6th Avenue Heartache - wikipedia 6th Avenue Heartache `` 6th Avenue Heartache '' Single by The Wallflowers from the album Bringing Down the Horse B - side `` Used to Be Lucky '' `` Angel on My Bike '' Released April 23, 1996 Format CD Recorded Genre Roots rock Length 5 : 37 Label Interscope Records Songwriter ( s ) Jakob Dylan Producer ( s ) T - Bone Burnett The Wallflowers singles chronology `` 6th Avenue Heartache '' ( 1996 ) `` One Headlight '' ( 1996 ) `` 6th Avenue Heartache '' ( 1996 ) `` One Headlight '' ( 1996 ) `` 6th Avenue Heartache '' is a song by the American rock band The Wallflowers. It was released in April 1996 as the lead single from their 1996 sophomore album Bringing Down the Horse. The song became their first hit, peaking at number 8 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 10 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number 33 on the US Hot 100 Airplay chart. Though the song was a hit on rock radio, it was overshadowed by its follow - up single, `` One Headlight ''. The background vocals in this song are by Adam Duritz from Counting Crows. Contents 1 Background and writing 2 Music video 3 In popular culture 4 Track listing 5 Charts 6 References 7 External links Background and writing Jakob Dylan, the band 's lead singer, wrote the song when he was eighteen years old and considers it the first real song he had written. It was meant to go on their self - titled first album, but the record company would not allow it. The lyrics are based on Dylan 's own experiences while living in New York City, in particular the story of a homeless man who would sit outside Dylan 's window and play the same songs every day. One day, the man was gone, but his things were still there, until gradually people started taking them. Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played the slide guitar on the song, though he recorded the track in his own studio and never even met the band members. Music video The video, shot in New York, was directed by movie director David Fincher, known for such films as Se7en and Fight Club. There is a slight error in the video : Rama 's Cafe, portrayed as a meeting place for the band, was actually on 281 5th Avenue, not 6th Avenue. The building was eventually demolished, and a new apartment building is in the process of being constructed on the site. In popular culture The song is played after every Atlanta Braves loss. Ironically, one of the most notable playings of the song took place in New York City, at Game 6 of the 1996 World Series at Yankee Stadium, which the Braves lost to the Yankees, resulting in the Yankees ' 23rd World Championship. The song was played after Frank Sinatra 's `` Theme from New York, New York '' and Queen 's `` We Are the Champions ''. Track listing `` 6th Avenue Heartache '' ( Edit ) -- 4 : 22 `` Used to Be Lucky '' -- 6 : 35 `` Angel on My Bike '' -- 4 : 22 `` 6th Avenue Heartache '' -- 5 : 37 Charts Chart ( 1996 ) Peak position Canadian RPM Singles Chart 8 US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 33 US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 25 US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 10 US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 8 US Billboard Adult Top 40 26 References Jump up ^ Reece, Douglas ( August 31, 1996 ). `` Wallflowers Are Getting Attention on Interscope ''. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 20. Jump up ^ http://yimbynews.com/2015/06/revealed-281-fifth-avenue-52-story-nomad-condo-tower-designed-by-vinoly.html Jump up ^ `` Top Singles - Volume 64, No. 2, August 26 1996 ''. RPM. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 20. External links Information on Songfacts Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics The Wallflowers Jakob Dylan Rami Jaffee Greg Richling Jack Irons Stuart Mathis Fred Eltringham Mario Calire Barrie Maguire Tobi Miller Jim Snider Michael Ward Peter Yanowitz Albums The Wallflowers Bringing Down the Horse ( Breach ) Red Letter Days Rebel, Sweetheart Glad All Over Singles `` 6th Avenue Heartache '' `` One Headlight '' `` The Difference '' `` Three Marlenas '' `` ' Heroes ' '' Related articles Discography Seeing Things Women + Country Films directed by David Fincher Alien 3 ( 1992 ) Seven ( 1995 ) The Game ( 1997 ) Fight Club ( 1999 ) Panic Room ( 2002 ) Zodiac ( 2007 ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ( 2008 ) The Social Network ( 2010 ) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ( 2011 ) Gone Girl ( 2014 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=6th_Avenue_Heartache&oldid=787994142 '' Categories : 1996 singles The Wallflowers songs Songs written by Jakob Dylan Song recordings produced by T Bone Burnett Music videos directed by David Fincher 1996 songs Interscope Records singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 28 June 2017, at 20 : 58. 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Question: what is the song 6th avenue heartache about
Answer: the story of a homeless man who would sit outside Dylan's window and play the same songs every day