State Song
June 23, 2007 11:40 AM

There's "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Georgia on my Mind." How many other states have songs dedicated to them?

I've been trying to think of stats that have songs tagged to them. Most of the songs I can come up with are with the southern states but I'd like to know if there others. Help me out by listing them here?
posted by Hands of Manos to Media & Arts (74 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
california dreamin, mamas and papas.
posted by brandz at 11:44 AM on June 23, 2007


http://www.50states.com/songs/

A list of the state songs of the fifty states. Most are pretty state specific (of course, being Connecticut, we have to be different, at least I was born in Tennessee, with 6 songs to our credit).

I know there's more, but it's a good start...
posted by pupdog at 11:45 AM on June 23, 2007


Going to California by Led Zeppelin is one of many CA-based songs
posted by andifsohow at 11:46 AM on June 23, 2007


Google Answers list here: https://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=206395
(Just got Safari, where's the "link" button???)
posted by Frank Grimes at 11:47 AM on June 23, 2007


Movin to Florida by the Butthole Surfers.
posted by suki at 11:49 AM on June 23, 2007


Come on! Feel the Illinoise! (kind of) and Say Yes! to M!ch!gan! by Sufjan Stevens -- from the albums Illinois and Michigan, respectively.
posted by mathlete at 11:50 AM on June 23, 2007


washington, dc by the magnetic fields
posted by noloveforned at 11:51 AM on June 23, 2007


New York, New York ... New York State of Mind ... Connecticut's for Fucking ...
posted by tastybrains at 11:54 AM on June 23, 2007


"Louisiana Rain" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.

For the Midwestern states, there's "Wisconsin Death Trip" by Static-X, and "Ohio" by Neil Young (although that's more about an event in that state, not about the state itself). Tom Petty also mentions Indiana several times in the first verse of "Mary Jane's Last Dance," but that's also not about the state itself.
posted by christinetheslp at 11:57 AM on June 23, 2007


Other California songs:
California Man - Cheap Trick
California Sun - lots of artists; I like the Ramones version
California Stars - Billy Bragg & Wilco
California Uber Alles - Dead Kennedys
Nevada, California - Jayhawks

a few others:
Ohio - Neil Young
Alabama Song - various artists
Washington Bullets - The Clash (D.C., not the state)
Johnsburg, Illinois - Tom Waits (okay, it's about the town, but the state's in the title!)
Indiana - Dave Brubeck
Tennessee Stud - Johnny Cash
My Tennessee Mountain Home - Dolly Parton
Michigan Girls - Califone
posted by scody at 11:57 AM on June 23, 2007


ohio, csny.
posted by brandz at 11:58 AM on June 23, 2007


Don't forget John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads," which is about West Virginia.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:01 PM on June 23, 2007


This previous question has a bunch.

And every single state has a state song, dedicated to the state.
posted by occhiblu at 12:06 PM on June 23, 2007


In my mind I've gone to Carolina...
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:06 PM on June 23, 2007


John Linell of They Might Be Giants fame put out an entire album full of state songs. He also has an album full of songs about New York state governors.

Oh, and do they rock!
posted by munchingzombie at 12:06 PM on June 23, 2007


My Old Kentucky Home
Kentucky Rain
Blue Moon of Kentucky

posted by dilettante at 12:07 PM on June 23, 2007


Georgia on My Mind is actually about a hooker. Yikes!
posted by thebrokenmuse at 12:08 PM on June 23, 2007


Carolina in the Morning

Of course this song is about North Carolina, who would possibly sing about South Carolina anyway...OK..OK...Just Kidding...Then there is "In My Mind I'm Going to Carolina" or whatever by James Taylor...
posted by sneakyalien at 12:09 PM on June 23, 2007


DOH! Redundancy!
posted by sneakyalien at 12:10 PM on June 23, 2007


Pennsylvania by the Bloodhound Gang.
posted by namewithoutwords at 12:13 PM on June 23, 2007


"Heads Carolina, Tails California"
"Country Roads" (West Virginia)
"My Old Kentucky Home"
old Bobbie Gentry: "M-I-Double S-I-Double S-I-Double P-I" (this song is the reason I can spell it. Now if there was only one for Massachusets and Connecticut we'd be in business)

There's a whole musical for Oklahoma.
posted by nax at 12:15 PM on June 23, 2007


Oh My Sweet Carolina
posted by chuckdarwin at 12:17 PM on June 23, 2007


Midnight Train to GA. I Love Gladys Knight but the version by Atlanta based Indigo Girls is Amazing!!
posted by pearlybob at 12:24 PM on June 23, 2007


