Song titles namechecking New York geographic locations

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Inspired by Song titles namechecking London geographic locations .....


"7th Avenue Static" by Firewater
"Riot in Tompkins Square" by the Undead
"53rd & 3rd" by the Ramones
"6th Avenue Heartache" by the Wallflowers
"East Side Beat" by the Toasters
"No Sleep `Til Brooklyn" by the Beastie Boys
"Statue of Liberty" by XTC

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 20 October 2003 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

"Small Talk at 125th and Lenox" - Gil Scott Heron

Baaderist (Fabfunk), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" - Simon & Garfunkel

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack

Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"Good Fortune" ("In Chinatown, hung over...") & "You Said Something" ("On a rooftop in Brooklyn...") by PJ Harvey

Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm an idiot. I missed the "song titles" part of the thread. Ignore me.

Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:37 (twenty-one years ago)

The Bridge - MC Shan
The Bush [for flatbush] - Special Ed
Bucktown - Smif n Wessun
52nd Street (I think??) Billy Joel

Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Union Square -- Tom Waits
Manhattan -- Ella Fitzgerald

Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I always presumed "Christopher St" by Felt was a reference to New York, or am I wrong?

Rob M (Rob M), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, there is a Christopher Street in Manhattan (commonly known as the epicenter of Gay culture in the city).

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"Queen of Shinbone Alley" by Cop $hoot Cop

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

"Destination Greenpoint" - Fleshtones

Carey (Carey), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:07 (twenty-one years ago)

"At the Zoo" by Simon & Garfunkel (re: the Central Park Zoo, allegedly)

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

"Driving Down by the Hudson River, We Saw the Blood Red Burning - Yuka Honda
"Coney Island Baby" - Lou Reed
"Rockaway Beach" Ramones

Carey (Carey), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

3rd Bass 'Brooklyn Queens'
Barrington Levy 'Broader Than Broadway'
Mercury Rev 'The Hudson Line' and 'Bronx Cheer'(?)
London Boys 'Harlem Desire'
David Holmes 'head Rush On Lafayette Street'


stevem (blueski), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

A-Ha 'Manhattan Skyline'

stevem (blueski), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Muckafergusson - "Forsythe Street"

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

The Media, "Williamsburg Nosering Fuckhead"

Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Nico "Chelsea Girls"
ODB "Brooklyn Zoo"
Bob Dylan "Harlem Incident"

Baaderist (Fabfunk), Monday, 20 October 2003 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

if alex nyc hasn't won this thread with muckafurgason, then there is no justice in the world.

but since i'm here:

drifters - on broadway
stephen sondheim - broadway baby
harry warren/al dubin - lullaby of broadway
bob & ray - harlem shuffle
flat duo jets - go go harlem baby
excellents - coney island baby

fact checking cuz, Monday, 20 October 2003 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

if alex nyc hasn't won this thread with muckafurgason, there is no justice in the world.

but since i'm here:

drifters - on broadway
stephen sondheim - broadway baby
harry warren/al dubin - lullaby of broadway
bob & ray - harlem shuffle
flat duo jets - go go harlem baby
excellents - coney island baby
fred neil - bleecker and macdougal
kevn kinney - macdougal blues
joni mitchell - chelsea morning

fact checking cuz, Monday, 20 October 2003 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

hey kevin kinney! I remember that song...it's lovely.

Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 20 October 2003 17:18 (twenty-one years ago)

joan jett's cover of the modern lovers' "roadrunner" substitutes boston with NYC locales.

gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 20 October 2003 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Leonard Cohen, "First we Take Manhattan"

Ben Dot (1977), Monday, 20 October 2003 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

U2, "Angel of Harlem"
Ben E. King, "Spanish Harlem"
Laura Nyro, "Mercy on Broadway"

Jeremy (Jeremy), Monday, 20 October 2003 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

ALBEE SQUARE MALL - Biz Markie

This thread is probably endless.

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Mony Mony - Tommy James & The Shondells (named for the Mutual Of New York building's neon sign over Times Square)

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I never knew that!

