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I love reading other local news outlets, especially the Phoenix New Times.
Last week, when I was reading one of their stories about a film screening, I learned about Matt Farley, a prolific artist who has written over 26,000 songs.
Part of his massive collection, under the pseudonym “The Man Who Writes Songs About Cities & Towns,” includes albums for each state full of ditties about dozens of cities.
It’s pretty wild to take in. Farley doesn’t just stick to major cities—he has some seriously deep cuts, including one for my fairly small hometown in Maryland.
The Arizona album, titled “Arizona Good Songs Place Good,” covers much ground, from the expected big cities to smaller spots like Safford, Coolidge, and San Luis.
I highly encourage you to find your city’s song, or at least the closest one to you, and see how Farley chose to represent it. These are by no means deep works of art, but they’re enough to give you a laugh and feel some hometown pride.
