List of songs about Birmingham: Difference between revisions

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===1900s–1910s===
===1900s–1910s===
[[Image:If I Ever Get Back to Birmingham.jpg|right|thumb|175px|Sheet music for "If I Ever Get Back to Birmingham" (1916)]]
* "[[If I Ever Get Back to Birmingham]] (to the Girl who Waits for Me)" (1916) by James Brennan & Chick Story
* "[[If I Ever Get Back to Birmingham]] (to the Girl who Waits for Me)" (1916) by James Brennan & Chick Story


===1920s–1930s===
===1920s===
* "[[Birmingham Blues (1921)|Birmingham Blues]]" (1921) by Edith Wilson
* "[[Birmingham Blues (1921)|Birmingham Blues]]" (1921) by Edith Wilson
* "[[Mining Camp Blues]]" (1925) by Trixie Smith
* "[[Mining Camp Blues]]" (1925) by Trixie Smith
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* "[[Birmingham Boys]]" (1926) by the [[Birmingham Jubilee Singers]]
* "[[Birmingham Boys]]" (1926) by the [[Birmingham Jubilee Singers]]
* "[[Jefferson County (song)|Jefferson County]]" (1926) by Sid Harris, recorded by Priscilla Stewart, Bo Weavil Jackson
* "[[Jefferson County (song)|Jefferson County]]" (1926) by Sid Harris, recorded by Priscilla Stewart, Bo Weavil Jackson
* "[[Pratt City Blues (1926)|Pratt City Blues]]" (1926) by Bertha "Chippie" Hill
* "[[Pratt City Blues]]" (1926) by Bertha "Chippie" Hill, re-recorded 1932 by [[Jabo Williams]]
* "[[Birmingham Black Bottom]]" (1927) by Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten  
* "[[Birmingham Black Bottom]]" (1927) by Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten  
* "[[Birmingham Jail (song)|Birmingham Jail]]" (1927) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Birmingham Jail (song)|Birmingham Jail]]" (1927) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Birmingham Rag]]" (1927) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Birmingham Town]]" (1927) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Birmingham Town]]" (1927) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Snatch It Back Blues]]" by Buddy Boy Hawkins
* "[[Fourth Avenue Stomp]]" (1927) by [[Frank Bunch]] & His [[Frank Bunch & His Fuzzy Wuzzies|Fuzzy Wuzzies]]
* "[[Fourth Avenue Stomp]]" (1927) by [[Frank Bunch]] & His [[Frank Bunch & His Fuzzy Wuzzies|Fuzzy Wuzzies]]
* "[[Third Alley Blues]]" (1927) by Ivy Smith
* "[[New Birmingham Jail]]" (1927) by Jimmie Tarlton
* "[[Snatch It Back Blues]]" (1927) by Buddy Boy Hawkins
* "[[Third Alley Blues]]" (1927) by Ivy Smith & [[Cow Cow Davenport]]
* "[[Birmingham Jail No. 2]]" (1928) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Birmingham Jail No. 2]]" (1928) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Frisco Leaving Birmingham]]" (1928) by George "Bullet" Williams
* "[[Frisco Leaving Birmingham]]" (1928) by George "Bullet" Williams
* "[[Keep Your Man Out of Birmingham]]" (1928) by William Harris
* "[[Keep Your Man Out of Birmingham]]" (1928) by William Harris
* "[[Big Rock Jail]]" (1929) by Barefoot Bill
* "[[Big Rock Jail]]" (1929) by Barefoot Bill
* "[[Birmingham Rag]]" (1927) by Darby and Tarlton
* "[[Birmingham Bertha]]" by Ethel Waters (1929) (from ''On with the Show!'')
 
