New York, New York (So Good They Named It Twice)
Encyclopedia
"New York, New York" is a song
performed and composed
by singer-songwriter
, Gerard Kenny
in 1978. The song is an ode to his hometown, and state
New York
, New York
.
Kenny wrote the song about myth versus fact and explains that the city is overall a great place ("It was a really nice night for a good street fight or a robbery/But I always knew in my home town that would never happen to me"). The line "So Good They Named It Twice" is a play on the fact the name of the city and state are both "New York".
"New York, New York" (as it is sometimes simply called) was the first hit for Kenny after a number of non-charting singles
back home in the United States
. In 1978, after moving to England
the song was released. Although it got no higher than Number 42 on the UK Singles Chart
, it remained there for two months. It also received much airplay, and was included on Kenny's Made It Through The Rain album
, and the song's popularity helped the collection reach the top 20.
Shirley Bassey
later covered
the song, as part of her "New York Medley", along with Theme from New York, New York
.
The song was included on the following albums released by Kenny:
The song was also parodied
in the Beautiful South song "Liar's Bar" in which the line "singing: 'whisky, whiskey...so good they named it twice' " features.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
performed and composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
by singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, Gerard Kenny
Gerard Kenny
Gerard Kenny is a popular music singer-songwriter.-Career:Kenny formed his first band whilst in high school and between then, and the early 1970s, he toured the club circuit. In 1968 he landed his first recording contract with Warner Bros...
in 1978. The song is an ode to his hometown, and state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Kenny wrote the song about myth versus fact and explains that the city is overall a great place ("It was a really nice night for a good street fight or a robbery/But I always knew in my home town that would never happen to me"). The line "So Good They Named It Twice" is a play on the fact the name of the city and state are both "New York".
"New York, New York" (as it is sometimes simply called) was the first hit for Kenny after a number of non-charting singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
back home in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1978, after moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
the song was released. Although it got no higher than Number 42 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, it remained there for two months. It also received much airplay, and was included on Kenny's Made It Through The Rain album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, and the song's popularity helped the collection reach the top 20.
Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
the song, as part of her "New York Medley", along with Theme from New York, New York
Theme from New York, New York
"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli...
.
The song was included on the following albums released by Kenny:
- Made it Through the Rain (1979)
- The Time Between the Time (1994)
- The Best Of Gerrard Kenny (1998)
- 25 Years on The Beat
The song was also parodied
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
in the Beautiful South song "Liar's Bar" in which the line "singing: 'whisky, whiskey...so good they named it twice' " features.