Five Extremely Different Songs That Mention Yakima in the Lyrics

Music lovers and poetry enthusiasts alike would agree that, when it comes to the lyrical content of a song, words really do matter. Often, the lyrics give deeper meaning to a song and help to create a connection to the one who is listening to the piece.

One technique employed by many-a-songwriter is the inclusion of the name of a City in song lyrics. I mean, who doesn't like to hear their City mentioned in a song they're listening to on the radio? Well, if you're from New York, London, Miami, Chicago, or L.A., it's probably no big deal. But what about us here in Yakima?

Has anyone sung about Yakima, Washington?

The answer is: Yes. But first, why are songs which mention Cities so successful? A glance at Wikipedia offered this explanation:

Lyricist and author Sheila Davis writes that including a city in a song's title helps focus the song on the concrete and specific, which is both more appealing and more likely to lead to universal truth than abstract generalizations. Davis also says that songs with titles concerning cities and other specific places often have enduring popularity.

Ok, sounds logical to me. So, if we're wanting to step into or our 'universal truth' and hear someone singing the praises of Yakima, where do we begin? Here are FIVE examples, in no particular order:

"Yakima" by Angela Soffe

Angela Soffe and her band with a lovely song, 'Yakima', which she has said was written for the people of Yakima, Washington.

"Sinkemlow" by Clutch

The song, 'Sinkemlow' by the band Clutch is a very interesting piece that is likely referring to the Mount Saint Helens eruption of 1980. Yakima makes it into the lyrics!

"Yakima: Secret Wonderland" by Eric Schwartz

A fun little ditty set to a familiar tune.

"Yakima" by Juni Fisher

According to the YouTube post description:

'Yakima', is about the legendary Yakima Canutt, early rodeo champion and Hollywood stunt man/horse wrangler. It comes from her stellar CD project, "Let 'Er Buck, Let 'Er Go, Let 'Er Fly'", produced for the centennial of the Pendleton Roundup.

"Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" by Woodie Guthrie

Washington adopted this song as the official state folk song in 1987. Yakima is mentioned in the lyrics, which qualifies it for the list.

There are likely plenty more examples of Yakima getting its proper recognition within the lyrics of a song. If you have a favorite, hit us up on the station app and we'll include it in the follow-up list.

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