She didn’t depict the hustle and bustle of New York City, but rather a peaceful a.m. Joni Mitchell sang of “butterscotch” sunshine and a fleeting “rainbow” on “Chelsea Morning,” a song from her 1969 classic Clouds. One swipe of a plastic card opens the floodgates to just about anything, and Le Tigre reminds you to take advantage of it. “My My Metrocard” is a throwback to careless exploration with friends, twirling on subway poles, and jumping turnstiles as a middle finger to Mayor Giuliani. “Think I’ll go a little, but then I go far!” exclaims Hanna, as the endless possibilities of transferring across subway lines make for exciting discoveries. The song describes the often disorienting, yet liberating journey into New York City’s bustling subway system. Le Tigre perfectly encapsulates that childlike thrill with a more rebellious twist in their 1999 song “My My Metrocard.” The vibrant power-punk guitar repetition punctuated by the infectious tambourines brought an edgy twist to the beloved girl groups of the ’60s with Kathleen Hanna’s iconic yelping vocals. Getting your first Metrocard is an exhilarating rite of passage, and it’s even better when you finally get to ride alone. What’s the conspiracy, exactly? If you believe the speaker in the chorus, the goal is no less than world domination.
There’s an air of espionage in the tune somehow (reinforced later in the record by the outlandish “Jazz Police”) and Cohen’s booming baritone makes the listener feel like a conspirator. This track is thrilling because it opens I’m Your Man in a mode in which we’ve never heard Cohen before, as a kind of cosmopolitan thrill-seeker and provocateur. Double props to this song for being as anti-cellphone as it is indifferent towards New York. Or imagine having to operate in the miserable New York music scene, which the Gotobeds mock at the start of “New York’s Alright.” New York’s okay, but you can also do cool stuff in whatever town you’re in-and that town needs it more. Also living there can be brutal you know how sometimes being around a lot of people only makes you feel even more alone than you already did? Imagine living that every minute of your life. Yeah, its old paintings are probably more famous than your town’s old paintings, but it also doesn’t have your favorite bar or BBQ joint. It’s got some good things to do, but it can also be a huge drag. The Gotobeds: “New York’s Alright (If You Like Sex & Phones)” Listen to our Best NYC Songs playlist on Spotify right here.Ģ4. We hope they inspire a little of that NYC strength and spirit in you. There were a bunch to sift through, and we undoubtedly left off a few of your favorites, but these are the NYC songs that mean the most to our staff and writers. In honor of this strong, beautiful city, we rounded up 25 of the best songs ever written about New York. As one of the worst coronavirus hotspots in the U.S., New Yorkers have been forced to show up by hunkering down, isolating in tiny apartments, town homes and studio flats and avoiding the sacred public spaces that normally serve as ad hoc living rooms, kitchens, gathering spaces and homes away from home when actual home is a 900-square-foot closet shared with two other people. New York has had a lot thrown at it, especially this year.
It’s not for everyone-the squash of crowds, sweaty subways and street noise can be overwhelming for some. That doesn’t mean it’s as shiny and wonderful as you’ve been led to believe in every romantic comedy and rock album ever made, but it is one of the most resilient cities we’ve got.
New York is easily the most romanticized American city in movies, music and TV.
LCD Soundsystem: “New York, I Love You, but You’re Bringing Me Down” FAQs Videos Beastie Boys: “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” 1. The Velvet Underground: “I’m Waiting For The Man” 13. Harry Nilsson: “I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City 15. Purple Mountains: “Snow Is Falling In Manhattan” 16. Boogie Down Productions: “South Bronx” 18. Leonard Cohen: “First We Take Manhattan” 22. The Gotobeds: “New York’s Alright (If You Like Sex & Phones)” 23.
0 kommentar(er)
