‘Oh, The PLACES You’ll Go’ on These 15 Songs | Playlist 🎧

‘Oh, The PLACES You’ll Go’ on These 15 Songs features music courtesy of 100 gecs, Daniel Caesar, Dominic Fike, Lana Del Rey, and Logic.

Perhaps R&B artist 🎙 Anthony David said it best: it’s all about 🎵 “LocationLocationLocation”, sigh. This musical compendium is about location – various PLACES.  Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Some are more specific, such as Ocean Blvd or cities like Atlanta or Toronto. Others encompass an entire state or country, such as Alabama or Egypt.  Others, still, are broader, mentioning a courthouse (though, if you’ve tracked the artist, you know he was born and bred in Florida).  🎧 ‘Oh, The PLACES You’ll Go’ on These 15 Songs features music courtesy of 🎙 100 gecs, 🎙 Daniel Caesar, 🎙 Dominic Fike (our Florida boy singing about them courthouses), 🎙 Lana Del Rey, and 🎙 Logic among others.  So, drop a pin 📍, and join us on the journey that 🎧 ‘Oh, The PLACES You’ll Go’ on These 15 Songs takes us 🗺️!

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1. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Sweet Home Alabama”

💿 Second Helping • 🏷 Geffen • 📅 1974

Dorothy said it best in The Wizard of Oz: THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Legendary southern rock band 🎙 Lynyrd Skynyrd serve up the same sentiment on their beloved, 1974 classic, 🎵 “Sweet Home Alabama” (💿 Second Helping). “Sweet home Alabama / Where the skies are so blue,” 🎙 Ronnie Van Zant sings with immense southern pride in the chorus, continuing, “Sweet home Alabama / Lord, I’m coming home to you.” “Sweet Home Alabama” is synonymous with the band and arguably their most popular song (🎵 “Free Bird” might have a bone to pick with that, of course). The single was a top-10 hit on the pop charts, peaking at no. 8 on the Hot 100.

Obviously, “Sweet Home Alabama” acknowledges traditional southern values and the positive attributes of the south.  It is, hence, a far cry from the 🎙 Neil Young classic, 🎵 “Southern Man” which finds the Canadian rock icon criticizing the region.  In the second verse, Ronnie directly references Young’s characterization:

“Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her (Southern man)

Well, I heard ol’ Neil put her down

Well, I hope Neil Young will remember

A Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow.”

Burn! There are politics that come in play in the third verse, with reference to the state’s governor, the controversial 🎙 George Wallace. Wallace was governor four times, and at the time “Sweet Home Alabama” was released, was in his second, nonconsecutive term.  A racist, he would reform in his fourth and final term, repenting of his wrongs.  Notably, in the same verse, Van Zant sings, “Now Watergate does not bother me / Does your conscience bother you? / Tell the truth.” Intriguing. All told, 🎵 “Sweet Home Alabama” is a certified, surefire rock classic 🤘 – TIMELESS!

Appears in 🔻:

• Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Sweet Home Alabama”: FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 16 (2023)
• 11 Songs That Are Incredibly Sweet, Vol. 2 (2023)
• Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 1 (2023)

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2. Lana Del Rey, “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd”

💿 Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2023

Question: “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?” If not, 🎙 Lana Del Rey fills us in. 🤩 🎵 “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” served as the lead single from her ninth LP, also titled 💿 Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. From the onset, this piano ballad feels like the quintessential Lana song, which is a total pro. Del Rey sings gorgeously – her tone is haunting and one-of-a-kind.  Lyrically, it is incredibly poetic, characteristic of the singer/songwriter’s catalog. Del Rey penned this record alongside 🎼 ✍ Mike Hermosa (they also produce alongside Erickson, Dawes, and 🎛️ Jack Antonoff). She sings about “Mosaic ceilings, painted tiles on the wall” in the first verse, mentions “a girl that sings ‘Hotel California’” in the second, not to mention the city, Camarillo.  In the third, she references the 🎙 Harry Nilsson classic, 🎵 “Don’t Forget Me”, which is also sampled. Besides Nilsson, 🎙 John Lennon is referenced. As intriguing as the verses are, the chorus is the main attraction, intact with an f-bomb: “When’s it gonna be my turn? / Don’t forget me / When’s it gonna be my turn? / Open me up, tell me you like it / Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself / There’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard.” All told, Lana sounds marvelous on this ballad, showcasing her distinct and expressive set of pipes.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: December 2022
• Know: 5ive Songs No. 81 (2022)
• 15 Fantastic Songs Where You Just KNOW (2023)

