The Rock N' Roll Map
Places mentioned in song lyrics or titles - and the explanation behind them.
*You can hover over pins, then click on them, hover over states, etc.
The Heart Of Rock N' Roll -Huey Lewis & The News
Though the song mentions many places throughout the lyrics, the one that sticks is the shout of "Clevland" at the end of the song. This is meant to stand out becasue the song was originally supposed to be all about Clevland. The reasoning: becuse Clevland is the home of the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame, therefore, it is literally the heart of rock n' roll.
"Graceland" -Paul Simon
The song, off the album of the same name, was written by Simon as he took a road trip to Graceland after his marriage to actress Carrie Fischer fell apart. Graceland of course, was the home of The King of Rock N' Roll. It has become a sort of 'holy site' to music lovers.
"Walk On The Wild Side" -Lou Reed
As a counterculture anthem, the song follows a series of individuals on their journey to New York City. These individuals just so happen to be each of Andy Warhols "Superstars". Two of these being transgender actresses Holly Woodlawn and Candy Darling. Produced by David Bowie, the title is also a reference to the book from 1956 of the same name.
" My Hometown" -Bruce Springsteed
The song, written about a mixture of Springsteen's childhood in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and the at the time racial strife of the town. The song begins with memories of his childhood and the pride of his home his father instilled with him. It then transfers to talking about the racial violence and economic depression the narrator witnesed as a child and young adult. "The song concludes with the speaker's reluctant proclamation that he plans to move his family out of the town, but not without first taking his own son on a drive and expressing the same community pride that was instilled in him by his father."
"Detroit Rock City" -Kiss
Though the experience that inspired the song didn't actually happen in Detroit, when Paul Stanley wrote the riff, all he "knew" was it was about Detroit. "And then I remembered on the previous tour, I think it was in Charlotte, somebody had gotten hit by a car and killed outside the arena. I remember thinking how weird it is that people's lives end so quickly. People can be on their way to something that's really a party and a celebration of being alive and die in the process of doing it. So that became the basis for the lyric," Stanley said.
"Seven Nation Army" -The White Stripes
The famous line "I'm goin' to Wichita", is most likely a reference to the town's location rather than the town's history. Though it is possible it is a reference to "Bleeding Kansas", where a violent 'debate' took place between pro and anti slavery supoorters, it is more likely a reference to Wichita being a small town, right in the middle of the country, and smack dab in the middle of nowhere. This then translates to the narrators hope for peace and quiet, and thinking that Wichita or a place like it is where he can get that.
"Lights" -Journey
As one of Steve Perry's first journey songs, "Lights" was written about the bands home of San Fransisco. Though the song was originally written about LA, Perry felt the lyric "when the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on LA," didn't sound right, he eventually had the idea to change LA to The Bay - his home which he adored, thus giving us a song about San Francisco.
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" -John Denver
The 1971 song was mainly written by Bill Danoff and and Taffy Nivert, a married couple. Danoff was influenced by friend and performer Chris Saradon, a West Virginia native. At one of Saradon's shows, he met a group of Saradon's friends from West Virginia, "They brought their dogs and were a very colorful group of folks, but that is how West Virginia began creeping into the song." While the song was inspired by Danoff's upbringing in Springfield, Massachusetts, he "didn't want to write about Massachusetts because [he] didn't think the word was musical.
"Take It Easy" -The Eagles
"Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona", is the lyric in question. Jackson Browne, the first writer of the song, couldn't come up with lyrics to finish the song after the Winslow line, so his friend Glenn Frey, singer in The Eagles, helped finish it. Supposedly, the line is inspired because Browne's car broke down while he was traveling to Sedona, and got stuck in Winslow for a day. Now, the town dedicated a mural to the song that made it famous. Shown to the left, the mural is a trompe l'oeil (trick to the eye),
"Philadelphia Freedom" -Elton John
The song was written by Bernie Taupin as a favor to Elton John's friend Billie Jean King, who was part of the Philadelphia Freedoms. "Taupin maintains that the lyrics bear no relation to tennis, Philadelphia soul, or even flag-waving patriotism. Nonetheless, the lyrics have been interpreted as patriotic and uplifting."
"Under the Bridge" -The Red Hot Chili Peppers
The song was written by frontman Anthony Kiedis during a bout of depression. He had been sober for about three years, but his addiction had caused a breakup, loss of many friends, and was a negative part of his life. The story goes, Kiedis was driving home after a rehearsal with the band, and he felt his connection to the city of LA was stronger than his connection to anyone. He felt like LA was his only companion, "there was a nonhuman entity, maybe the spirit of the hills and the city, who had me in her sights and was looking after me"
Rock N' Roll Map
Rock N' Metal Club
Created on April 4, 2024
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Education Timeline
View
Body Parts Game
View
Resource Bank
View
Body Parts
View
Choice Board Flipcards
View
January School Calendar
View
Genial Calendar 2026
Explore all templates
Transcript
The Rock N' Roll Map
Places mentioned in song lyrics or titles - and the explanation behind them.
