Want to visit places that famous songs have been written about? Try the inspirations for Strawberry Fields, The Pub With No Beer, Waterloo, Copacabana and Heartbreak Hotel.
Strawberry Fields
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.
The Pub With No Beer
Made famous by Slim Dusty, this hostelry in Taylor’s Arm, near Kempsey in mid-north NSW, is nothing of the sort. Whilst local songwriter Gordon Parsons immortalised it when it allegedly went dry back in the 1950s, the pub now has more than enough beer. In fact, it even has its own brewery. Ironically, the flood of tourists searching for a place where the amber nectar has gone missing has turned it into a place that can churn out gallons of the stuff. The Pub With No Beer (02 6564 2100) also has accommodation, live entertainment and the sort of fancy bistro menu that doesn’t really fit the Dusty image.
Waterloo
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.
Heartbreak Hotel
Whilst the Elvis classic was not named after a particular establishment, if you’re going to build a hotel opposite The King’s Graceland mansion, then it’s not going to take you too long to decide what to call it. Sure enough, the 128-room joint in Memphis, Tennessee is decked out with garish Elvis memorabilia and is full of themed suites. Room rates at the Heartbreak Hotel (+1 877 777 0606/ www.elvis.com) start from US$99 (AUD$129) a night and tours of the Graceland complex can be arranged upon booking.
Copacabana
Barry Manilow was singing about a nightclub in New York, but it was named after the focal 4km beach in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. It’s Rio’s equivalent of Bondi, 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 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.
This article was originally written for the Sydney Sun-Herald. Copyright David Whitley.
