In the song "Dancing In The Streets" what cities are named within it?

Question

In the song "Dancing In The Streets" what cities are named within it?

Question #84404. Asked by star_gazer.

Related Trivia Topics: Geography

zbeckabee

Answer has 6 votes

Currently Best Answer

zbeckabee

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Answer has 6 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.

Chicago
New Orleans
NYC
Philadelphia
Baltimore
DC
Motor City
LA
Halifax
Manchester
Alexandria
Virginia

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thebigchill/dancinginthestreet.htm

Aug 10 2007, 9:24 PM

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Answer 1

McGruff

Answer has 5 votes

McGruff

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Answer has 5 votes.

In Martha and the Vandellas version they are:

Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Detroit, Los Angeles.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/27313/Martha_And_The_Vandellas/Dancing_In_The_Streets

Aug 10 2007, 9:25 PM

Answer 2

Don't believe I've ever heard that last verse, Zbeck!

Philadelphia, P.A. (Philadelphia, P.A.)
Baltimore and DC now (Baltimore and DC now)
Yeah don't forget the Motor City (can't forget the Motor City)
All the way down in L.A. California
Not to mention Halifax Nova Scotia
Manchester
Alexandria, Virginia, Virginia

Answer 3

hermitz21
Answer has 3 votes

hermitz21

Answer has 3 votes.

i think there is eight.

http://www.oracleband.net/Lyrics/dancing-in-the-street.htm

Aug 10 2007, 9:28 PM

Answer 4

McGruff

Answer has 5 votes

McGruff

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Answer has 5 votes.

Van Halen adds San Francisco.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/v/van+halen/dancing+in+the+streets_20142766.html

Aug 10 2007, 9:31 PM

Answer 5

zbeckabee

Answer has 3 votes

zbeckabee

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19 year member
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Answer has 3 votes.

Zbeckabee sings it so that Virginia becomes a city.

Aug 10 2007, 9:36 PM

Answer 6

McGruff

Answer has 4 votes

McGruff

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25 year member
3694 replies avatar

Answer has 4 votes.

Actually hermitz has the entire version I remember. My link seems to have cut off the ending.

Aug 10 2007, 9:43 PM

Answer 7

star_gazer

Answer has 2 votes

star_gazer

22 year member
5236 replies avatar

Answer has 2 votes.

Alexandria, Virginia is a city.

Aug 10 2007, 9:45 PM

Answer 8

zbeckabee

Answer has 3 votes

zbeckabee

Moderator
19 year member
11752 replies avatar

Answer has 3 votes.

I listed Virginia as one of the cities.

Aug 10 2007, 9:58 PM

Answer 9

star_gazer

Answer has 2 votes

star_gazer

22 year member
5236 replies avatar

Answer has 2 votes.

See if they just sang "Alexandria" that could be confused with Alexandria, Egypt.

Aug 10 2007, 10:13 PM

Answer 10

McGruff

Answer has 4 votes

McGruff

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25 year member
3694 replies avatar

Answer has 4 votes.

Yes, Alexandria, Virginia is a city, but I don't remember it ever being in the lyrics to the song.

Is this part actually in the Martha & the Vandellas recording?

"Not to mention Halifax Nova Scotia
Manchester
Alexandria, Virginia, Virginia"

Aug 11 2007, 7:26 AM

Answer 11

zbeckabee

Answer has 3 votes

zbeckabee

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19 year member
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Answer has 3 votes.

Point well taken, McGruff! I just listened to 7,983 versions of Martha and the Vandellas and none of them present the last verse. Seems to be a newer version incorrectly attributed to them.

Aug 11 2007, 8:45 AM

Answer 12

In the Mamas and Papas version - which I think pre-dates the Martha and the Vandellas version - this bit is spoken at the end

"[spoken]
"Not to mention Hafilax, Nova Scotia."
"Not to mention [?]"
"Well, [?], you know?" "Yes, I know."
"Manchester?" "And, oh, Amherst, Amherst."
"Alexandria?" "And Virginia, Virginia."
"Falls Church?" "Where's that?"
"[?] --oh, Boyle Heights"
"Boyle heights? Never heard of it..."

Several lyrics sites I went to all had the question marks - perhaps there were other city names the transcribers had difficulty understanding.

Answer 13

Ah, that must be where it comes from. Thanks, mctavish.

Written by William Stevenson and Marvin Gaye; A #2 hit for Martha Reeves & The Vandellas in 1964; A 1967 remake by The Mamas & the Papas failed to make the ...

http://www.oracleband.net/Lyrics/dancing-in-the-street.htm

Two of my oldies experts have sent me the mp3 of the Mamas and the Papas version, if anyone wants it just holler.

In the song "Dancing In The Streets" what cities are named within it?

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