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Monday Coffee Break: Home Is Where the Song Is

Posted at 8:50 AM on March 29, 2010 by Steve Seel (34 Comments)
Filed under: 9:30 Coffee Break

(updated below)

Today's topic for the 9:30 Coffee Break: songs where the artist sings about his or her hometown, home city, home suburb, or some beloved aspect (street, park, etc.) of one of those. (Songs that simply sing about "home" don't count; the tune has to contain references to a specific place in the lyrics).

Updated: Your suggestions we played:

1) The Hold Steady, "Take Me Out To the Twins Game"
2) The Beatles, "Penny Lane"
3) Neko Case and Her Boyfriends, "Thrice All American"
4) The Standells, "Dirty Water"
5) Jeremy Messersmith, "Franklin Avenue"
6) Atmosphere, "Shhh..."

Comments (34)

The obvious choice seems to be The Hold Steady - Southtown Girls

Also: The Weakerthans - One Great City!

Posted by August | March 29, 2010 9:02 AM

Silkworm's Garden City Blues from In the West singing about Andy Cohen's hometown of Missoula, MT.

Posted by James Harden | March 29, 2010 9:02 AM

Also: Heiruspecs - Wardrums

Posted by August | March 29, 2010 9:03 AM

Springsteen-"4th Of July, Asbury Park, NJ (Sandy)" off of "The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle"

Posted by Michael Harmon | March 29, 2010 9:07 AM

Bob Seger - Main Street

Posted by Eric | March 29, 2010 9:10 AM

"Under the Bridge"- Red Hot Chili Peppers

Posted by Justin | March 29, 2010 9:14 AM

You can't do this theme without playing the Kinks, "Waterloo Sunset."

Posted by Will C. | March 29, 2010 9:15 AM

los angeles--X
my hometown--bruce springsteen (which while it does not say "long branch new jersey" it does reference specific events that actually happened there)
lake charles--lucinda williams
tennesee mountain home--dolly parton
somalia--k'naan

Posted by beth | March 29, 2010 9:16 AM

Jeremy Messersmith, many songs, but perhaps best would be Light Rail or his cover of Skyway.

Posted by Rebecca | March 29, 2010 9:16 AM

Sloan - "the Rest of My Life." (They'll be spending it in Canada!)
Better than Ezra - "The King of New Orleans."
Squeeze - "Sunday Street." Really great song, evocative of a trip around one's hometown noticing all the ordinary and extraordinary things at once.

Second Bruce Springsteen. How about "Jersey Girl?"

Posted by cal | March 29, 2010 9:17 AM

New York Telephone Conversation- Lou Reed
Shhh - Atmosphere

Posted by jason | March 29, 2010 9:17 AM

"My City Was Gone" -- Pretenders

Posted by steve | March 29, 2010 9:18 AM

atmosphere - say shh
unknown prophets - road less travelled

Posted by loran | March 29, 2010 9:19 AM

"Homeward Bound" by Simon and Garfunkel
"My Little Town" by Simon and Garfunkel
Seconding the request for "My Hometown" by Bruce Springsteen

Posted by Mike C | March 29, 2010 9:21 AM

Desolation Row - Bob Dylan (about the lynchings in Duluth)
"It is a new morning in Duluth"

Posted by Joy Z | March 29, 2010 9:21 AM

MPLS - Paul Westerberg

Posted by ken | March 29, 2010 9:24 AM

I assumed it would have been mentioned by now, but I guess not.

The Clash - London Calling

Posted by August | March 29, 2010 9:24 AM

LDN - Lilly Allen (albeit sorta twisted)
New York State of Mind - Nas (should probably be edited version)

Posted by Christian | March 29, 2010 9:25 AM

motion city soundtrack "better open the door"

Posted by kath | March 29, 2010 9:25 AM

New York, New York - Cat Power
Allentown - Billy Joel
Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque - Partridge Family
The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace

Posted by phyghy | March 29, 2010 9:25 AM

"Take The 'A' Train" - Duke Ellington Orchestra

Posted by IndyR | March 29, 2010 9:25 AM

Shout out to Seattle with Sir Mixalot "Posse on Broadway"

Posted by Jesica W | March 29, 2010 9:26 AM

Thrice All American by Neko Case

"I want to tell you about my hometown..." (Tacoma, WA)

Posted by Vanessa | March 29, 2010 9:26 AM

The Standells "Love that Dirty Water, Boston your my Home."

Posted by Ethan | March 29, 2010 9:27 AM

California Love- 2pac

Posted by Mikis | March 29, 2010 9:29 AM

ZZ Top "LeGrange!"

Posted by Ethan | March 29, 2010 9:29 AM

Pat Methany "As falls Wichita, So fall Wichita Falls!"

Posted by Ethan | March 29, 2010 9:36 AM

The City - Lo-fi-fnk

Posted by Dozer | March 29, 2010 9:38 AM

Boys Town is kind of a "teen center" in Omaha, NE. If I remember correctly, the song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is about Boys Town. So Jill, I don't think you are to far off.

Posted by Lyndee | March 29, 2010 9:38 AM

Guns of Brixton - Clash (Mick Jones hometown)
Los Angeles - X (John Doe hometown)
I Love LA - Randy Neumann
I was Born in East LA - Cheech Marin

Posted by loran | March 29, 2010 9:42 AM

"My Posse's on Broadway" - Sir Mixalot

Posted by Beth Anne | March 29, 2010 9:50 AM

Moe - New York City

Posted by Kyle J | March 29, 2010 9:52 AM

oh my god stop playing the beatles for every single coffee break!!! i know they're the best band ever and whatnot, but there are so many other bands that we maybe haven't heard before, or as often. can you have a weeklong moratoreum or something?

Posted by sherwin | March 29, 2010 9:52 AM

North Ave Wake Up Call - The Freddy Jones Band

Posted by ken | March 29, 2010 9:53 AM

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