Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/11/10/a-cool-retro-map-of-usa-song-t.html
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Thought I would have seen Ventura Highway down there somewhere. I’m sure there are plenty more songs than space available.
I don’t get why Kids in America is put in Montana…shouldn’t it be in New York or East California?
I couldn’t see Wichita Lineman on there either.
Goats?
Great… now I have Billy Joel in my head: “Hackensack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack”
(which is 4 miles from the George Washington bridge, not in western jersey). But awesome idea and will prolly be getting one.
No House of the Rising Sun for New Orleans.
No Seven Nation Army for Wichita.
And both “Kansas City” by Leiber and Stroller (as recorded by Little Willie Littlefield, Wilbert Harrison, Little Richard, Fats Domino, The Beatles, James Brown, and countless others) and “Kansas City” from Oklahoma! are about Kansas City, Missouri.
New Orleans is Sinking.
They found songs about Iowa?
Well they put American Pie there because of location of the plane crash (though on the other map, it’s west of the Missouri river).
But it looks like they missed Stranded In Iowa.
God. That’s probably why. Ok have to give them that one.
Apparently not, given where it’s located on the map (i.e. nowhere near San Jose). I would assume that was a self-referential joke, but a lot of other songs aren’t on their corresponding cities, so…?
Please tell me Private Idaho is on there, since I’ve been trapped there for the last 40 years.
Wow. Until now, I had no idea the song title was By The Time I Get To Arizona.
You mean, Surfin’ USA?
As a fan of the musical and cartographic arts, let me say I fucking love this.
There’s “Iowa Stubborn” from The Music Man. I’m more surprised they managed to find a song about Connecticut (“New York State of Mind” really fits the place they put it though.)
I am sad about Meet Me in St. Louis… fuck that song. Should have been St. Louis Blues.
Specifically Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong…
Missing Jonathan Richmond’s West Coast Santa Cruz shoutout - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bne6YzVqnE
Oh well…
Wait, what?! Why the hell does this map exist if the songs aren’t near their relevant geography? (I.e. “Are you going to San Francisco” is, ahem, labeling the northern tip of a peninsula on a very large wet coast bay). I didn’t see “Do you know the way to San Jose” on the map anywhere near San Jose (CA), but didn’t think to look for it elsewhere.