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The songs of our people

Robert Caplis asks:

Dear Boston: what songs would you include for a Hub-centric playlist? Either about the city or artists from the city.

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Considering Boston is a minority majority city I'm aghast by the lack of soul, R&B, and soca among the replies. How about Donna Summer? 9.9 ? Bobby Brown or New Edition? Let's add Jadine, a soca artist originally from Monserrat who bow calls Boston home.

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Those were collected over a period of roughly 20 minutes, on a holiday Sunday. Hardly proof of racism among local Twitter users.

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Boston is not a minority majority city, if you're going to claim racism at least have you fact in order.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25/2507000.html

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According to the link you provide, Boston IS a majority minority city. It shows 53.9% of the population are white (alone), but that includes Hispanics or Latinos who are not black, or Asian or another "race".

You'll see (a bit further down) that Whites who are not Hispanic comprise 47% of Boston, which is less than a majority, of course.

This is because Latinos are made up of different "races" (whatever that is....). Just like people from the United States, when you say "American" it doesn't refer to any particular race, since Americans come in all different "races".

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Your link says 47% white alone, non-Hispanic.

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"Bostons" - Have Heart

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Both on twitter and in this thread:
Anything by New Black Eagle Jazz Band (Boston's own Dixie-land group- response to Preservation Hall Jazz band)
Lenny and the Piss Poor Boys- Cambridgeport Salloon

Also: Caspian, anything by them...

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The Get Up Kids - Mass Pike
anything Aerosmith or Letters to Cleo

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Mass. Ave. by Willie Loco Alexander. The 45 that kicked off the classic Rat era in 1975. Utterly classic song.

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Love that dirty water and Dint look back

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"Dirty Water" was by the Standells, a band from Los Angeles. They have nothing to do with Boston at all.

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The question included songs "about the city." Like the song or not, it is about Boston.

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That they play it after every Bruins and Sox win, so like it or not, it does have a place. Also, the band's producer write it after being mugged on the Charles.

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Neil Diamond (you know what song) should be included, and God knows neither have anything to do with Boston.

I still find it astonishing that Neil Diamond, part of the nobody-you-know-likes-them-yet-somehow-they-seem-to-be-popular pantheon along with Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, and David Hasselhoff, is tolerated at Fenway.

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I never got that 'Sweet Caroline" thing at Fenway either. It makes no sense. It's like they just picked some random song that everybody happened to know and it stuck. It has nothing to do with anything. It might as well have been "Row Row Row Your Boat" or something.

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Would be less annoying.

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I like Tom Jones. I'm not sure why I felt a need to say that, but I did.

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

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while reading that list, so you're not alone.

I'm entirely too young to be in his original fan base, but I'm pretty sure my mom had (has??) a little thing for him, and I guess that got transmitted to me, with much less intensity. I don't dislike him.

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Let's look at the end of the original question then:

Either about the city or artists from the city.

So, Dirty Water = about the city.

If we were talking about songs that are significant to the city, I'm sorry, but Sweet Caroline should absolutely be on there. And this comes from a Yankees fan.

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(Not a random list; these are all Boston artists I love)

Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Morphine
Letters to Cleo
Buffalo Tom
Helium
Come
Jen Trynin
The Sheila Devine
Pixies
The Lemonheads
Julianna Hatfield
Aimee Mann
Boston
Dresden Dolls (as annoying as AP has become, they were great)
Dropkick Murphys
Mission of Burma
J. Geils Band
Passion Pit
Air Traffic Controller

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...are not from Boston.

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What's your point?

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I don't write songs insinuating I am.

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I too remember the Dresden Dolls fondly, before AFP drowned in a sea of schtick. Aww. Their songs "Truce" and "Boston" (duh) specifically mention local geography, and a few of their music videos were shot 'round these parts.

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In addition to her and Til Tuesday's major ties to the area, the video for their biggest hit features some overt South End filming, at around 1:50

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Cave In
Piebald
Pet Genius
Throwing Muses
The Cars

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Rock and Roll band - Boston
Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
She's From Boston - Kenny Chesney
Midnight Rambler - The Rolling Stones
Dirty Water - The Standells
Charlie on the M.T.A - The Kingston Trio
Walkaways - Counting Crows
Roadrunner - Jonathan Richman
Massachusetts - Bee Gees

Anything by Drop Kick Murphy's - The official band of St Patrick's Day (In Massachusetts)

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Here's a few:





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Edo. G. - Boston
Modern Lovers - Government Center
Pixies - I been tired/levitate me
Akrobatik - Home
Lyres - She pays the rent
Upper Crust - Let them eat rock
Atlantics - Lonelyhearts
Jonathan Richman - Twilight in Boston

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Blue Avenue

South End Incident (I'm Afraid)

The Eyes of the Beacon Street Union 1968

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You need some sugar on your cereal. And some New Edition to boot.

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About James Taylor's time in McClean's Hospital.

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Hospital - FIFY

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Southie is my Hometown

And, even though from Ipswich originally, I think The Fools should be included. More specifically, I Won't Grow Up, which I've always considered a theme song of sorts.

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

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Also "charlie on the mta" please!
These were regulars on my grandmother's record player back in the day.

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.

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No one's mentioned Jonathan Coulton's Brookline? Shame, shame.

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Maybe bc it isn't about Boston?

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by The Dismemberment Plan.

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james montgomery band - "Train"

https://youtu.be/aTNB_H7vl5o

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and now don't no one wake me up 'til we're near Park Street Station.

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"The Sound of Our Town". (and others).

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Jackie Onassis
Bonfire on the Fenway
Andy Fell (but that would be sensationalizing without the facts!!!!!)

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For decades, Boston has been home to one of the great folk/acoustic music scenes around. A few acts/performers with local ties:

*Joan Baez
*Eric Von Schmidt
*Tom Rush
*Vance Gilbert
*Crooked Still

And Boston has a very distinguished history of Irish music that stretches back even longer, to the great dance halls of Dudley Square. Some of the luminaries who have recorded material include Joe Derrane, Paddy Cronin, Brendan Tonra, and Tommy & Louise McCarthy (owners of The Burren).

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Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer by Morphine.

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