Here’s the podcast we’ve all been waiting for: the South Magazine offers a monthly sampler of Savannah’s local musical fare.
Better yet, stop that creepy lurking and join the mix by submitting your band’s/crew’s/church group’s stuff.
Thanks to the people over at the Creative Coast Initiative’s blog for getting in on the act. My way of saying “thanks” is to finally alphabetize the list.
I hate to complain, my people, but Blind Willie McTell can’t be the only bluesman from this region.
- “Country Grammar,” Nelly
- “Delia,” Blind Willie McTell, with famous covers by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan
- “Down by the River,” Camoflauge
- “Georgia” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
- “Get Up Jake,” The Band
- “Good Little Thing,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Got Three Women,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Composers: Jack Yellen, Bob Bigelow and Charles Bates (made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles)
- “Jug Band Music,” Lovin’ Spoonful
- “Little Things,” India Arie
- “Moon over Georgia,” Shenandoah
- “Moon River,” Johnny Mercer
- “Red Hot Mama,” Funkadelic
- “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
- “Savannah Fare You Well,” Jimmy Buffet
- “Savannah in the Rain,” Griff
- “Savannah Mama,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Savannah Song,” Jake Matson
- “Savannah Woman,” Tommy Bolin
- “Savannah,” Ted Weems
- “So Long Savannah,” Eric Bachman
- “Song Man,” Tanya Tucker
- “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
- “The First Mrs. Jones,” Porter Wagoner
- “West Savannah,” Outkast
Blind Willie McTell was from Atlanta, not Savannah, but he sure managed to sing about the mossy port town a whole bunch.
Here’s a good one: Three Women Blues
My running list of songs about Savannah is on the increase. I’m including tunes that feature but brief mentions. Continued thanks to the gang at Savannah Underground for keeping the list alive and growing.
- “West Savannah,” Outkast
- “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Ray Charles
- “Georgia,” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
- “Down by the River,” Camoflauge (I’d never heard of Camoflauge [r.i.p.] until I visited Savannah for the first time in July. I’m guessing most of his stuff is about the town.)
- “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
- “Savannah,” Ted Weems
- “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
- “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Good Little Thing,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Got Three Women,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Savannah Mama,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Get Up Jake,” The Band
- “Delia,” Blind Willie McTell, with famous covers by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan
- “So Long Savannah,” Eric Bachman
- “Moon River,” Johnny Mercer
- “Country Grammar,” Nelly
- “Moon over Georgia,” Shenandoah
- “The first Mrs. Jones,” Porter Wagoner
- “Song Man,” Tanya Tucke
- “Red Hot Mama,” Funkadelic
- “Jug Band Music,” Lovin’ Spoonful
- “Savannah Fare You Well,” Jimmy Buffet
- “Savannah Woman,” Tommy Bolin
- “Savannah Song,” Jake Matson
- “Savannah in the Rain,” Griff
- “Little Things,” India Arie
- “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Composers: Jack Yellen, Bob Bigelow and Charles Bates (made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles)
My new friends at Savannah Underground have helped me significantly beef up my puny list of songs about Savannah. Below is the growing list. Add your favorite. I know there more out there. Savannah is too damn spooky to not have inspired a gazillion songs about death and love and everything in between.
- “West Savannah,” Outkast
- “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Ray Charles
- “Georgia,” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
- “Down by the River,” Camoflauge (I’d never heard of Camoflauge [r.i.p.] until I visited Savannah for the first time in July. I’m guessing most of his stuff is about the town.)
- “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
- “Savannah,” Ted Weems
- “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
- “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Good Little Thing,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Got Three Women,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Savannah Mama,” Blind Willie McTell
- “Get Up Jake,” The Band
- “Delia,” Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, et. al.
- “So Long Savannah,” Eric Bachman
- “Moon River,” Johnny Mercer
I’m a musician and songwriter, so music is one of my natural entry-points into a thing, a place, a person. (E.g., back when I was dating, a music collection could make or break a potential girlfriend.) So, I’ve started collecting songs about Savannah. Below is a super dinky list to start. I haven’t heard or listened to most of these songs. I’ll add more as I come across them, so please add yours to the comment section. I’m sure there are a ton of traditional (blues, folk, old timey, etc.) tunes from and about the place, so send them my way, please.
- “West Savannah,” Outkast
- “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Ray Charles
- “Georgia,” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
- “Down by the River,” Camoflauge (I’d never heard of Camoflauge [r.i.p.] until I visited Savannah for the first time in July. I’m guessing most of his stuff is about the town.)
- “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
- “Savannah,” Ted Weems
- “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
- “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell
