List of songs about Sydney
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One of the unique characteristics of the Music of Australia and most particularly the rock, pop and indie rock music of Australia has been a fascination with the local environment be it urban or rural. This is a list of songs which mention or are about Sydney the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, the suburbs of Sydney and nearby locations such as Katoomba, Newcastle and Wollongong.
The list is ordered alphabetically by suburb and within suburb alphabetically by song title. Where known the songwriters, performing artists and album or CD on which the track has appeared are listed.
Some of the tracks listed appear on the Sony Music 2000 double-compilation CD "Somewhere in Sydney - 30 songs from the harbour city" which was compiled and conceived by Glenn A Baker (Columbia 498747.2). Tracks on that compilation are marked with an asterisk (*).
In 2004, an article by music critic Bernard Zuel published in The Sydney Morning Herald discussed songs written about Sydney. A list of twenty-five songs about Sydney were also published.[1]
Fairfax sister publication, The Age ran a concurrent article discussing songs written about Melbourne at the time. Interestingly, Paul Kelly had four songs featured in each list. Furthermore, one song, "From St. Kilda To Kings Cross" was featured in both lists.[2]
[edit] Bondi
"Bondi"*(Elliott Weston)Elliott Weston
"Section 5 (Bus to Bondi)" (Rotsey/Hirst/Garrett/Moginie) Midnight Oil
[edit] Botany
"To the Shores of Botany Bay" (Traditional arrangement The Bushwackers) The Bushwackers
[edit] Camperdown
"Rose of Camperdown" *(Fenton/Rumble)Holly
[edit] Circular Quay
"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" (Eric Bogle) Eric Bogle "Now I'm Easy" (Larrikin Records).
"If We Can't Get It Together" (Tim Rogers) You Am I
"Reckless" (James Reyne) Australian Crawl Semantics (EMI Records); Paul Kelly Hidden Things; James Reyne Electric Digger Dandy; John Farnham I Remember When I Was Young
[edit] Darlinghurst
"Darling it Hurts" (Paul Kelly) Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls
"Darlinghurst Nights" (Robert Forster) The Go-Betweens
"Darlinghurst Road" *(R.Thorpe/Noel Watson)Noel Watson
[edit] Erskineville
"Erskineville" (The Gadflys)
"Sicilian Born" *(Graeme Connors) Graeme Connors Album "North"
"Siege Of Union Street" *(Alistair Hulett) Album "The Cold Grey Light Of Dawn"
[edit] Five Dock
"The Cicada That Ate Five Dock" *(John Sammers)Outline
[edit] Glebe
"Glebe" The Tactics
"Lauren from Glebe" Muscles
[edit] Hornsby
"Houndog" * (Don Walker) Cold Chisel
[edit] Katoomba
"Until" (Michael Quinlan) The Mexican Spitfires "Lupe Velez" EP Red Eye Records
[edit] Kings Cross
"Breakfast at Sweethearts" *(Don Walker)Cold Chisel Album "Breakfast at Sweethearts"
"From St. Kilda to Kings Cross" (Paul Kelly) Paul Kelly And The Messengers Mushroom Records CD "Hidden Things" Paul Kelly Mushroom Records LP/CD "Post"
"Girls on the Avenue" Richard Clapton
"Metho Blues" (Don Walker) Cold Chisel Album Breakfast At Sweethearts (Enhanced) (originally recorded 1977, included on enhanced CD released 1999)
"At the Piccolo Bar" (Don Walker) Don Walker
"El Alamein Blues" (Don Walker) Catfish
[edit] Lavender Bay
"Long Jumping Jeweller (of Lavender Bay)* (Glenn Shorrock) Little River Band
[edit] Leichhardt
"Norton Street" *(Raoul Graf/Ed Kuepper) Raoul Graf
[edit] Manly
"Reckless" (James Reyne) Australian Crawl Semantics (EMI Records)
[edit] Maroubra
"Stomping At Maroubra" Little Pattie
[edit] Marrickville
"Miracle in Marrickville" John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong Single Red Eye Records
[edit] Newcastle
