Judging by the lyrics, it sounded like it was trying to deliver an anti-corporate message but the song itself epitomized the over-produced, slick, polished, radio-friendly "corporate rock" sound that was so prevalent on Top 40 airwaves during that period.
The voiceover in the song was also changed to match the city that the song was played in. So while San Francisco listeners might here "I'm looking out over that Golden Gate Bridge", Bostonians would hear something like "I'm looking out over the river Charles" when played on KISS 108 (a big Top 40 station at the time).
Just another crass move to make the local listeners think that Starship wrote the song specific to THEIR city.
Especially my posts. 8~)
In the mid-80s, one of the local radio stations in Houston came up with a takeoff on that song. “We Built This City on Gas and Oil…” I don’t remember any of the lyrics.
“We Built this City” isn’t as good as “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from the greatest movie ever...Mannequin.
Really? I wonder what that played as here. I dont think “Im looking over old man Schneiders cow pasture...” would have helped it catch on. Now I wish I had an old recording so I could try to figure out in which city I was supposed to be.