Replay Friday // Establishing a Sense of Place

One of the most important parts about a music is its sense of place. Where does the music take us when we hear it?
Beauregard Higgins, of Beauregard and The Downright, is an excellent songwriter. His song “Atlanta Anthem” is a love song explicitly set in Atlanta. In the song Beauregard name-checks various Atlanta venues (Star Bar, 529, etc) and elements of the community to create a song that is unique to his experience of Atlanta. “Atlanta Anthem” was recently featured on The Sugarshack Sessions. Check it out here. Here’s some of the lyrics from “Atlanta Anthem”:
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​“It’s a Friday night down at 529
watching Jungol play for the very first time.
Wearing body paint under the black lights
totally tripped out and glowing like fireflies.
Got caught by the door guy
pouring whiskey drinks.
He grabbed me by the sleeve
and said “son, you have to leave”.
I just stared at him
and kept my stupid grin.
I told him we’d be friends
and he let me go back in”.
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Of course, the cool thing about place is that it is different for everyone. For instance: my version of Atlanta wouldn’t have the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood in it--I might write instead about Candler Park.
Today write a song about place with music and lyrics that reflect your own unique experience of that place.