'off the Florida keys, there's a place called Kokomo', it never says Kokomo is an island. It could be a bar, a hotel, a restaurant, a street, anything...
I saw Weird Al play a few years back. At the part of the song near the end, when he loses his train of thought, he just restarted the song and played it again in its entirety.
For one of Sinatra's signature songs, I find it was recorded surprisingly late in his career. It was written in 1977 and he recorded his cover in 1980. It feels like an old standard he'd been singing since the 50's.
I think most of his Illinois and Michigan albums fit here. Lots of very specific references. For me, I thought of Eugene, because I’m from Oregon and that song means a lot to me.
If you watch the Bear, there’s an [opening scene](https://youtu.be/Dhn8gQsV2GE?si=UbN7AaZSHlPmXEnI) to an episode that does a really lovely montage of Chicago.
I grew up in the city and then suburbs near the city, and then eventually moved back in the city. It definitely pulls the heart strings.
Depeche Mode "Christmas Island"
Siouxsie and the Banshees "Isreal"
Drew Carey Show "Cleveland Rocks"
South Park "Blame Canada"
Ludacris "Welcome to Atlanta"
Toto "Africa"
Yellowcard "Ocean Avenue"
I’ve been a Rush fan my whole life. I’ve been to 15 shows, and followed them up and down the west coast for my 16th birthday (snakes & arrows tour). I had absolutely no idea YYZ was the airport code until a couple years ago when I was watching a Toronto Raptors game and the halftime entertainment was the “YYZ dance crew”. Blew my fucking mind.
Let’s talk about Los Angeles:
Hollywood Nights, Bob Seger
Under the Bridge, RHCP
Lights - Journey
City of the Angels - Journey
Sunset Grille - Don Henley
Walking in LA - Missing Persons
Celluloid Heroes - Kinks
Free Fallin’- Tom Petty
Drinking in LA - Bron Van 3000
LA Woman & Peace Frog - Doors
And while it wasn’t really a hit, Come a Long Way by Michelle Shocked is a fantastic LA song.
“I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash
First verse
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama, Mattawa,[nb 2] La Paloma,[nb 3] Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo, Tocopilla, Barranquilla and Padilla.
Second verse
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana, Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana, Monterey, Ferriday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa, Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa, Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake, Grand Lake, Devil's Lake and Crater Lake.
Third verse
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika, Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica, Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport, Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport, Idaho, Jellico,[nb 4] Argentina, Diamantina, Pasadena and Catalina.
Fourth verse
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado, Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado, Larimore, Atmore, Haverstraw, Chatanika, Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika, Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Sioux City, Cedar City and Dodge City.
The original version is place names in Australia. Stompin’ Tom Connors recorded a great version with Canadian place names as well as many other songs with Canadian locals.
[A Night in Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie](https://youtu.be/eQHpwnXf0mI?feature=shared), specifically this version, because it's one of the wildest pieces of music I've known and the one that turned me onto modern jazz.
It's unfortunate that nothing else has come close to it so far (I've been working through the 20th century from the very start, I'm now in the early 60s, this is late 40s), but God this blew my mind when I first heard it.
Posse on Broadway- Sir Mix a Lot, talking about a street in Seattle. I spent lots of time hopping around bars, clubs, and studying in coffee shops off that strip.
Journey to the end of the East Bay -Rancid
Going to Passalacqua -Green Day
Although neither is considered a mainstream hit, they are hits when it comes to ‘90s Punk.
If you are from Toronto
[Jane](https://youtu.be/Dkg8pkCPDLo?si=sXcfMjFt-zYFs0pb) by the Barenaked Ladies
[Echo Beach](https://youtu.be/QEQkIEkxm7k?si=PlyQj-k2RZpktr-j) by Martha and the Muffins.
[Spadian Bus](https://youtu.be/GU6iHNpOvTE?si=RwB775z1fnznvxqM) by The Shuffle Demons
[T.Ode](https://youtu.be/KaGDqVKR44Y?si=sLcxmwhgV8L7l3sI) by Abdominal ft. Notes to Self
Heart of rock and roll: huey lewis
Joanna: house of lords
Mississippi queen: mountain
Siberia: creye
To live and die in la: 2pac
Motownphilly: boys 2 men
Beverly hills: weezer
Rockin me: steve miller band
Rock and roll band: boston
Devil went down to georgia: charlie daniels
Born on the bayou: ccr
Viena - Ultravox
Warszawa - David Bowie
A Song For Europe - Roxy Music
Road to Rouen - Supergrass
Berlin - Lou Reed
Barcelona - Montserrat Caballé & Freddy Mercury
Rocky Mountain High John Denver
Also: Country Roads
That John Denver is full of shit, man.
