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Playlists: love songs to specific places

March 8, 2022 Peter Kimpton

Avalon man: Mississippi John Hurt


By Uncleben


We Britons dream of forests, fens and fields
Commune with ancient forts and hidden wealds 
Seek spirits in the bramble, briar and haw
The Waterboys’ god lives on Glastonbury Tor

Through sinuous alleys, amorous lairs
Street atlas indexed with steamy affairs
Lucio Dalla takes us by the hand
And guides us through the charms of svelte Milan

Rolling hills, cotton fields, dust and dirt
Home is calling Mississippi John Hurt
New York’s a good town but he’ll travel on
Back to his roots down in sweet Avalon

The love we feel for childhood homes grows scarred
Polluted memories atrophy the heart
Heartless Bastards chart the bleak topography
And rusted soul of Main Street, Cincinatti

From forests to grasslands, vast savannahs
Home of cattle, herons, jacamars 
The soul of Aries Vigoth will remain
Forever on the Casanare plain

Some say we might need a new religion
Another soul music, a different kitchen
Protoje’s Jah smiles on rivers and trees
The sunshine, the trade winds, the West Indies

Gare Saint-Lazare has me begging for more,
I dote like a child on ma chère Gare du Nord
But if Gilbert Bécaud calls, tell him I’m poorly
Don’t let him take me planespotting at Orly

Camarón de la Isla, senses stirred
By estuary marsh and salt flats, heard
The music of the water, barge and skiff
Ring through the air on Bahía de Cádiz

The nectar of love comes mixed in strange potions
LCD Soundsystem feel torn emotions
Insomniac city, mood-swinging town
New York, they love you, but you’re bringing them down

The mariachi horns don’t make a sound
The town he loved is now a battleground
Tom Russell dreams of hope, but senseless war is
Tearing lives apart in his dear Juárez

To Jean Sibelius, closing our theme –
His thinly veiled V-sign to tsarist regime
Forged national identity, helped conquer fear
Serenity reigns now in Finlandia

The Atlas d’Amour A-List Playlist:

The Waterboys - Glastonbury Song
Lucio Dalla - Milano
Mississippi John Hurt - Avalon Blues`
Heartless Bastards - Skin and Bone
Aries Vigoth - Llanura Aqui Esta Tu Hijo
Protoje ft Chronixx - Who Knows
Gilbert Bécaud - Dimanche à Orly
Camarón de la Isla - Bahía de Cádiz
LCD Soundsystem - New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down
Tom Russell and the Norwegian Wind Ensemble - Goodnight Juarez
Jean Sibelius - Finlandia


The Bon Voyage B-List Playlist:

Buffy Sainte-Marie - Qu’appelle Valley, Saskatchewan
Mischief Brew - O, Pennsyltucky!
James Taylor - Carolina in My Mind
The Beginning of the End - Funky Nassau`
Lord Creator - Kingston Town`
The Whitlams - Melbourne
Angèle - Bruxelles je t’aime
Christy Moore - Back Home in Derry
The Bangles - Going Down to Liverpool
Lorraine Bowen - Give My Love to Hull
Florence + the Machine - South London Forever


Guru’s Wildcard Pick:

Cesária Évora - Petit Pays

A tender, sparse song of longing and love for her native Cape Verde. 

These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: X marks the spot: love songs to specific places. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.

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In African, blues, classical, country, dance, disco, drone, dub, electronica, folk, funk, gospel, hip hop, indie, instrumentals, jazz, music, playlists, pop, postpunk, prog, punk, reggae, rock, rocksteady, ska, songs, soul, traditional Tags The Waterboys, Lucio Dalla, Mississippi John Hurt, Heartless Bastards, Aries Vigoth, Protoje, Chronixx, Gilbert Bécaud, Camaron de la Isla, LCD Soundsystem, Tom Russell, Norwegian Wind Ensemble, Jean Sibelius, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Mischief Brew, James Taylor, The Beginning of the End, Lord Creator, The Whitlams, Angèle, Christy Moore, The Bangles, Lorraine Bowen, Florence and the Machine, Cesaria Evora, places, playlists, towns, cities, Uncleben
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DRINK OF THE WEEK

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SNACK OF THE WEEK

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Song of the Day: Margaret Glaspy - Michigan
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Word of the week

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June 4, 2026
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Word of the week: riqq
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Word of the week: An appropriately onomatopoeic noun for name for Middle Eastern tambourine, able to produce a range of percussive sounds, and commonly heard in traditional Egyptian, Arab, Greek and Turkish music

May 21, 2026
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Word of the week: salpinx
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April 23, 2026

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