# What songs are insulting to the city or place that they’re about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 16, 2026, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878 "2026-10-16T05:53:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/41 "2026-10-16T14:06:46Z")
I grew up in [Annandale, and my brother went to William and Mary.](https://youtu.be/Sq8OU-7JDFA?list=RDSq8OU-7JDFA) ---
**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:** [October 16, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/42 "2026-10-16T14:17:09Z")
Welp, here’s a FOURTH entry on the list (so far) for shitting on Ohio. Chrissie Hynde doesn’t mention Akron by name in the song (she just sings about Ohio) but it’s about Akron. “My City Was Gone” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/thu8DWsirJo/maxresdefault.jpg "My City Was Gone (2007 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thu8DWsirJo) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/43 "2026-10-16T14:21:13Z")
**JKellyMap** ninja’ed you 3 hours ago. Frank Sinatra’s “This Town” is pretty uncomplimentary–it was played over the ending scene of Ocean’s Thirteen note, and like “Born in the USA” the music contrasts strongly against the lyrics (triumphant vs. bitter), but not sure if it was supposed to beVegas, or New York, or someplace like Atlantic City. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/44 "2026-10-16T14:26:36Z")
I forgot about this song. But my understanding is it not a specific town at all. The writer was Lee Hazlewood, so less likely to be NYC, Las Vegas or Hoboken (Frank’s birthplace) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jERpfiqsafU/maxresdefault.jpg "This Town (Album Version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jERpfiqsafU) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/45 "2026-10-16T14:27:55Z")
I would guess that Merle Haggard’s _Okie From Muskogee_ is not longer considered complimentary in most circles. He’s not very fond of Tulare county in California, either. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/n3XQFWJfIU4/maxresdefault.jpg "Tulare Dust") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3XQFWJfIU4) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/46 "2026-10-16T14:29:03Z")
Bremerton, WA represent! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bTc5aKZj98k/maxresdefault.jpg "Bremelo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTc5aKZj98k) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/47 "2026-10-16T14:38:23Z")
I won’t mention it if you won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/48 "2026-10-16T14:40:19Z")
I doubt that tourism promoters in Brighton (England) were too pleased about Brian Setzer’s “Rumble in Brighton” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eiq0hKW39rk/maxresdefault.jpg "The Stray Cats - Rumble In Brighton") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiq0hKW39rk&list=RDeiq0hKW39rk) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/49 "2026-10-16T14:45:52Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aqxtf28noNw/maxresdefault.jpg "Iowa Stubborn") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqxtf28noNw) ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/50 "2026-10-16T14:50:29Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > I would guess that Merle Haggard’s _Okie From Muskogee_ is not longer considered complimentary in most circles. Perhaps not now but at the time it was written, “Okie from Muskogee” was the unofficial anthem of eastern Oklahoma. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/51 "2026-10-16T14:53:27Z")
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band wrote and performed “Stranded in Iowa” which implies that Iowa is not somewhere one wants to be [Stranded In Iowa - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi_5G_rKKTE) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/52 "2026-10-16T15:12:08Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > “If you want to go to hell, just take a trip / To the Sodom and Gomorrah of the Mississip’” [![](https://d2thvodm3xyo6j.cloudfront.net/media/2015/04/Simpsons-New-Orleans-600x338.jpg) ](https://d2thvodm3xyo6j.cloudfront.net/media/2015/04/Simpsons-New-Orleans-600x338.jpg) I’ll submit John Prine’s Paradise, but it doesn’t insult the town of Paradise directly, because Mr Peabody’s coal train done hauled it away. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/53 "2026-10-16T15:14:27Z")
Growing up in Saskatoon, it was fun to hear The Guess Who playing “Running Back to Saskatoon”. But it’s a bit of a backhanded shout-out at best: Saskatoon is a small town where nothing much ever happens and you can hang around gas stations and grain elevators. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jFEIVkSHaJU/hqdefault.jpg "The Guess Who - Running Back to Saskatoon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFEIVkSHaJU) ---
**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:** [October 16, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/54 "2026-10-16T15:15:58Z")
Albert Hammond made southern California sound pretty bad: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/meDpNwem0Vo/maxresdefault.jpg "Albert Hammond - It Never Rains in Southern California (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meDpNwem0Vo) ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/55 "2026-10-16T15:16:36Z")
_Hotel California_ by the Eagles, dissing the entire state. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/56 "2026-10-16T15:21:17Z")
“London Calling” by the Clash was a general indictment of western society with the city standing in as a symbol. “Asshole from El Paso” by Kinky Friedman and Chinga Chavin was a parody of Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee” but I think it also counts. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/57 "2026-10-16T15:32:06Z")
**Village of the Sun** by **Frank Zappa**. It’s a song about Sun Village, which is near Palmdale, CA. The lyrics describe it as a windy place where farmers raise turkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/58 "2026-10-16T15:32:10Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It’s not in my “Complete Tom Lehrer” CD set. When I ask Google what Tom Lehrer songs aren’t on that CD, it mentions “Trees”, “The Love Song of the Physical Anthropologist”, “We’re Talkin’ Algebra”, “The Menu Song”, and “The Mumble Song”. It says that there are one-off television pieces. There are other things that are in his written and audio archives ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/59 "2026-10-16T16:09:19Z")
Finally I get to use my copy of the Onion’s “Inventory: Over 100 Obsessively Specific Pop Culture Lists” as a reference text! Its “18 Kiss-Off songs to cities” includes, in addition to those already mentioned: “Fuck This Town”, Robbie Fulks (Nashville) “Nutbush City Limits”, Ike and Tina Turner (about Tina’s home town) “Lubbock or Leave It”, The Dixie Chicks “Smalltown”, Lou Reed & John Cale (Pittsburgh) “New York’s Not My Home”, Jim Croce “London’s Burning”, The Clash “Burn Tempe to the Ground”, Horace Pinker “Beverly Hills”, The Circle Jerks ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878/60 "2026-10-16T16:10:25Z")
Apparently The Guess Who are specifically dissed in The Weakerthan’s anti-Winnipeg anthem, “One Great City!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-are-insulting-to-the-city-or-place-that-they-re-about/1033878.md?page=4)