From Monday 1 October 2024
Cities and Towns
For this round, we’re taking a musical journey through Cities and Towns. Your task is to select a song where the name of a city or town is mentioned in either the title or the lyrics. It could be a famous metropolis or a tiny town—anything goes, as long as it fits the theme! Get creative, explore different genres, and make sure your song choice brings a special place to life through music.
Errol
Phil Coulter & the people of Derry sing The Town I Loved So Well
How amazing is this…
On Saturday 8th October 2022, thousands of people came together in Ebrington Square, Derry, to sing a very special song with a very special person. Here’s the magical moment the LegenDerry Phil Coulter sang his iconic song, The Town I Loved So Well, with the people of the town of Derry.
It does bring tears to my eyes thinking of my childhood and my own “town I loved so well”.
Karen
Backstreet Boys – No Place
The Backstreet Boys know how to tug at our heartstrings.
Their song “No Place” is their eighth track on their tenth studio album.
It was released on a poignant date, January 4, 2019, a day that holds a special meaning for the band and their fans.
This heartfelt tribute, written by Brett James, Joshua Miller, and Troy Verges and produced by Steven Solomon, was accompanied by a touching video.
During their concert in London on November 6, 2022, they played the video during the song and added a portion dedicated to Aaron Carter, a pop star from the late 1990s to 2000s, and Nick’s younger brother, who passed away on November 5, 2022.
The song is about how traveling worldwide doesn’t compare to being home with their families. As if the lyrics weren’t sweet enough, the music video is a testament to their genuine love and connection, filled with authentic and heartwarming clips of AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell spending time with their wives and kids…
Wilfred
Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
Ever felt like the city is both pulling you in and wearing you out?
“Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty captures that perfectly! Set on one of London’s famous streets, this iconic track takes you through the highs and lows of urban life—where the hustle is real, dreams clash with reality, and sometimes all you want to do is escape the noise.
With a legendary sax solo that echoes the city’s fast-paced energy and underlying melancholy, “Baker Street” is the ultimate anthem for anyone who’s ever felt a little lost in the big city.
Geraldine
Refentse – Lisa Se Klavier (Lewendige Opname)
“Liza se klavier” was written by Koos Kombuis for his friend, Liza, a pianist in Cape Town.
There are great stories about their friendship. Koos always borrowing (in their young day), money from Liza for groceries.
Many SA artists have recorded this beautiful song. I enjoy this live performance by Refentse.
A little history.
He is an amazing entertainer. Have seen him a few times at our theatre Restaurant “Die Boer” in Durvanville. He introduces the pale face member of this band as “ their affirmative appointment”.
Musician Refentse Morake was discovered giving Afrikaans pop music a unique African flavour on the streets on Vereeniging in 2015 by Cecilia Marchionna. She uploaded a video of his performance on to Facebook and it soon become one of most shared videos in South Africa.29 Oct 2016
The songs Cecilia heard was “Delaray” and “Lisa se klavier”.
Enjoy.
Paul P
Barry Manilow – Copacabana – 1978
This place is a city, is known for its amazing beach, and also had a popular nightclub called The Copa.
This song was inspired by a conversation between Barry Manilow and Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, when they discussed whether there had ever been a song called “Copacabana”. After returning to the U.S., Manilow – who, in the 1960s, had been a regular visitor to the Copacabana nightclub in New York City – suggested that Sussman and Feldman write the lyrics to a story song for him. They did so, and Manilow supplied the music.
Lola Falana inspired the song’s famous lyric, “Her name is Lola / She was a showgirl…”
The song’s lyrics refer to the Copacabana nightclub as “the hottest spot north of Havana”. The story focuses on Lola, a Copacabana showgirl, and her sweetheart Tony, a bartender at the club. One night, an ostentatiously wealthy man named Rico takes a fancy to Lola, but Tony intervenes when Rico becomes aggressive. The ensuing brawl ends in a gun being fired; although it is initially unclear “who shot who[m]”, it soon becomes apparent that Tony has died. Thirty years later, the club has been transformed into a discotheque, but a middle-aged Lola remains in her showgirl attire, now a customer at the bar who “drinks herself half blind” lamenting the loss of her youth, her sanity and Tony.
Deborah
“Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” (The Four Lads/They Might Be Giants) Cover by Robyn Adele Anderson
“Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” is a 1953 novelty song, original lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Nat Simon.
The city was named Constantinople in honour of Emperor Constantine the Great in 330, and was renamed Istanbul in 1930.
The word İstanbul originates from a Greek phrase meaning “in the city”.