Help: Town Booster Songs

Subject: Town Booster Songs
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 29 Aug 01 - 08:55 PM

A prof at a local college has asked me to solicit words and music for any and all "town booster" songs--i.e., songs written, usually by a local amateur, to advertise the glories/beauties/attractions of the home town.

Could anyone with access to any such tunes from anywhere in the world please tell us what you have???

Thanking all you 'Catters in advance--

Chicken Charlie

PS. Just to clarify, show tunes like "Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City" or "San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate" are not what he is after. He wants grassroots, Chamber of Commerce type stuff. Thanks again.

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 01:47 PM

Guys, some one must have written a bad song called "May Glasgow Flourish."

CC

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: marymarymary
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 04:07 PM

A quick web search will find *hundreds* of "official town songs". More, really, than you can read at one sitting without feeling queasy. Here are a few to start with -- this is my first time posting, so if I've podged up the html, please forgive :)

• Trumbell, Connecticut
  
• LaGrange, Illinois
  
• Port Aransas, Texas "That's My Island"
  
• Franklin, Pennsylvania (Official 4th of July Song)
  
• Tokyo (Fire Department's Official Song), ("Back Shadow coming to the Tokyo Safety / Control a Water flow!Surpress the Fire!/Elite Firemen in Big Tokyo!/We are the firemen with the 'PRIDE'")
  
• San Fransisco, California (Golden Gate Bridge's Official Song)
  
• Kingston, Massachusetts
  
• Amherst, New Hampshire

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: radriano
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 04:34 PM

Here's one for the Town of Ballyroan in Ireland.

Ballyroan

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:32 PM

Thank you one and both--we'll do some Google searching, then.

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 05:00 PM

Adge Cutler once wrote a charming song about Nempnett Thrubwell (stop laughing I tell you) which is a little village nestling in the areal of Brisel (translation - area of Bristol). Acker Bilk used to sing it when pressed. Adge was his roadie when he wrote it.
I wrote a song about the Malvern Hills - a place I am sentimental about 'cos that's were I got divorced
The lyrics are on my website cresby.com
the general gist is no matter how good "this" place is, my chosen home town has my heart.

Subject: Lyr Add: WONDERFUL MADISON^^
From: raredance
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 08:21 PM

WONDERFUL MADISON

(words by Peter Berryman, music by Lou Berryman, c 1986)

She wears her lakes like a diamond tiara
Her necklace is known as the might Yahara
Around her the beltline is draped like a garland
And brings in commuters from way past McFarland

CH
Oh wonderful Madison, mother of cities
Queen of all Dairyland waiting for me
Oh wonderful Madison, jewel of Wisconsin
With more than one high school and cable TV.

Hard working mother you lion of business
From Shopko to Oscar's and all through the isthmus
But if gettin a job doesn't weem to be prudent
You can take our a loan and return as a student

CH

Sweet mother Madison full of compassion
A liberal community after a fashion
You don't have to worry if you do annoy her
'Cause for every person there's more than on lawyer

CH

When fat men with briefcases grab her attentions
She knows that they want her to host their conventions
Where bankers and Shriners make heavy decisions
Like should they see "Deep Throat" or go out to Visions.

CH

This what we're looking for? How about "The Wicked Winds of Fargo"?

some definitions - Yahara (River) connects some of the cities lakes; Shopko is a discount chain store (a K-Mart wannabe); Oscar's is the large Oscar Mayer meat packing plant that makes that bologna and wieners and other meat based stuff; Visions was a night club featuring nekkidness.

rich r

Subject: Lyr Add: TARPAPER SHACK
From: raredance
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 08:43 PM

I have a sense that this is going to get out of hand, but here goes anyhow ( the meaning of this disclaimer will become apparent in time)

TARPAPER SHACK

(parody, tune: My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii). Written in the 1930's by Ken Matheson, it helped him win 17 amateur competitions on the way to New York where he won first place with 64,000 votes on "Major Bowes Amateur Hour" on NBC radio in 1936.

I want to go back to my little tarpaper shack
In Duluth-a, Minnesota.
I want to be with all the 'Norsk' and 'Svensk'
That I know long ago.
I can hear those ore boats tooting
As the sail old Lake Superior
I can hear my old friends singing,
"Hurry back, hurry back,
And you won't leave here anymore."
It won't be long 'til my ship will be sailing
Past that North Shore
To a grand old town
That's always fair to see.
I'm just a little Scandinavian,
A homesick hillside boy.
I want to get back to that land of joy.
I want to get back to my tarpaper shack
In Duluth-a, Minnesota,
Where the happy-go-lucky and care-free
Lutefisk go swimming by.

rich r

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GREEN HEART OF HARLOW
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 09:00 PM

Just about every town and village in Ireland has at least one song. Without benefit of Chambers of Commerce.

I wrote one myself a few years ago for the town I've lived in for most of my life, Harlow. In fact I was just singing it in a pub session tonight.