*You can hover over pins, then click on them, hover over states, etc.
The Heart Of Rock N' Roll -Huey Lewis & The News
Though the song mentions many places throughout the lyrics, the one that sticks is the shout of "Clevland" at the end of the song. This is meant to stand out becasue the song was originally supposed to be all about Clevland. The reasoning: becuse Clevland is the home of the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame, therefore, it is literally the heart of rock n' roll.
"Graceland" -Paul Simon
The song, off the album of the same name, was written by Simon as he took a road trip to Graceland after his marriage to actress Carrie Fischer fell apart. Graceland of course, was the home of The King of Rock N' Roll. It has become a sort of 'holy site' to music lovers.
"Walk On The Wild Side" -Lou Reed
As a counterculture anthem, the song follows a series of individuals on their journey to New York City. These individuals just so happen to be each of Andy Warhols "Superstars". Two of these being transgender actresses Holly Woodlawn and Candy Darling. Produced by David Bowie, the title is also a reference to the book from 1956 of the same name.
" My Hometown" -Bruce Springsteed
The song, written about a mixture of Springsteen's childhood in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and the at the time racial strife of the town. The song begins with memories of his childhood and the pride of his home his father instilled with him. It then transfers to talking about the racial violence and economic depression the narrator witnesed as a child and young adult. "The song concludes with the speaker's reluctant proclamation that he plans to move his family out of the town, but not without first taking his own son on a drive and expressing the same community pride that was instilled in him by his father."
"Detroit Rock City" -Kiss
Though the experience that inspired the song didn't actually happen in Detroit, when Paul Stanley wrote the riff, all he "knew" was it was about Detroit. "And then I remembered on the previous tour, I think it was in Charlotte, somebody had gotten hit by a car and killed outside the arena. I remember thinking how weird it is that people's lives end so quickly. People can be on their way to something that's really a party and a celebration of being alive and die in the process of doing it. So that became the basis for the lyric," Stanley said.
"Seven Nation Army" -The White Stripes
The famous line "I'm goin' to Wichita", is most likely a reference to the town's location rather than the town's history. Though it is possible it is a reference to "Bleeding Kansas", where a violent 'debate' took place between pro and anti slavery supoorters, it is more likely a reference to Wichita being a small town, right in the middle of the country, and smack dab in the middle of nowhere. This then translates to the narrators hope for peace and quiet, and thinking that Wichita or a place like it is where he can get that.
"Lights" -Journey
As one of Steve Perry's first journey songs, "Lights" was written about the bands home of San Fransisco. Though the song was originally written about LA, Perry felt the lyric "when the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on LA," didn't sound right, he eventually had the idea to change LA to The Bay - his home which he adored, thus giving us a song about San Francisco.
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" -John Denver
The 1971 song was mainly written by Bill Danoff and and Taffy Nivert, a married couple. Danoff was influenced by friend and performer Chris Saradon, a West Virginia native. At one of Saradon's shows, he met a group of Saradon's friends from West Virginia, "They brought their dogs and were a very colorful group of folks, but that is how West Virginia began creeping into the song." While the song was inspired by Danoff's upbringing in Springfield, Massachusetts, he "didn't want to write about Massachusetts because [he] didn't think the word was musical.
"Take It Easy" -The Eagles
"Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona", is the lyric in question. Jackson Browne, the first writer of the song, couldn't come up with lyrics to finish the song after the Winslow line, so his friend Glenn Frey, singer in The Eagles, helped finish it. Supposedly, the line is inspired because Browne's car broke down while he was traveling to Sedona, and got stuck in Winslow for a day. Now, the town dedicated a mural to the song that made it famous. Shown to the left, the mural is a trompe l'oeil (trick to the eye),
"Philadelphia Freedom" -Elton John
The song was written by Bernie Taupin as a favor to Elton John's friend Billie Jean King, who was part of the Philadelphia Freedoms. "Taupin maintains that the lyrics bear no relation to tennis, Philadelphia soul, or even flag-waving patriotism. Nonetheless, the lyrics have been interpreted as patriotic and uplifting."
"Under the Bridge" -The Red Hot Chili Peppers
The song was written by frontman Anthony Kiedis during a bout of depression. He had been sober for about three years, but his addiction had caused a breakup, loss of many friends, and was a negative part of his life. The story goes, Kiedis was driving home after a rehearsal with the band, and he felt his connection to the city of LA was stronger than his connection to anyone. He felt like LA was his only companion, "there was a nonhuman entity, maybe the spirit of the hills and the city, who had me in her sights and was looking after me"