WaterTunes

The prompt: Tell us about music that is special to you—your favorite song, a song that evokes a memory, or a piece of music with meaning for you.

The Public Arts & Culture Committee collected songs in 2025 through August 2026. They asked the Watertown Community to submit music titles that are special to them and the reason why. These songs are part of a "Watertown Playlist" for everyone to share. A celebration of music special to the community was held at the season finale of the 2026 Summer Concert Series on August 26, 2026. A selection of the playlist filled two hours at Saltonstall Park.

Listen to the playlist on YouTube: Watertown Playlist

Discover the full list of WaterTunes below:

Title	Artist	Submitter	Age	Why is this song important to you?
River	Ibeyi	Piper	24	My first crush introduced me to this song and it always makes me smile
Armenie	Charles Aznavour			Earthquake of 1988.
Walk Don't Run	The Ventures			Water-related and nostalgic.
The Middle	Jimmy Eat World	Erin	37	This song helped me get through high school and I carry the message with me to this day.
We Are Family	Sister Sledge			I worked for a family shelter in East Boston for 19 years. When we had parties, we would always play this song.
The Best of Jill Hives	Guided by Voices	Tom	41	I have no idea what this song is about, but it's just so evocative and beautiful. It sounds like a voice from some forlorn alternate dimension, maybe...I don't know and it doesn't matter, it just hits my ear and heart in the right way.
It a Wonderful World	Louis Armsztrong	Paula	78	Staying Positive in troubled Times/ favorite song each New Year Eve with my late husband Rob Read.
River	Bill Staines		77	River, by Bill Staines, is a song we played a lot when our kids were growing up. It's a beautiful song about the flow of life and it was especially meaningful for us because we live near the Charles River in Watertown.
Summer's Cauldron	XTC	Kristen	56	It reminds me of the summer before I moved to Boston for college and hanging out in a hay-filled barn with friends before we dispersed for the fall.
Dirty Water	The Standells	Ann	65	The song of our generation growing up here in Watertown near the banks of the River Charles (the MDC Pool in particular :). along with Roadrunner by The Modern Lovers.
Rainbow Connection	Kermit the Frog	Beth	34	It fills with me with joy and hope and reminds me of my family!
Anything for love	Jabberbob	Sydney	36	This song was written by my partner who is an amazing teammate, so talented and creative! We just bought a house together in Watertown and are excited to be a part of the community and hopefully share more of our music we’ve written together!
Sweet Beautiful Thing	Adam Ezra Group	Joanne	77	It's such a joyous, celebration of a good feeling and good connection to others. Great to dance to as well as listen to.
For What it's Worth	Buffalo Springfield	Leslie	72	Takes me back to freshman year in college and the protests against the Vietnam war. It is eerily relevant to the current times we live in.
Take Me To The River	Talking Heads	Jenny	65	Great beat and a trip to the river!
Pockets Full of Tales	Jamie Murphy	Jamie	76	A man's search for love and meaning.
Who Let The Dogs Out	Baha Men	Colby	4	It's a good dog dance party song and I like dancing.
Cotton Eye Joe	Rednex	Sam	31	6th grade school dance nostalgia.
We Are The Champions	Queen	Diane	65	Every time I hear it, reminds me of Watertown High School, Class of 1978 (I graduated WHS in ‘78), the song of our class, during an undefeated football team year!
Take Me to the River	Talking Heads	Martha	63	One of our best features = the Charles River (also reminds me of my waaay younger days!).
Buckle Down Winsocki	Bing Crosby covered it	Mark	59	It was the fight song in the early 80’s. The marching band (when there was one) would play it after every touchdown/score.
Every Little Kiss	Bruce Hornsby	John	59	The chorus begins with "When the day goes down on the water town..."
Teenage Feeling	Mean Creek	Teddy	42	This song is a good representation of the band Mean Creek. To me, they are the best band to ever come from Watertown. Before calling it quits, they won Album of the Year at the Boston Music Awards. You can read more about that here: https://www.patriotledger.com/story/entertainment/music/2013/10/06/boston-s-mean-creek-will/37958277007/. The song also captures the feeling of growing up in a place like Watertown well.