"Newcastle Song" (Bob Hudson) Bob Hudson M7 Records Single (1975)
"Star Hotel" (Don Walker) Cold Chisel
[edit] Newtown
"King St" *John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong Single Red Eye Records
"Newtown Dreaming" *(Willoughby) Mixed Relations
"Rock'n'Roll Band And A Schooner Of Beer" *(H. Ree) McBodybag
"Year of the Rat" The Whitlams
"12 Hours" The Whitlams
"Newtown (La La La)" Cuthbert and the Night Walkers
"A Walk Down King St" Spurs For Jesus
[edit] North Shore
"North Shore Girls Get Off" *(Dave Beniuk) David Beniuk
[edit] Paddington
"Oxford Street" *(Dorian Mode) Dorian Mode
[edit] Palm Beach
"Deep Water" (Richard Clapton) Richard Clapton
[edit] Parramatta
"Parramatta Hot Rod Man" *The Whiteliners "Parramatta Hot Rod Man" Satellite V "Parramatta Hot Rod Man" Gaitorbait
"Tomorrow" (Don Walker) Cold Chisel
[edit] Randwick
"Randwick Bells" * (Paul Kelly) Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls
[edit] Redfern
"Ivy Street" (Timothy (Tim)O'Reilly) The Mexican Spitfires "Lupe Velez" EP Red Eye Records
"The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw" Perry Keyes The Last Ghost Train Home Album Laughing Outlaw - the song mentions several other Sydney suburbs
[edit] Rose Bay
"Rose Bay Ferry" (Bernard Bolan)
[edit] Stanmore
"The Battle of Stanmore" Died Pretty
[edit] Strathfield
"Murder City Nights" (Denis Tek)Radio Birdman
"Rookwood" (Stephen McCowage)The Mexican Spitfires "Lupe Velez" EP Red Eye Records
[edit] Summer Hill
"Summer Hill Road" (R.Burton/G.Paige) The Executives Single Festival Records
[edit] Sydney
"Old Sydney Town" Alopi Latukefu and the Palermo Express
"City of Lights"* (Grant McFarland)Grant McFarland
"I Wonder What They're Doing (in Sydney Today)"* (Mick Thomas) Michael Thomas
"Khe Sanh" (Don Walker) Cold Chisel Atlantic records Single (April 1978)
"Harbour Town" Icehouse
"Larrikin Town" *(Keith Glass) Keith Glass
"Lights of Sydney Town" *(Alistair Hulett)Roaring Jack
"My City of Sydney" (Tommy Leonetti/Robert Trout)[3] Tommy Leonetti, Mary Schneider, *XL Capris, Frenzal Rhomb
"Somewhere in Sydney" *(Greg Macainsh)Skyhooks
"Sundays in Sydney" *(Dave Steel) Dave Steel
"Sydney Born Man" *(Peter Martin)SCRA
"SydneyFrom A 727" (Paul Kelly) Paul Kelly And The Messengers Mushroom Records CD "Comedy"
"Sydney Ladies" *(Broderick Smith/Kerryn Tolhurst The Dingoes
"Sydney or the Bush" *(Norma O'Hara Murphy)Norma O'Hara Murphy
"Sydney Song" *Eskimo Joe
"Sydney Town" *(MIchael Quinlan) The Mexican Spitfires "Lupe Velez" EP Red Eye Records
"Sydney Town (The more they try to keep you down in)"* (Hardy/Gary Sheaarson) - lyrics by Frank Hardy recorded by Gary Shearson
"Town Hall Steps" (Timothy (Tim)O'Reilly) The Mexican Spitfires "Lupe Velez" EP Red Eye Records
"You Gotta Love This City" *(Tim Freedman)The Whitlams
"Wedding Cake Island" Midnight Oil
[edit] Tamarama
"Tamarama Doorslammer" *(C.Sue/A.Wilson) Killers On The Loose
[edit] White Bay
"The White Bay Paper Seller" *(Judy Small) Judy Small
[edit] Woolloomooloo
"Numbers Fall" * (Don Walker) Cold Chisel
"Woolloomooloo Lair" *(D.Newton/M.Williamson/R.Corbett)The Bushwackers
"Ruby" (Don Walker) Catfish
"Ticket In Tatts" (Mick Thomas)Weddings Parties Anything
[edit] The Illawarra
Despite their geographical closeness, most songs about Wollongong have been written about Wollongong's cultural distinctness. Many of these are tongue in cheek.
"I've Been Everywhere Man" Aunty Jack
"Queen of the Gong" Aunty Jack
"Wollongong the Brave" Aunty Jack
"Wollongong on My Mind" Aunty Jack
"Beachcomber from Wollongong" John Williamson
"Lights of Wollongong" Aubrey & Martin
[edit] See also
- I've Been Everywhere - a popular novelty song which mentions, inter alia, several Sydney suburbs albeit not Sydney itself.