===1930s===
* "[[Birmingham Blues (1930)|Birmingham Blues]]" by the [[Birmingham Jug Band]]
* "[[Birmingham Blues (1930)|Birmingham Blues]]" by the [[Birmingham Jug Band]]
* "[[New Birmingham Jail]]" (1927) by Jimmie Tarlton
* "[[Birmingham Daddy]]" (1931) by Gene Autry  
* "[[Birmingham Daddy]]" (1931) by Gene Autry  
* "[[Seventh Street Alley Strut]]" (1931) by Marshall Owens
* "[[Seventh Street Alley Strut]]" (1931) by Marshall Owens
* "[[Pratt City Blues (1932)|Pratt City Blues]]" (1932) by [[Jabo Williams]]
* "[[45 Pistol Blues]]" (1935) by [[Walter Roland]]
* "[[45 Pistol Blues]]" (1935) by [[Walter Roland]]
* "[[Sam the Hot Dog Man]]" (1936) by Lil Johnson
* "[[Sam the Hot Dog Man]]" (1936) by Lil Johnson
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* "[[I Got a Man in a 'Bama Mine]]"  (1937) by Merline Johnson
* "[[I Got a Man in a 'Bama Mine]]"  (1937) by Merline Johnson
* "[[Fifteen Miles from Birmingham]]" (1938) by the [[Delmore Brothers]]  
* "[[Fifteen Miles from Birmingham]]" (1938) by the [[Delmore Brothers]]  
* "[[Tuxedo Junction]]" (1939) by [[Erskine Hawkins]], recorded by Manhattan Transfer and many others
* "[[Tuxedo Junction]]" (1939) by [[Erskine Hawkins]] with Buddy Feyne, William Johnson and Julian Dash, a jazz standard set to the tune of "[[Alabama Jubilee]]"


===1940s – 1950s===
===1940s–1950s===
[[Image:Birmingham Bounce.jpg|right|thumb|175px|Sheet music for "Birmingham Bounce" (1950)]]
* "[[Back to Birmingham]]" (1940) by the [[Delmore Brothers]]
* "[[Back to Birmingham]]" (1940) by the [[Delmore Brothers]]
* "[[Birmingham Bus (song)|Birmingham Bus]]" (1945) by Romo Vincent
* "[[Birmingham Bus (song)|Birmingham Bus]]" (1945) by Romo Vincent
* "[[Fat Sam from Birmingham]]" (1947) by Louis Jordan
* "[[Fat Sam from Birmingham]]" (1947) by Louis Jordan
* "[[Birmingham Bounce]]" (1950) by [[Hardrock Gunter]]
* "[[Birmingham Bounce]]" (1950) by [[Hardrock Gunter]]
* "[[Down South in Birmingham]]" (1952) by Del Thorne
* "[[Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey]] (Going Back to Birmingham)" by "Little Richard" Penniman (1958), covered by The Beatles (1964), 10 Years After (1974), Bob Segar (1989, released 2011), & The Jim Jones Review (2008)
* "[[Birmingham Boogie]]" by Hot Lips Page
* "[[Birmingham Boogie]]" by Hot Lips Page


===1960s – 1970s===
===1960s–1970s===
* "[[Washington Heights, Pratt City Special]]" (1962) by Robert McCoy
* "[[Washington Heights, Pratt City Special]]" (1962) by Robert McCoy
* "[[Alabama (John Coltrane song)|Alabama]]" (1963) by John Coltrane
* "[[Alabama (John Coltrane song)|Alabama]]" (1963) by John Coltrane
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* "[[Hello L.A., Bye-Bye Birmingham]]" by Mac Davis & Delaney Bramlett, recorded by Nancy Sinatra, Larry Henley, Blue Cheer, Juicy Lucy, Bobby Whitlock, and the Oobleedooblee Band
* "[[Hello L.A., Bye-Bye Birmingham]]" by Mac Davis & Delaney Bramlett, recorded by Nancy Sinatra, Larry Henley, Blue Cheer, Juicy Lucy, Bobby Whitlock, and the Oobleedooblee Band
* "[[Birmingham (Movers song)|Birmingham]]" (1968) by the Movers
* "[[Birmingham (Movers song)|Birmingham]]" (1968) by the Movers
* "[[Birmingham Bus Station]]" (1968) by Claude King
* "[[Walkin' Back to Birmingham]]" (1968) by Leon Ashley
* "[[Walkin' Back to Birmingham]]" (1968) by Leon Ashley
* "[[Birmingham, Alabama (song)|Birmingham, Alabama]]" (1969) by Murray MacLeod & Stuart Margolin, recorded by Harry Belafonte and R. B. Greaves
* "[[Birmingham, Alabama (song)|Birmingham, Alabama]]" (1969) by Murray MacLeod & Stuart Margolin, recorded by Harry Belafonte and R. B. Greaves
* "[[Birmingham (Freddy Weller song)|Birmingham]]" (1969) by Freddy Weller
* "[[Birmingham (Freddy Weller song)|Birmingham]]" (1969) by Freddy Weller
* "[[Birmingham Blues (Jack Barlow song)|Birmingham Blues]]" (1969) by Jack Barlow
* "[[Backin' to Birmingham]]" (1972) by Lester Flatt
* "[[Backin' to Birmingham]]" (1972) by Lester Flatt
* "[[Birmingham Lucy]]" (1973) by Bobby Goldsboro
* "[[Birmingham Lucy]]" (1973) by Bobby Goldsboro
* "[[Birmingham Mistake]]" (1973) by Sammi Smith
* "[[Birmingham Mistake]]" (1973) by Sammi Smith
* "[[Birmingham (Randy Newman song)|Birmingham]]" (1974) by Randy Newman
* "[[Birmingham (Randy Newman song)|Birmingham]]" (1974) by Randy Newman
* "[[Birmingham Blues (1975 song)|Birmingham Blues]]" (1975) by Charlie Daniels and Jeff Lynne, recorded by the Charlie Daniels Band (1975) and Electric Light Orchestra (1977)<sup>1.</sup>
* "[[Boulder to Birmingham]]" (1975) by [[Emmylou Harris]]
* "[[Boulder to Birmingham]]" (1975) by [[Emmylou Harris]]
* "[[Birmingham Is My Home]]" (1976) by the [[Birmingham Heritage Band]]
* "[[Birmingham Is My Home]]" (1976) by the [[Birmingham Heritage Band]]
* "[[Birmingham Mama]]" (1979) by Tony Conn
* "[[Birmingham Mama]]" (1979) by Tony Conn


