"Anchorage" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter

Michelle Shocked Michelle Shocked (born Karen Michelle Johnston; February 24, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter. Her music has entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and received an award ...

, released as the lead single from her first studio album, '' Short Sharp Shocked'' (1988), in September 1988. The song peaked at number 66 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, reaching the top 75 in these countries.

Lyrical content

The song is about the singer finally "taking time out to write to an old friend" who has moved from Texas to

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...

, and her friend's reply. In her reply, her friend realizes she might have become a housewife "anchored down in Anchorage" but still dreaming about her childhood in Texas with her good friend Michelle, who went on to an exciting life as a musician and a "skateboard punk rocker in New York".Lyrics and chords at michelleshocked.com
/ref> She tells the singer that her husband Leroy says "send a picture", "hello", and "keep on rocking". Much of the song's lyrics were taken directly from a letter from JoAnn Kelli Bingham, a

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

Indian and recently married friend who had recently moved to geographically remote Alaska. Her husband is Leroy Bingham, a

Blackfeet The Blackfeet Nation (, ), officially named the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, is a federally recognized tribe of Siksikaitsitapi people with an Indian reservation in Montana. Tribal members primarily belong ...

Indian who worked for Cook Inlet Tribal Council.

Track listings

US and Australian 7-inch single :A. "Anchorage" – 3:21 :B. "Anchorage" (live) – 4:14 UK 10-inch and CD single # "Anchorage" # "Fogtown" # "Penny Evans" (live at

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

) # "Re-Modelling the Pentagon" (live at Glastonbury) UK 7-inch single :A. "Anchorage" :B. "Fogtown" UK 12-inch single :A1. "Anchorage" :A2. "Strawberry Jam" (live at Glastonbury) :B1. "Fogtown" (from '' Texas Campfire'' L.P.) :B2. "Fogtown"

Charts

References

External links

collected remarks of Michelle Shocked about ''Anchorage''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Anchorage (Song) 1988 debut singles 1988 songs Mercury Records singles Michelle Shocked songs Songs about Alaska Songs about cities in the United States