There are some places in this world that we’ve all caught ourselves singing about, without really knowing where they are. Used as inspiration by some of the world’s greatest bands, singers and songwriters, these places are known lyrically by millions. But where on earth are they? We decided to find out.
San Francisco Bay, USA
Otis Redding wrote the ultimate lazy tune whilst sat in a houseboat in Sausalito, California. Lying at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Fransisco, Sausalito is a bit of a watersports hub, with yachts, sea kayaks and speedboats available for hire. To catch the spirit of the song, though, try renting out a boat, taking a sail past the hippy havens and the houseboat community in which Redding penned his masterpiece. Alternatively, you can just sit by the marina, watching the tide roll away.
Waterloo, Belgium
It may have been a winner for ABBA, who rose to fame on the back of their famous Eurovision Song Contest entry, but it was a disaster for Napoleon. The fields on the outskirts of this Belgian town, 12km from Brussels, were the venue for the expansionist French emperor’s final defeat at the hands of the British and Prussian armies in 1815. Now the famous battlefield has a somewhat artificial giant mound in the middle, which was made under the orders of Dutch king William I. He believed that was the spot where his son died, and earth was dug up from around the point to make a fitting tribute. It is topped by a statue of a lion, facing France. The Belgian Waterloo is not to be confused with the British version, which is namechecked by The Kinks in Waterloo Sunset. Named after the battle, the London version is primarily famous for its train station, from which the Eurostar trains now set off for France via the Channel Tunnel.
Montreux, Switzerland
On the banks of Lake Geneva, this picturesque town is better known as a holiday resort for the well-heeled and as a cultural capital. However, it was immortalised in song back in 1971 when a fan at a Frank Zappa concert set off a flare. This ended up burning the casino down, an event which was watched by rockers Deep Purple. This became the inspiration for one of the world’s most famous guitar riffs, and the lyrics to Smoke On The Water (the water, of course, being the lake). Today the casino has been rebuilt, whilst Montreux has achieved international both for its jazz festival in July and its Christmas markets. The rock theme still continues though – a giant statue of Queen frontman Freddy Mercury is the focal point of the town’s main square.
Strawberry Field, Liverpool, England
Whilst many think the famous Beatles song refers to an idyllic country meadow somewhere, it’s actually a former orphanage in Liverpool, England. John Lennon grew up near Strawberry Field, run by the Salvation Army, played in the woods behind it and went to its annual fete. The orphanage, in the southern suburb of Woolton, closed down in 2005, and is now a prayer and missionary centre. The gates of the building and the signpost still remain, however, whilst nearby St Peter’s church is home to the grave of Eleanor Rigby, also made famous by the Fab Four.
Copacabana, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Barry Manilow was singing about a nightclub in New York, but it was named after the focal 4km beach in Rio. It’s where all the beautiful people hang out, and this can lead to incredible overcrowding. However, the setting is simply amazing. Rich green hills rise behind the beach, whilst the harbour is dotted with little islands. In what turns into an incredibly long chain, the beach is named after the city district, while the district takes its name from a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Bolivian town of the same name on Lake Titicaca. Barry probably didn’t know Lola the showgirl’s links went that far, but the club itself can be found on 34th street, Manhattan.
Philadelphia, USA
Bruce Springsteen scored his biggest ever UK hit with Streets of Philadelphia, a mournful song about living in the city with AIDS. It became the theme tune to the Tom Hanks film named after the city. Philadelphia was once the capital of the United States, and is still the fourth biggest urban area in the union. It now hosts many important historical sites, including Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell, which has become an international icon of freedom. Musically, its most famous export is Philly soul, which groups like The Delfonics and The Three Degrees took to the world.
Kashmir, India/ Pakistan/ China
The members of Led Zepellin have largely agreed that this mystic ode to travelling through the desert is their favourite song. There’s just one minor problem: there aren’t any deserts in Kashmir. Still, why let such trivialities get in the way of a good rock-out? In reality, Kashmir is a land of mountains and valleys, and contains sites sacred to Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. Unfortunately, this beautiful, off-the-beaten track region is largely known for its decades-long border conflict, but that doesn’t put all the tourists off. The favourite site is in the Indian zone of control, with the former summer capital of Srinagar and the Dal Lake upon which it sits being perennial drawcards.
Mull of Kintyre, Scotland
The Mull lies at the end of a long Scottish peninsula, and it’s the closest point on the British mainland to Ireland. A windswept, rugged area, it used to form an important land bridge to the Irish north coast, and it is thought that Europeans first reached Ireland this way. The second great crossing was the other way, with the Scotti, a Gaelic tribe after whom Scotland is named, making it across. Today it is mostly famous for two things; an incredibly moody-looking lighthouse and the cheese-infested Paul McCartney song. The former Beatle owned a house and recording studio there.
Baker Street, London, England
More famous for its saxophone solo than the lyrics, Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 hit cemented Baker Street’s reputation as one of the world’s best known urban roads. It’s not all that exciting though, hosting a largely uninspiring collection of commercial buildings and offices. Even the most famous address on the street – 221B – doesn’t actually exist. The fictional London residence of Sherlock Holmes hasn’t been forgotten though, and there is both a statue of Conan Doyle’s detective outside the underground station and a museum purporting to be on the site of Holmes’ home.
Vienna, Austria
It may mean nothing to Ultravox, but the Austrian capital attracts millions of tourists every year for very good reason. Over the years, this grand old city has played host to the artistic and scientific elite, with various attractions linked to the likes of Mozart, Beethoven and Freud. Also worth visiting is the Hapsburg’s Imperial Palace. It’s not all about past glories though, and other highlights include taking a cruise on the Danube, the magical equestrian shows performed by the Lippizaner stallions at the Spanish Riding School and some top class shopping.
Bohemia, Czech Republic
Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy? You could be forgiven for asking that too in Prague, the capital of the ancient region of Bohemia. Whether that’s due to it being an astonishingly beautiful city, lit up perfectly at night or overindulgence in cheap but wonderful Czech beer depends on your approach. Bohemia was subsumed into the Czech Republic long ago, but got a new lease of life when namechecked by Queen in their rock opera masterpiece, Bohemian Rhapsody. Other highlights in the area are the brewing towns of České Budějovice and Pilsen, as well as the fabulous castle of Český Krumlov.
Copyright David Whitley
