Five American Cities, Audibly (Blog 23 Stevens)

Last week, on spring break, I was running along the Charles River when “Boston” came up on my iPod. It struck me that songs are more powerful when they revolve around a concrete place: the physicality combines with the song’s melody and your own personal memories of the city to create new levels of complexity. Maybe this is a strange idea, but here are five songs about five American cities:

5. “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin

            Although there are no lyrics, this song is so inseparable from New York and its vitality.

4. “Going to Cleveland” by the Mountain Goats

            A song for when the Cuyahoga calls. This song was recorded in 1993 on a boombox.

3. “Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans” by Louis Armstrong

            The old person in me is showing again, but I highly recommend this one for a casual Sunday.

2. “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens

            All things go to Chicago.

1.     “Boston” by Augustana
            Where everybody knows your name? 

HTTP: America, Audibly

Directly to Spotify: America, Audibly