"North Dakota", by Lyle Lovett.
posted by svenx at 12:27 PM on June 23, 2007


John Denver also weighs in with Wild Montana Skies.
posted by Abiezer at 12:28 PM on June 23, 2007


Also, "Oregon Trail" by Woody Guthrie.
posted by Abiezer at 12:29 PM on June 23, 2007


Now if there was only one for Massachusets

Of course there is:

Massachusetts by the Bee Gees. It was their first #1 hit.
posted by ericb at 12:39 PM on June 23, 2007


Don't forget "I Owe a Lot to Iowa Pot" by Napoleon XIV.
posted by MarshallPoe at 12:41 PM on June 23, 2007


John Linell (of They Might Be Giants) released a CD called State Songs.

Here's the song list: Illinois, The Songs Of The 50 States, West Virginia, South Carolina, Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania, Utah, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Maine, Oregon, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada
posted by O9scar at 12:46 PM on June 23, 2007


"Iowa" by Dar Williams.
posted by ORthey at 12:54 PM on June 23, 2007


Georgia on My Mind was about a woman, really. The state did later adopt it as its state song, though, which adds to the misconception.

/from Georgia.
posted by cmiller at 12:54 PM on June 23, 2007


Sweet Virginia Breeze
posted by 4ster at 1:07 PM on June 23, 2007


California Love, Tupac and Dr Dre. Oh yeah.
posted by wilky at 1:11 PM on June 23, 2007


california dreamin, mamas and papas.

California Dreaming video.
posted by ericb at 1:21 PM on June 23, 2007


California Love, Tupac and Dr Dre. Oh yeah.

In the same vein, "Goin back to Cali" by Biggie Smalls.
posted by ramix at 1:21 PM on June 23, 2007


Beach Boy's California Dreaming video 1, 2.
posted by ericb at 1:23 PM on June 23, 2007


(Many more than) Fifty Songs for Fifty States
posted by glibhamdreck at 1:23 PM on June 23, 2007


"Rhode Island Is Famous For You." I Like Blossom Dearie's version.
posted by .kobayashi. at 1:27 PM on June 23, 2007


There's that song by Phantom Planet that was the theme for the OC. I think it was just called 'California'.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 1:33 PM on June 23, 2007


Geez...multiple songs for each state and I can't think of any songs at all for Canada's provinces and territories.
posted by Kickstart70 at 1:35 PM on June 23, 2007


In the same vein, "Goin back to Cali" by Biggie Smalls.

There should be a Biggie/LL faceoff on that one.
Oh, wait...
posted by pupdog at 1:36 PM on June 23, 2007




Well, here's this, if it helps. No state songs or TMBG:

Lynard Skynard: Sweet Home Alabama
John Denver: Alaska and Me
Public Enemy: By The Time I Get To Arizona
Bruce Springsteen: Mary, Queen of Arkansas
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication
Bowling For Soup: Surf Colorado
Judy Garland: Connecticut
Perry Como: Delaware
Modest Mouse: Florida
Charlie Daniels Band: Devil Went Down to Georgia
Elvis Presley: Blue Hawaii
The B-52’s: Private Idaho
Surfjan Stevens: Illinois
The Jackson 5: Goin’ Back to Indiana
Dar Williams: Iowa
George Jones: Kansas City Feat
Dolly Parton: Kentucky Gambler
George Strait: Down Louisiana Way
Steve Beckwith: Back in Maine
Vonda Shephard: Maryland
The Bee Gees: Massachusetts
The Monkees: Michigan Blackhawk
“Weird Al” Yankovic: The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
Paula Cole: Mississippi
Eddy Arnold: Missouri Waltz
Frank Zappa: Montana
Sonic Youth: New Hampshire
The Bloodhound Gang: The Ten Coolest Things About New Jersey
Hank Williams Jr.: Clovis, New Mexico
Billy Joel: New York State of Mind
Gene Vincent: North Carolina Line
Lyle Lovitt: North Dakota
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Ohio
The Kinks: Oklahoma, U.S.A.
Loretta Lynn: Portland, Oregon
Glen Miller: Pennsylvania 6-5000
Blossom Dearie: Rhode Island Is Famous For You
Archers of Loaf: South Carolina
Dwight Yoakum: Rapid City, South Dakota
Chuck Berry: Memphis, Tennessee
T-Bone Burnett: Palestine, Texas
Marty Robbins: The Red Hills of Utah
Ella Fitzgerald: Moonlight in Vermont
Tori Amos: Virginia
Kenny Rogers: My Washington Woman
Chicago: West Virginia Fantasies
Static-X: Wisconsin Death Trip
Roy Rogers: Why, Oh Why, Did I Ever Leave Wyoming
posted by ormondsacker at 1:43 PM on June 23, 2007


