Rockin In The Old World
April 9, 2010 1:14 PM Subscribe
I'm an American. Help me create a playlist for our European vacation: Songs that celebrate or mention England, Denmark, or Holland.
We'll be in Copenhagen/Odense, London and the surrounding area, and Amsterdam. I have kids so all music must be suitable for all ages.
I don't just want songs that have these places in their titles - I'd rather have songs that have lyrics that elaborate a bit on the place (e.g., Sufjan Stevens's song "Holland" is no good because the song itself is in no way about Holland.)
The Jam, English Rose is a good example. Or Village Green by The Kinks.
Style preference would be anything from the 60's, 70's, 80's post-punk / new wave, current indie music -- basically stuff that sounds good. No heavy metal, country, or rap, please. Thanks.
We'll be in Copenhagen/Odense, London and the surrounding area, and Amsterdam. I have kids so all music must be suitable for all ages.
I don't just want songs that have these places in their titles - I'd rather have songs that have lyrics that elaborate a bit on the place (e.g., Sufjan Stevens's song "Holland" is no good because the song itself is in no way about Holland.)
The Jam, English Rose is a good example. Or Village Green by The Kinks.
Style preference would be anything from the 60's, 70's, 80's post-punk / new wave, current indie music -- basically stuff that sounds good. No heavy metal, country, or rap, please. Thanks.
Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols
(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
posted by the foreground at 1:23 PM on April 9, 2010
(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
posted by the foreground at 1:23 PM on April 9, 2010
A New England, by Billy Bragg.
posted by claytonius maximus at 1:24 PM on April 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by claytonius maximus at 1:24 PM on April 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
Amsterdam:
Beatles - Ballad of John and Yoko
London/UK
Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
Elton John - Made In England
The Who - Pinball Wizard ("From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all...")
posted by knile at 1:35 PM on April 9, 2010
Beatles - Ballad of John and Yoko
London/UK
Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
Elton John - Made In England
The Who - Pinball Wizard ("From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all...")
posted by knile at 1:35 PM on April 9, 2010
The Clash -- London Calling.
posted by modernnomad at 1:45 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by modernnomad at 1:45 PM on April 9, 2010
Babyshambles -- Down in Albion
posted by modernnomad at 1:45 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by modernnomad at 1:45 PM on April 9, 2010
Holland, 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel, perhaps.
posted by Corduroy at 1:53 PM on April 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Corduroy at 1:53 PM on April 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
(Although the lyrics don't really expand on Holland the location, but it's still super sweet.)
posted by Corduroy at 1:55 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by Corduroy at 1:55 PM on April 9, 2010
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
The Pogues - Rainy Night in Soho (or several others that mention London)
Billy Bragg - A13 Trunk Road to the Sea (A version of "Route 66" with the geography of Essex).
posted by Jakey at 2:07 PM on April 9, 2010
The Pogues - Rainy Night in Soho (or several others that mention London)
Billy Bragg - A13 Trunk Road to the Sea (A version of "Route 66" with the geography of Essex).
posted by Jakey at 2:07 PM on April 9, 2010
London, sort of:
Donovan - Sunny South Kensington
Belle & Sebastian - Mornington Crescent
The Bangles - Going Down To Liverpool (it's not really about any of these cities, but it's a cool song and Leonard Nimoy makes a cameo in the video)
posted by daniel_charms at 2:21 PM on April 9, 2010
Donovan - Sunny South Kensington
Belle & Sebastian - Mornington Crescent
The Bangles - Going Down To Liverpool (it's not really about any of these cities, but it's a cool song and Leonard Nimoy makes a cameo in the video)
posted by daniel_charms at 2:21 PM on April 9, 2010
England Swings, by Roger Miller...