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3. The Jones Girls, “Nights Over Egypt”

💿 Get As Much Love as You Can • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 🗓 1981

“There’s a sky in the east / Over pyramids at Giza / There once lived a girl / She ruled the world,” 🎙 The Jones Girls assert on the R&B classic, 🎵 “Nights Over Egypt”.  They add, in the first verse, “Then down the Nile / He came with a smile / He was the king / She was the queen / Under the moonlight.” Ah! Egypt, love, and a four-decade-old R&B song. What more could you ask for? “Nights Over Egypt” appears as the third track on the trio’s (🎙 Brenda, Shirley, and Valorie Jones) 1981 album, 💿 Get as Much Love as You Can.  While “Nights Over Egypt” charted on R&B songs chart, it failed to make the cut on the Billboard Hot 100 – bummer!  Nonetheless, this record has been a popular sampling source. Why? It is the electrifying production, courtesy of talented musician, 🎛 Dexter Wansel.  Philadelphia soul remains alive and well, with the picturesque keys, strings, a robust bass line – it’s the whole shebang. Throw in an Egyptian sound, and you can’t beat this gem!

Lyrically, The Jones Girls paint a picture of the country, and African, in all its glory.  The second verse in particular captures Africa superbly: “Saharan façade / Is just a mirage / Oasis in the sand.” Beyond the verses, the pre-chorus emphasizes an almost unbelievable portrait of those “Nights over Egypt” that the chorus touts.  Listening to 🎵 “Nights Over Egypt” more than 40 years after it arrived, it is shocking this surefire, rhythmic vibe didn’t perform better well on the pop charts. This is a classic that remains a fresh as it did the year it first arrived.  The Jones Girls struck gold with this one – I don’t care what the Billboard Hot 100 says!

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Appears in 🔻:

• The Jones Girls, “Nights Over Egypt”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 37 (2023)
• Places 📍: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 19 (2023)

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4. Dominic Fike, “Dancing in the Courthouse”

🎵 “Dancing in the Courthouse” • 🏷 Sandy’s Boys, LLC / Columbia • 🗓 2023

“Weather controls your day / People make up your mind / Until you can’t even tell / When someone gives you a sign.” Now that right there is a bummer.  However, Alternative, genre-bending standout 🎙 Dominic Fike tells us to focus on the things we can control and embrace the positives and opportunities in life. The Florida-bred musician has us all 🎵 “Dancing in the Courthouse”, his short but utterly divine single.

“Dancing in the Courthouse” shows Fike moving beyond adversity. Him and his family have experienced their fair share of it. His life, judging by the accompanying music video, as well as a well-documented background, hasn’t been easy. However, he’s a prime example of overcoming, something that this song superbly conveys.  The best moment is undoubtedly the chorus, where the lyrics are nothing short of captivating, and the melody incredibly tuneful:

“Put ‘em on trial (On trial)

Make ‘em dance for it in the courthouse

Make a stand for it or it don’t count (Or it don’t count)

Be the landlord of the whole town (Of the whole town)

Put ‘em on edge (On edge)

Make the judge jump and hit the two-step (Yeah, hit the two-step)

And make the jury come up with two guesses (Up with two guesses)

And lose interest, then they make up a new sentence.”

