YOU ARE HERE: zharth.net / Zharth's Music Log / Week 143 (Oh, The Places You'll Go)
(Originally finalized on June 5, 2025)
Preface: Maybe I'm out of the loop, but it wasn't until I heard it mentioned on Jeopardy that I learned that Dr. Seuss' book Oh, The Places You'll Go! is a popular gift for graduates (makes sense). And since it's that time of year, I thought we could finish out the quarter with a theme based on songs that mention places by name. Where to next?
Monday: Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lodi [Green River, 1969]
Comments: It was only recently that I learned what the heck this song is about. Lodi is a small town in central California (although John Fogerty picked it for how it sounds, not because he'd ever been there). But it could easily be a metaphor for any small town you wash up in, when you feel destined for someplace better. "Oh lord, stuck in ol' Lodi again."
Tuesday: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Katmandu (Live) [Live Bullet, 1976]
Comments: Katmandu (commonly spelled Kathmandu) is the capital city of Nepal and the gateway to the Himalayas. As such, it receives a lot of tourism, but it could also be a metaphor (as many of these places are) for a faraway land with a foreign culture and an exotic connection to our planet's natural wonders. You know, anything diametrically opposed to the 9 to 5 drag of everyday life as we know it. "If I ever get out of here, I'm goin' to Katmandu."
Wednesday: Led Zeppelin - Kashmir [Physical Graffiti, 1975]
Comments: A load-bearing fulcrum of Led Zeppelin's later era double album, Physical Graffiti, with its symphonic flourishes and rhythmic changes, Kashmir is considered by many to be the band's true magnum opus. Personally, I think it's overrated - but that doesn't mean I don't like it. Although the title refers to a region of India bordering the Himalayas, it's a well known fact that the song was actually inspired by a trip to Morocco on the western edge of the Sahara. "All I see turns to brown, as the sun burns the ground. And my eyes fill with sand, as I scan this wasted land."
Thursday: The Guess Who - American Woman [American Woman, 1970]
Comments: And we're heading back to the New World, with one of the all-time classic rockers of the early '70s! I already used Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' American Girl for my Album Closers theme, but I held off on this song when I did Title Tracks, so that I could feature it here. A scathing takedown of fast women in big cities, singer Burton Cummings has admitted that the lyrics were inspired by culture shock after touring outside of the band's home country of Canada. "American woman, stay away from me."
Friday: The Electric Flag - Texas [A Long Time Comin', 1968]
Comments: After backing Bob Dylan in New York at the festival during which he infamously "went electric", and playing the blues in Chicago with harmonica wunderkind Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield relocated to San Francisco and formed The Electric Flag, featuring an eclectic blend of musical styles. On this hidden gem, drummer Buddy Miles belts it out, while Bloomfield lets loose on the guitar. "I just got in from Texas, babe. You didn't even know I was around."
Saturday: Neil Young - Alabama [Harvest, 1972]
Comments: Tucked away on Neil's most successful expedition into middle-of-the-road territory is a song with more drama and intrigue than the chart-topping hit Heart of Gold. Putting the dubious cultural heritage of the Southern States to task (for a song that's over fifty years old, it's scary that it's still relevant), it inspired Lynyrd Skynyrd to write their own answer song (you know the one). "Alabama, you've got the rest of the Union to help you along. What's goin' wrong?"
Sunday: ZZ Top - My Head's In Mississippi [Recycler, 1990]
Comments: We're sticking to the South, with a song about Mississippi by a band from Texas. I was surprised when I learned that this song is from 1990; it sounds as good as any of their hits from the '70s (including that one about a brothel named after a city in Texas - you know the one). In fact, it's one of my favorites from this band (the reference to a naked cowgirl doesn't hurt). And it's a fitting tribute to the blues. "I'm shuffling through the Texas sand, but my head's in Mississippi."
Honorable Mentions: As you can imagine, this is a popular subject for songs, so this is just the tip of the iceberg. So much so, that if I stop too long to think about all the songs I had to pass over, it'll drive me mad. I'll just say this: there's a chance I might do a followup theme later on, centered solely on the state of California.