Do we still need Idaho?
You think we’re all Trailer Trash obnoxious and noisy
But that’s just Springer, Ricki Lake, and Boise
-UK Visa Versa by MC Lars
mmm
Sorry, nevermind, posted another Tom Lehrer but it’s a state name not a city name.
Do we have Mississippi yet? From Guys and Dolls:
An oldie; Hot Rod Lincoln, recorded by numerous artists had the lines "We left San Pedro late one night; the moon and stars were shining bright’ San Pedro is LA’s harbor, but part of the city of Los Angeles.
I can’t think of any songs that refer to Los Angeles as such, but the Doors
(**LA Woman **) and Elton John (“LA lady; seamstress to the band”) but I don’t recall the title of the song, which was on Tumbleweed Connection.
Someone–I think it was Tom Lehrer–sang of “I’m spending hannukah in Santa Monica, and Rosh Hoshana in Santa Ana”
I went from Phoenix, Arizona
All the way to Tacoma
The name of the town is “Bangor, Maine”, which rhymes with train.
“The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol
When they do the Bristol Stomp”
This refers to Bristol, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, the home town of The Dovells, who recorded it – not Bristol Connecticut.
Send me down to Tucson
And I’ll get the job done – Mel Tillis
“Rockin’ me baby” near-rhymes Pheonix, Arizona with Tacoma, so there’s Washington state.
[quote=“movingfinger, post:144, topic:723629”]
An oldie; Hot Rod Lincoln, recorded by numerous artists had the lines "We left San Pedro late one night; the moon and stars were shining bright’ San Pedro is LA’s harbor, but part of the city of Los Angeles./QUOTE]
The more direct rhyme would be from Hot Rod Race.
" Now me and my wife and my brother Joe,
took off in my Ford from San Pedro."
(Joe and Peedrow being the rhyme).
Non-thread related trivia…
Hot Rod Race (1950) was the pre-curser to Hot Rod Lincoln (1951). Hot Rod Lincoln just got a lot more air play. The tunes are similar and Hot Rod Race ends with the two racers (a Ford and a [Lincoln] Mercury) getting passed.
“When it flew by us, I turned the other way,
the guy in the Mercury had nothin’ to say,
for it was a kid, in a hopped up Model-A.”
Hot Rod Lincoln has the early lines…
“Have you heard this story of the Hot Rod Race
When Fords and Lincolns was settin’ the pace.
That story is true, I’m here to say
I was drivin’ that Model A.”
I have heard there is a third song from the point of view of the police chasing them down, but I have never been able to find anything.
“Dallas, got a soft machine
Houston, too close to New Orleans
New York’s got the ways and means
but just won’t let you be, oh no.”
-Grateful Dead, Truckin’
“Okie from Muskogee” is its own parody. Back in my hippie days, I heard people sing it tongue-in-cheek for two years before I heard the Merle Haggard recording.
Nor does it refer to Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee, “A Good Place To Live.”
Does this count?
Gary, Indiana
Not Louisiana
Paris, France
New York or Rome
But Gary, Indiana,
Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
My home, sweet, home!
I had a morbid curiosity so I assembled all of the answers so far to see which city is ahead. Baton Rouge and Tupelo are tied at five each.