Arlo Guthrie's "Massachusetts" is the state's official folk song, and "Say Hello to Someone in Massachusetts" is the state's official polka. No, really.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:47 PM on June 23, 2007


The Jersey Bounce by pretty much every big band in the '40s.
posted by octothorpe at 1:48 PM on June 23, 2007


Er, sorry...
Sawyer Brown: The Nebraska Song
Mark Knopfler: Sands of Nevada
posted by ormondsacker at 1:54 PM on June 23, 2007


"Pennsylvania Polka" by Frankie Yankovic.
posted by dreaming in stereo at 1:58 PM on June 23, 2007


When I was a kid, my mom used to sing a camp song that went something like:

Now where has Oregon, boys?
Where has Oregon?
I don't know -- Alaska
I don't know -- Alaska.
Maybe you should California
Maybe you should California
Call and say Hawaii
Call and say Hawaii

I tried looking this up, but could only find the same snippets. However, I am pretty sure it mentioned every state by using enunciation to effect meaning.
posted by acoutu at 2:08 PM on June 23, 2007


Oh!

What did Delaware, boys?
What did Delaware?
I don't know -- Alaska
I don't know -- Alaska
She wore her brand New Jersey
She wore her brand New Jersey!

And yes, there was more.....
posted by suki at 2:15 PM on June 23, 2007


John Linell (of They Might Be Giants) released a CD called State Songs.

Here's the song list: Illinois, The Songs Of The 50 States, West Virginia, South Carolina, Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania, Utah, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Maine, Oregon, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada



You also forgot "Louisiana", the b-side of Linell's "Montana" single, which came on absolutely beautiful green vinyl cut in the shape of the USA.
posted by melorama at 2:37 PM on June 23, 2007


Hmm...bad cut and paste on that.

I meant to say: came on absolutely beautiful green vinyl cut in the shape of the USA.
posted by melorama at 2:40 PM on June 23, 2007


What Did Delaware? [previously on MetaFilter]
Oh, what did Delaware, boys? Oh, what did Delaware?
Oh, what did Delaware, boys? Oh, what did Delaware?
Oh, what did Delaware, boys? Oh, what did Delaware?
I ask you now as a personal friend, what did Delaware?

She wore her New Jersey, boys. She wore her New Jersey.
She wore her New Jersey, boys. She wore her New Jersey.
She wore her New Jersey, boys. She wore her New Jersey.
I tell you now as a personal friend, she wore her New Jersey.

Oh, what does Iowa? She weighs a Washington.
Oh, what does Idaho? She hoes her Maryland.
Oh, what does Tennessee? She sees what Arkansas.
Oh, where has Oregon? She's gone to Oklahoma.
Oh, what did Massa-chew? She chewed her Connecti-cud.
Oh, how did Flori-die? She died in Missouri.

What did Delaware, boys?
What did Delaware?
What did Delaware, boys?
What did Delaware?
She wore a brand New Jersey,
She wore a brand New Jersey,
She wore a brand New Jersey,
That's what she did wear.

Why did Cali-phone ya,
Why did Cali-phone?
Why did Cali-phone ya,
Was she all alone?
She phoned to say "Hawaii"
She phoned to say ("How-ah-yee")
She phoned to say "Hawaii"
That's why she did phone.

Where has Oregon, boys,
Where has Oregon?
If you want Alaska,
(I'll-ask-a) where she's gone.
She went to pay her Texas
She went to pay her Texas
She went to pay her Texas,
That's where she has gone.

What did Mississip, boys,
What did Mississip?
What did Mississip, boys,
Through her pretty lips?
She sipped a Minna-soda,
She sipped a Minna-soda,
She sipped a Minna-soda,
That's what she did sip.

