Manhattan

Album: The Blessed Unrest (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • When Sara Bareilles moved from Los Angeles to New York she fell in love with the city but was forced to relinquish her boyfriend. She laments on this piano ballad:

    "You can have Manhattan
    'Cause I can't have you,"

    Bareilles describes this conflict between two worlds and the ensuing ending of her long-distance relationship by comparing the sandy beaches of LA with the bustle and buildings of Manhattan. She told VH1: "When I played this song for the folks at the label, they said 'We gotta get this in a Woody Allen film!'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.

Randy Houser

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.