Here’s the podcast we’ve all been waiting for: the South Magazine offers a monthly sampler of Savannah’s local musical fare.

Eat up.

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.

1. “Country Grammar,” Nelly
2. “Delia,” Blind Willie McTell, with famous covers by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan
3. “Down by the River,” Camoflauge
4. “Georgia” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
5. “Get Up Jake,” The Band
6. “Good Little Thing,” Blind Willie McTell
7. “Got Three Women,” Blind Willie McTell
8. “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Composers: Jack Yellen, Bob Bigelow and Charles Bates (made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles)
9. “Jug Band Music,” Lovin’ Spoonful
10. “Little Things,” India Arie
11. “Moon over Georgia,” Shenandoah
12. “Moon River,” Johnny Mercer
13. “Red Hot Mama,” Funkadelic
14. “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
15. “Savannah Fare You Well,” Jimmy Buffet
16. “Savannah in the Rain,” Griff
17. “Savannah Mama,” Blind Willie McTell
18. “Savannah Song,” Jake Matson
19. “Savannah Woman,” Tommy Bolin
20. “Savannah,” Ted Weems
21. “So Long Savannah,” Eric Bachman
22. “Song Man,” Tanya Tucker
23. “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell
24. “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
25. “The First Mrs. Jones,” Porter Wagoner
26. “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

I haven’t even moved to Savannah yet, and I’ve already found something to be incensed about. Robin Wright Gunn explains.

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.

1. “West Savannah,” Outkast
2. “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Ray Charles
3. “Georgia,” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
4. “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.)
5. “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
6. “Savannah,” Ted Weems
7. “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
8. “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell
9. “Good Little Thing,” Blind Willie McTell
10. “Got Three Women,” Blind Willie McTell
11. “Savannah Mama,” Blind Willie McTell
12. “Get Up Jake,” The Band
13. “Delia,” Blind Willie McTell, with famous covers by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan
14. “So Long Savannah,” Eric Bachman
15. “Moon River,” Johnny Mercer
16. “Country Grammar,” Nelly
17. “Moon over Georgia,” Shenandoah
18. “The first Mrs. Jones,” Porter Wagoner
19. “Song Man,” Tanya Tucke
20. “Red Hot Mama,” Funkadelic
21. “Jug Band Music,” Lovin’ Spoonful
22. “Savannah Fare You Well,” Jimmy Buffet
23. “Savannah Woman,” Tommy Bolin
24. “Savannah Song,” Jake Matson
25. “Savannah in the Rain,” Griff
26. “Little Things,” India Arie
27. “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.

1. “West Savannah,” Outkast
2. “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Ray Charles
3. “Georgia,” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
4. “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.)
5. “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
6. “Savannah,” Ted Weems
7. “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
8. “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell
9. “Good Little Thing,” Blind Willie McTell
10. “Got Three Women,” Blind Willie McTell
11. “Savannah Mama,” Blind Willie McTell
12. “Get Up Jake,” The Band
13. “Delia,” Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, et. al.
14. “So Long Savannah,” Eric Bachman
15. “Moon River,” Johnny Mercer

This is my plea for links to nooks and crannies of the web that feature the Savannah that’s under the radar.  All categories of the strange and lovely welcome.  Surprise me.  The worthy ones I’ll add to my blogroll.

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.

1. “West Savannah,” Outkast
2. “Hard-hearted Hannah,” Ray Charles
3. “Georgia,” Ludacris, Field Mob (mostly about Georgia as a whole)
4. “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.)
5. “Savannah (Part One),” Band of Horses
6. “Savannah,” Ted Weems
7. “Sunday in Savannah: Martin Luther King Suite, Part 1,” Nina Simone
8. “Stomp Down Rider,” Blind Willie McTell

My wife and I went to Savannah last weekend to check out the famed and sweaty city to determine whether or not we could live there. Yes, it’s true, the oak trees dripping with Spanish moss are haunting and beautiful. It took a day or two before we could see past them. Once our eye’s clear, we began noticing the propensity of hand-painted signage–something you don’t see to much of in this digitally-enhanced age. There are many more examples I saw as we drove around, and I’ll post more as soon as we actually live there.

I’m especially fond of the eccentric details on the Bland’s sign. I’d love to find out more about the guy who painted it.

| View Show | Create Your Own

My wife accepted a job at the Savannah School of Art and Design in–you guessed it–Savannah, Georgia. We’ve lived in New York for a combined total of 23 years. We love New York–and we love adventures, too. So, we’re off to see the wizard of Savannah. Got just over a month to get our stuff and our bodies down there.

Help.