I recently listened to a cd called “Rues de Paris” (Paris Streets) from a great 12-cd box set Les Chansons de Paris (Songs of Paris). In Paris, streets are named after famous historical figures, reflecting the long and amazing history of the city. There are songs about Parisian streets by Yves Montand, Edith Piaf, Juliette Greco, Charles Trenet, and more than twenty other famous singers. All celebrate Paris, French history, and Parisian street life. My friend Alan Swyer just told me that Jean Paul Sartre even wrote a song for Juliette Greco, “Rue des Blancs Manteaux” (Street of the White Coats”).
I don’t know if any other major city shares this distinction. My friend and fado aficionado Donald Cohen (author of Fado Portugues: Songs from the Soul of Portugal) tells me that Lisbon has a similar trove of songs celebrating the city and reflecting its history.
What about Los Angeles’ streets? Besides Felix Figueroa (Freddy Martin) and his 1947 classic “Pico & Sepulveda” I can’t think of many, but there must be some. Tom Waits wrote “Heart Attack and Vine”, hardly a celebratory ditty.
Now thanks to Eric Cocks, who has reminded me of Randy Newman’s song “I Love LA”. It mentions Century Blvd, Victory Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, and Sixth Street. I wonder if those street names figure somehow into LA history?
I think “Pico and Sepulveda” takes the prize: named after Pio Pico and Andres Sepulveda, the last two Mexican governors of California prior to 1848, it names Doheny, La Brea (Tar Pits), Cahuenga, La Jolla, Beverly Drive, Alvarado, and other streets of Los Angeles, mostly reflecting Los Angeles’ Mexican and Spanish heritage. The song, a favorite of Dr. Demento, is hard to get now, although the band Oingo Boingo recorded another version years later. The original version has a conga-line latin beat that Xavier Cugat and Ary Barroso made famous.
I wish LA had more streets named after historical figures and events. We do have Martin Luther King (formerly Santa Barbara Avenue), Mulholland Drive, and others. Some LA streets are named after trees (Sycamore), actors, land developers (Mulholland), many after famous actors (Bob Hope, Valentino Place, Bronson Avenue, even Trigger Street in Chatsworth, named after the Roy Rogers’ faithful palomino. Singer Rudy Vallee wanted to see his street in the Hollywood Hills named “Rue de Vallee”, but the neighbors objected.
Most of our streets are named after people we’ve never heard of. Then there are all the numbered streets. Euclid St. in Santa Monica reflects a bit of tridecaphobia / triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number 13 (in China it’s the number “4”, which sounds like the word “death” in Mandarin).
I still think Figueroa’s 1947 song is the most fun of all songs named after Los Angeles streets, so let’s give it a listen:
Here are the lyrics to “Pico and Sepulveda”:
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Doheny, Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Cahuenga, Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
La Brea Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Tar Pits,
Tar Pits.
La Jolla, Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Sequoia, Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
La Brea, Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Tar Pits,
Tar Pits.
You can keep Alvarado,
Santa Monica,
Even Beverly Drive.
Vine may be fine,
But for mine,
I want to,
Feel,
Alive,
And settle down in my,
La Brea, Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Tar Pits, Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Where nobody’s dreams,
Come true.
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,
Pico and Sepulveda, Pico and Sepulveda,