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Bill Rogers - Posted - 02/28/2024: 04:57:40
I know of a couple named for red light districts—Deep Elum Blues (Dallas); Sugar Hill (Kinston, NC). Does anyone know of other such tunes or songs?
Edited by - Bill Rogers on 02/28/2024 05:04:18
banjoy - Posted - 02/28/2024: 05:21:30
House of The Rising Sun (New Orleans)
Joel Hooks - Posted - 02/28/2024: 05:59:38
Historically Deep Elum was historically populated by African Americans.
The pejorative and racist term "Darktown" could qualify, in that you have a number of titles including banjo compositions such as "Darktown Dandies" and "N****r Town" (often now called "Banjo Town".
Then there are scads of "Coon Songs" that take place in or adjacent to bars (aka brothels). Titles such as "Razors in the air" fall into this.
One might find when pursuing this subject that most of the titles are not in reference to white "red light districts" but rather neighborhoods that were historically populated by Black persons. The subject was much easier to swallow, or perhaps more entertaining to white audiences, when it involved "that part of town".
banjoy - Posted - 02/28/2024: 06:04:24
Further field research is required ...
chuckv97 - Posted - 02/28/2024: 06:13:09
From Ian Tyson’s fine song “Summer Wages”
“ In all of your taverns all down along Main Street,
The dreams of a season are all spilled down on the floor,
And the big stands of timber just waiting for falling,
And the hookers standing watchfully as they wait there by the door”
Tractor1 - Posted - 02/28/2024: 06:20:50
hickory holler's tramp
Louise
Edited by - Tractor1 on 02/28/2024 06:22:37
Tim Jumper - Posted - 02/28/2024: 06:53:02
Rev. Gary Davis's "Candyman" might qualify.
Joel Hooks - Posted - 02/28/2024: 07:16:08
In light of the two more modern submissions, Bill Rogers , what is the cutoff year you had in mind? Getting into the 1960s and 1970s Honkey Tonk country era will paint a very different picture.
CW Spook - Posted - 02/28/2024: 10:02:56
The song that first comes to mind is the Chad Mitchell Trio's version of "Mandy Lane".
Tractor1 - Posted - 02/28/2024: 10:21:54
the boxer--where he took some comfort there
monstertone - Posted - 02/28/2024: 10:40:36
There are some raunchy verses to Salty Dog Blues. A lot of popular songs during the Minstrel era referred to people of color, one way or another. And then there's Georgia Buck.
RB3 - Posted - 02/28/2024: 11:15:29
When Keith Whitley was playing with J.D. Crowe, they recorded a great version of "Railroad Lady". It's a song written by Jimmy Buffet and Jerry Jeff Walker that tells a tale of an aging prostitute who once plied her trade on the trains in the heyday of rail travel. It has some the finest crafted lyrics I've ever heard.
Railroad Lady
Bill Rogers - Posted - 02/28/2024: 12:25:53
My intent was a lot narrower than what emerged on the thread. I was looking for titular references to red-light districts—not whorehouses, not prostitutes. The two I mentioned actually existed; they were not songwriters’ creations.
@Joel Hooks
raybob - Posted - 02/28/2024: 14:43:14
There's "Farewell to Storyville" with Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. And "Storyville Blues" with Louis.
Edited by - raybob on 02/28/2024 14:43:36
'I'm Liberated!' 2 hrs
'Mahog bow tie.' 13 hrs