Woo! Beyond the theme, lyrics, and again, an intriguing music video, the sound of the record is stunning too.  The warmness of the guitar at the onset is a stellar touch.  Furthermore, the prominence of the guitar throughout is awesome 🤘.  Of course, from a vocal standpoint, Fike sounds authentic, honest, and incredible expressive.  His instrument has the ability to deliver sheer beauty as well as grittier moments.  The world truly needs to know how gifted Fike is, who has overcome struggles and definitely has a light to share with the world.

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5. Daniel Caesar & Mustafa, “Toronto 2014”

💿 Never Enough • 🏷 Hollace Inc. / Republic • 📅 2023

“If I could only find my way through space-time / Back to when I was happy being me…” Thought-provoking, reflective lyrics.  Notably, those lyrics from 🎵 “Toronto 2014” are NOT performed by 🏆 Grammy-winning, Canadian R&B artist 🎙 Daniel Caesar. Rather, it is featured guest, fellow Toronto musician 🎙 Mustafa, who sings that memorable line and the entire first verse of this highlight from Caesar’s 2023 comeback LP, 💿 Never Enough. They join forces on the lush, reminiscent, and tuneful chorus:

“I can hear the bells ringin’, remindin’ us why

We’re still here singin’, it’s Father Time

We’re stuck in The Matrix, living a lie

I’m not afraid to die. ”

As for Daniel, he clearly contrasts Mustafa in the second verse, citing the year 2014 as mentioned in the title. “Take me back to 2014 / Saw a pic’ this morning / Far along the journey / The future was alluring.” Generally, Caesar reflects on his past specifically prior to becoming a high profile musician.  Although he no longer lives in Toronto, his home town, but seems to yearn for home, and to some extent, life before fame.  While he is thankful for his ‘come up,’ Caesar is skeptical about fame and people understanding who he truly is as an individual: “On the other side of TVs, hoping that they see me / But they hardly see me / At least that’s how I see things.”  This gorgeous ballad marks one of the best moments from Never Enough. He truly puts his heart into it and gets a wonderful lift from Mustafa.

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6. Joesef, “East End Coast”

💿 Permanent Damage • 🏷 Bold Cut / AWAL Recordings Ltd • 📅 2023

Queer Scottish, soul-pop musician 🎙 Joesef is on an emotional rollercoaster on most of his 2023 debut album, 💿 Permanent Damage. That includes the third track, single, 🎵 “East End Coast.” “East End Coast” encompasses a tempestuous relationship (his words) and moving from his hometown, Glasgow, to London. The songwriting is honest and incredibly poetic.  “Separately comatose / Smoking green and doing blow,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “We broke into the stately home / But I wish you would take me home.” Throughout, there is emphasis placed on an unbreakable bond despite the wild relationship, highlighted brilliantly in the second verse (“Kiss me as the casket’s closed”).  Admittedly, the singer is homesick, which he reveals during the bridge, also asserting that he feels “permanently on my own.” Joe’s pain = our listening pleasure!

Appears in 🔻:

• Places 📍: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 19 (2023)

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7. Jonas Brothers, “Waffle House”

💿 The Album • 🏷 Jonas Brothers Recording / Republic • 🗓 2023

“No, don’t get stressed, it’s gon’ get figured out.” Okay, fair enough 🎙 Jonas Brothers, but where? “Oh, deep conversation at the Waffle House.” Um… OKURRR.  🎵 “Waffle House”, the second single from 💿 The Album, continues to find 🎙 Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Kevin Jonas clearly tweaking their sound. “Waffle House” taps into a 1970s aesthetic – 🎙 Michael McDonald and Bee Gees territory as Nick describes.

