“Stepping Out” by Joe Jackson doesn’t reference NYC specifically, but it’s got a cool driving beat that reminds me of the pulse of city life. The song’s about a couple going on the town - stepping out, of course - “into the night / into the light”.
Ooh! I just remembered Leonard Cohen’s “Chelsea Hotel No. 2.” That’s going on there.
danceswithcats, got the beastie boys song on there, too-- somehow I had forgotten all about it.
vd, that song… scared me. I just might include it.
Moody Bastard, excellent suggestions, nd ones I hadn’t thought of. Gonna use those too.
Am trying to find my copy of the Stones’ “Shattered,” too, Manatee.
Everyone, thanks. I can always use more suggestions, though… Like I said, no musicals are gonna make the list but everything else can. Oh, and Sleeping, thank you-- I had completely forgotten about “Chickfactor” and now it’s going to be the background music to quite a significant part of my project.
yay!
And one of their newest songs “An Open Letter to NYC”. Though I think there are other references all over that CD, as the album is titled To The 5 Boroughs. (I haven’t bought it, and am not sure if I am going to.) The only other song I know I’ve heard off that album is “Ch-Check It Out.”
More Cohen: First we take Manhattan
Well, if you’re gonna have Chelsea Hotel No. 2 you gotta have Pennsylvania 6-5000, the phone number of the Pennsylvania Hotel. (Does anyone know if it still is?)
And Christine Lavin’s Regretting What I Said…
New York City Cops - the Strokes.
New York’s Alright (If You Like Saxophones) - Fear.
Harlem Nocturne - take your pick. I was always fond of the Lounge Lizard’s version but that’s me.
Take the A Train - C’mon, I can’t be the first to mention that!
and I really think you have to get the New York Dolls in there somewhere.
Actually the Fear song that would be most appropriate would be
“New York’s Allright (If You Like Saxophones)”.
As for the Cub version of “New York”… it can also be found on a really good compilation from Mint Records called “Team Mint Vol. 1”
I just checked and it looks as though both it, and “Come Out, Come Out” are available on the web site…
www.mintrecs.com/mall/index.html
Didn’t They Might Be Giants also do a song called I’ll Sink Manhattan?
"Boy From New York City’, The ADLIBS (dowop)
59th Street Bridge Song’, Simon and Garfunkle ( Everyone calls it Feelin’ Groovie’)
Don’t Sleep In The Subway, Petula Clark
Bleecker Street - Simon & Garfunkel
Rene And Georgette Margritte With Their Dog After The War - Paul Simon (about immmigrants who come to NYC/ “walk down Christopher Street” etc…
I’m a fan. 
A Billy Joel song not yet mentioned – Zanzibar
TV themes – Car 54, Where Are You?
Just Over the Brooklyn Bridge (recorded by Art Garfubkel as the theme to, appropriately enough, Brooklyn Bridge)
The title characters of Willie, Mickey, and the Duke are the three great center fielders of NYC baseball in the 1950’s. Willie Mays played for the Giants; Mickey Mantle, the Yankees; Duke Snider, the Brooklyn Dodgers.
And not New York-specific, but all too true for too many residents of any large USA or Canadian city at Christrmastime: Gordon Lightfoot’s Circle of Steel
New York, New York, featuring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, from the musical On the Town.
Oh, and I’ll Take New York -Tom Waits, Frank’s Wild Years
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Sting’s Alien in New York.
It has New York in the title so it doesn’t necessarily fit the OP but because no one else has mentioned it yet…
New York City Song from the movie “Eddie and the Crusiers II; Eddie Lives!” Written and performed by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. A song that really captures the dream of “if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” Great acoustic guitar work too.
Native New Yorker - Odyssey
Err…it actually Englishman in New York. It’s ok, it’s probably the blue hair that confused you 
.
“Welcome Back” a.ka. “The Theme to Welcome Back Kotter” by John Sebastian, ex-of the “Hot Town, Summer in the City” Lovin’ Spoonful:
Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out,
Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about.
Well the names have all changed, since you hung around,
But your dreams have remained, and they’ve turned around.
Who but God would lead ya. back here where we need ya?
Yeah, we tease him a lot, but we got him on the spot,
Welcome back, Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Actually, it was the chorus that fooled my memory:
I’m an alien I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
I’m an alien I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
:smack:
Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi.”