# Which city is spoken about most in Songs?



## Citrus-Fruit (Mar 26, 2005)

Whcih city is spoken or mentioned most in songs?


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

Mentioned by name: New York
places in the city mentioned: London

Though I don't know about Mumbai....


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## Meditt (Nov 28, 2004)

I'd say New York, New York...
Lou Reed has sung a lot about it (either alone or with the Velvet U.), the Stones sang about it, Sonic Youth with "NYC Ghosts & Flowers", Dylan sang about it in his first years, Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" is about that city, Alice Cooper had that great song in the 70's: Big Apple Dreamin' about the greatness of NYC, the Ramones sang about it, Cole Porter wrote about it, Beastie Boys with "No Sleep ’Till Brooklyn", Grandmaster Flash’s "New York, New York" and other rappers like Public Enemy made the city their own war zone, Bobby de Niro & Liza Minnelli played & sang about it, Frank Sinatra sang about it, Leonard Cohen sang that line "First We Take Manhattan... Then We Take Berlin" in Suzanne (?), Simon & Garfunkel had that song about the 59th Street Bridge, the New York Dolls maybe never sang about it but took their name from the city, Blondie and Talking Heads had some references to the Big Apple in their songs, folksingers (Dave Van Ronk, etc), jazzers (Louis Armstrong, the Duke, Charlie Parker, etc) and bluesmen (Jimmy Reed, etc) talked, sang and played extensively about it from the 20's to the 60's too, also soul and doo-*** groups sang about it, etc..


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## Citrus-Fruit (Mar 26, 2005)

Couple of Lyrics Verses ...
*
[Verse - Snoop Dogg] (Justin Timberlake) Signs*
Mami, mamasita, have you ever - flown on G5s
From *London* - to a beat hah? You gotta have cake
You'll have Sunday's with chiquitas
You'll see Venus and Serena, in the *Wimbledon Arena*
And I can take you (Uncle Charlie, preach!!)

*[Verse - Gwen Stefani] Rich Girl*
Think what that money could bring
I'd buy everything
Clean out Vivienne Westwood
In my Galliano gown
No, wouldn't just have one hood
A Hollywood mansion if I could
Please book me first-class to my fancy house in *London town*

*[Blur - London Love]*
A malady has taken him over 
Coughing tar in his japanese motor 
The lights are magic 
And he feels lucky 
And he's got money 
Shoots like an arrow - oh 

London loves 
The mystery of a speeding car 
London loves 
The misery of a speeding heart 

*[The Calling - London Calling]*
London calling to the faraway towns 
Now that war is declared-and battle come down 
London calling to the underworld 
Come out of the cupboard, all you boys and girls 
London calling, now don't look at us 
All that phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust 
London calling, see we ain't got no swing 
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing 

*[Alanis Morrisette - London]*
Deep breaths will not make my brain stand still 
To be loved and swallowed are single handed praises
I love speaking French to the taxi drivers 
We slept and were cold on the train out of France 
And how I do love London 
And how I do love London

*[Tori Amos - London Girls]*
Some people sing about Deutsche girls 
and girls from California
they might be alright for a night alright
but I don't trust them I warn ya
I've been to the east and I've been out west
and I've been the world around
but I ain't seen no one anywhere near
a girl from London town

*[Barry Manilow - London]*
Oh London 
What were we scared of 
Why did I run from London 
Part of me still has 
Never come back from London 
Is it fair that I miss 
You so much 

Take good care all my love 
Keep in touch 
New York winter taxi ride 
Then run inside it's cold

*[Paul McCartney - London Town]*
Crawling Down The Pavement On A Sunday Afternoon, 
I Was Arrested By A Rozzer 
Wearing A Pink Balloon About His Foot. 
Toot Toot Toot Toot. 
Silver Rain Was Falling Down 
Upon The Dirty Ground Of London Town. 

*[Elvis Costello - London's Brilliant Parade]*
Just look at me
I'm having the time of my life
Or something quite like it
When I'm walking out and about
In London's brilliant parade

*[Frank Sinatra - London By Night]*
London by night is a wonderful sight
There is magic abroad in the air
I'm often told that the streets turn into gold
When the moon shines on * Circus and Square *

My love and I saw the sun leave the sky
Then we kissed in the fast-fading light
Most people say they love London by day
But lovers love London by night

*[Bowling For Soup - London]*
So I I've got London on my mind
Did you cry another time?
I've got London on my mind
Did you look so satisfied?