Road Runner	Modern Lovers	Joe	71	Great Mass tune. Route 128 reference taken me to Watertown from the Cape. Driving thru the towns to get us home.🏡
After All	Dar Williams	Kaitlyn	40	I listen to this song a lot during difficult times because it's a reminder that there's light in the dark of our pasts and, even if it doesn't feel like it now, that light will return to us.
Tenderly	Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong	Joseph	34	This song evokes a gentle sense of loving that instantly calms me down. Louis’s dulcet tones and Ella’s serene voice can ease even the most ornery soul into an armchair with a hot beverage.
Hey Eugene	Pink Martini	Susan	75	This is a fun song! It has a story (true) about two people meeting. And the music is by Pink Martini - a great band!
Coming Up	Paul McCartney	Emery	39	It’s been a recent favorite of mine as I’ve been going through McCartney’s catalogue. I love the beat and the uplifting lyrics. My kids (7 and 3.5) also love to sing and dance along to it.
Three Little Birds	Bob Marley		68	The lyrics have a positive message about not worrying.
Strength, Courage and Wisdom	India Aire		68	This song has powerful lyrics about possessing positive qualities.
Where We Belong	Boyzone			Makes me think of moving back to town after living away.
I know What I Know	Paul Simon		53	It’s a happy danceable song.
Don’t Mute DC	Rare Essence		53	I grew up in DC and this is a protest song for the Don’t Mute DC movement against people who want to erase DC culture and GoGo music.
A Salty Dog	Procol Harum	Barbara	120	This song moves me deeply. The vocals and the instrumentation are superb. The lyrics put me in another world from long ago.
Pollyanna (I believe in You)	The 8-Bit Big Band	Courtney	34	This song is special to my partner and I, and reminds us of when we got together. It’s an uplifting song about believing in the ones we love.
Fishin’ Blues	Taj Mahal		35	I have fished with my dad in the summertime for my entire life. Whenever we go out fishing, we sing this song together. 💗
Imagine	John Lennon	Robert	61	Unity, peace, love for one another.
Baby Shark	Pink Fong	Robert	61	Silly dance your legs off kids song.
Imagine, John Lennon	John Lennon	Jan	30	Freedom. Democracy. Peace.
This Year	The Mountain Goats	James	42	This song represents the current state of the world and the motivation to just keep going - “I am going to make it through this year if it kills me”
Down to the Waterline	Dire Straits	Dianesty	60	Reminds me of past beach parties near the water. There was a stereo with speakers, good vibes & a lot of dancing!
Three Little Birds	John Legend		42	I sang this song a thousand and one times as a lullaby for my older daughter because it synced up so well with the way she liked to be bounced. Then I sang it again to our new baby while she was in the Children's Hospital NICU with a health crisis. No doubt I sang it more to steady myself and her mom, and to reassure our older daughter, than I did to soothe our baby—who is now healthy and thriving.
You Are My Sunshine	unknown	Sharon	82	I grew up with this song on our family's player piano in the 1950's and now sing it to my grandchildren. It is a guaranteed spirit-lifter.
Love Me Tender	Elvis Presley	Sharon	82	Elvis popularized this song in my youth, and my family and friends continue to enjoy belting it out for wedding and anniversary celebrations. We sang it with special joy in 2015 when same-sex marriage was legally recognized.
Miracle Drug	U2	Dan	53	It's a very powerful song and dedicated to anyone who is fighting and has fought cancer.
Butterfly	Jesse Liam	Jesse	35	This song represents the universal feeling of loss that we all experience. This song expresses that our loved ones continue to always surround us. My personal connection to this song is that my grandmother represents the butterfly.
What Does the Fox Say?	Ylvis	Naved	32	It's a fun/silly song but my daughter who's 10 months old loves it! And I also equally enjoy the song.
Burn the House Down	AJR	Hannah	30	Its a fun party song with a great beat and no swears. The theme is instead of checking out on social media you should try to engage with the world which I think is an important message.
I've Been Thinking About You	Londonbeat		47	It reminds me of connections to meaningful people in my life that I haven't seen in a while.
Peaceful Easy Feeling	The Eagles	Kevin	54	Just means that it’s relaxing and simple song to sing along to.