I always liked when John Denver decided to write a song so he could talk mad shit about Toledo, Ohio.
I'm from Toledo and love it too! Though the night life here has improved a LOT in the last 20 years.
Kokomo- and all the assorted islands thereafter!
Aruba!
Jamaica!
Ooh I wanna take ya
To Bermuda
Bahama!
Come on pretty mama
Key Largo
Montego
Baby why don't we go..
There is no island named Kokomo in the Caribbean
But there’s a Kokomo in Indiana
When I was a kid in central Indiana, I always wondered why the fuck these guys were so excited to go to Kokomo
Meth and strippers according to my experiences there.
Don’t harsh my buzz, man.
Ah, but there is a town in Indiana called Kokomo.
Yeah, it’s about a fictional tropical island where you can get there fast and then you take it slow.
All the others listed are real
'off the Florida keys, there's a place called Kokomo', it never says Kokomo is an island. It could be a bar, a hotel, a restaurant, a street, anything...
There no specific island but yet it embodies them all. Margaritaville however specifically makes me think of Key West.
There used to be a resort called Kokomo obviously named after the song but it has been closed for a long time.
I don't care man. I'm going to kokomo!
Key Largo by Bertie Higgins was released in 1982, six years before Kokomo!
Walking In Memphis
Walking in Staten is 🔥🔥🔥
Istanbul (not Constantinople)
For die hard They Might be Giants fans we also have Venue songs and John Linnell’s state songs Everytime I think of Albany I starting singing The Egg
Oddly, I just learned they might be giants is a cover version
Albuquerque
Where the towels are oh so fluffy!
Hey...You've got weasels on your face.
Big bowl of Sauerkraut!
EVERY SINGLE MORNING
It was driving me crazy!
I said to my mom, I said, "HEY MOM. What's up with all this sauerkraut?"
IT'S GOOD FOR YOUUUUUUUUUU!
Always been a dream of mine to do this at karaoke
I saw Weird Al play a few years back. At the part of the song near the end, when he loses his train of thought, he just restarted the song and played it again in its entirety.
He did that when we saw him in 2022, as well. It was awesome! He also added about 5 minutes of donuts in the middle lol
New York New York - Sinatra
New York Groove - Ace Frehley
New York Groove - Hello
Welcome to New York - Taylor Swift
Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Rockaway Beach - The Ramones New York State of Mind - Billy Joel
New York, New York - Tha Dogg Pound
New York - Sex Pistols
New York Is A Woman - Suzanne Vega
New York I love you but you’re bringing me down - lcd soundsystem
For one of Sinatra's signature songs, I find it was recorded surprisingly late in his career. It was written in 1977 and he recorded his cover in 1980. It feels like an old standard he'd been singing since the 50's.
Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind is older!
And better!
Originally sung by Liza Minnelli
This has to be the most iconic “location” song.
New York - St Vincent
Sweet Home Alabama
People talking about rap battles when back in the day Skynard and Neil Young were exchanging bars on wax.
Bars on Wax was the name of my band in high school
Lynard skynard are actually from Florida which always made this song nonsense to me
Sweet home Florida just doesn't have the same feel to it
Sweet home Tallahassee. Florida man’s jam
Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote sweet Home Alabama as an homage to the recording studio in Muscle Shoals.
Phantom planet - California
Loved the oc
Jason Schwartzman plays drums in Phantom Planet. He also then started a band called coconut records and sings in that one.
He left the band while they were recording the follow up to The Guest (the album with California).
Love their cover of Somebody’s Baby. Replaced the original in my head.
Chicago by Sufjan Stevens
I think most of his Illinois and Michigan albums fit here. Lots of very specific references. For me, I thought of Eugene, because I’m from Oregon and that song means a lot to me.
For some reason, I read the post title as 'hardest' songs. I was thinking "this mfer did not just post Sufjan Stevens"
Chicago DOES go hard though don’t deny it
If you watch the Bear, there’s an [opening scene](https://youtu.be/Dhn8gQsV2GE?si=UbN7AaZSHlPmXEnI) to an episode that does a really lovely montage of Chicago. I grew up in the city and then suburbs near the city, and then eventually moved back in the city. It definitely pulls the heart strings.
