Escape from the City

"Escape from the City" is the song played in City Escape, the first level of the Hero Story in Sonic Adventure 2. It was composed by Jun Senoue and performed by Ted Poley and Tony Harnell.

Legacy

The song can be bought in the game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as background music, although it is titled City Escape. The song has been remixed for Sonic Generations and it plays when the player is in City Escape. The song also returns in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games as background music and is chosen in any other event while being played. It is a default song available in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can be heard on the Windy Hill stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be heard on both Windy Hill and Green Hill stages.

Lyrics

Remix

At the event, Sonic Boom, the music for Classic Sonic on City Escape in Sonic Generations was revealed. Modern Sonic's take on the song was heard on the Japanese version of the City Escape trailer. Later, the Classic Sonic version was revealed.

The remix of the Modern Sonic version is very similar to the original, except having a different guitar arrangement, and it includes a third verse that does not appear in any other versions. The Classic Sonic remix, similar to all the other remixes for Classic Sonic, is much more techno, with more electronic beats and sounds, and less guitar. Also, in the Classic Sonic remix, the voice of Ted Poley is autotuned at parts of the song, changing the melody a little bit.

Cash Cash RMX

Blue Blur RMX

Connection to character/stage

• Rolling around at the speed of sound - Sonic's ability to curl up into a ball and travel at supersonic speeds.
• Got places to go, gotta follow my rainbow - Sonic's adventurous nature and he follows what he thinks.
• Can't stick around, have to keep moving on - Sonic never stays in one place for too long.
• No time for guessing, follow my plan instead - Sonic's plan to act first and think later.
• Trust me and we will escape from the city - Sonic following his instincts to escape from G.U.N.
• Find the next stage no matter what that may be - Sonic moves to the next stage no matter what's next.
• I don't care what lies ahead - Sonic's willingness to take on any challenge
• Trust your feelings, got to live and learn - Sonic does what he thinks is right and through his adventures he always learns new things. Live and Learn is also the main theme of Sonic Adventure 2.

Trivia

• In the trial distributed before Sonic Adventure 2's release, a different version of the song featuring a slightly-changed melody with guitars instead of vocals plays for the stage. A part of this version is used in Sonic Generation's Classic remix for the instrumental solo.
• In the remixed classic version, when the second verse plays, the melodic line parallels the music in the Endless Mine from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
• City Escape Act 2 in Sonic Generations contains a remixed variation of the instrumental intro section of "It Doesn't Matter" from Sonic Adventure 2.
• Escape from the City has the lyrics "Trust your feelings, got to live and learn!" which might be a reference to the main theme of Sonic Adventure 2.
• SFX used in the title screen of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I are featured in the Classic Remix.
• An instrumental version of Escape from the City can be heard in the two-player stage, Downtown Race, in 2P Battle mode.
• An acoustic version by Lee Brotherton was performed at the Summer of Sonic 2009.
• In Sonic Generations, the Modern version is an extended version of the original, with a new guitar solo, a new bridge and another chorus.
• As part of a promotion for the Sonic the Hedgehog film, an instrumental version of "Escape from the City" plays during Golden Bay Zone in Sonic Dash and also plays in the Golden Bay Zone stages in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.
• "Escape from the City" is Jun Senoue's favorite vocal track from Sonic Adventure 2.^[1]

References