5 city songs
“New York, New York”
performed by Frank Sinatra
written by John Kander, Fred Ebb
from Trilogy: Past Present Future – 1980
Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today
I want to be a part of it – New York, New York
These vagabond shoes are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it – New York, New YorkI wanna wake up in (that) a city that doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill – top of the heapThese little town blues are melting away
I’ll make a brand new start of it – in old New York
If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere
It’s up to you – New York, New YorkNew York, New York
I want to wake up in (that) a city that never sleeps
And find I’m number one top of the list, top of the heap, king
of the hillThese little town blues are melting away
I’m gonna make a brand new start of it – in old
New York
And if I can make it there, I’m gonna make it
anywhereIt’s up to you – New York, New York
###
“Allentown”
performed and written by Billy Joel
from The Essential Billy Joel – 1978
Well we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they’re killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line
Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow
And we’re living here in Allentown
But the restlessness was handed down
And it’s getting very hard to stay
Well we’re waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard
If we behaved
So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real
Iron and coke
And chromium steel
And we’re waiting here in Allentown
But they’ve taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled away
Every child had a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got
But something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our place
Well I’m living here in Allentown
And it’s hard to keep a good man down
But I won’t be getting up today
And it’s getting very hard to stay
And we’re living here in Allentown
###
“Youngstown”
performed and written by Bruce Springsteen
from The Ghost of Tom Joad – 1995
Here in northeast Ohio
Back in eighteen-o-three
James and Dan Heaton
Found the ore that was linin’ Yellow Creek
They built a blast furnace
Here along the shore
And they made the cannonballs
That helped the Union win the warHere in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny I’m sinkin’ down
Here darlin’ in YoungstownWell my daddy worked the furnaces
Kept ’em hotter than hell
I come home from ‘Nam worked my way to scarfer
A job that’d suit the devil as well
Taconite coke and limestone
Fed my children and make my pay
Them smokestacks reachin’ like the arms of God
Into a beautiful sky of soot and clayHere in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
Sweet Jenny I’m sinkin’ down
Here darlin’ in YoungstownWell my daddy come on the Ohio works
When he come home from World War Two
Now the yard’s just scrap and rubble
He said “Them big boys did what Hitler couldn’t do.”
These mills they built the tanks and bombs
That won this country’s wars
We sent our sons to Korea and Vietnam
Now we’re wondering what they were dyin’ forHere in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny I’m sinkin’ down
Here darlin’ in YoungstownFrom the Monongahela valley
To the Mesabi iron range
To the coal mines of Appalachia
The story’s always the same
Seven hundred tons of metal a day
Now sir you tell me the world’s changed
Once I made you rich enough
Rich enough to forget my nameAnd Youngstown
And Youngstown
My sweet Jenny I’m sinkin’ down
Here darlin’ in YoungstownWhen I die I don’t want no part of heaven
I would not do heaven’s work well
I pray the devil comes and takes me
To stand in the fiery furnaces of hell
###
“Amarillo by Morning”
performed by George Strait
written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser
from Strait from The Heart – 1982
Amarillo by mornin’
Up from San Antone
Everything that I got
Is just what I’ve got on.
When that sun is high in the Texas sky,
I’ll be buckin’ at the county fair.
Amarillo by mornin’
Amarillo I’ll be there.They took my saddle in Houston,
Broke my leg in Santa Fe.
Lost my wife and a girlfriend,
Somewhere along the way.
I’ll be lookin’ for eight
When they pull that gate
And I hope that judge ain’t blind.
Amarillo by mornin’
Amarillo’s on my mind.Amarillo by mornin’
Up from San Antone
Everything that I got
Is just what I’ve got on.
I ain’t got a dime,
But what I got is mine.
I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free.Amarillo by mornin’
Amarillo’s where I’ll be.
Amarillo by mornin’
Amarillo’s where I’ll be.
###
“Salt Lake City”
performed by the Beach Boys
written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love
from Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) – 1965
Down in Utah
The guys and I dig a city called Salt Lake
It’s got the grooviest kids
That’s why we never get tired of Salt Lake
And the way the kids talk so cool
Is an out of sight thing
And the number one radio station
Makes the town really swing yeah
Salt Lake City we’ll be coming soon
There’s a park near the city, yeah
All the kids dig the Lagoon now
It’s full of all kinds of girls
And rides and we’ll be flyin’ there soon now
And girl for girl
They’ve got the cutest of the Western states
They got the sun in the summer
And winter time the skiing is great yeah
Salt Lake City we’ll be coming soon
Salt Lake City we’ll be coming soon
We’ll be coming soon
We’ll be coming soon
We’ll be coming soon