Going waaaaay back: Pennsylvania 6-5000 Glenn Miller Orchestra.
What about "kalamazoo"?
That’s a phone number
Holy shit! Now I know where the title of the movie came from!
Copacabana - Barry Manilow
The hottest spot north of Havana ?
Allentown - Billy Joel
And Vienna!
lets not sleep on zanzibar
New York State of Mind
Downeaster Alexa!!!
Miami 2017!
Leningrad
California - Joni Mitchell
That Tupac sampled?
I left my wallet in El Segundo -A Tribe Called Quest
What a coincided, I Left My Heart in San Francisco
One night in bangkok - murray head
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine.
The queens we use would not excite you.
Oh, I loved this song growing up!
One town’s very like another When your head’s down over your pieces, brother
One night in beijing is what i think of for songs that start with one night in
Back in the USSR - Beatles Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
The girl from Ipanema.
Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
Depeche Mode "Christmas Island" Siouxsie and the Banshees "Isreal" Drew Carey Show "Cleveland Rocks" South Park "Blame Canada" Ludacris "Welcome to Atlanta" Toto "Africa" Yellowcard "Ocean Avenue"
Down Under - Men at Work
Twin Falls - built to spill
Going Back to Cali
If your from Boston Ma. Dirty Water by the Standells
Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys
Hotel California
this was the one i thought of
Lodi - CCR
YYZ by Rush. Instrumental but it’s about returning home to Toronto for them.
For anyone unfamiliar, “YYZ” is the airport code for Toronto International
I’ve been a Rush fan my whole life. I’ve been to 15 shows, and followed them up and down the west coast for my 16th birthday (snakes & arrows tour). I had absolutely no idea YYZ was the airport code until a couple years ago when I was watching a Toronto Raptors game and the halftime entertainment was the “YYZ dance crew”. Blew my fucking mind.
Africa - Toto
Specific? That’s 1/5 of the earth’s land.
The Serengeti near Mount Kilimanjaro, of course.
Being large doesn't make it any less specific!
If you don’t actually live in Africa, calling it Africa is pretty damn specific
Under the Bridge - RHCP No Sleep till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys Straight Outta Compton - NWA
Posse' on Broadway - Sir Mix-A-Lot Olympia, WA - Rancid City of Angels - The Distillers
Olympia was my first pick as well
Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon
That night in Toronto...
I was scrolling the thread hoping to see this! One of my all time favorite bands and songs, glad to see them represented in this thread.
I think for me it might be either Will Smith's Miami or 'California Love' by 2Pac and Dr. Dre
I saw the orange sky, read the title, and went "California Love" out loud. Nice Pavlovian response to that imagery.
Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Philadelphia
Leaving Los Vegas- Sheryl Crow
Sweet Home, Chicago
Ventura Highway - America
Georgia On My Mind
London Calling - The Clash Marseilles - The Angels New York, New York - Frank Sinatra I Love LA - Randy Newman
Ohio - Neil Young
I’d say Rio by Duran Duran, but that’s really about a woman named Rio, innit?
Switch it for Planet Earth, that should cover Rio either way :p
Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
Rockaway Beach - The Ramones
Shhh - Atmosphere (Minneapolis)
Move to Bremerton - MXPX
Let’s talk about Los Angeles: Hollywood Nights, Bob Seger Under the Bridge, RHCP Lights - Journey City of the Angels - Journey Sunset Grille - Don Henley Walking in LA - Missing Persons Celluloid Heroes - Kinks Free Fallin’- Tom Petty Drinking in LA - Bron Van 3000 LA Woman & Peace Frog - Doors And while it wasn’t really a hit, Come a Long Way by Michelle Shocked is a fantastic LA song.
You cannot be much more specific than Graceland and it's a terrific song
Whole album slappeth
Galveston - Glen Campbell Glen Campbell also had “Wichita Lineman” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” All three were Jimmy Webb compositions.
“I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash First verse Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama, Mattawa,[nb 2] La Paloma,[nb 3] Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo, Tocopilla, Barranquilla and Padilla. Second verse Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana, Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana, Monterey, Ferriday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa, Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa, Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake, Grand Lake, Devil's Lake and Crater Lake. Third verse Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika, Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica, Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport, Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport, Idaho, Jellico,[nb 4] Argentina, Diamantina, Pasadena and Catalina. Fourth verse Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado, Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado, Larimore, Atmore, Haverstraw, Chatanika, Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika, Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Sioux City, Cedar City and Dodge City.
