonna get me some ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/3 "2007-01-16T01:16:31Z")
By OG, child, I work in Nashville! Too many to list… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/4 "2007-01-16T02:12:57Z")
Well most Jerseyites just claim many Bruce Springsteen songs to cover all of our towns. As I live in the same county as he does, I feel extra claim to the shared experience. As I spent many a Friday or Saturday night in the late 80s and early 90s at the Stone Pony, again I will claim Bruce. I use to live right off highway 9 so I will claim “[Born to Run](http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/BornToRun.html)” also. Jersey Girl was the song for both my sister’s wedding and my nieces. I was born in New York, so too many to list or name. How badly did I abuse the idea of the Op? Jim ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/5 "2007-01-16T02:21:31Z")
“Dirty Water” is about Boston. If you say it’s about any other city in a certain music store in Livingston County, you will have the honor of being ejected physically by the owner. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/6 "2007-01-16T02:28:36Z")
Gator Country-Molly Hatchet Well, they can take the highway, baby, and take all they can hold. The Outlaws down in Tampa\* town, yes, a mighty fine place to be. They got green grass and they got high tides and it sure looks good to me. I’m going back to Gator Country\*\* Where the wine and women are free. Talk Me Out of Tampa\*\* -Joe Nichols You can think of somethin’ can’t ya? Just talk me out of Tampa Seminole Wind-John Anderson And blow, blow from the Okeechobee, All the way up to Micanopy. \*\*\* Chattanooga Choo-Choo\*\*\*\* \*Where I live now \*\* Assuming Gainesville, home of UF Gators, my home town. \*\*\*The small town outside of Gainesville where I lived for 5 years \*\*\*\*Where I was born I am pretty certain that Dalton, Georgia has never had a song sung about it, cesspool of humanity and genetics that it is. I hope one day someone will write a song about Otter Creek, Florida, before it is completely gone. (You have to respect a town that has been around about 100 years and hasn’t gotten around to naming the ONE paved road going through it, but hey, they got a water department.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/7 "2007-01-16T04:34:42Z")
No one’s answering the second and third questions I asked in the OP. :mad: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/8 "2007-01-16T04:42:19Z")
_Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead_ – Warren Zevon _Get Out of Denver_ – Bob Seger I’ve never heard the former on radio; I hear the second once every few months. I’m not tired of either one (but neither could be considered overplayed, at least in my experience). ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/9 "2007-01-16T04:50:28Z")
Yes, not very, no. Well, _Arvada_ doesn’t have a song (thank Og!), but we do have Get Out of Denver by Bob Seger. Then there’s Riding the Storm Out, which is supposed to be about our mountains. They only play it during, well… storms. Usually spring thunderstorms which makes no sense as the song is about winter snow. which gets a brief mention in the timeless CW McCall masterpiece Wolf Creek Pass. Hasn’t had airtime in probably 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/10 "2007-01-16T04:53:56Z")
There was a disco novelty record in the late 70s called “Altoona Has Hustle”. It stunk. I haven’t actually heard it in at least 25 years. There are several Pittsburgh songs (that being the closest big city to where I grew up)…but the one that was popular when I was growing up was the Pittsburgh Steeler Polka (this was when they were on their four-Super-Bowl streak. I can still actually remember a verse or two and the chorus of that. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/11 "2007-01-16T05:39:25Z")
Insert - “I spent a lot of time growing up in Pagosa Springs” in front of > [@](#): > > which gets a brief mention in the timeless CW McCall masterpiece Wolf Creek Pass. Hasn’t had airtime in probably 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/12 "2007-01-16T05:46:49Z")
Bob Dylan - Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again Less Than Jake - Gainesville Rock City ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/13 "2007-01-16T05:56:01Z")
**I Love L.A.** is a much better song when taken as satire. And did Randy Newman write any serious songs before he started doing movie soundtracks? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/14 "2007-01-16T06:08:51Z")
The obvious answer is “Cleveland Rocks” which doesn’t get too annoying until you watch a lot of Drew Carey Show reruns 🙂 Anyway…I don’t think they play it too much on Cleveland radio. I never hear it. But there’s only like 3 stations that would play it and I don’t listen to them that often. (personally, I like the song, because I _like_ Cleveland!) ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/15 "2007-01-16T06:16:55Z")
The only one that comes to mind for my hometown is “Amy’s Back In Austin” by Little Texas. It even namechecks the La Zona Rosa. Never heard it on the radio (granted, it’s country and I never listen to country stations) and never got sick of it. Now I’m in Boston, hearing “Tessie” or “Dirty Water” makes me want to punch someone. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/16 "2007-01-16T06:20:02Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] “Dirty Water” is about Boston. If you say it’s about any other city in a certain music store in Livingston County, you will have the honor of being ejected physically by the owner. [/QUOTE] Nobody should say it’s about another city - the lyrics even say “Boston, you’re my home”. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/17 "2007-01-16T06:38:55Z")
Some years ago, when Dianne Feinstein was mayor of San Francisco, she got into a public debate with supervisor Quentin Kopp over whether the official city song should be _San Francisco_ (from the movie of the same name) or _I Left My Heart in San Francisco_. Kopp was in favor of the former, Feinstein the latter. They finally compromised and _San Francisco_ became the official song, while _I Left My Heart in San Francisco_ became the official ballad. It was a slow news week. . . ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/18 "2007-01-16T07:17:56Z")
“Christmas Eve in Washington” by Maura Sullivan. It only plays around Christmas and only on one station, so it hasn’t approached overload yet. “Washington Bullets” by The Clash gets very little airplay, especially since our basketball team was renamed. Google tells me there’s a “Christmas Time in Washington” by the Indigo Girls, but I’ve yet to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/19 "2007-01-16T08:11:28Z")
If there’s any about my current location, I don’t know it. For Barcelona, lots. They can be any kind of gender and get appropiate playtime in whichever radio stations play each gender; they don’t get played more or less than songs about, say, Madrid. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2007, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140/20 "2007-01-16T08:58:17Z")
There’s an I Love L.A. song? -clueless Angeleno [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-l-a-phila-freedom-and-other-city-songs/388140.md?page=2)