Far Out 40: The anthems of New York
No artist can really resist drawing from their hometown roots whenever they play. Even though it would be easy to write the same love songs repeatedly in the hopes of getting somewhere, things were bound to get boring if we didn’t have a setting to wrap all of the songs around. And while artists like The Beach Boys and Eagles have made California look like one of the most idyllic places in the world, there’s something to be said about the way every writer approaches New York.
Because compared to the fun in the sun energy of the West Coast, there’s no bullshitting when it comes to the city of Manhattan. There might be some people who have tried finding their way to ‘The Big Apple’ and showing their songs to whomever they want to, but the distinction of any New York artist is something that exists in someone’s soul before they even get there.
Listening to some of the biggest names in New York-style music, their appeal usually comes from the hustle and bustle of the city itself. The idea of going from one place to another in the span and everything moving at a thousand miles an hour might seem overwhelming, but when hearing how people like Lou Reed and Billy Joel talk about it, it’s almost like a fact of life when they are singing.
That doesn’t mean that New Yorkers can’t have a sensitive side. Although there are a lot of people who praise the city for its entrepreneurial attitude, there are equally as many artists who have those songs about how hard it is to make it in New York, whether that’s overcoming everyone above you on the food chain or how some of the crooked sides of the business start to get to them.
But if there was one thing that’s paramount in ‘The Big Apple’, it’s the size of its heart. Most people might look at the demeanour of New Yorkers and find it off-putting, but legends like Patti Smith have made the kind of songs that celebrate the idealistic side of the city with songs that are made for those wee hours of the morning where all that’s left is the sullen quiet of the city streets.
Even when the artists themselves aren’t from the city, hearing them take in their surroundings and turn them into solid gold is almost a musical superpower. Although John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen aren’t primarily from Brooklyn or Queens, ‘New York City’ is the best way someone could describe the city, while ‘The Rising’ was an example of ‘The Boss’ making a song cathartic enough for anyone to relate to what New Yorkers were going through in the aftermath of 9/11.
But that’s part of the magic behind New York. Things might happen incredibly fast, and it’s hard to keep track of how long everyone can stay at the top, but it’s that speed that keeps people hungry for more. The city might be a lot to take in and an absolute nightmare during rush hour, but no one would have it any other way.
Far Out Magazine’s full list of the anthems of New York:
- ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ – Lou Reed
- ‘New York City’ – John Lennon
- ‘New York Groove’ – Ace Frehley
- ‘New York State of Mind’ – Billy Joel
- ‘Empire State of Mind’ – Jay-Z
- ‘Chelsea Morning’ – Joni Mitchell
- ‘The Bridge’ – MC Shan
- ‘Broadway’ – The Clash
- ‘New York Is Killing Me’ – Gil Scott-Heron
- ‘Harlem’ – Bill Withers
- ‘New York’ – Sex Pistols
- ‘Autumn in New York City’ – Billie Holiday
- ‘NY State of Mind’ – Nas
- ‘Living For The City’ – Stevie Wonder
- ‘NYC’ – Interpol
- ‘Englishman In New York’ – Sting
- ‘Talkin’ New York’ – Bob Dylan
- ‘I’m Waiting For The Man’ – The Velvet Underground
- ‘Subway Train’ – New York Dolls
- ‘The Message’ – Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
- ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’ – Leonard Cohen
- ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn ‘ – Beastie Boys
- ‘53rd and 3rd’ – Ramones
- ‘Life During Wartime’ – Talking Heads
- ‘Welcome to New York’ – Taylor Swift
- ‘New York Minute’ – Don Henley
- ‘Angel of Harlem’ – U2
- ‘On Broadway’ – The Drifters
- ‘New York City Cops’ – The Strokes
- ‘All the Critics Love U In New York’ – Prince
- ‘The Only Living Boy in New York’ – Simon and Garfunkel
- ‘Downtown Train’ – Tom Waits
- ‘Big Apple Dreamin’ – Alice Cooper
- ‘Shattered’ -The Rolling Stones
- ‘The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side’ – The Magnetic Fields
- ‘Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More’ – Steely Dan
- ‘New York’ – St Vincent
- ‘New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down’ – LCD Soundsystem
- ‘The Rising’ – Bruce Springsteen
- ‘New York New York’ – Frank Sinatra