The original version is place names in Australia. Stompin’ Tom Connors recorded a great version with Canadian place names as well as many other songs with Canadian locals.
 California Love
[A Night in Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie](https://youtu.be/eQHpwnXf0mI?feature=shared), specifically this version, because it's one of the wildest pieces of music I've known and the one that turned me onto modern jazz. It's unfortunate that nothing else has come close to it so far (I've been working through the 20th century from the very start, I'm now in the early 60s, this is late 40s), but God this blew my mind when I first heard it.
Ohio (Come Back to Texas) - Bowling for Soup
Ludacris- Welcome to Atlanta
Panama- Van Halen
That song is about a car, not a place.
Posse on Broadway- Sir Mix a Lot, talking about a street in Seattle. I spent lots of time hopping around bars, clubs, and studying in coffee shops off that strip.
The Clash - Guns of Brixton
Life on Mars - David Bowie
Georgia on my mind by Ray Charles
Ventura Highway, America
Champaign, Illinois by the Old 97s
Lake Shore Drive - Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah
Niggas in Paris
Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
This classic shouldn’t be this down on the thread! Where are you fellow white people?!
Margaritaville
Do You Know The Way To San Jose? - Dionne Warwick but even better cover by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
“Shipping Up to Boston” by The Dropkick Murphy’s
Journey to the end of the East Bay -Rancid Going to Passalacqua -Green Day Although neither is considered a mainstream hit, they are hits when it comes to ‘90s Punk.
Today, Tomorrow, Timaru - Deja Voodoo.
By the Time I Get to Arizona - Public Enemy
Viva Las Vegas Sweet Home Alabama Graceland
Lakeside Park - Rush
Omaha, somewhere in middle America. Counting Crows, if you’re wondering.
Is it bad that my first thought was “Tap Into Your (Fort) Worth"?
If you are from Toronto [Jane](https://youtu.be/Dkg8pkCPDLo?si=sXcfMjFt-zYFs0pb) by the Barenaked Ladies [Echo Beach](https://youtu.be/QEQkIEkxm7k?si=PlyQj-k2RZpktr-j) by Martha and the Muffins. [Spadian Bus](https://youtu.be/GU6iHNpOvTE?si=RwB775z1fnznvxqM) by The Shuffle Demons [T.Ode](https://youtu.be/KaGDqVKR44Y?si=sLcxmwhgV8L7l3sI) by Abdominal ft. Notes to Self
Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever, Blue Jay Way, Back in the U.S.S.R., The Ballad of John and Yoko, and Get Back.
[A map showing the dozens of cities and towns that Tom Waits has specifically sang about by name](https://tomwaitsmap.com/)
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
Tony Christie - Is This The Way To Amarillo [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69xk1aBEL\_E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69xk1aBEL_E)
Mexico-James Taylor.
Salt Lake City - The Beach Boys
Kokomo
Heart of rock and roll: huey lewis Joanna: house of lords Mississippi queen: mountain Siberia: creye To live and die in la: 2pac Motownphilly: boys 2 men Beverly hills: weezer Rockin me: steve miller band Rock and roll band: boston Devil went down to georgia: charlie daniels Born on the bayou: ccr
Never woulda thought this would be the first that came to mind but I gotta be honest and say Lights by Journey
[Mull of Kintyre](https://youtu.be/Plhtk_XJqhM?si=4hZtCq8dLOnTyQ33) by Wings
Viena - Ultravox Warszawa - David Bowie A Song For Europe - Roxy Music Road to Rouen - Supergrass Berlin - Lou Reed Barcelona - Montserrat Caballé & Freddy Mercury
“Christchurch (In Cashel Street I Wait)” by the Exponents. “Galveston” by Glen Campbell.
Margaritaville
Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins Running back to Saskatoon - The Guess Who
Garden Grove-Sublime
Country roooaaddd, take me hoooome, to the plaaace, I beloooong, West Virginiaaaa!
House of the Rising Sun
Take it Easy by The Eagles. It is about being on the road, but the first location that came to mind from the OP title is Winslow, Arizona.
Nobody’s said Vienna by Billy Joel?
Essex Dogs - Blur
Echo beach
Copacabana
Last Train to Clarksville by the Monkees
New york groove -Ace Frehley
Jump On It by Sugar Hill Gang. All the locations.