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, supposedly Tommy S was searching for a name to fit the chorus because debbie debbie or whatever he was singing sounded lame and then he looked out the window of the Brill Building and saw M-O-N-Y spelled out on the night sky


Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Tommy J rather

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Leonard Cohen-Chelsea Hotel #2
Bruce Springsteen-10th Ave. Freeze-Out

Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

10th avenue to bruce springsteen would be 10th avenue in belmar, new jersey, which was also home to E street.

fact checking cuz, Monday, 20 October 2003 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Fun Lovin' Criminals: 'Coney Island Girl'
Billy Joel: 'Uptown Girl' (gotta be NYC, right?)
Run DMC: 'Hollis Crew'
- and isn't there, like, a whole musical called '42nd Street'?

Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 08:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Roy Ayers---"We Live in Brooklyn, Baby"

There's too many of these in hip hop to even think about.

oops (Oops), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Bob Dylan "Positively 4th Street"

Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 09:02 (twenty-one years ago)

One subdivision of the Beastie Boys' "B-Boy Bouilliabaise" on Paul's Boutique is called "Chrystie Street" (home of the famous Sammy's Roumanian Steak House, the only non-escort service commercial on Al Goldstein's "Midnight Blue" in the late 70's/early 80's), to say nothing of "Hello Brooklyn".

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 10:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Not sure if it counts but wasn't that weedy stoner jackass from MTV Jesse Camp's ill-fated band called "the 8th Street Kids" (an homage to the Hanoi Rocks tune, "11th Street Kids"), alluding to 8th Street/St.Mark's Place?

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

- the oft-sampled "harlem river drive" by bobbi humphrey, eddie palmieri and others.
- "take the a train" - duke ellington
- "christmastime in hollis, queens" - run dmc
- "the bridge"/"the bridge is over" - mc shan/bdp

and I know it's not in the title but which Dylan song has the line, "I'm going back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough..."? That always makes me want to head directly to the train station. That dylan line is also dropped into "paul's boutique" which as alex says above, is pretty much chock full o' deez nuts


Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

"Hey Manhattan" by Prefab Sprout
"Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)" by Steely Dan
"Nights On Broadway" by the Bee Gees

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 13:13 (twenty-one years ago)

And, of course, Genesis' "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" /that same album also includes two other songs namechecking Broadway)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Back in New York City" by Genesis (also covered bizarrely by the late Jeff Buckley).

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Aerosmith- Bone to Bone (Coney Island White Fish Boy)

earlnash, Tuesday, 21 October 2003 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Bob Dylan "Spanish Harlem Incident"
Ornette Coleman "Broadway Blues"
33.3 "An Evening in Park Slope"

marcg (marcg), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Baaderist - I think (and may be right) that Positively 4th St. refers to a street in Dinkytown (region of Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota), an area where Dylan lived for a time and where he learned to play guitar from the Dinkytown folkies....anyway, I thought that his kiss-off of the old folkie mafia was directed at the place where he first got hip to the folk scene....warning: I am not a Dylan historian by any means so I may be wrong...

Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 20:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Magnetic Fields - "Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side"
Scott Joplin - "Wall Street Rag"
Charles Hoyt & Percy Gaunt - "The Bowery"

o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Fritz - it's 'Tom Thumb's Blues' you're thinking of, and it's sampled on Check Your Head's 'Finger Lickin' Good'. Ever hear the story about how much money the Beasties paid Bob for the sample?

Oh, and for pedantry's sake, it's '59 Chrystie Street', the first part of 'B-Boy Bouillabaisse'.

Barima (Barima), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

"island girl" by elton john ("down by lexington, 'cross 47th street)

Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Ever hear the story about how much money the Beasties paid Bob for the sample?

Well, you've got me curious.

o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 22:46 (twenty-one years ago)

*Music myth/mini legend* So, the B-Boys call Bob round for a meeting to discuss sample fee negotiations for the 'Tom Thumb's' line. Bob meets up with the Boys and simply tells them that he wants $1000 for the sample. At which point Mike D pipes up with: "How about $10,000?"

Needless to say, Grand Royal collapsed 10 years later, no doubt due to its president's sterling business acumen.

Barima (Barima), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 23:22 (twenty-one years ago)

That's a great story.

o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks. It used to be a great e-mail sig and ended with the comment "I pray I never have to negotiate with Mike D" from the dude who originally sent it to me. Unfortunately, I could never make any witty puns in regards to the B Boy's track, 'The Negotiation Limerick File'.

Barima (Barima), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 08:34 (twenty-one years ago)


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