What's the (un)official anthem of your city?

SignalHillHiker · #1 Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 9:46 PM**

There are famous songs associated with many of the world's cities.

"My Way" for New York City, "Sarajevo ljubavi moja" for Sarajevo, "The Boston Burglar" (at least for people here) for Boston, "Good morning Baltimore" for Baltimore...

What's the official or unofficial anthem of your city?

And also, and most important for my interests in creating this thread (I love this stuff) - if your city has an anthem for another, and legitimately - just don't pick a bitchy song about your neighbouring city - please share that too!

For St. John's, the easy unofficial anthem is St. John's Waltz:

An old video from the 70s, featuring drag queens and North America's oldest sporting event, the Royal St. John's Regatta.

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"In this world of romance, don't miss out on your chance, to dance the St. John's waltz."

I also know the unofficial city anthem of Dublin, Ireland, is Molly Malone:

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There's a statue of an especially busty Molly Malone pushing her cart selling fresh seafood in Dublin that in variously known as "The tart with the cart", "the trollop with the scallops", or "the dish with the fish.".

Our unofficial song for Halifax, Nova Scotia (performed by a local band - not sure if this is what Haligonians would pick):

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And ours for Boston:

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In a close second is song, "Boston and St. John's".

SignalHillHiker · #2 Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 9:57 PM**

My personal favourite - the unofficial anthem of St. Mary's, a small fishing village (but far more important at the time this song was written). You can't play this for a crowded room here without getting a teary eye.

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Another one has become a folk staple here - this one for Logy Bay, which was a separate (and significant community) in the past but is now a suburb of St. John's. The fact it has a song like this is no surprise given how separate it is from the city in mind and culture.

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LosAngelesSportsFan · #3 Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 9:58 PM**

a few for LA

I LOVE LA by Randy Newman.. Played after every Lakers, Dodgers and Kings win, every city event, etc etc... Its also a dig at NY, Chi and SF (and LA lol) so its perfect for this thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b5LzCOc98E

LA Woman - Doors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JskztPPSJwY

Under the Bridge - RDCP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwlogyj7nFE

Live in Die in LA - 2Pac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m3B060jo_o

California Love - 2pac / Dre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWbXQQG9B6c

Walking in LA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_UpLtGEWoY

SignalHillHiker · #4 Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 10:02 PM**

Awesome. I would have picked American Woman for LA. No idea why I associate it with that city (hopefully it's not REALLY obviously and I'm just being stupid,

) - but I do.

hudkina · #5 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 12:15 AM**

Detroit:

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or this:

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BnaBreaker · #6 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 12:48 AM**

There are countless songs one could select for Memphis, but I these would have to be at the top, all about Memphis:

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StethJeff · #7 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 7:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

a few for LA

I LOVE LA by Randy Newman.. Played after every Lakers, Dodgers and Kings win, every city event, etc etc... Its also a dig at NY, Chi and SF (and LA lol) so its perfect for this thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b5LzCOc98E

LA Woman - Doors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JskztPPSJwY

Under the Bridge - RDCP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwlogyj7nFE

Live in Die in LA - 2Pac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m3B060jo_o

California Love - 2pac / Dre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWbXQQG9B6c

Walking in LA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_UpLtGEWoY

Randy Newman is the unequivocal anthem for the city. Everything else comes after it. And I wouldn't call Walking in LA an 'anthem' at all. Its a novelty that only a handful of people are only marginally aware of and that no one would ever actually listen to in the first place.

I'd say:

I Love LA - Randy Newman
Hooray for Hollywood - Johnny Mercer
California Love - 2Pac
Live and Die in LA - 2Pac
Welcome to the Jungle - Gun N' Roses
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Beach Boys' entire catalog

hauntedheadnc · #8 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 7:38 AM**

Official:

Unfortunately, the ninny who posted it on youtube did not use any actual pictures of the city in the title of the freaking song.

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Unofficial:

By a local Asheville band. It sums up the overall citywide vibe nicely.

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This one describes our hipster infestation.

(Note: This video has been removed due to some forumers' assertion that songs about hipsters are only applicable, in true indie hipster fashion, to small and localized clots of indie hipsters. There is no universal anthem of hipsterism and to say, hint, or even think otherwise, is just, like, so mainstream.)

