Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2014 September 18

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September 18

Nutbush City Limits & Motorcycles?

Hello chaps and ladies! I wonder if anyone could shed some bally light on a conundrum that's been confounding my old noggin recently? The young miss Tina Turner released this little ditty about her hometown quite a ways back and I've always been a little curious about the line "motorcycle not allowed in it". I don't know much about the USA's road regulations but her in Blighty you can limit vehicles by weight (No vehicles over 7.5 tons except for deliveries) or prohibit motor vehicles completely (again possibly exceptions for required access) from roads but I've never come across a road where cars, vans and lorries can drive down it but motorcycles are prohibited. Doesn't seem to ring true with the old "land of the free" moniker you know! Any of our esteemed American contributors able to shed a little light here? Thanks awfully! Quintessential British Gentleman (talk) 22:09, 18 September 2014 (UTC)

I assume disallowing motorcyles would be intended more as a way of keeping bikers out. Contact Basemetal here 22:29, 18 September 2014 (UTC)

We do have some laws restricting particular vehicle types in the UK, for instance no Motorcycle under 50cc can travel on the Motorway (thus excluding Mopeds) and neither can cycles, agricultural vehicles or mobility scooters. In the US, local ordinances or codes (similar to UK Bylaws) can be enacted in a particular municipality/county that only apply within its confines. The most well known of these are those relating to Dry Counties. Here is a 2003 County Ordinance from Queen Anne's County, Maryland banning the use of 'dirt bikes, minibikes and similar vehicles' from being used on any Public or Private property or road as an example. Nanonic (talk) 22:47, 18 September 2014 (UTC)

Relating to the song lyrics, I suspect "motorcycle not allowed in it" is simply poetic license. The "City" in question is Nutbush, Tennessee, which is actually an Unincorporated community. Therefore, not having its own local governing body, would not be able to outlaw motorcycles (or anything else) independent of higher governance (Haywood County in this case). Although vehicles are licensed per state laws, local municipalities can have their own laws that apply within their own jurisdiction and could theoretically outlaw motorcycles within "city limits", but Nutbush being a "non-city" could not. I am totally unfamiliar with the song, but guess that it is intended as an ironic in-joke (?).  —71.20.250.51 (talk) 00:01, 19 September 2014 (UTC)

So would it also be true to say that, as a non-city, Nutbush has no City Limits? HiLo48 (talk) 00:05, 19 September 2014 (UTC)

Yep! Thus the "in-joke"?  —71.20.250.51 (talk) 00:07, 19 September 2014 (UTC)

In-jokes aside, anyone who claims to be "totally unfamiliar with the song" Nutbush City Limits basically doesn't deserve to exist. Sorry, Friend 71.20.250.51, but your time is up. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 20:56, 19 September 2014 (UTC)

• It is also important to note that music is not journalism. Songs are written to be entertaining and musically interesting first. Prosody and musical considerations take precedence over accurately reporting facts. --Jayron32 12:02, 19 September 2014 (UTC)

To add perhaps unnecessary clarification, I think the idea is to communicate de facto banning of motorcycles, not de jure. Similar to signs that crop up on small businesses that say "[X group] not served here" -- in fact that declaration itself is probably illegal in many jurisdictions, but it happens anyway. SemanticMantis (talk) 14:24, 19 September 2014 (UTC)

• It's likely to be a metaphor - Motorbikes are often used as a symbol of rebellion and/or unwillingness to conform.

The verse says:

Twenty-five was the speed limit;

Motorcycle not allowed in it;

You go to store on Fridays;

You go to church on Sundays;

That suggests a society with its own fixed, unchanging ideas on "proper" behaviour, with everyone expected to do the same.

The motorcycle represents "change" and "outsiders who do things differently", so are "not allowed"...

90.244.130.81 (talk) 16:14, 21 September 2014 (UTC)