4 Quaint Songs About New York City That Every Folk Fan Should Listen To
The article highlights four folk songs that draw on New York City, showing how the city’s streets, landmarks and music scene have inspired sharply different perspectives. The songs range from Jim Croce’s dislike of the city to Bob Dylan’s account of arriving there to pursue music.
The selections are Jim Croce’s “New York’s Not My Home”, Bob Dylan’s “Song to Woody” and “Talkin’ New York”, and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bleecker Street”. Croce reportedly found inspiration while looking at the skyline during a move from New York to Pennsylvania; Dylan wrote about his early days in the city after moving there in 1961, and “Bleecker Street” evokes Lower Manhattan. “Talkin’ New York” also mentions places including the Staten Island ferry and the Empire State Building.
In short
- Four folk songs capture contrasting views of New York City.
- Jim Croce wrote about leaving the city for Pennsylvania.
- Dylan’s songs reflect his arrival in New York in 1961.
Explained simply
Folk music often tells personal stories about places, using streets and landmarks to set a scene or express a mood. New York has inspired songs that describe very different experiences of the same city.
Jim Croce’s “New York’s Not My Home” reflects his feelings as he left the city for Pennsylvania. Bob Dylan moved to New York in 1961 to pursue music, and “Song to Woody” and “Talkin’ New York” draw on his early experiences there.
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bleecker Street” evokes Lower Manhattan, while Dylan’s “Talkin’ New York” names places such as the Staten Island Ferry and the Empire State Building. Together, the songs show how folk musicians have used the city as both a real setting and a source of personal perspective.
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