Civic Pride: And Now, A Chance To Celebrate The Cities That Helped Build Certain Parts Of Rock And Roll

civic pride

And Now, A Chance To Celebrate The Cities That Helped Build Certain Parts Of Rock And Roll

It's 7 a.m. here in Los Angeles, the news wires have been shocked into silence by the news that Britney Spears will try to become famous for something besides driving around this city, and I just hit Apple-Q when I meant to hit Apple-W, thus losing a (kind of long!) post that I, like an idiot, did not save neither early no often. What better time to post Randy Newman's semi-sardonic love letter to the City of Angels, "I Love L.A."—which I always get in my head when I visit this town, against my will—and ask you to talk about your favorite songs that double as snapshots of the world's burgs, large and small?

Of course, no entry on this topic would be complete without me mentioning Billy Joel's "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," which is one of the few songs to celebrate the fine burg of Hicksville, N.Y. The Village Green in the song? It's a real place! With a Carvel and everything! And there's a Sears right in the middle of town, too, although its massive parking lot has been getting slowly eaten away by fast-food joints, banks, and a park & ride.

The drunk singalong is a nice touch of Long Island "authenticity," no? Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go try and start a fight between Soulja Boy and Lily Allen or something.

Randy Newman - I Love L.A. [YouTube]
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant [YouTube]

10:00 AM on Thu Sep 4 2008
By Maura Johnston
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10 comments

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by Ned Raggett at 10:18 AM on 09/04/08
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Supernova's "Costa Mesa Hates Me" and fluf's "All the Fuckers Live in Newport Beach" = at the top of my list forever.
by Chris Molanphy at 11:15 AM on 09/04/08
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Billy Joel's "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," which is one of the few songs to celebrate the fine burg of Hicksville, N.Y. The Village Green in the song? It's a real place! With a Carvel and everything! And there's a Sears right in the middle of town, too

And the Parkway Diner?
by agolden at 11:34 AM on 09/04/08
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Well since you brought her up, I suppose Ms. Allen's "LDN" qualifies here. Personally, i've always liked the Pixies' "U-Mass." don't know if college towns fit into your definition of burgh.
by Maura Johnston at 11:40 AM on 09/04/08
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@Chris Molanphy: It's called the Empress.
by Eugene Langley at 01:14 PM on 09/04/08
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I like the one about the town from the "The Boys are Back in Town". I think it's called, "The Boys are Back in Town". Dino's Bar and Grill!
by Lapinot at 02:08 PM on 09/04/08
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Jacques Dutronc's "Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille"

The Kinks "Waterloo Sunset"
by Lapinot at 02:13 PM on 09/04/08
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Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille:

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by Lapinot at 02:37 PM on 09/04/08
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IAM & Cheb Khaled's "Oran-Marseille"

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The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset"

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Dirty Pretty Things' "Wondering":

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(for London)

Not quite rock, but influential on it:

Jacques Brel's "Amsterdam"

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by clarknhilldale at 04:43 PM on 09/04/08
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The cheesy synths in "I Love L.A." have a certain "Theme from Knight Rider" vibe. I love it.
by cheesebubble at 01:08 AM on 09/05/08
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I'll never forget my grade 4 teacher telling my class that Starship's "We Built This City" was sacrilegious because we actually built this city on god's love and not the devil's music. Knee deep in the hoopla!

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