So, why Waffle House? Just wondering! Anyways, Joe performs the first verse, pre-chorus, and chorus.  In the first verse, he speaks to a level of competition between the brothers/band members. Nick echoes a similar sentiment in the second.  Despite this, the brothers “Know before the night ends,” “It’s gon’ get figured out.” Woo! Furthermore, in the intriguing chorus, “Headstrong father and a determined mother / Oh, that’s why some nights we tried to kill each other / But you know it’s always love.” The theme of the song is clear enough.  Vocally, Joe and Nick sound respectable.  As far as the songwriting, there are ten songwriters… As far as production, there are five producers.  Hmm, lots of cooks in the kitchen… I leave it at that. I wouldn’t characterize 🎵 “Waffle House” as the most appetizing single ever, but, the concept is interesting.

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8. Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott, “Down In Atlanta”

🎵 “Down In Atlanta” • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2022

“Watch ‘em fly from the sky, while we line up the wall / Like confetti, how it falls, let ‘em leave with it all…” Woo! 🎙 Pharrell Williams is at it again! He enlists the services of 🎙 Travis Scott for another intriguing 2022 single, 🎵 “Down In Atlanta”. “Down In Atlanta” commences with that signature Pharrell Williams intro – the four-count! Notably, the listener only hears three out of four beats accented with the kick drum. Following the intro, the record establishes itself in a 6/8 (possibly 12/8) meter.  Travis Scott rides the beat and backdrop well, dropping his melodic rap flow drenched in vocal effects. Beyond the vibe Scott serves up, what about Pharrell on the production end of things? Williams puts in work with the beat as well as the synths. Even so many years into the game, Williams still manages to concoct forward-thinking bops. “Down In Atlanta” isn’t the second coming, but Scott and Williams make a formidable team.  It’s a vibe!

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Appears in 🔻:

• Places 📍: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 19 (2023)

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9. The Beach Boys, “Kokomo”

💿 The Very Best of The Beach Boys: Sounds of Summer • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓 2003

“Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you to / Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama.” In 1988, iconic pop/rock collective 🎙 The Beach Boys earned their final no. 1 hit: 🎵 “Kokomo” (💿 Still Cruisin’).  “Kokomo” arrived years after the band’s heyday, which makes the ascent to the top of the pop charts such a big deal. Also, notably, 🎙 Brian Wilson is NOT on “Kokomo” 🤯! The infectious, love-oriented gem was also written by 🎼 ✍ John Phillips, Mike Love, Scott McKenzie, and Terry Melcher (Melcher also produced the track).  From a first listen – even if, somehow, your first time hearing the records is in the 2020s – “Kokomo” is tuneful to the n^th degree.  The chorus, indisputably, is the centerpiece, continuing as follows: “Key Largo, Montego / Baby, why don’t we go / Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo / We’ll get there fast / And then we’ll take it slow / That’s where we wanna go / Way down in Kokomo.” As alluring as the instrumental backdrop is, and as memorable as the chorus is lyrically and tunefully, the verses are interesting too.  The Beach Boys construct an idyllic aesthetic: “Bodies in the sand / Tropical drink melting in your hand.” Of course, more important is “We’ll be falling in love,” with bonus points going for lyrics like, “To the rhythm of a steel drum band / Down in Kokomo.”  The love is high, and honesty, just listening to 🎵 “Kokomo”, you’ll get that “Tropical contact high” that the collective references.  Are the lyrics genuinely clever? No.  This song has received its fair share of critical disdain.  It does sound, in all honesty, sound different than vintage Beach Boys songs.  Still, this innocent 80s pop record is inescapable.

Appears in 🔻:

• The Beach Boys, “Kokomo”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 58 (2023)

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10. Weezer, “Beverly Hills”

💿 Make Believe • 🏷 Geffen • 📅 2005

“Beverly Hills, that’s where I want to be / … Livin’ in Beverly Hills.”  Woo! So, what was the best moment of  💿 Make Believe, the 2005 album by 🎙 Weezer? Why it’s none other than the collective’s pop hit, 🎵 “Beverly Hills.” It’s safe to say that 🎙 Rivers Cuomo was ‘on’ on this no. 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100,the highest peak the band has ever achieved on the pop charts.

