4 Quaint Songs About New York City That Every Folk Fan Should Listen To

You don’t even have to go to New York City to know it’s a place full of inspiration. It’s also a very historically rich place for folk music. Here are a few quaint folky songs about New York City.

“New York’s Not My Home” by Jim Croce

So yes, Jim Croce wrote this one about not liking New York, but it’s still essential for this list. According to his wife, Ingrid, Croce came up with the idea for “New York’s Not My Home” when the couple was moving from New York to Pennsylvania. Croce didn’t really like New York City, but one night, they slept in their car, and he could see the city skyline. It struck him with inspiration.

“Talkin’ New York” by Bob Dylan

This song appears on Dylan’s first album, alongside several folk standards and one other original composition called “Song To Woody”.

He sings about his early days in New York, as he moved to the city only a year before his first project came out.

“Bleecker Street” by Simon & Garfunkel

This song appears on the Simon & Garfunkel album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. Bleecker Street is a real street in New York, specifically in Lower Manhattan. This wasn’t one of the more popular songs on this Simon & Garfunkel album, but “Bleecker Street” is rich in detail nonetheless.

“Voices leaking from a sad café / Smiling faces try to understand / I saw a shadow touch a shadow’s hand / On Bleecker Street.“

“Hard Times In New York Town” by Bob Dylan

When Dylan came to New York, he was actually pretty warmly received by the folk community. In that sense, the song isn’t entirely accurate. He did write this within his first year of coming to the city, which he moved to in 1961 to pursue music. In 1962, he released his eponymous debut album. This song references several iconic places in the city, from the Staten Island ferry to the Empire State.

It’s a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller plaza n’ the Empire State.
Mister Rockefeller sets up as high as a bird,
Old mister empire never says a word
It’s hard times in the country
Livin’ down in New York town.

Photo by: Peter Noble/Redferns