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♫ Seattlest Ain't Bullshittin' ♫

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A post in Tuesday's DCist mentioned a campaign in the other Washington to adopt a bland song named "Come to Washington" as an official "city anthem." Then, in a follow-up post, DCist nominated nine other, better songs. Readers voted for their favorites and suggested a few more. The current fave seems to be the Magnetic Fields' awesomely evocative "Washington, D.C."

Naturally, this has us pondering songs about Seattle -- not songs by artists from Seattle, but songs about Seattle itself. No, we have nothing as indelible as Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," "Detroit Rock City" by KISS or "Los Angeles" by X. Still, these are the seven best tunes that come to mind:

seattlesongs2.jpg"Seattle" by Perry Como (1969). The upbeat title track to the crooner's Seattle album was also the theme song to ABC's Seattle-based sitcom Here Come the Brides (1968-70). The show starred teen idol Bobby Sherman, who recorded his own version of the tune. Sample lyric: "The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle/ And the hills the greenest green in Seattle."

"The Last One to Leave Seattle" by Waylon Jennings (1973). The country outlaw cites a local historic reference as he laments his wife being seduced away from him by the "honky-tonkin' bright Seattle lights": "Will the last one to leave Seattle please turn out the lights/ Those lights are the reason why she ain’t here tonight."

"Seattle" by PiL (1987). When this came out we thought it was cool that a Sex Pistol actually knew our town even existed. Johnny Rotten sings "Don't like the look of this town/ What goes up must come down."

"Sub Pop Rock City" by Soundgarden (1989). This hometown band's ditty appears on the Sub Pop 200 compilation, and samples phone conversations with label co-founders Jonathan Poneman and Bruce Pavitt... "Going to Seattle where the rock's so heavy/ With all them sex dogs in my Chevy."

"Seattle Ain’t Bullshittin'" by Sir Mix-A-Lot (1992). Seattle gets frequent shout-outs in Mix's raps; here he mentions Seward Park, "Rainier Ave," "a freak in front of Garfield" and "rollin' through the C.D."

"Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" by Nirvana (1993). The song is more about the local icon than the city, though there is a reference to "disease-covered Puget Sound."

"Viva! Sea-Tac" by Robyn Hitchcock (1999). Not as cool as "Viva Las Vegas," but we dig it: "Viva viva viva viva viva Sea-Tac/ They've got the best computers and coffee and smack!"

Certainly there are more... Readers?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Steve in on March 17, 2006 12:56 PM

Comments [rss]

  • Gotta admit, my SouthSide spirit loves Viva Sea-Tac. And that's where my vote rests.

  • jordancda

    Found a newish song about Seattle actually...its by the independent act, Owl City from Minnesota. Its called Hello Seattle. Kinda rad song.



    Lyrics:



    Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer



    In the hills and highlands



    I fall asleep in hospital parking lots



    And awake in your house



    Hello Seattle, I am a manteray



    Deep beneathe the blue waves



    Ill crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound



    And construct a summer home



    Hello Seattle, I am the cresant moon



    Shining down on your face



    I will disguise myself as a sleeping pill



    And descend inside of you



    Hello Seattle, I am a cold seahorse



    Feeling warm in your sand



    I sing about the tide and the ocean surf



    Rolling in the evening breeze





    Hello Seattle, I am an albatross



    on the docks and your boats



    I sail above your inlets and interstates



    Through the rain and open wind



    Hello Seattle, I am an old lighthouse



    Throwing beams of bright lights



    Red in the morning, blue in the evening sun



    Taken heed from everyone



    Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer



    In the hills and highlands



    I fall asleep in hospital parking lots





    Take me above your light



    Carry me through the night



    Hold me secure in flight



    Sing me to sleep tonight





    Take me above your light (Hello Seattle I am)



    Carry me through the night (a mountaineer, In the hills)



    Hold me secure in flight (and highlands I fall asleep in hospital)



    Sing me to sleep tonight (parking lots and awake)

  • We're outta groceries again/

    ain't got no money to spend/

    the credit card is maxed out/

    so let's get high/

    'cause it's raining all the time/

    and the rain's been seeping through my mind/

    but I get by



    I like that band, and that song is off the chain.

    http://launch.yahoo.com/release/176462

  • Here in Bremerton we have MXPX's "Move to Bremerton"



    "Drop out of school and run away

    Quit your job, you got a place to stay

    Pack your bags and hitch a ride

    Bremerton’s a good place to reside"



    and Sir Mix A Lot's "Bremalo"

  • Donovan Credence

    The Wedding Present's "Take Fountain" LP! Including such gems as "Interstate 5," "Ringway to Seatac," and "Queen Anne."

  • I'll second "Emerald City." But Tacoma has us beat in the city song department, until someone here trumps Neko Case's "Thrice All American."

  • How could you forget My Posse is on Broadway by Sir Mix Alot.



    http://www.lyricsdepot.com/sir-mix-a-lot/my-posses-on-broadway.html



    "I'm the man they love to hate, the J.R. Ewing of Seattle--

    Picked up the posse on 23rd and Jackson"



    "at 23rd and Union the driver broke left--

    Kevin shouted Broadway it's time to get def"



    "they said, "Go back the other way, we'll stop and eat at Dick's"--

    Dick's is the place where the crew hang out"

  • Seth

    I prefer "Posse on Broadway" for Seattle-themed songs within the Sir Mix-a-Lot oeuvre.

  • jessica

    U.S.E.'s "Emerald City"- "capitol hill, we love it!"

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