You may not have realized it but there are quite a few songs that bring attention to the Capital Region. How many of these did you know?
I was fascinated after I saw the article on the Times Union of just how many songs referenced the Capital Region.
“Someone to Love” – Fountains of Wayne: “Seth Shapiro got his law degree/He moved to Brooklyn from Schenectady, ’93”
“Portable Television” – Death Cab for Cutie: “Upstate New York, autumn, brightly colored leaves/ Oh, the hills were on fire, they burn for you and me”
“Cold Hands From New York” – Gordon Lightfoot: “I came down through Albany to New York/To find what I’d been missin'”
“Afro Angel” – Will Smith: “Upstate Schenectady/Tamika answered the door”
“Albany (The Egg)” – They Might be Giants: The Egg, exciting and old/The Egg, you’ll do what you’re told/The Egg, the Egg, no corners for you”
“Nothing” – Raekwon: He felt bad but respected me/Pass the watch and the chain off respectably/Moseyed off, ran through Schenectady
“Black Derby Jacket” – Rancid: What do you do to know who you are?/The best way for me to drop out on tour/You went to Upstate NxY (New York) to go to school
“You’re So Vain” – Carly Simon: Well I hear you went to Saratoga/And your horse, naturally, won
“From Sulphur to Sugarcane” – Elvis Costello: The woman in Poughkeepsie/Take their clothes off when they’re tipsy/But in Albany, New York/They love the filthy way I talk