Cancelled	Taylor Swift	Dawn	46	It’s a song of empowerment for women, rallying against the double standard that women are often held to by society.
Go Insane	Fleetwood Mac	Dawn	46	In the vast Fleetwood Mac repertoire, this song by Lindsey Buckingham is not often heard and never played on the radio. But its haunting melody sticks with you and it’s one of my favorites.
Promo Video	Amarillo By Morning - George Strait Tribute	Gary	40	Amarillo by Morning is America's #1 premier concert tribute to the hall of fame and country legend George Strait. With fans made up of cowboy boots or just t-shirts and tennis shoes this amazing show provides the experience of a true concert.
Season of LOVE	I don't know	Janet	73	This song provides positive energy to the listeners.
When You Walk Through a Storm Hold Your Head High	not sure	Janet	73	Resilience.
Happy	Pharell Williams		54	While there are other songs that more profound, when I'm in the mood for something light and fun, this is my go-to tune. Life isn't easy. We all face challenges, whether they be personal or professional, and we live in deeply divided, cynical, some might say dark times. I've found that the only way to make it through or even learn to thrive is to find joy in the little moments. Be present! Dance! So I chose this song because it is the perfect up-beat dance song for a community party.
Daniel	Elton John	Dawn	64	It was the first Elton John song I ever heard. My friend's sister was playing the record and I knocked on her door and begged to know the name of the song. It started my life-long love of Elton John.
We Are the World	Ensemble: Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner, and others	Scott	76	The song was written as a fundraising effort for famine relief in Ethiopia. It was recorded in a single night, by a diverse group of artists, in Los Angeles on 1/28/85. The song was the fastest-selling US pop single in history, and raised $80 for efforts in Africa.
Red, Red Wine	UB40	Scott	76	This song (originally by Neil Diamond) was re-done as a reggae-style song by the British group UB40. It's almost impossible to listen to the song and not want to dance along to it!
Bailando	Enrique Iglesias	Scott	76	This is an infectious song that gets everyone dancing to a Latin rhythm (the music video of Bailando shows an entire town dancing to this song!).
Superstition	Stevie Wonder	Scott	76	I remember dancing to this song with friends when it first came out in 1972, and every time I hear it -- more than 50 years later -- it still makes me want to dance.
Rivers of Babylon	The Melodians	Scott	76	This was one of the songs featured in the 1972 movie The Harder They Come, a flim which introduced many of the American public to Jamaican reggae music for the first time. In addition to being a great dance song, the lyrics of the song explore the themes of struggle and liberation.
Shut Up and Dance	Walk the Moon	Scott	76	Since it came out in 2014, this song has become a staple of weddings, graduation ceremonies, bar/bat mitzvahs, and other gatherings, and (in my experience) never fails to get everyone up and dancing.
The Great Gig in the Sky	Pink Floyd	Danielle	69	Pink Floyd was probably my favorite band growing up in the 1970s in the UK. With this music, I can almost recall being a college student for the first time in my small college dorm room with my record player.....I also think a crowd of people in Saltonstall Park would mellow out, listening to this on a summer evening
Songbird	Fleetwood Mac	Haley	34	This was my husband and I’s first dance song at our wedding. We’re celebrating our 5 year anniversary this year!
Savannah Grass	KES	Alyssa	39	This song is a celebration of Trinidadian carnival. My husband is from Trinidad and this song is part of how we celebrate his culture with our children.
Tessie	Dropkick Murphys	Dan	60	2004 - Faith rewarded.
I Can't Get My *ss in Gear	Coco Montoya	Sydney	71	Everything. It speaks to living life now vs. head down working for something later. Tortoise and hare maybe.
Blowing in the Wind	Bob Dylan (performed by Peter, Paul, and Mary)			I was in high school when Blowing in the Wind was performed by Peter Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan. I was coming of age politically due to the emerging Vietnam War. I did not see the purpose of the Vietnam War and saw the impact it had on people of Vietnam vividly on TV and witnessed the toll it took on my male friends who were being drafted or enlisted. The lyrics spoke to my thoughts and feelings.