my favorite song about the area i grew up.

I’ve had this idea bouncing around in my head for a few months. I like all the various themed posts I do here at RtM, and while some have fallen into disrepair and need to be revived, I wanted to add a new one called ‘My Favorite…’ Basically, I’ll write about my favorite something or other. Examples: My favorite song about stalking. My favorite song about universalism. My favorite movie where the ghosts are the good guys… etc. Maybe sometimes the lists will be a five things combo instead, like, my five favorite songs about gorillas who don’t like bananas.

The first one, since the time one misses the Hudson Valley most is definitely in the autumn, is my favorite song about the area I come from.

There are lots of songs about NYC, but very few about the dozens of smaller cities and bedroom communities in the first city’s shadow.

“Poughkeepsie”, by Over The Rhine, is a notably beautiful exception. It could also be in the running for my favorite song about suicide, but that list is too long because people have written some beautiful songs about suicide, which is sad. At least in this song she never kills herself, but finds hope looking out over the beauty of the Hudson River. Oops, spoilers!

Poughkeepsie – Over the Rhine — You can buy the song HERE.