Crescent City Songs
New Orleans certainly has a worldwide reputation for a many number of things: Carnival season, restaurants, pirates, and, of course, our musical legacy. It is not only rich and deep but unique enough to inspire musicians all over the country and the world. The city has a major draw for people, imagining what life would be like in the Crescent City and then finding out it's quite agreeable, with some obvious caveats—the opportunity to sample delicious music pretty much every night of the week being a major factor.
It's understandable why New Orleans, with all its funk and free spirit, its resilience and darkness, would inspire a wide variety of songwriters from around the country. So here's a playlist of original songs from artists spanning all genres and geographies who have paid tribute to our city. Of course, it's only a sampling of a much larger tradition.
Here's to sparking interest in the next batch of songs to (re)imagine the world of New Orleans.
Creedence Clearwater Revival | "Proud Mary"
Oakland's John Fogarty spent some serious time imagining New Orleans and its environs, resulting in classic hits such as "Born on the Bayou" and later named a record Mardi Gras. In "Proud Mary," the narrator reflects on drifting through odd jobs ("Washed a lot of plates in Memphis / Pumped a lot of 'pane down in New Orleans") and stays proudly resilient: "But I never lost a minute of sleeping / Worrying about the way things might have been." Props to Ike and Tina Turner's version, which zooms directly to the stratosphere.
Paul Simon | "Take Me to the Mardi Gras"
A quintessential New Yorker digs being able to wear his summer clothes and drink in the street. Even better, "you can legalize your lows" while you're at it. Sounds good to us. Maybe Rhymin' Simon isn't as nimble as your average footloose Mardi Gras krewe, but if you've ever seen the "You Can Call Me Al" video, you know he can cut some decent steps, Chevy Chase notwithstanding.
Tom Waits | "I Wish I Was in New Orleans"
Of all the usual suspects in the songwriting world, Californian Tom Waits has certainly earned an honorary doctorate in New Orleans. He's been mixing jazz and blues for decades now, and his whole aesthetic is being a loquacious nighthawk, a character appropriate for a town full of characters. This early plangent ode to missing NOLA comes straight from the heart. Welcome home, Waits.
Gary U.S. Bonds | "New Orleans"
This one just gets the party started with an irresistibly singalong chorus. Tequila-flavored (wink wink) saxophone adds to all the exuberance of a block party. Bonds was a Virginian, but he makes you want to hop in a Cadillac and cruise down at high speed to see what all the fuss is about. Extra fun is pairing it with Wilson Pickett's slightly spicier version, featuring more horns and backing vocals.
Randy Newman | "Kingfish"
The son and nephew of acclaimed film composers, Newman grew up in LA but had family in the Garden District and spent summers here. His ability to write songs in character and his keen eye for the darker ironies of American life are second to none. Both are necessary to paint a portrait of the legendary Huey P. "Kingfish" Long, the progressive governor and senator from Louisiana whose political style was a suitably NOLA cocktail of corruption and charisma.
Duke Ellington | "Blues for New Orleans"
You can't talk about a city with a hearty jazz tradition without mentioning one of the greatest—if not the greatest—jazz musicians of all time paying tribute to it. Ellington essentially lived on the road, but he hailed from DC and became an icon of Harlem. This little-known track has style, swagger, and blues to burn, perfect for strutting along with a second line.
Merle Haggard | "Living with the Shades Pulled Down"
An icon of the Bakersfield Sound, Haggard pens a tale about someone living with a Bourbon Street working girl while hustling guitar gigs in the Quarter. He gleefully toasts the pair living the way they want to without a hint of judgment or punishment, which sometimes happens in country songs about sinning and grinning. You can hear it in the sly curl of the lips when he remarks that "daytime life sure is cozy living with the shades pulled down." More power to you, Haggard. You do you.
Hank Williams | "On the Banks of the Old Pontchartrain"
Williams was a Nashvillian by way of Montgomery but loved Louisiana, which loved him back. He was an early star of the Louisiana Hayride radio show out of Shreveport, wrote the classic "Jamabalya," and celebrated his second marriage with two well-attended concerts at the Municipal Auditorium. There's a dark plot twist in this song, but his rainy romantic idyll by the lake is as picturesque as it gets. Bob Dylan, another rambler who has been on record as a NOLA fan and who recorded the superb 1989 record Oh Mercy on Soniat Street, spontaneously covered it in his last concert at the Saenger to a warm round of applause.
