About The Song

We Built This City by Starship

Release: 1985 (as a single) on the album Knee Deep in the Hoopla (1985)

Genre: Pop rock / New wave (some debate)

Written by: Bernie Taupin, Martin Page, Dennis Lambert, and Peter Wolf

Original performers: Starship (featuring vocals by Mickey Thomas)

Chart positions:

  • US Billboard Hot 100: #5
  • UK Singles Chart: #6

Background and Composition:

“We Built This City” was written by an interesting combination of songwriters. Bernie Taupin, a frequent collaborator with Elton John, teamed up with Martin Page and Dennis Lambert, along with Peter Wolf (of The J. Geils Band). Originally, it was intended as a lament for the decline of Los Angeles’ live music scene, with lyrics referencing the closure of many clubs.

However, the song took a different direction with Starship. The catchy melody, driving beat, and Mickey Thomas’ powerful vocals transformed it into a rock anthem.

Debate Around the Song’s Meaning:

While some interpretations stick to the original lament about a fading music scene, others see it as a commentary on the changing social landscape and corporate influence in the city.

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Legacy:

“We Built This City” became a signature song for Starship. It’s instantly recognizable and remains a popular choice for 80s playlists and karaoke nights.

Interesting Facts:

  • The song features a memorable synthesizer riff and a spoken-word section with the line “Marconi plays the mambo.” This is a reference to Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of radio, and the mambo being a popular Latin dance style.
  • The music video for “We Built This City” is a visually striking piece featuring the band performing in various locations around Los Angeles. You can find the remastered video in HD [YouTube]([redacted Starship We Built This City video]).
  • The song has been covered by numerous artists and continues to be a cultural touchstone.

Video

Lyrics

🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤

We built this cityWe built this city on rock and rollBuilt this cityWe built this city on rock and roll
Say you don’t know me or recognize my faceSay you don’t care who goes to that kind of placeKnee deep in the hoopla, sinking in your fightToo many runaways eating up the night
Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don’t you remember?We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
We built this city, we built this city on rock and rollBuilt this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Someone’s always playing corporation gamesWho cares, they’re always changing corporation namesWe just want to dance here, someone stole the stageThey call us irresponsible, write us off the page
Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don’t you remember?We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
We built this city, we built this city on rock and rollBuilt this city, we built this city on rock and roll
It’s just another Sunday in a tired old streetPolice have got the choke hold, oh, then we just lost the beat
Who counts the money underneath the bar?Who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars?Don’t tell us you need us ’cause we’re the ship of foolsLooking for America, coming through your schools
Don’t you remember? (Remember)
Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don’t you remember?We built this city, we built this city on rock and rollWe built this city, we built this city on rock and rollBuilt this city, we built this city on rock and rollBuilt this city, we built this city on rock and rollBuilt this city, we built this city on rock and roll
We built, we built this city, yeah (Built this city)We built, we built this cityWe built, we built this city yeah (Built this city)We built, we built this cityWe built, we built this city yeah (Built this city)We built, we built this city (Built this city)

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