Comments on: Folk Music about New York?

Question: Folk Music about New York?

piratebowling — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:59:59 -0800

Recommendations for Folk song specifically abut New York City?

I know on the album "Bleeker and MacDougal" Fred Neil had at least 2 songs directly referencing New York ("Bleeker and MacDougal" and "Handful of Gimme" are the songs). And recently at work I've been hearing Shannon McNally's Song "Pale Moon" also about New York. I have fallen in love with all of these songs. This is inspiring me to amass a collection of Folk songs about the city. Please give me any and all recommendations, no matter how obvious they may seem. My exploration of folk has been erratic and un-thorough, so there is a very decent chance I have missed some very obvious examples.

By: zamboni

zamboni — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:02:00 -0800

The Pogues, Fairytale of New York.

By: mds35

mds35 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:03:18 -0800

Simon and Garfunkel, "Bleecker Street"

By: mds35

mds35 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:03:48 -0800

And their "59th Street Bridge Song."

By: zamboni

zamboni — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:05:53 -0800

Well, as long as we're doing S&G, "Only Living Boy in New York", and "The 59th St Bridge Song".

By: mikepop

mikepop — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:08:51 -0800

Many songs from Black 47

By: Helga-woo

Helga-woo — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:10:30 -0800

New York Girls - traditional, so sung by lots of people.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:13:25 -0800

Jetpack by Jill Sobule.

By: ITheCosmos

ITheCosmos — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:15:57 -0800

Bob Dylan, "Talking New York",
Cisco Huston, "New York Town"

By: zamboni

zamboni — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:16:00 -0800

Try the Traditional Ballad Index. I can't link directly to the search, but "New York" turns up lots of hits, mostly for songs published in New York, but there are pertinent ones: Sidewalks of New York, Can't You Dance the Polka?, etc.

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:16:25 -0800

Eddie from Ohio, Bleecker to Broadway

By: Bromius

Bromius — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:17:08 -0800

Hard Times in New York Town by Bob Dylan

By: Leon

Leon — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:17:45 -0800

Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song - Jeffrey Lewis (hey, this answers the "songs in response to other songs" thread, too)

By: clavicle

clavicle — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:28:32 -0800

New-school folk ok? (Looks that way on preview.) Saint Mark by Beth Amsel, clip available here. Spring Street by Dar Williams. Last Fare of the Day by Richard Shindell. (Warning, this is a tearjerker song about 9/11, but to my mind it is the only good one.) Love Song/New York by Bill Morrissey - I first heard this covered by Lucy Kaplansky, who is a New Yorker and has a number of other, original songs that fit the bill, but Love Song/New York is amazing. See also Laura Cantrell, who is a little more country than folk, being from New York by way of Nashville - first thing to come to mind is her version of "Letters" by Lucinda Williams.

By: lampoil

lampoil — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:33:08 -0800

The Boxer also seems to take place in New York.

I'm sure Joni has many, but I thought of Chelsea Morning.

By: ethel

ethel — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:57:19 -0800

there've got to be a ton by folkies who came to NYC to record in the 30s-40s-50s, e.g., Lead Belly, Jean Ritchie, and Woody Guthrie. Doing some research on those folks would probably turn up quite a bit.

From Woody's repertoire, off the top of my head:

Mermaid's Avenue
New York Town

By: sprocket87

sprocket87 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:02:47 -0800

See my question regarding songs about NYC - the answers aren't strictly folk, but there's a lot of variety and you might find some in there.

By: ursus_comiter

ursus_comiter — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:09:26 -0800

Yes, re: Woody Guthrie.

He wrote and performed New York Town, but Cisco Huston really took up the song and made it his.

On Mermaid Avenue (wherein Billy Bragg & Wilco too Guthrie Lyrics and put them to song) there is Walt Whitman's Niece and on Mermaid Avenue II there is Joe Dimaggio Done it Again.

By: sjl7678

sjl7678 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:43:48 -0800

Seconding Fairytale of New York by the Pogues.

By: SBMike

SBMike — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:47:36 -0800

Not exactly folk, but the Magnetic Fields' "Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side"

By: LN

LN — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:58:38 -0800

Want to real deal? Hie yourself to the South Street Seaport Museum for their monthly folksong concerts. There are invariably people in the room with encyclopedic knowledge of folksongs, and particularly about New York and its environs. Dan Milner and Bob Conroy are the men to talk to.

There is also a New York Shanty sing (all maritime songs to do with New York City and harbour), happening monthy at the Seamen's Church Institute, 241 Water Street, Manhattan. Get in touch with The New York Packet for more details.

By: Black_Umbrella

Black_Umbrella — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:58:18 -0800

The Avett Brothers - Famous Flower of Manhattan (off the album - Four Thieves Gone). This is currently one of my favorite indie bands right now (folk), and this is a brilliant song.

By: eralclare

eralclare — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:27:10 -0800

"New York, New York" by Ryan Adams in one of my favorites.

By: Xoder

Xoder — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:35:03 -0800

MetaFilter's own flapjax at midnite's Lexington Avenue Line.

Although I suppose it might be more bluesy than folky. Whatever.

By: backwards guitar

backwards guitar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:30:20 -0800

Jonathan Richman's "Springtime in New York".

Jeffrey Lewis (mentioned above) has a few NYCish songs. "The East River", for example.

By: gelcap

gelcap — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:49:15 -0800

To Turn You On, Roxy Music

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:08:55 -0800

What about Nico, "Chelsea Girls"?

By: clavicle

clavicle — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:17:23 -0800

How could I forget almost the entirety of Ani DiFranco's first (self-titled) album? Plenty from the rest as well, definitely too many to list here, but her first is the most folkish. Maybe start with the song "Talk To Me Now."

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:52:03 -0800

Hey so "Going to Queens" is by The Mountain Goats, and it's pretty excellent. And while I'm repping the band, the last verse in their song "The Mess Inside" features New York and breaks my damn heart every time I hear it. Those are on the albums "Sweden" and "All Hail West Texas", respectively.

By: kc0dxh

kc0dxh — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:19:52 -0800

1981 Simon and Garfunkel held a concert in Central Park. Included in the performance was a song, the only one in the show written by Art Garfunkel (I think), called "A Heart in New York". Worth the effort to find if you ask me.

By: Helga-woo

Helga-woo — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 05:35:29 -0800

I just want to apologize. My link has muzac! I'm sorry I didn't warn you, I was posting at work, and they automatically remove all muzac from our internets (or at least, don't let us have speakers).