New York: Fanciful Wonderland to Crippled Metropolis

After remembering the experiences of 9/11 this past week, I began thinking about how music captured the mood of the city before and after this tragic event. On September 7,2001, Ryan Adams shot his film for "New York New York":

 

This song captured the feelings of the city and the feeling of most people towards it before 9/11. This song has the feeling of love for New York because of the playful spirit of New York and the love that you'll find and possibly even lose there. It is viewed as a sort of fairy tale city where you won't feel pain because it's just a wonderful place as displayed in the lyrics: 

And love won't play any games with me

Anymore if you don't want it to

The world won't wait and I watched you shake

But honey, I don't blame you

Hell, I still love you, New York

However, after 9/11 this song turned into an anthem of sorts for a wounded New York. Many people began interpreting this as a song about loving New York despite all of the difficulties and pain. In an interview with Billboard.com, Adams commented on his desire to not let this song be exploited. In fact he only allowed NYPD, NYFD, and the Yankees to use it. After 9/11 these three groups became the backbone of a crippled city, and inspired a sorrowful nation.

 

This song captures the city in it's joyful form before 9/11, and also in its disillusioned form after that horrific tragedy.