Lastly, we have a song that takes an in-depth look at the city's unerring view that anything local is better than everything else, and that anything made in or near the city is vastly superior to anything anyone makes anywhere else. This includes beer, wine, cheese, meat, vegetables, clothing, software, and creative enterprises just for starters.

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Steely Dan · #9 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 5:14 PM**

Chicago has two official unofficial city anthems:

"My Kind of Town", composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and most famously performed by Frank Sinatra.

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"Sweet Home Chicago" originally recorded by Robert Johnson with ambiguous lyrics, but it has been covered by numerous blues artists over the decades and is perhaps most famously known from the rendition in the "Blues Brothers" movie (which just also happens to be the official unofficial movie of chicago).

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Steely Dan · #10 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 5:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

There are famous songs associated with many of the world's cities.

"My Way" for New York City, "Sarajevo ljubavi moja" for Sarajevo, "The Boston Burglar" (at least for people here) for Boston, "Good morning Baltimore" for Baltimore...

What does "My Way" have to do with New York City?

Sinatra's "New York, New York" is a far more fitting anthem for that city. It's literally all about NYC, right from the very title of the song.

dchan · #11 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 5:48 PM**

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initiald · #12 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 5:52 PM**

The unofficial anthem for every city in North Carolina:

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Tom Servo · #13 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 6:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Chicago has two official unofficial city anthems:

"My Kind of Town", composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and most famously performed by Frank Sinatra.

"Sweet Home Chicago" originally recorded by Robert Johnson with ambiguous lyrics, but it has been covered by numerous blues artists over the decades and is perhaps most famously known from the rendition in the "Blues Brothers" movie (which just also happens to be the official unofficial movie of chicago).

No, no, no... Come on, Dan.

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KevinFromTexas · #14 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 6:30 PM**

I'm not sure Austin really has an official one, and I'm sure it would depend on who you ask. I'm not sure there are really any that mention Austin specifically to sing its praises, though, I do know there some that mention places in Austin. It's hard to say, because we've got rock and roll, blues and country here, with more blues than anything else. I would have to say the two most well known ones are Stevie Ray Vaughan and Willie Nelson.

This song is by Jimi Hendrix, but Stevie Ray Vaughan covered it, a few of the places in the video were filmed in Austin.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=88e_1228073221

And another one. This one is by the Clash, who are obviously not an Austin band, and the song isn't really about Austin or Texas, but the video was shot in Austin in 1980. The actor in the video who plays the Arab guy is actually Latino and lives in Austin. I saw this video posted on Facebook once on some group about Austin, and he actually replied to it. The video has scenes shot in downtown, the skyline, and even Bergstrom Air Force Base (the two jets landing) at what is today our airport.

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Steely Dan · #15 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 6:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

No, no, no... Come on, Dan.

a city anthem and a sports team fight song are not the same thing.

j korzeniowski · #16 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 6:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dchan

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great scene. great movie. not sure about anthem, though, unless most new yorkers can recite that monologue off the top of their head whenever they hear 'rhapsody in blue'.

dchan · #17 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 7:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by j korzeniowski

great scene. great movie. not sure about anthem, though, unless most new yorkers can recite that monologue off the top of their head whenever they hear 'rhapsody in blue'.

You can recite it by heart if you're a middle-aged neurotic New York born-and-bred Jew who has a thing for girls still in high school.

krudmonk · #18 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StethJeff

Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Even disregarding their terrible adult contemporary shit from the last 20 years, I feel like they have more songs that explicitly tie them to the actual Los Angeles and the characterized Hollywood. That one just had a music video with lots of local sights.

Xelebes · #19 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 9:05 PM**

There is none for Edmonton that I can think of. There are only a few artists who have stuck it out in Edmonton and they are obscure.

I can think of one song for Calgary: The Golden Calgarians - It Could Happen.

hudkina · #20 Posted **Sep 25, 2014, 9:06 PM**

I don't think people should be listing songs unless the band is well-known for being from the city, or the band mentions the city in the song.

The Dandy Warhols are from Portland, OR, so if anything, Bohemian Like You would be Portland's song.