The Green Heart of Harlow

Here's part of it:

When I first came to Harlow, it was muddy and grey,
it was work brought me here, I thought "I'll never stay",
and at times, I could tell you that God only knows
how I stuck it in Harlow, where the Stort River flows.
We've been planted out here, and now, do what we may,
there are plenty of people who'd wish us away,
why they'll sniff and they'll sneer, and they'll look down their nose
when the talk turns to Harlow, where the Stort River flows.
For the people in Harlow live close to the ground
and there aren't many palaces here to be found,
and the houses are small, and the gardens are neat,
and there's children in Harlow still play in the street.
And here on our border we're out on our own,
and if you don't like us, well just leave us alone.
In our wild woods and gardens you'll find a red rose,
in the green heart of Harlow, where the Stort River flows.

Subject: Lyr Add: DULUTH SONG
From: raredance
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 09:06 PM

DULUTH SONG

(From the Junior League Follies of 1941)(Sung to the tune of "Mountain Greenery")

We live in a port 'way up in the north,
Zenith of unsalted seas,
Nature's own deep-freeze.
Thirty-five below, lots of ice and snow.
We know what it must be like
In the land of Eskimos.
Even good old bruin bear
Wears his long red underwear
When he comes to dine on the sly.
When the cold northeasters blow
You can bet there'll be more snow,
Even though it's Fourth of July.
Our town is long,
We've East and West,
And each one thinks
His end is best.
Olson, Svenson, Nelson
Eating lutefisk by the ton.
We're all good folk here in Duluth.

Given the low quality of the lyric, there is speculation that this was written by committee.

rich r

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 01:39 PM

By plugging "official song" and "city" into www.google.com, I came up with these: (no doubt there are more)

Cedar Rapids, IA
Fall River, MA
Franklin, PA
Koshigaya City, Japan
Livermore, CA
New York, NY
Richton Park, IL
San Francisco, CA
Schenectady, NY
Spokane, WA
Union City, CA
Washington, DC
Wellington, New Zealand

Halifax, NS seems to be the only place that has a deliberately funny official song. It is sung to the tune of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition"!

I would expect that, in some small towns that only have one high school, the school song becomes, by default, the semi-official song of the town. As an example, see Ponca City High School, Ponca City, OK. Even the words to the song are ambiguous: "Ponca City, we love you." Does that refer to the city or the high school? It probably doesn't matter to the residents of Ponca City -- if you love one, you love the other. In my limited experience of small towns, the people identify closely with the high school. The old-timers and all their friends went there. Their kids go there. Their teams are the only teams to cheer for. If a team wins a championship, they announce it on the big sign that says, "Welcome to ----, home of the -----, 19-- state champions!"

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: GUEST,Extra Stout
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 02:43 AM

We're strong for Toledo, T O L E D O, Where the girls are the fairest, The boys are the squarest, Of any old town that we know. Sorry I can't write out the music for you, but I do know it's in3/4 time. It praises the girls and boys of Toledo, Ohio, home of Tony Packo's, Jeep, and The Mudhens. There may be more of it, but I hope not.

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 04:33 AM

I'm glad to see a song in honor of Madison, Wisconsin, a truly beautiful town. I come from Racine, Wisconsin, a dirty little industrial town that calls itself "The Belle City of the Great Lakes." Here's the Racine City Song:

Oh, Racine, Racine, what a dirty, rotten city
With your torn-up streets and your filthy-smelling river
Oh, I love you with my heart, and I love you with my liver
Oh, Racine, what a hole!

tune: Turkey in the Straw

Anybody who grew up in Racine in the 1960's, knows that song. I suppose MacColl's "Dirty Old Town" would apply to my hometown, too.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: IanC
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 06:09 AM

The peak of achievement in this line is, of course "An Ode In Praise of the City of Mullingar"

Ye nine, inspire me, and with rapture fire me
To sing the buildings, both old and new,
The majestic court-house, and the spacious workhouse,
And the church and steeple which adorn the view.
There's barracks airy for the military,
Where the brave repose from the toils of war;
Five schools, a nunnery, and a thriving tannery
In the gorgeous city of Mullingar.

etc.....................

Wonderful!
Ian

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: sian, west wales
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 07:12 AM

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch has one. Working from memory ...

A wyddoch chi fod yn Sir Fon
Rhyw bentre bach sy'n fawr ei son
Ac wrth fynd yno, cewch gweld yr enw hwn
Sef, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch

(Did you know that in Anglesey
There's a well-known little village
And in going there you will see this name
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch)

sian, west wales

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 12:47 PM

Here's a link to the best town promotional song ever. It's so corny, it's brilliant!

London 'catters who listen to Chris Tarrant's breakfast show will know it well, even though it's about Hobart, Tasmania.

Unfortunately, the quality of the sound isn't all it could be, but it's a gem.

Hobart Tasmania

LFF

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 06:17 PM

The town or school song of Bloomfield, CT, that I remembered (perhaps imperfectly) from elementary school:

Bloomfield, CT

Subject: RE: Help: Town Booster Songs
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 12:38 PM

There's even a 'Middlewich Song', written by Dom Collins, but that's really about the folk festival and how he came to get a booked for it, so probably doesn't count