South Detroit? Perry comes clean....

**Ltdave** · January-11-12, 05:02 PM

Reached at home in San Diego, former Journey frontman Steve Perry admitted for the first time that he totally made up the geographic locale of "South Detroit."

The world's all-time most-downloaded mp3 has inspired confusion in the hearts of Detroiters since being released in 1981.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2012/01/steve_perry_finally_answers_th.html

**BEEAH** · January-11-12, 06:01 PM

Nice, I always consider Downriver south of the D as its actually south of the D... Just because its a tiny bit west makes no difference.

**coloroflaw** · January-11-12, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ltdave

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/d...nswers_th.html

Ha! Bout time...what an ass---

"It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve learned that there is no South Detroit. But it doesn’t matter."

**401don** · January-11-12, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by coloroflaw

Ha! Bout time...what an ass---

"It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve learned that there is no South Detroit. But it doesn’t matter."

I gotta agree with him. It doesn't matter and it doesn't seem to matter to all the Detroit fans who proudly sing it at sporting events.

**wolverine** · January-11-12, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by coloroflaw

Ha! Bout time...what an ass---

"It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve learned that there is no South Detroit. But it doesn’t matter."

It doesn't matter that it's technically correct. It makes the song all that more intriguing. After reading the interview, the song has much stronger connection to Detroit than I thought...in fact firsthand.

**jackie5275** · January-11-12, 08:50 PM

I heard this story years ago that Steve Perry said when on tour back in those days they didn't pay attention from one city to the next. When performing in Detroit around that time, Journey stayed at a hotel in Southfield. He said he knew they stayed "South somewhere" & thought it was South Detroit which was used in the song.

**luckycar** · January-11-12, 09:00 PM

IMO,worst song ever.

**Downriviera** · January-11-12, 10:39 PM

I believe the neighborhood bounded by I-75, Outer Drive, Fort Street and Schafer is known as South Detroit. I think they even have a South Detroit Homeowners Association. As for the song, Perry told me a different story when I talked to him at a radio station I worked at in the 80's. He said before Journey he played in a band in San Francisco with a bass player that was originally from Detroit. The bass player later died in a motorcycle accident. He told me the line in the song was a tribute to his friend. I never liked the song much, and actually liked the original Journey band before Steve Perry better.

**Switchmanjim** · January-12-12, 02:01 AM

Southwest Detroit Born and Raised

**Pam** · January-12-12, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by luckycar

IMO,worst song ever.

One of the worst bands ever.

**Khartoum** · January-12-12, 08:57 AM

I personally think it does matter. It's not correct. Hopefully Steve Perry will start singing about "up north in Mexico" or "landlocked in Greece"...because really, apparently, it doesn't matter.

**Khartoum** · January-12-12, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

I gotta agree with him. It doesn't matter and it doesn't seem to matter to all the Detroit fans who proudly sing it at sporting events.

I always figured them to be clueless rubes who've never looked at a map to know that South Detroit would refer to Windsor.

**ResurgetCineribus** · January-12-12, 09:17 AM

The saddest part for me is when I've had to explain to people who live in the metroit Detroit area that there is no South Detroit...

**Meddle** · January-12-12, 09:23 AM

Geeze people, never heard of 'artistic license'? There's no Northern Michigan or Southeast Michigan either. They refer to a region, not a named place. "South Detroit" could refer to anywhere south of Warren Ave. There are a lot of songs and book that aren't technically correct, but it really doesn't matter.

Until just a few years ago, I thought the song was by Seger. And it's not a bad song at all. Helluva a lot better than the gangsta' junk coming out in the last few years.

**noise** · January-12-12, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Khartoum

I personally think it does matter. It's not correct. Hopefully Steve Perry will start singing about "up north in Mexico" or "landlocked in Greece"...because really, apparently, it doesn't matter.

It's just a song.

**rjk** · January-12-12, 09:42 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPP0p...eature=related

**epiphany** · January-12-12, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by ResurgetCineribus

The saddest part for me is when I've had to explain to people who live in the metroit Detroit area that there is no South Detroit...

Wait, are your trying to say that there is no Southern most area of Detroit? Really? Does the south end of Detroit disappear into some sort of black hole? Every city has an east, west, north, and south. I am pretty sure that I was not living downriver when I lived in Mexicantown. This argument is dumb. Just like most of the arguments on this forum.

**ResurgetCineribus** · January-12-12, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by epiphany

Wait, are your trying to say that there is no Southern most area of Detroit? Really? Does the south end of Detroit disappear into some sort of black hole? Every city has an east, west, north, and south. I am pretty sure that I was not living downriver when I lived in Mexicantown. This argument is dumb. Just like most of the arguments on this forum.

Yes, it disappears into a river. If you want to push up your glasses and get all geographical, sure, Southwest is technically south of Detroit since it is at a lower latitude. But, and I may be wrong, nobody calls it "South Detroit."

**Jason** · January-12-12, 01:01 PM

Those directions are always relative to the cities' downtowns. So in Detroit, SW Detroit is SW Detroit because it's SW of downtown.

Downtown is on the northern bank of a river, so south of downtown is Windsor. There is no south or south east Detroit.

For states and countries, those directions aren't relative to a downtown like cities are, they consider the entire extents of the state. So SE Michigan exists, and northern Michigan exists. Northern Mexico exists too.

That there is no South Detroit is a basic fact that shouldn't need to be debated. Whether or not it matters is a different story.

**Meddle** · January-12-12, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Jason

Those directions are always relative to the cities' downtowns.

Says who?

There's no Cass Corridor, Corktown, Delray or Brightmoor either technically, but local people know those areas by description.

And it's a place mentioned in a song --- so what if it can't be found on a map? Is there a Hotel California? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know or care.

**downtownguy** · January-12-12, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by Jason

There is no south or south east Detroit..

That will be news to all the folks that have gone to Southeastern High School.

**BEEAH** · January-12-12, 06:27 PM

There is a South Detroit as in there is land, citys and people living south of Detroit...

Occurrence · January-13-12, 05:03 AM

On a map, isn't the part of Detroit that is below North technically South?

bartock · January-13-12, 11:37 AM

I think the part I hate most about this song is that every time it comes up one of these debates ensues.

**Chinman** · January-13-12, 01:21 PM

by definition, the center of any city is it's city hall. therefore, south of detroit is windsor. east of detroit is belle isle followed by riverside, canada and then lake st. clair the canada again.
there...settled.