Singing Baltimore’s praises

When Prairie Home Companion impresario Garrison Keillor takes his radio variety show on the road, to venues outside his home base of St. Paul, Minn., he usually writes and sings a song about the city that he’s visiting.

And the broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” from the Hippodrome Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 13, was no exception. Keillor composed a catchy song about Baltimore, which perfectly caught the spirit and quirkiness of our city.

Here are the lyrics of the song, which you can hear on the Internet here. (I didn’t recognize the tune, which may be original, although Keillor frequently adapts his songs to other, well-established music.)

Keillor had many nice things to say about Baltimore, and it’s well worth listening on the Internet to the entire broadcast, if you didn’t hear it on Saturday night on National Public Radio (or even if you did).

Baltimore, Baltimore

Lying near the Eastern Shore

Not Washington or New York

Baltimore my Baltimore

Camden Yards and Pimlico

Little houses in a row

Home of Edgar Allan Poe

Baltimore my Baltimore

Baltimore, on the Bay

Crabs fried or sauté

Life is just a big buffet

Baltimore my Baltimore

Gimme a plate of steamed crabs

A pair of pliers, a mallet perhaps

With a napkin in our laps

Baltimore my Baltimore

It’s the city of crustaceans

Fifty different combinations

Baltimore’s crustacean-nation

Baltimore my Baltimore

Waiting for the oyster truck

Hose ’em down and get ’em shucked

And toss the shells on the rug

Baltimore my Baltimore

Let’s go to Fells Point

Dive bars and breakfast joints

The omelets do not disappoint

Baltimore my Baltimore

Babe Ruth’s birthplace is near

John Waters made a great career

Anne Tyler, she lives here

Baltimore my Baltimore

Climb the hill on Charles Street

Hear an autumn melody

From Peabody Conservatory

Baltimore my Baltimore

Mount Vernon, Federal Hill

Looking for a corner grill

Need some crab, I’m hungry still

Baltimore my Baltimore

Baltimore, Baltimore

Lying on the Eastern Shore

Not Washington or New York

Baltimore my Baltimore

In looking up other Baltimore-related songs on the Internet, I came across one, entitled “My Baltimore Song,” which is on a Web site associated with the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Council. In 1977, songwriter Randy Newman released a song entitled “Baltimore”, which is much less complimentary of Charm City.

Are there other Baltimore-centric songs out there? Which one do you prefer?

-PAUL SAMUEL, Associate Editor