Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, help!

January 10, 2006 5:57 PM

Help me find a digital, downloadable version of the "50 Nifty United States" song.

You know it, right? 50 nifty united states from 13 original colonies? And then all the states are sung in alphabetical order? I want a copy of it so my students can learn it. I've found sheet music I can buy, I've found Sufjan's 50 states song, I'm found some weird imposter thing that will just not do. The closest I got was a link that was shut down because of copyright issues. This is discouraging, but maybe you can help?

I may even be willing to pay for this, provided it's not a ridiculous price and I can actually download the thing. It doesn't seem to be on itunes.

posted by jetskiaccidents to media & arts (17 comments total)

I totally know that song. I wish I knew where to point you. We learned it in music class in elementary school.

NEW hampshire NEW jersey NEW MEXICO (beat, beat) NEW YORK! NORTH carolina NORTH dakota, o-HIIIIIII-OH!

Good luck finding it.
posted by padraigin at 6:13 PM on January 10, 2006

I'll see if I can help find it, but check out this great Animaniacs song called 50 U.S. States and Capitals, sung by the one and only Wakko (the one that sounds like Ringo). Check out the other ones too - lots of educational songs having to do with history and geography, masquerading as silly ditties.
posted by iconomy at 6:19 PM on January 10, 2006

OOOOH! If you find it, I will be so excited!

Singing that song has been my party-trick abroad so many times!

I love the "new"s too...
posted by k8t at 6:43 PM on January 10, 2006

PS, I just sang this song, one of my very very favorites, for my boyfriend.

He was impressed.
posted by k8t at 6:45 PM on January 10, 2006

I found this:

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listthe50sju.html

Several people have e-mailed me asking about this song. Well here is where you can order the song and the lyrics. I have tried to find a site to download the song for free, but no luck yet.

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/a/phrase.html?id=1412&phrase=Fifty%20Nifty%20United%20States
posted by k8t at 6:48 PM on January 10, 2006

Here's a clip:

http://www.oldchristianmusic.com/music/john-marshall-family--i-am-not-ashamed/John%20Marshall%20Family--Fifty%20Nifty%20United%20States--I%20Am%20Not%20Ashamed.mp3

But it stops!

And it is by a weird Christian a capella group.
posted by k8t at 6:53 PM on January 10, 2006

Thanks k8t, but I think I already found both of those sites. (Should have linked them, hmm. Also should have fixed that stupid typo.) I could buy the damn cd, but I kind of want it now. Or soon.

Actually, my pipe dream is that some dorky mefite will have this just lying around on their hard drive. Pleaaaaase?

on preview, whooooaaa that acapella thing is weirdly cool. BUT not complete! Also, it contains weird harmonies that I am not at all licensed to teach.

getting closer!
posted by jetskiaccidents at 6:58 PM on January 10, 2006

I wish that the weird a capella group would have really taken the "new"s to the intense degree that it deserves.

Its little thing with Oklahoma was pretty great though!
posted by k8t at 7:03 PM on January 10, 2006

Check out the playlist for Mike Lupica on wfmu.org, where somewhere on the page (about half way down) is a link to a real audio version of the song.

and regardless of what the kid singing the song says, Colorado is the best...
posted by jazon at 7:11 PM on January 10, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Ths is good - an mp3 by a group called The John Land Singers - very clear and professional-sounding.
posted by iconomy at 7:24 PM on January 10, 2006

I didn't know that the song was written by Ray Charles, by the way.
posted by iconomy at 7:25 PM on January 10, 2006

Jamie Burghardt's recording (the one Mike Lupica played) is here (direct link to mp3).

By the way, it was written by "the other Ray Charles."
posted by gubo at 7:27 PM on January 10, 2006

Ah thanks, gubo! I was just googling him, because it seemed so strange.
posted by iconomy at 7:32 PM on January 10, 2006

YES. THIS IS AWESOME. Thanks so much, everyone.

That Jamie kid is fun.

Also, what is with i-oh-way? Can no one pronounce Iowa?
posted by jetskiaccidents at 7:45 PM on January 10, 2006

Thanks also to Lange NU for yet another version (emailed), one where they actually pronounce Iowa correctly and leave a space to say your own state. Hooray!
posted by jetskiaccidents at 7:56 PM on January 10, 2006

Thanks for posting this!
posted by k8t at 8:15 AM on January 11, 2006

The sheet music we had (when I was a kid) specifically called for an I-oh-way pronunciation.

And I always thought I was the only one using this as a party trick when abroad!
posted by Sheppagus at 2:52 PM on January 11, 2006