===1980s &ndash; 1990s===
===1980s–1990s===
* "[[Birmingham Tonight]]" (1980) by [[Telluride]]
* "[[Birmingham Tonight]]" (1980) by [[Telluride]]
* "[[Birmingham Turnaround]]" (1990) by Keith Whitley
* "[[Birmingham Turnaround]]" (1990) by Keith Whitley
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===2000s===
===2000s===
* "[[Sweet Birmingham]]" (2000) by [[Robert Moore]], recorded by Taj Mahal
* "[[Sweet Birmingham]]" (2000) by [[Robert Moore]], recorded by Taj Mahal
* "[[Birmingham (Drive-By Truckers song)|Birmingham]]" by the [[Drive By Truckers]] (2002)
* "[[On a Bus Back to Birmingham]]" (2001) by [[Rusty McHugh]]
* "[[Leaving You Behind]]" by [[Emily DeLoach]] (2003)
* "[[Birmingham (Drive-By Truckers song)|Birmingham]]" (2002) by the [[Drive By Truckers]]
* "[[Sparrows over Birmingham]]" by Josh Rouse (2003)
* "[[Leaving You Behind]]" (2003) by [[Emily DeLoach]]
* "[[Paint Me A Birmingham]]" by Buck Moore & Gary Duffey. Recorded by Ken Mellons (2003) and Tracy Lawrence (2004)
* "[[Sparrows over Birmingham]]" (2003) by Josh Rouse
* "[[Birmingham (Katherine McElroy song)|Birmingham]]" (2004) by [[Katherine McElroy]], recorded by [[Snow Machine]]
* "[[Paint Me A Birmingham]]" (2004) by Buck Moore & Gary Duffey. Recorded by Ken Mellons (2003) and Tracy Lawrence
* "[[Birmingham (Katherine McElroy song)|Birmingham]]" (2004) by [[Katherine McElroy]], recorded by [[Snow Machine]]
* "[[Atlanta & Birmingham]] (2005) by Deana Carter
* "[[Birmingham 1982]]" (2005) by [[Maria Taylor]]
* "[[Birmingham 1982]]" (2005) by [[Maria Taylor]]
* "[[Metropolis (song)|Metropolis]]" (2005) by [[Dan Sartain]]
* "[[Birmingham (The Deaths song)|Birmingham]]" (2006) by The Deaths
* "[[Birmingham (The Deaths song)|Birmingham]]" (2006) by The Deaths
* "[[Birmingham Eccentric]]" (2008) by Kelley Stoltz
* "[[Birmingham Eccentric]]" (2008) by Kelley Stoltz
* "[[Old Iron Hills]]" (2009) by [[Maylene and the Sons of Disaster]]