“Where I come from isn’t all that great

My automobile is a piece of crap

My fashion sense is a little whack

And all my friends are just as screwed as me.”

Well, those lyrics are just as charming as albeit, aren’t they? Later, Rivers sings in the second verse, “Look at all those movie stars / They’re all so beautiful and clean / When the housemaids scrub the floors / They get the spaces in between.” Intriguing to say the least.  “Beverly Hills” was so successful because it’s incredibly fun! While thought to be a sarcastic song pointed at celebrity life and affluent living in Beverly Hills, Cuomo debunks this.  Interesting! Not only are the lyrics fun, but so are Cuomo’s vocals,  which are playful. Of course, given the way he sings, it make “Beverly Hills” sound somewhat cynical and sarcastic.

Appears in 🔻:

• 15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb (2022)
• Places 📍: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 19 (2023)

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11. Village People, “Fire Island”

💿 Village People (EP) • 🏷 The Island Def Jam Music Group • 🗓 1977

“Fire Island – it’s a funky weekend, a funky, funky weekend.”  Well, that seems to be the case, 🎙 Village People. The iconic disco collective was created by music producers 🎛 Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo to target the gay disco scene. Village People, designed as a niche group, exemplified gay vibes, while also earning success with heterosexual audiences. 🎵 “Fire Island”, which appears on 💿 Village People (EP) from 1977, didn’t chart but holds significance as a gay gem, highlighting Fire Island (in New York), which is described by ✍ Jack Parlett as A gay paradise of sex and liberation.

Lyrically, there are a number of moments that embrace gay fun and joy without being explicitly gay. Lead vocalist 🎙 Victor Willis, who is NOT gay, sings, “You never know just who you meet, maybe someone out of your wildest fantasies.”  Willis cites specific venues at one point on this bright, ornately produced number: “Groove at the 📍 Ice Palace (get on down at the Monster) / Been there, been there (been there at the Blue Whale) / Peckin’, I’m peckin’ (peckin’ at 📍 The Sandpiper) / Pumpin’, I’m pumpin’ (pumpin’ at the Botel).” Can you reference Fire Island sans gayness? Highly doubtful.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Village People, “Fire Island”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 33 (2022)
• Places 📍: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 19 (2023)

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12. 100 gecs, “Hollywood Baby”

💿 10,000 gecs • 🏷 Dog Show / Atlantic • 🗓 2023

Punk energy is alive and well on 🎵 “Hollywood Baby”, the third track from 💿 10,000 gecs.  10,000 gecs marks the sophomore album by 🎙 100 gecs, the talented, adventurous alternative production duo comprised of 🎙 Laura Les and 🎙 Dylan Brady. Focusing on “Hollywood Baby,” it features heavy rock drums and robust, filthy sounding guitars that hit you right in the chest.  Brady delivers an incredibly catchy chorus, singing, “I’m going crazy / Little tiny Hollywood baby / Brand new Mercedes / I’ve been at the crib going crazy.” Even though the positives of success has afforded Les and Brady ample luxury, the pressure of fame and Hollywood itself extremely stressful.  Les sings, “Do you buckle under pressure? / Go tumbling, tumbling, tumbling down,” presumably referencing the duo’s sophomore album.  Given the excellence of “Hollywood Baby,” in the context of 10,000 gecs, it marks a third straight consistent song. 100 gecs have NOTHING to fear 💪.