*[Pet Shop Boys - London]*
We were in London
Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
We were in London
Tell it like it is

*[Lenny Kravitz - Light Sking Girl From London]*
She's unique and complete
And with the dog will sleep
She loves to read - she drew her feet and
She drew Jesus too
Oh Yeah
Light skin girl from London
Light skin girl from London

*[Dizzie Rascal - Dream]*
I used to love music it was like my hidden hobbie, 
But i couldn't get on on local radio back then, 
So i went to north london and trekked to tot-tottenham to be precise

*[Natasha Bedingfield - Drop Me In The Middle]*
Oh, I'm coming from the streets of London
What I'm saying happens everywhere
*
[The Killers - Under The Gun]*
Stupid on the streets of London
James Dean in the rain
Without her it's not the same
The same, the same, but it's alright 

*[Joe Budden - Give Me Reason]*
When I say pounds y'all I'm talkin bout London cake
I can serve it to you uncut or somethin baked


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

Billy Joel had lots of songs about New York too. And don't forget Limahl's Living in th Big Apple, Chris de Burgh's Snow in New York, Tom Waits' Jersey Girl (he crosses the river for her). And THE RAMONES! More from S&G: The Boxer, Only living Boy in New York, So long Frank Lloyd Wright, Poem on the Underground Wall (or the like), America (the starting point must have been NYC), At the Zoo...


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## eusebius (Jan 5, 2004)

so we're only considering tracks on compact discs rather than songs, are we?

it's just maths and as for genuine songs;

most heavily populated part of the world throughout history; probably China. Thus logic has it a Chinese city would the one. While European cities like Rome, Cologne, Paris, London, Moscow, Istanbul, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Danzig, Guernica, Barcelona or Athens would fill most of the top 40.


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## Meditt (Nov 28, 2004)

eusebius said:


> so we're only considering tracks on compact discs rather than songs, are we?
> 
> it's just maths and as for genuine songs;
> 
> most heavily populated part of the world throughout history; probably China. Thus logic has it a Chinese city would the one. While European cities like Rome, Cologne, Paris, London, Moscow, Istanbul, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Danzig, Guernica, Barcelona or Athens would fill most of the top 40.


then go find that chinese city and find how many songs there are about it...

I don't think this is about maths... popular songs usually talk about love and daily life, and only some are about historical events or relate to a king, city, country, celebration, etc..

I think the only way to try to answer this thread is to think about recorded music, not a chinese farmer playing his instruments and singing about Beijing o X'ian or whatever to his sons and daughters.. that wouldn't make sense..


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## ReddAlert (Nov 4, 2004)

Summer in the city is one of the coolest city songs (NYC)


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## Meditt (Nov 28, 2004)

Citrus... "London Calling" is from The Clash, not The Calling

and since you're elaborating a London list, you can add "London's Burning" also from The Clash...


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

Meditt said:


> Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" is about that city,


Not too sure about this one. Jimi was quoted as saying he wrote that song about a particular woman and there is no hint in the lyrics about any city in particular.

Considering he was living in London at the time he wrote that song (and it was London where he created his fame, London where he changed his name from Jimmie to Jimi, wrote and recorded his best material, and London where he died), it could be deduced that if any city was on his mind at the time, logic would presume it was London.


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## Meditt (Nov 28, 2004)

Justme said:


> Not too sure about this one. Jimi was quoted as saying he wrote that song about a particular woman and there is no hint in the lyrics about any city in particular.
> 
> Considering he was living in London at the time he wrote that song (and it was London where he created his fame, London where he changed his name from Jimmie to Jimi, wrote and recorded his best material, and London where he died), it could be deduced that if any city was on his mind at the time, logic would presume it was London.


umm.. but the video featured mostly New York City's crazy streets footage.. and I've read somewhere that that song was related to NYC..

also, as far as I can remember (I could be wrong), Electric Ladyland was recorded in NYC's Record Plant, and if that album is not among Jimi's best we really have very different tastes...

btw, someone said Barcelona as a city quoted in songs... and I'm curious which songs about her are out there... right now I can only think about Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather"... others?


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## centralized pandemonium (Aug 16, 2004)

Probably Mumbai or NYC.


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## JARdan (Aug 21, 2004)

I would say L.A/California, ATL and Miami, a.k.a MIA (in the rap/crunk scene), and New York.


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## Englishman (May 3, 2003)

Possibly something biblical as there are lost of hyms out there. Jerusalem or somewhere like that. Else New York and London are big contenders.


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

Meditt said:


> Citrus... "London Calling" is from The Clash, not The Calling
> 
> and since you're elaborating a London list, you can add "London's Burning" also from The Clash...