===2010s===
===2010s–2020s===
* "[[Hills of Birmingham]]" (2010) by Terrible Things
* "[[Hills of Birmingham]]" (2010) by Terrible Things
* "[[Birmingham (The Get Up Kids song)|Birmingham]]" (2011) by The Get Up Kids
* "[[Birmingham (The Get Up Kids song)|Birmingham]]" (2011) by The Get Up Kids
* "[[You Don't Know What I Could Have Been]]" (2012) by [[Kevin Turner]]/[[UAB Gospel Choir]]
* "[[Birmingham (Shovels and Rope song)|Birmingham]]" (2012) by Shovels and Rope
* "[[Birmingham (Tony Clark song)|Birmingham]]" (2012) by [[Tony Clark]]
* "[[You Don't Know What I Could Have Been]]" (2012) by [[Kevin P. Turner]]/[[UAB Gospel Choir]]
* "[[Larry Langford (song)|Larry Langford]] (2014) by [[KD]], [[Eskiimo Joe]] and [[Cleeze Purp]]
* "[[The Weeds Downtown]]" (2014) by [[Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires]]
* "[[Birmingham (Zach Bryan song)|Birmingham]]" (2020) by Zach Bryan
* "[[City Federal Building (song)]]" (2023) by [[St Paul & the Broken Bones]]


==Mentions==
==Mentions==
Birmingham is also mentioned in the following:
Birmingham is also mentioned in the following:
* "Alabama Anthem" by [[Birmingham J]] ([[2005]])
 
* "Black Betty" by Leadbelly (early 20th century), remade by Ram Jam ([[1977]])
* "[[Black Betty]]" by Leadbelly (early 20th century), remade by Ram Jam (1977)
* "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" by Little Richard
* "Stars Fell on Alabama" by Frank Perkins & Mitchell Parish (1934)
* "Jacob's Ladder" by Bruce Hornsby, first recorded by Huey Lewis & the News ([[1987]])
* "Wabash Cannonball" by J. A. Roff, variation recorded by Roy Acuff (1936)
* "Gun Street Girl" by Tom Waits, ([[1985]])
* "Promised Land" by Chuck Berry (1965), recorded by Dave Edmunds (1972), The Band (1973), Elvis Presley (1974), James Taylor (1974), Meat Loaf (1983), and performed frequently by the Grateful Dead (1971-1995)
* "Her First Mistake" by Lyle Lovett
* "My Elusive Dreams" by Moses & Joshua Dillard (1967)
* "I Can't Love You Anymore" by Lyle Lovett
* "Handsome Johnny" by Richie Havens & Louis Gossett Jr (1969)
* "Maribel" by Andy Orfutt Irwin
* "California Women" by Hoyt Axton (1971)
* "My Elusive Dreams" by Moses & Joshua Dillard ([[1967]])
* "Carry Me" by the Stampeders (1971)
* "One of These Days" by the [[Drive-By Truckers]]
* "Rip This Joint" by the Rolling Stones (1972)
* "Playboy Mommy" by Tori Amos ([[1998]])
* "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
* "Promised Land" by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley ([[1975]])
* "Struttin' My Stuff" by Elvin Bishop (1975)
* "Rip This Joint" by the Rolling Stones ([[1972]])
* "Cities" by Talking Heads (1979)
* "Run, Baby, Run" by Sheryl Crow ([[1993]])
* "Swordfishtrombone" by Tom Waits (1983)
* "Stars Fell on Alabama" by Frank Perkins & Mitchell Parish ([[1934]])
* "Prisoner of the Highway" by Michael Barry Reid, recorded by Ronnie Milsap (1984)
* "Sure Don't Feel Like Love" by Paul Simon ([[2006]])
* "Gun Street Girl" by Tom Waits (1985)
* "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd ([[1974]])
* "Jacob's Ladder" by Bruce Hornsby, first recorded by Huey Lewis & the News (1987)
* "Swordfishtrombone" by Tom Waits ([[1983]])
* "Run, Baby, Run" by Sheryl Crow (1993)
* "True Believer" by John Hiatt, recorded by Ronnie Milsap (1993)
* "In a Waffle House in Alabama" by Steve Goodie (1995)
* "Maribel" by Andy Orfutt Irwin (2005)
* "Her First Mistake" by Lyle Lovett (1996)
* "I Can't Love You Anymore" by Lyle Lovett (1996)
* "Playboy Mommy" by Tori Amos (1998)
* "One of These Days" by the [[Drive-By Truckers]] (1999)
* "Alabama Anthem" by [[Birmingham J]] (2005)
* "Sure Don't Feel Like Love" by Paul Simon (2006)
* "If It Hadn't Been for Love" by Michael Henderson & Christopher Stapleton, recorded by the SteelDrivers (2008), Adele (2010)
* "Lonesome Friends of Science" by John Prine (2018)
* "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" by Riley Green (2019)
* "I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You" by [[Bob Dylan]] (2020)
* "Southern Hospitality" by Trinity the Tuck (2022)