How did Wiscon-sin, boys?
She stole a New-brass-key,
Too bad that Arkan-saw, boys,
And so did Tenna-see.
It made poor Flori-die, boys,
It made poor Flori-die, you see,
She died in Missouri, boys,
She died in Missouri!
posted by ericb at 3:36 PM on June 23, 2007


Glen Miller: Pennsylvania 6-5000

This song is about the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City, not the state of Pennsylvania.
posted by Chrysostom at 3:59 PM on June 23, 2007


Brook Benton - Rainy Night in Georgia
Louvin Brothers - Tennessee Waltz
R. Dean Taylor - Indiana Wants Me
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:00 PM on June 23, 2007


"Massachusetts" by the Bee Gees, while it totally fits, kind of sucks. I prefer The Modern Lover's "Roadrunner," which is about speeding down Rt. 128 while listening to AM radio and contains the oft-quoted (by me) "I'm in love with Massachusetts".
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:10 PM on June 23, 2007


http://trees-lounge.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_trees-lounge_archive.html
posted by TheRaven at 4:18 PM on June 23, 2007


Hasn't this been asked before? I thought I remembered it, but I can't find it. Was there a question about cities?
posted by inigo2 at 5:13 PM on June 23, 2007


Glen Miller: Pennsylvania 6-5000

This song is about the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City, not the state of Pennsylvania.


Oop, so it is. How about Everclear: Pennsylvania Is...
(There's also a Bloodhound Gang track, but I was trying not to repeat artists.)
posted by ormondsacker at 5:35 PM on June 23, 2007


Stars Fell on Alabama - jazz standard, sung by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holiday, and later Jimmy Buffett, and probably a lot of other people too.
posted by tatiana wishbone at 5:40 PM on June 23, 2007


It's not a state, but how about Banned in DC by Bad Brains?
posted by bink at 6:03 PM on June 23, 2007


"Oklahoma" (Where the wind comes sweeping down the plane...) by Rogers and Hammerstein

"All I Owe Ioway", also by Rogers and Hammerstein, from "State Fair"
posted by grumblebee at 6:46 PM on June 23, 2007


"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"
posted by SuperNova at 7:12 PM on June 23, 2007


How many other states have songs dedicated to them?
All of them.
posted by space2k at 8:14 PM on June 23, 2007


The first 'state' song that came to my mind was 'The Yellow Rose of Texas'. I assume it fits the theme?
posted by Mael Oui at 8:19 PM on June 23, 2007


Randy Newman:
The Beehive State
My Old Kentucky Home
Louisiana 1927
posted by pmurray63 at 9:42 PM on June 23, 2007


North to Alaska by Johnny Horton
posted by evilcolonel at 10:19 PM on June 23, 2007


For Texas (my home state) I just looked in my itunes collection as found quite a bit, with some the most famous (relatively) being:

-What I like about Texas - Jerry Jeff Walker/Gary P. Nunn
-West Texas Waltz - Joe Ely
-Waltz Across Texas - Ernest T. Tubb
-Texas On My Mind - Pat Green
-Texas (When I Die) - Tanya Tucker
-Luckenbach Texas, - Waylon Jennings
-Heart of Texas - Billy Joe Shaver
-Blame It On Texas - March Ches nut
-All My Ex's Live in Texas - George Strait.

There are a lot more, but at least in Texas there is a whole genre of music that does nothing but espouse the love of Texas and its association (Shiner/Lone Star Beer, Gruene Hall, Alamo, Texas Hill Country, Texas Girls, West Texas... you get the idea).

Not to thread jack, but besides maybe New York and California, are there any other locations that almost inspire their own category of music?
posted by aggienfo at 10:52 PM on June 23, 2007


Wikipedia: "Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state legislature as a symbol of the state." List of U.S. state songs
posted by ardgedee at 3:59 AM on June 24, 2007


A little OT, but [your state's name here]
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:07 AM on June 24, 2007


Your favorite state song sucks.
posted by grouse at 5:50 AM on June 24, 2007


kickstart70 - Saskatchewan by Les Trois Accords. Not really about the province, but close enough.

As far as states - Homecoming King by Guster has a pretty Massachusetts-centric chorus.
posted by fermezporte at 7:35 AM on June 24, 2007


Lots of states in the Mountain Goats' Going to... song series. "Going to Georgia" has also been covered by Atom and his Package.
posted by clavicle at 12:02 PM on June 24, 2007


Ohio (Come Back to Texas) - Bowling for Soup.
More Bounce in California - Soul Kid #1
posted by natabat at 10:20 AM on June 26, 2007




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