What’s the significance of the phrase “Stars fell on Alabama” which is on the state’s standard license plate? Googling reveals song lyrics and whatnot, but nothing specific. Any clues?
It’s the name of a classic jazz song. It’s not the state song, but evidently they wanted to memorialize it (much like Oklahoma did on their license plates).
At some point in the distant past, there was a prolonged and spectacular meteor shower over Alabama. This provided the inspiration for the song.
Until a couple of years ago, the logo? slogan? whatever on the license tags was, “Heart of Dixie”. TPTB decided this was no longer appropriate, so Heart of Dixie was replaced with Stars Fell on Alabama.
Side note: A town not too far from here, Slapout, had a billboard sign at the city limits that stated, “Slapout, Alabama. The place where most of the stars fell.”
In short order, students from the local high school painted an X over “stars” and painted “shit” instead. So their wondeful new sign then stated, “Slapout, Alabama, the place where most of the shit fell”.
Now you know the rest of the story.
Thanks. guys, for your input. I thought it may have had something to do with the song, but was unaware of the significance. The Alabama state web site was patently unhelpful. I was just curious.
This link may have way more than you really wanted to know about the basis of the song, but one of those Reader’s Digest collections of popular songs (or maybe it was some other publisher, can’t be positive) had a thumbnail version of what’s already been said in earlier posts.
I had to do a search to be sure that Rick (Ricky) Nelson’s crash wasn’t in Alabama. His last gig was in Guntersville, but he crashed in Texas. Back after that happened (1985?) there was quite a bit of speculation that that was the meaning of the song. Sick joke, I reckon.
Ricky Nelson’s plane went down sometime during the night of December 31, 1985 to January 1, 1986. I was married that New Year’s Day.
I spent my honeymoon in Alabama. We danced one night in a little gazebo half way up a mountainside – just the two of us and a tape of Stars Fell on Alabama.
It was really nice of the state to change the state tags just for us.
WAR EAGLE!
It is a common misconception that “Heart of Dixie” was completely removed from the Alabama plates (I realize you didn’t actually say this). However, the compromise reached between the pro- and anti-“Heart of Dixie” legislators was that the phrase is still included on the plates, but shrunken down to an almost illegible feature.
It was my understanding that all state plates included the tiny heart with “Heart of Dixie,” but it appears that the Forever Wild and “Protect Our Environment” plates do not bear that slogan.
What’s wrong with “Heart of Dixie”? Isn’t Dixie just a general affectionate term for the South? Or is it overly associated with slavery times?
No, I didn’t say that because I’m well aware of the tiny little heart with “Heart of Dixie” across it. I did say Heart of Dixie was replaced, and since the "Stars…"slogan is where Heart of Dixie used to be, well. I guess the Alabama legislators tried to please all the people all the time.
I just knew somebody with some real clout was behind that change. Gazebo dancing, eh? Cool!
War Eagle right back atcha. Wreck Tech too! The Wreck Tech pajama parade is being revived and will be held Friday afternoon. I used to attend these parades faithfully in my younger years. Now, I’m afraid the sight of all those co-eds in shorty negligees would give me a heart attack. I don’t want to have to watch Saturday’s game from a room in East Alabama Medical Center, so maybe I’ll skip the parade. Or maybe not…(heh). 
You, sir, are attempting to apply reason in an area where reason seldom applies.
Short answer: It was felt in some quarters that the Heart of Dixie slogan smacked too much of times past.