{{expand list}}
{{expand list}}
==Notes==
<small>
# Lynne may just as well have been writing about Birmingham, England, his home town.
</small>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of songs about Bessemer]]
* [[List of songs about Bessemer]]
* [[List of songs about Tuscaloosa]]


==References==
==References==
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* Mathews, Burgin (2011) ''Thirty Birmingham Songs''. Birmingham: Lady Muleskinner Press
* Mathews, Burgin (2011) ''Thirty Birmingham Songs''. Birmingham: Lady Muleskinner Press


[[Category:Lists|Songs]]
[[Category:Lists of songs]]
[[Category:Songs|*]]

Latest revision as of 08:37, 20 March 2024

This is a list of songs written about the city of Birmingham. Birmingham and specific locations within the city have been referenced in numerous popular songs, of which the following represent but a sample:

1900s–1910s

Sheet music for "If I Ever Get Back to Birmingham" (1916)

1920s

1930s

1940s–1950s

Sheet music for "Birmingham Bounce" (1950)

1960s–1970s

1980s–1990s

2000s

2010s–2020s

Mentions

Birmingham is also mentioned in the following:

  • "Black Betty" by Leadbelly (early 20th century), remade by Ram Jam (1977)
  • "Stars Fell on Alabama" by Frank Perkins & Mitchell Parish (1934)
  • "Wabash Cannonball" by J. A. Roff, variation recorded by Roy Acuff (1936)
  • "Promised Land" by Chuck Berry (1965), recorded by Dave Edmunds (1972), The Band (1973), Elvis Presley (1974), James Taylor (1974), Meat Loaf (1983), and performed frequently by the Grateful Dead (1971-1995)
  • "My Elusive Dreams" by Moses & Joshua Dillard (1967)
  • "Handsome Johnny" by Richie Havens & Louis Gossett Jr (1969)
  • "California Women" by Hoyt Axton (1971)
  • "Carry Me" by the Stampeders (1971)
  • "Rip This Joint" by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
  • "Struttin' My Stuff" by Elvin Bishop (1975)
  • "Cities" by Talking Heads (1979)
  • "Swordfishtrombone" by Tom Waits (1983)
  • "Prisoner of the Highway" by Michael Barry Reid, recorded by Ronnie Milsap (1984)
  • "Gun Street Girl" by Tom Waits (1985)
  • "Jacob's Ladder" by Bruce Hornsby, first recorded by Huey Lewis & the News (1987)
  • "Run, Baby, Run" by Sheryl Crow (1993)
  • "True Believer" by John Hiatt, recorded by Ronnie Milsap (1993)
  • "In a Waffle House in Alabama" by Steve Goodie (1995)
  • "Maribel" by Andy Orfutt Irwin (2005)
  • "Her First Mistake" by Lyle Lovett (1996)
  • "I Can't Love You Anymore" by Lyle Lovett (1996)
  • "Playboy Mommy" by Tori Amos (1998)
  • "One of These Days" by the Drive-By Truckers (1999)
  • "Alabama Anthem" by Birmingham J (2005)
  • "Sure Don't Feel Like Love" by Paul Simon (2006)
  • "If It Hadn't Been for Love" by Michael Henderson & Christopher Stapleton, recorded by the SteelDrivers (2008), Adele (2010)
  • "Lonesome Friends of Science" by John Prine (2018)
  • "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" by Riley Green (2019)
  • "I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You" by Bob Dylan (2020)
  • "Southern Hospitality" by Trinity the Tuck (2022)

This list is incomplete and may never satisfy any subjective standard for completeness. You can help Bhamwiki by expanding it.

Notes

  1. Lynne may just as well have been writing about Birmingham, England, his home town.

See also

References

  • "List of songs about Birmingham, Alabama." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 19 Mar 2006, 17:22 UTC. 19 Mar 2006, 19:09 [1].
  • "Directory of African-Appalachian musicians" (March 22, 2004) Black Music Research Journal
  • Mathews, Burgin (2011) Thirty Birmingham Songs. Birmingham: Lady Muleskinner Press
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