Street Names: Virginia Avenue

Tom Waits: Virginia Avenue

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There are plenty of Virginia Avenues in the U.S. and for the longest time I, for some reason, thought this song referred to the Virginia Avenue in Washington D.C.

But with Columbus Avenue being name-dropped as well, you'd think I would've realised Tom Waits was actually serenading Los Angeles, his hometown at the time. Or is he singing about San Francisco, which also has a Virginia Avenue and a Columbus Avenue?

'Cause he's not referring to the Virginia Avenue in Hagerstown, Maryland, is he? Or the one in Atlanta? Perhaps the one in Portland, Oregon or the one in Atlantic City? Fort Pierce, Florida? Lexington, Kentucky?

Oh hell, let's just say it's the one in Chicago and never discuss the matter again.