Alabama – Birmingham [Newman], Birmingham [Stones], Birmingham [Emmylou], Mobile [Wells], Mobile [Cher]
Alaska – Nome [Ginnie]
Arizona – Winona [Rte 66], Tucson [Tillis]
Arkansas – Little Rock [Marilyn]
California -San Francisco [Shango], San Diego [Shango], San Bernadino [Rte 66], Santa Fe [Stones], San Jose [Stones], San Jose [Way?], Hollywood [Hotel], Sanya Monica [Lehrer], Santa Ana [Lehrer], LA [Steve Miller], Los Angeles [Customs], Pasadena [Gardenia], Bakersfield [Owens], Gardena [Beastie], Compton [Cube], San Pedro [Hot Rod]
Colorado – Denver [Sinatra]
Connecticut – Old Lyme [CT’s For]
Delaware – Dover [Parton]
Florida – Jacksonville [Everglades], Tallahassee [Lassie], Tallahassee [Dylan], Davenport [Cash],
Georgia – Savannah [Hannah], Savannah [Nelly], Decatur [Operator], Atlanta [Reed], Atlanta [Nelly], Macon [Lucinda]
Hawaii – Honolulu [Lulu], Honolulu [Dylan]
Idaho – Boise [Noisy], Boise [MS Lars]
Illinois – Chicago [Stevens], Pekin [Kingpin], Kankakee [City], Moline [CCR]
Indiana – Indianapolis [Apples]
Iowa – Des Moines [Messina], Des Moines [Yakko], Waterloo [ABBA], Dubuque [Baseball], Sioux City [Sue]
** Kansas**
Kentucky – Paducah [Bazooka]
Louisiana – New Orleans [Yonder], New Orleans [Battle], New Orleans [Dead], Baton Rouge [Huey], Baton Rouge [Lucinda], Baton Rouge [Truckers], Baton Rouge [Garth], Baton Rouge [Dylan], Mamou [Cajun], Lafayette [Luncinda],
Maine – Portland [Sinatra]
Maryland – Baltimore [Streets]
Massachusetts – Boston [Taylor], Boston [Yakko]
Michigan – Kalamazoo [Gal], Detroit [Don’t Stop], Ypsilanti [Elvis]
Minnesota – St. Paul [Yakko], St. Paul [Cash]
Mississippi – Tupelo [Knopfler], Tupelo [John], Tupelo [Emmylou], Tupelo [Nick Cave], Tupelo [Billie Joe], Biloxi [Roxy]
Missouri – St Louis [Rte 66], Kansas City [Dylan]
Montana – Missoula [Jewel]
Nebraska – Omaha [Waylon]
Nevada – Carson City [Beefheart], Carson City [Breeders], Carson City [Yakko], Reno [Shuffle]
New Hampshire – Rye [Live Free or Die!], Manchester [Live Free or Die!]
New Jersey – Cape May , Atlantic City [Bruce], Asbury Park [Porter], Palisades Park [Barris], Hackensack [Joel]
New Mexico – Albuquerque [Dylan], Albuquerque [Train]
New York – Schenectady [bone], Annadale [Steely], New Rochelle [Cohan], Syracuse [Dylan], New Rochelle [Hart], Barrytown [Steely], Manhattan [Beastie], Poughkeepsie [Elvis], Buffalo [Stones], Buffalo [Dead], Buffalo [Shuffle], Buffalo [Dylan]
** North Carolina**
North Dakota – Fargo [Buffett]
Ohio – Bowling Green [Everlys], Cleveland [Huey], Cleveland [Edmund], Ashtabula [Dylan], Cincinnati [Bee Gees]
Oklahoma – Oklahoma City [Rte 66], Muskogee [Okie]
Oregon – Tualatin [Eatin’]
Pennsylvania – Allentown [Joel], Philadelphia [Rodgers and Hart], Bristol [Stomp]
Rhode Island – Pettaquamscutt [T], Narragansett [T], Pawtuckett [Gutterball]
South Carolina – Myrtle Beach [Hagar]
South Dakota – Pierre [Yakko], Wounded Knee [Redbone]
Tennessee – Memphis [Stones], Maynardville [Mitchum], Butcher Holler [Coal], Jackson [Cashes], Nashville [Spoonful]
Texas – Amarillo [Rte 66], Abilene [Waylon], Abilene [Strait], El Paso [Robbins], El Paso [A**hole], El Paso [Train], Austin [Yakko], Texarkana [Strait], Galveston [Strait], Temple [Strait], LaGrange [ZZ], Texarkana [Reed], Galveston [Campbell], Dallas [Loesser]
Utah – Salt Lake City [Mormon]
Vermont
Virginia – Newport News [Woody], Roanoke [Wagon]
Washington – Seattle [Waits], Seattle [Weird Al], Tacoma [Steve Miller], Seattle [Toddies]
West Virginia – Morgantown [Mitchell], Wheeling [Tillis]
Wisconsin – Milwaukee [Polka], Eau Claire [Dance]
Wyoming – Cheyenne [Dylan]
Here’s your Kansas:
(We’re Not) The Jet Set - George Jones and Tammy Wynette
“There’s no Riviera
In Festus, Missouri*
And you won’t find Onasis
In Mullinville, Kansas”
- “Missoura”
The Everly Brothers’ Bowling Green is in Kentucky, not Ohio.
A man in Kentucky sure is lucky
To live down in Bowling Green.
Thanks!
Here’s Kansas:
I’m going to Wichita
Far from this opera for evermore
I’m gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
- White Stripes, Seven Nation Army
But those are State name rhymes. The thread asks for city name rhymes.
Jack Straw by the Grateful Dead:
Jack Straw from Wichita
cut his buddy down