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New York City, Your Streets Are Singin'

from AMERICAN TALES by Johnny Bee

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    Johnny Bee, a New York-born singer/songwriter now living in London, takes a proud look at his American roots with these tales of swamp voodoo, punk New York, brave soldiers, barefoot summers, subway love, no-hope bars, shootin' Redcoats, families at war, a prayer for Dixie and the ever-hazardous pursuit of happiness. Genre: Americana/Alt Country/Blues

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New York in the wild 1970s. While you were busy dodging muggers and thieves, all these bands were playing in the same club. Bliss. See if you can name the 11 bands referred to and let me know.
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lyrics

I used to live in New York City,
The girls are tough,
and the boys so pretty,
Steam comes up.
from the underground,
And stars shine out,
From the buildings’ crowns.

The town was rough and
Loud and raw,
Out on the street
you were beyond the law,
Trannies swore and
madmen screamed,
And bag ladies sang
Their broken dreams,

And all the poetry was downtown,
And all the music was downtown,
Now all the ghosts are still downtown.

New York City, your streets are singin’,
Your streets are singin’ to me.

We used to play at CBGBs,
Down on the Bowery.
where it meets Bleecker Street,
Bums staggered round,
and the junkies ran,
And punk rockers made
their very first stand.

Television said,
Hey, can we play?
And Hilly Krystal just
pointed at the stage,
Mink DeVille took a Spanish stroll
All for the love of rock n roll,

We used to see the bands
Out on the street,
But now they’re gone.
But if you listen hard enough,
You can hear their songs.

Debbie Harry hung on the telephone,
And Patti Smith declared her
sins for her own,
the jukebox played
little Johnny Jewel,
Planets and Suns and a
Band called Cool,

Johnny Thunders
Lived on a Chinese rock,
And we went psycho for the
Heads that talked,
Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee
Played the Blitzkrieg Bop,
We thought the summer
Would never stop.

And all the poetry was downtown,
And all my hopes and dreams were downtown,
Now all the ghosts are still downtown.

New York City, your streets are singin’
Your streets are singin’ to me,
Your streets are singin’ to me,
Your streets are singin’ to me...

credits

from AMERICAN TALES, track released March 15, 2015
Recorded by Sean Read at Famous Times Studio, Hackney, London. Guitar and vocals: Johnny Bee. Photographs: Michael Donald. Design: Johnny Bee. All words and music by Johnny Bee. Songs
© 2015 Johnny Bee aka John Rogers Belknap, PRS, PPL. All rights reserved.

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Johnny Bee London, UK

Johnny Bee is a newspaperman and songwriter. His New York band played at CBGBs in the 1970s, supporting the Ramones, Blondie, and Talking Heads while he worked for the Village Voice. He moved to London, worked on Fleet St, and played with psychobilly band the Highliners at Glastonbury and Endorse-It-In-Dorset. He later formed Johnny and the Bees (also on Bandcamp). This is his first solo album. ... more

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