As are "Guns of Brixton" and "First Night Back in London" by The Clash

Other songs about London (or parts of London)

London Pride - Noel Coward
Yankee Doodle Came To London Town - Billy Cotton & His Band (no kidding, old wartime song)
London Homesick Blues - Jerry Jeff Walker & the Lost Gonzo Band
Lambeth Walk - Ambrose & His Orchestra (another wartime song)
Streets of London - Ralph McTell or The Johnstons
A Foggy Day in London - Dinah Washington
Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (in London)- Frank Sinatra, Manhattan Transfer
Waterloo Sunset - Kinks refers to the London train station
Baker Street - Gerry Raffity
London Can You Wait - Gene
London - Roger Hodgson
London - Steeleye Span 
London Conversation - Martyn John
London Talking - Ian Dury And The Blockheads 
London - Queensryche 
London Luck & Love - Hall And Oates
London in the Rain - Puressence
London Lady - Stranglers 
Emit Remmus - Red Hot Chili Peppers (lyrics - London in the summer time)
London Rain - Heather Nova
London Still - The Waifs
London Fire - Curbsquirrels
London Traffic - The Jam
London - Tangerine Dream 
London Life - Anah Aevia
London - The Breeders
London Crawling - Kinky Machine
Itchycoo Park - Small Faces (imaginary London Square)
There's No Place Like London - Shirley Bassy
London Song - Seatrain
Towers Of London - XTC
Next Plane To London - The Rose Garden
London - Pet Shop Boys
London By Night - Frank Sinatra
Last Train To London - Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
London Bridge is Falling Down - anyone's guess
Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - See here 
London - Kinks
London - The Smiths
London Town - Paul McCartney
P.25 London - Black Crowes
London Bridge - Joni Mitchel
London Bridge - Mindless Self Indulgence
Swinging London - The Magnetic Fields
London Dungeon - Misfits
London Irish - Divine Comedy
How London Got Its Fog - From A Second Story Window 
London Boys - Marc Bolan and T. Rex 
In London - Johnny Logan
On London Bridge - Jo Stafford
Down On London - The Wildhearts 
Trip to London - Fiend
Hold Tight London (Feat. Anna Lynne) - The Chemical Brothers
The London Cab Tape - Frank Zappa
Get Outta London - Aztec Camera
Little London Night - Sarah Slean
Great London Traffic Warden Massacre - Morcheeba 
Why London? - Eskobar
Leaving London - Paxton Tom 
Dead London - 200 North
London - Morissette Alanis
London Girls - Tori Amos 
London - Third Eye Blind
London Bye Ta-Ta - Bowie David
London Leather Boys - Accept
London Loves - Blur
Someone in London - Godsmack
Lights Of London - David Gray 
London - Anthrax
London-Paris - Pizzicato Five
Hey Young London - Bananarama 
Down To London - Joe Jackson
King of London - The Waterboys
Trams of Old London - Hitchcock Robyn
Walking in London - Concrete Blonde
Lucifer Over London - Rotting Christ (seriously)
London, London - RPM
London - Barry Manilow

....god, I could just go on and on and on...


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## DrJekyll (Sep 23, 2004)

another ethnocentrical, glotocentrical thread


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## redspork02 (May 7, 2005)

I would Have To Agree With JORdan On This One, I Think California/Los angeles Has Many Songs Written about. Im Not Going To write them all down, i dont have that much time but the beach boys, all those rap songs (including snoop dogg) and the eagles have all mentioned Cali...


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## Wallbanger (Mar 8, 2005)

Well.. California has a song from the OC
and Tupac has a song called California Love


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## djm19 (Jan 3, 2005)

a lot of songs about la, true. And even more specific, like hollywood, or mcarthur park.


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## mck439 (Jan 21, 2010)

actually you might be suprised but it's neither london nor new york but memphis, TN. There are 899 recorded and distributed songs the mention it in it lyrics.
Just to name a few:
City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie 
Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn 
Maybe It Was Memphis by Pam Tillis
Black Velvet by Alanna Myles
Memphis, Tennessee by the Beatles
Montgomery to Memphis by Lee Ann Womack
M.E.M.P.H.I.S by Three 6 mafia
Memphis pearl by Lucinda Williams
Lights Out by Lisa Marie Presley 
America by Daisy Jane

also there are songs bySammy Hagar,
Stray Cats, The Killers, Rod Stewart, Grateful Dead, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Alabama, Tim McGraw,
Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Elton John, U2, Bob Dylan, Huey Lewis & The News, Joni Mitchell, Allman
Brothers, Nirvana, Cher, Bryan Adams, Bruce Springstein, Beastie Boys, Billy Idol, REM, Jan & Dean, Bon
Jovi, Phish, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, John Denver, Smashing
Pumpkins, even Snoop Dog. The eccentric list even includes songs by Neon Cactus, Elvis Hitler, Kowtow
Popof, Spock’s Beard, Peetie Wheatstraw, Xray Men, Star Barefoot Walker, Runaway Planet, The Disco
Biscuits, Babe the Blue Ox, Pianosaurus and Enchanted Ape.

And its not even finished yet. Don't believe me? Check out the memphis rock n' roll museum's website for the whole thing.