Also, do a quick buzz on youtube for Skiffle bands - it's the genre of music I think of as most typically English immediately pre-rock'n'roll. (Spinal Tap started off playing Skiffle :D)
Also also, Yakety Sax, but only if you're running around British landmarks really fast.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 2:22 PM on April 9, 2010
Also, do a quick buzz on youtube for Skiffle bands - it's the genre of music I think of as most typically English immediately pre-rock'n'roll. (Spinal Tap started off playing Skiffle :D)
Also also, Yakety Sax, but only if you're running around British landmarks really fast.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 2:22 PM on April 9, 2010
Two cool travel songs for the kids:
Holiday Road - Lindsey Buckingham
Life is a Highway - Rascall Flats
posted by NoraCharles at 2:39 PM on April 9, 2010
Holiday Road - Lindsey Buckingham
Life is a Highway - Rascall Flats
posted by NoraCharles at 2:39 PM on April 9, 2010
I'm thinking someone has already put together that European Vacation song list. Holiday Road is a must...
posted by HuronBob at 2:39 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by HuronBob at 2:39 PM on April 9, 2010
New Amsterdam by Elvis Costello...
posted by HandfulOfDust at 2:54 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by HandfulOfDust at 2:54 PM on April 9, 2010
New Amsterdam is actually about America
Victoria - The Kinks
Penny Lane - The Beatles
posted by timeistight at 3:00 PM on April 9, 2010
Victoria - The Kinks
Penny Lane - The Beatles
posted by timeistight at 3:00 PM on April 9, 2010
James Kolchalka Superstar's Copenhagen China Box is awesome (about karaoke in Copenhagen).
The Kinks' Denmark Street (which is about England, but yeah)
Militant Berry's Dutch Rocker is nominally about Holland, by way of dub. He's rocking it in a "dutch style."
The Adverts' The Great British Mistake
The Clash's Something About England
The Fall's English Scheme
The Long Blonde's Separated By Motorways (which is a great shout along about female friendship and the A-14 and M-1).
XTC's English Roundabouts
Lord Kitchener's London Is The Place For Me is a pretty fun calypso.
Electric Light Orchestra's Last Train To London
Gang War (Johnny Thunders and Wayne Kramer) do a pretty fun piss take in London Boys
Anita Harris does London Life as a love song to the city
The Interferons' Get Out of London is a classic one-hit wonder single.
The Jam's A Bomb on Wardour St. and Down In A Tube Station At Midnight are both also really about England
Elvis Costello's I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea
posted by klangklangston at 3:07 PM on April 9, 2010
The Kinks' Denmark Street (which is about England, but yeah)
Militant Berry's Dutch Rocker is nominally about Holland, by way of dub. He's rocking it in a "dutch style."
The Adverts' The Great British Mistake
The Clash's Something About England
The Fall's English Scheme
The Long Blonde's Separated By Motorways (which is a great shout along about female friendship and the A-14 and M-1).
XTC's English Roundabouts
Lord Kitchener's London Is The Place For Me is a pretty fun calypso.
Electric Light Orchestra's Last Train To London
Gang War (Johnny Thunders and Wayne Kramer) do a pretty fun piss take in London Boys
Anita Harris does London Life as a love song to the city
The Interferons' Get Out of London is a classic one-hit wonder single.
The Jam's A Bomb on Wardour St. and Down In A Tube Station At Midnight are both also really about England
Elvis Costello's I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea
posted by klangklangston at 3:07 PM on April 9, 2010
London in the Spring by Marseille Figs
posted by ferdinandcc at 3:27 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by ferdinandcc at 3:27 PM on April 9, 2010
Rotterdam, by The Beautiful South.
posted by randomstriker at 4:15 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by randomstriker at 4:15 PM on April 9, 2010
Response by poster: great stuff everyone - thanks so much! I have a lot of it, and I'll start sampling and downloading the rest right now.
posted by crapples at 7:01 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by crapples at 7:01 PM on April 9, 2010
I thought of another one. All the Umbrellas in London by The Magnetic Fields.
posted by Corduroy at 12:09 AM on April 10, 2010
posted by Corduroy at 12:09 AM on April 10, 2010
"Amsterdam" by Guster is a guilty pleasure of mine. So is the Coldplay song of the same name. "Rotterdam" by The Beautiful South was mentioned but deserves a second.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:09 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:09 AM on April 16, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Peter, Bjorn, and John - Amsterdam
posted by phrontist at 1:17 PM on April 9, 2010