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13-14. Logic, “Gaithersburg Freestyle” / “38.9897 °N, 76.9378 °W”

💿 College Park • 🏷 Three Oh One Productions, LLC / BMG Rights Management (US) • 📅 2023

On his conceptual 2023 album, 💿 College Park, 🏆 Grammy-nominated rapper 🎙 Logic centers on a career-building show in 2011. Obviously, given the title, places – location, location, location – plays a role.  Two songs in particular standout: 🎵 “Gaithersburg Freestyle” and 🎵 “38.9897 °N, 76.9378 °W”.  “Gaithersburg Freestyle” benefits from a nasty backdrop, anchored by a banging-a$$ beat.  After getting hyped up on the intro, Logic goes off in the first verse.  “I run the game like a Switch, used to bus tables just for the tips,” he asserts, adding, “Now these bitches beggin’ me for the tip of my dick.” WOO 🍆! Post-Logic, 🎙 C Dot Castro brings the heat in the second verse, 🎙 Big Lenbo in the third (“I stay with the bread, I stay with the toast / You motherfuckers out here doin’ the most”), 🎙 Fat Trel in the fourth, and 🎙 ADÉ closes things out in the fifth.  The track is a certified banger.

Another highlight from College Park is 🎵 “38.9897 °N, 76.9378 °W” (the location of College Park, in case you were wondering).  Logic spits straight bars on this ‘title track’ of sorts.  His best moment is the chorus, which follows an intro by 🎙 Kevin Randolph.

“Overnight, we ain’t make it overnight

I had plenty sober nights, why you think I sip at night?

O— O— Over— Overnight, we ain’t make it overnight

I had plenty sober nights, why you think I sip at night?

Watch the Bic ignite, open up, bitch, I’m loaded up

Loaded up, what the fuck? Always in the cut, eyes never shut

Let the pen bleed, fuck the feed, hopin’ they all remember me

Enemies, we all got ‘em, only ones that are from the bottom

Who I love, place no one above, none above

If you was there when I was starvin’, you can pull up to grub.”

Logic also delivers the third verse.  🎛 6ix puts his foot into the production, which is simultaneously vintage and fresh.  C Dot Castro and Big Lenbo perform the first and second verses respectively, speaking to College Park in all its ‘glory.’ 

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15. Bobby Bland, “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”

💿 Dreamer • 🏷 MCA • 🗓 1974

“Ain’t no love in the heart of the city / Ain’t no love in the heart of town.” My question is, why? Well, per late, great blues/R&B 🎙 Bobby “Blue” Bland, the reason why there 🎵 “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” is “cause you ain’t around.” Sigh, it’s always those pesky matters of the heart that affect things – love gone bad or expired! “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” commences Bland’s 1974 album, 💿 Dreamer. While the song is beloved and managed to become a hit on the R&B charts, sadly, this soulful record only peaked at no. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Not every classic can be hit the mainstream charts the same way, I suppose.

The narrative of this 🎼 ✍ Michael Price and Dan Walsh penned record is simple and straightforward.  Even so, Bland provides plenty of expression – ample nuance – to “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City.” “When you were mine / Oh, I was feeling so good.” Of course, of course Bobby, “But now that you’re gone / You know the sun don’t shine.” Yep – it’s a different vibe when the lover has exited the picture.  Even though “The nighttime calls / There’s a blanket of gloom,” and “another teardrop falls / In my lonely room,” Bland’s love pain is our utmost listening pleasure 🤩. The production fits both the blues and R&B/soul aesthetic.  Notably, 🎵 “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” has been covered by many times (🎙 Barrett Strong, 🎙 Whitesnake, and 🎙 Black Pumas) and is a popular sample fueling standouts by Jay-Z (🎵 “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)”) and DJ Khaled (🎵 “THANKFUL”). 

Appears in 🔻:

• Bobby Bland, “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 65 (2023)

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‘Oh, The PLACES You’ll Go’ on These 15 Songs [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic, Bold Cut / AWAL Recordings Ltd, Capitol, Columbia, Geffen, Interscope, MCA, Republic, Sony Music Entertainment, The Island Def Jam Music Group, Three Oh One Productions, LLC / BMG Rights Management (US); Christian Heitz, Marius Mann, Nataliya Vaitkevich, Nork Photography, Oliver Sjöström, Pierre Blaché, Rudolf Kirchner, Scott Webb via Pexels, Pixabay]

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