[Misc] Places in songs that you had a romantic view of before you saw the place in the flesh

Icy Gull · Apr 5, 2021

The New Jersey Turnpike

I should have known better but at the time I had no idea what a turnpike was

"Kathy, I'm lost", I said, though I knew she was sleeping
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America

Here it is in all it’s glory :lolol:

Prince Monolulu · Apr 5, 2021

Glasgow
Abba - Super Trouper

"I was sick and tired of everything
When I called you last night from Glasgow
All I do is eat and sleep and sing
Wishing every show was the last show (wishing every show was the last show)"

Icy Gull · Apr 5, 2021

Route 66

I made a (very short!) detour to drive the road of my dreams when I was in Amarillo. The road quality was more third world than the roads in Worthing, although not that obvious in this photo

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 5, 2021

The Stokes

Thought the band were quite cool, the actual place is a shit hole though.

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 5, 2021

Off the back of Eminem, and when in Detroit on my own, I decided to hire a car and drive the length of 8 Mile. That was quite an interesting day.

Barrow Boy · Apr 5, 2021

I really don't know why Lonnie Donegan was getting so excited about Cumberland Gap as well as mentioning Middlesbrough!

raymondo · Apr 5, 2021

Croyden

Garry Nelson's Left Foot · Apr 5, 2021

On the flipside I drove through Compton when I was visiting a friend in L.A. I was expecting it to be a shithole but it actually looked o.k. Loads of detached houses with gardens. No drug dealers on corners or drive by shootings.

Gwylan · Apr 5, 2021

Barcelona

I was really looking forward to seeing Barcelona. I had dreams of stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life. The architecture was decent enough but the place was a real dive - like a Catalan version of Croydon. I had a week booked in a hotel but I cut my losses after three days and went across the border to France for some respite.

I've been some terrible places that I never want to vist it again (Las Vegas and Dubai spring immediately to mind) but I wasn't expecting much from them. Barca was a real disappointment though

Frankworthington · Apr 5, 2021

San Francisco

Listening to the Tony Bennett and Scott McKenzie songs i always had a romantic view of the place.That and watching the Dirty Harry films.

bhafc99 · Apr 5, 2021

I know the thread asked for places that failed to live up to expectations, but – as a contrast – this place does deliver a suitable vibe…

Turned the fan off
And went for a walk
By the lights down on Shield Street.
The birds in the trees
Open their wings
He goes home again.
He dreams resistance,
They talk commitment,
Things change over long distance.
Took the shirt off his back
The eyes from his head
And left him for dead.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Apr 5, 2021

Gwylan said:
Barcelona

I was really looking forward to seeing Barcelona. I had dreams of stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life. The architecture was decent enough but the place was a real dive - like a Catalan version of Croydon. I had a week booked in a hotel but I cut my losses after three days and went across the border to France for some respite.

I've been some terrible places that I never want to vist it again (Las Vegas and Dubai spring immediately to mind) but I wasn't expecting much from them. Barca was a real disappointment though

Indeed. And what about that ****ing cathedral covered in scaffolding? The place is a mess.

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 5, 2021

Gwylan said:
Barcelona

I was really looking forward to seeing Barcelona. I had dreams of stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life. The architecture was decent enough but the place was a real dive - like a Catalan version of Croydon. I had a week booked in a hotel but I cut my losses after three days and went across the border to France for some respite.

I've been some terrible places that I never want to vist it again (Las Vegas and Dubai spring immediately to mind) but I wasn't expecting much from them. Barca was a real disappointment though

“stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life.”

I don’t know when you went, but I go regularly, and it has all of this. Where on earth did you stay that looked like Croydon? Obviously not one of the nice areas :lolol:

Icy Gull · Apr 5, 2021

Herr Tubthumper said:
“stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life.”

I don’t know when you went, but I go regularly, and it has all of this. Where on earth did you stay that looked like Croydon? Obviously not one of the nice areas

True, I love Barcelona but like all big cities it does have some very shit areas. Valencia is somewhere that improved dramatically around the time they hosted the Americas Cup.

Gwylan · Apr 5, 2021

Herr Tubthumper said:
“stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life.”

I don’t know when you went, but I go regularly, and it has all of this. Where on earth did you stay that looked like Croydon? Obviously not one of the nice areas

I didn't say it looked like Croydon. I specifically said that the architecture was decent enough. I was talking about the general vibe: the restaurants and bars that ignored you if you weren't a regular and the smackheads on every corner.

I decided to leave when, sitting down for breakfast at the hotel, I noted a bloke on the bench opposite who appeared to have died - a suspicion confirmed when several police cars and an ambulance arrived. I checked out of the hotel within the hour

Icy Gull · Apr 5, 2021

Frankworthington said:
San Francisco

Listening to the Tony Bennett and Scott McKenzie songs i always had a romantic view of the place.That and watching the Dirty Harry films.

I really liked San Francisco, especially the gay area with some wonderfully coloured houses and interesting shops (Does Your Mother Know) and restaurants. In contrast I thought LA was an absolute shite hole :shrug:

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 5, 2021

Gwylan said:
I didn't say it looked like Croydon. I specifically said that the architecture was decent enough. I was talking about the general vibe: the restaurants and bars that ignored you if you weren't a regular and the smackheads on every corner.

I decided to leave when, sitting down for breakfast at the hotel, I noted a bloke on the bench opposite who appeared to have died - a suspicion confirmed when several police cars and an ambulance arrived. I checked out of the hotel within the hour

El Raval famously has a history of heroin but this has been much improved since the authorities started to smarten up the area around the time of the Olympics. Maybe you stayed here? The description you give reflects this area in past years but I wouldn’t judge the whole city on this. There’s plenty of nice neighbourhoods to hang out in with great restaurants, bars and nightlife which are friendly and welcoming to strangers.

BN41Albion · Apr 5, 2021

Gwylan said:
Barcelona

I was really looking forward to seeing Barcelona. I had dreams of stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life. The architecture was decent enough but the place was a real dive - like a Catalan version of Croydon. I had a week booked in a hotel but I cut my losses after three days and went across the border to France for some respite.

I've been some terrible places that I never want to vist it again (Las Vegas and Dubai spring immediately to mind) but I wasn't expecting much from them. Barca was a real disappointment though

Wow

maffew · Apr 5, 2021

The Old Shoreham Road, Brighton.

Guinness Boy · Apr 5, 2021

Herr Tubthumper said:
El Raval famously has a history of heroin but this has been much improved since the authorities started to smarten up the area around the time of the Olympics. Maybe you stayed here? The description you give reflects this area in past years but I wouldn’t judge the whole city on this. There’s plenty of nice neighbourhoods to hang out in with great restaurants, bars and nightlife which are friendly and welcoming to strangers.

This.

Had an absolutely fantastic weekend there with my lad for the football when he was 11. Perfectly safe, very friendly.

The thread topic is very, well, niche isn't it Icy? :lolol:

The one romantic description of a place in a song that I absolutely love is in Paul Simon's Graceland - The Mississippi Delta (was shining like a national guitar). I've never been anywhere near the Mississippi so cannot confirm either way. Though I've heard from a couple of people who have been to Memphis that it's a bit of a dump and Nashville is much better.

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[Misc] Places in songs that you had a romantic view of before you saw the place in the flesh

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