Charles Ives was a master of short, evocative pieces, and this statement is equally true of his songs. Among his nearly 150 songs, some of the best are pithy statements that are over practically before they begin. "Ann Street" depicts one of the shortest thoroughfares in New York City, in one of the shortest songs on record. Although there are songs in Ives' output that take fewer pages and have shorter verses, this one, over in about 30 seconds, is exceptionally terse.

Nevertheless, the 20-measure song is full of description and incident. The words are by a New York newspaper poet named Maurice Morris. Ives dated the song 1921 and published it in his collection of 114 Songs. The song is in his late advanced style, with wild effects and clangorous harmonies. It has no time signature, though it is measured.

It begins with a long-held bass A, designated in the score as Broadway. Sudden rushes of arpeggios and dense treble chords in two measures seem suddenly to populate the famous thoroughfare with traffic.

The singer describes little Ann Street, "...width of same, ten feet." A few tinkly measures hint as its short length and minimal width, and then the harmonies grow thicker and more complex as its normal rush of business is depicted. Three dissonant measures of held tremolando chords suspend motion; Ann Street's traffic has to stop where "Nassau crosses Ann St.," as an unsung note appears in the score. Then the song comes to a stop as abruptly as the real-life street does.

The ending usually gets a laugh in a recital. In the end, the mood of the little song is one of lightly ironic whimsy.

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