17 Best Songs About Boston

Boston is a magnificent city, with an incredible musical history and renowned music colleges. It's no wonder that the city has many beautiful songs written in its honor. The listicle below explores the best songs about Boston, from classic rock ballads to hip-hop and other modern songs.

1. “Please Come to Boston” by Dave Loggins

Song year: 1974

“Please Come to Boston” was released as the first single in Dave Loggins' album Apprentice. In each verse, the narrator pleads with a woman to join him in Boston, Denver, and Los Angeles.

To each of the towns mentioned, the woman responds that there is no gold or people like her. Instead, she prefers a man from Tennessee and desires that the man goes home to her. “Please Come to Boston” has been covered severally by singers like Joan Baez and David Allan Coe.

2. “Boston Rose” by the Wolfe Tones

Song year: 1989

If there is a beautiful way of expressing the joy of love and pain of separation, “Boston Rose” has done it in a melancholic yet hopeful expression. The song narrates the memories a man has about a past autumn love.

The man bids goodbye to his Boston beauty and agrees that separation is part of life. Instead of feeling lost, the man promises to keep their love in his memories. Those memories reflect happier times when they traveled, had fun, and laughed together.

3. “Dirty Water” by the Standells

Song year: 1966

Initially, “Dirty Water” was an irony-based song meant to put down Boston. The producer wrote the song after he was mugged during a visit to Boston.

However, things turned for the better as the lyrics embraced even the not-so-good elements of Boston. The muggers, thieves, and stranglers aren't the best picture of Boston, but the song presents a call to love the city as it is.

4. “Boston” by Patty Griffin

Song year: 2013

Patty Griffin's raucous “Boston” captures the energetic vibe associated with the city, with people living lives to their fullest. Besides the energy, the lyrics depict hope in desperate situations. Hope is expressed in the dead waking up to look to the sky.

The song's lyrics speak of a confident, brave, gorgeous, and hopeful city. The narrator also remarks that certain aspects of the city can't be changed. No matter how much one tries to fly, waving goodbye is the farthest one can go.

5. “M.T.A.” by The Kingston Trio

Song year: 1959

Also known as “The M.T.A. Song,” M.T.A. is a tale of a man named Charlie who is trapped in the Boston subway system because he lacks the money for the new exit fares. The song aimed to fight against a burdensome tax that the Metropolitan Transit Authority (M.T.A.) wanted to levy on the citizens.

The song describes how Charlie's wife could hand her husband a sandwich as the train rumbles toward him. Unfortunately, Charlie's fate is unknown, and he may only return if the citizens fight for their rights. The song calls Bostonians to fight bravely whenever their rights are on the line.

6. “An Open Letter to Boston” by Mark Lind and The Unloved

Song year: 2008

“An Open Letter to Boston” is a heartfelt dedication by someone who lived and experienced the goodness of Boston. The city has been so good to the singer, and it feels like a home where he will always have a place.

This love letter to Boston touches on some of the city's most iconic spots, like Kenmore Square and River Charles. The narrator nostalgically reflects on his happy memories in Boston, reminding himself there is nowhere else like it in the country.

7. “I'm Shipping up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys

Song year: 2004

The original version of “I'm Shipping up to Boston” was released in 2004 and re-recorded in 2005 by the Dropkick Murphys band. The lyrics, by Woody Guthrie, describe a sailor who lost a wooden leg while climbing the topsails.

“I'm Shipping up to Boston” has become a popular sports song at events like Boston Red Sox games. Despite the hardships of the sailor peg, he aims to ship to Boston to find his lost wooden leg. The song inspires courage, patience, and perseverance through life's challenges.

8. “Boston” by Kenny Chesney

Song year: 2005

“Boston” is a country song in the “Be as You Are” album. The girl in the song is from New England but is strongly connected to Boston. She adores the reggae rhythms and rasta from Boston and claims to be from Boston as she flirts with the boys.

Seemingly, the girl has found a place so warm and real she wants to be different from her old self. She no longer wants to be the girl she was in New England. So calm and peaceful she is in Boston that she tells her family her education and occupation back home can wait.

9. “As We Walk to Fenway Park in Boston Town” by Jonathan Richman

Song year: 2005

From the Album Fever Pitch, “As We Walk to Fenway Park,” depicts a journey of companions to Fenway Park. The trip occurs just as Spring starts, full of excitement and anticipation to reach the baseball park.

The lyrics vividly describe how the evening looks like in Boston. Reeds, cattails, and a baseball park add to the excitement of the walk toward the park. It's no wonder the song is often played on game days at Fenway Park.