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## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

Yep, it's *MEMPHIS*.


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## USARG (Jun 6, 2009)

USARG said:


> BUENOS AIRES HAS MANY POP SONGS AND ALMOST ALL THE TANGO LIRICS INSPIRED IN THIS WONDERFUL CITY.
> 
> "BUENOS AIRES,BIG APPLE"-------------------MADONNA
> "BUENOS AIRES NIGHTS"----------------------MAE WEST
> ...


I FORGOT A BIG ONE ABOUT BUENOS AIRES:
"CITY OF FURY"/"LA CIUDAD DE LA FURIA"......GUSTAVO CERRETTI
/SODA STEREO 
GREAT!!! IN YOUTUBE


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## PanaManiac (Mar 26, 2005)

dmarney said:


> I think it would be impossible to tell which city really does have the most songs about it, there are simply too many songs and cities. But for well-known songs, probably the global *capital cities* (e.g London, *New York* etc..)


*Not a capital city.*


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## OMH (Aug 21, 2007)

The only song i know about Munich is "Munich Girls" from Falco ...also, he sings about "Toronto' Canada" (ironically in "Vienna Calling" )


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## dakhla (Jan 12, 2010)

i don't know if the subject is just about english songs or all languages, there is a lot of songs about marrakech in different languages.


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## pesto (Jun 29, 2009)

PanaManiac: NY is the capital of the world; the whole universe for all I know.


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## Joka (Feb 7, 2006)

USARG said:


> BUENOS AIRES HAS MANY POP SONGS AND ALMOST ALL THE TANGO LIRICS INSPIRED IN THIS WONDERFUL CITY.
> 
> "POINT OF VIEW"-----------------------------DB BOULEVARD


How is this related to Buenos Aires? Great song by the way.


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## ssd1 (Mar 29, 2010)

pesto said:


> PanaManiac: NY is the capital of the world; the whole universe for all I know.


^^ no.


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## ssd1 (Mar 29, 2010)

Joka said:


> How is this related to Buenos Aires? Great song by the way.


Copenhagen, perhaps.


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## Joka (Feb 7, 2006)

ssd1 said:


> Copenhagen, perhaps.


I don't see that connection either, DB Boulevard is from Italy so let's say it's about Naples.


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## dochan (Jun 4, 2009)

I forgot the song title, but I remember the lyric

_New York_, _Rio_, _Tokyo_...

_London_, _Paris_ maybe _Tokyo_...

_New York_ State of Mind

A foggy day, in _London_ town


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## Chrissib (Feb 9, 2008)

pesto said:


> PanaManiac: NY is the capital of the world; the whole universe for all I know.


How can it be, there is one City much bigger and greater, Tokyo, and many cities the same size as NY, New York is a world city among many world cities.


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## luv2bebrown (Nov 4, 2004)

1. Perth
2. Liverpool
3. New York
4. Cairo


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## manila_playa87 (Jan 24, 2010)

I'M IN MIAMI BITCH!!!!


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

Some *Shanghai* ones.






And of course the modern hip-hop version


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## Berlinerin (Jun 9, 2009)

*Berlin*

The list you can check here.


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## brazilteen (Mar 20, 2010)

Rio de janeiro I guess


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## captainCanberra (Apr 10, 2009)

Definitely Canberra


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## sobchbud (Sep 30, 2008)

a good case can be made for Miami... the 305... magic city... for songs written in the past 20 years. Definitely a brand name in hip hop, Latin base, pop, etc.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

Its still New York.


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## USARG (Jun 6, 2009)

NEW YORK AND BUENOS AIRES ARE NUMBER ONE NAMES IN SONGS!


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## atmada (Jan 9, 2008)

state..california


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## malegi (Aug 21, 2010)

For songs in english it would be NY for sure.

Probably somewhere in China must be the most spoken in songs.

As a brazilian, and portuguese speaker, I'd say Rio de Janeiro, with the most beautiful songs in the world. Just listen to Bossa Nova dude... I particularly like Samba do Aviao and Garota de Ipanema (the girl from ipanema). Cidade Maravilhosa is also a great samba!


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## Brazuca Surfer (May 13, 2007)

^^
I agree!

New York as number one!

But I think in Latin America, Rio is the 1º city.


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## chibongo (Jun 16, 2014)

Memphis with 1074 as of June 2014.


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## skyscraperus (Dec 25, 2012)

If we are talking about famous songs then I think that's PARIS


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## Tortombo (Jul 31, 2013)

The op didn't talk about famous songs, but _which city is spoken or mentioned most in songs_

Since no one mentioned it. 

There are for sure more than a thousand Fado songs about or with references to Lisbon, not to mention other type of popular songs, like marches, and even Rock or Pop songs.


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