# Best U.S. state-oriented songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 4, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962 "2010-10-04T01:12:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/1 "2010-10-04T01:12:51Z")
Not looking so much for official state songs but other popular tunes referring to specific states and their features. For me it’s hard to beat “Rocky Top” (Tennessee) and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (West Virginia). What say y’all? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/2 "2010-10-04T01:16:38Z")
[_California Girls._](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZDlnU5zwwE)-Beach Boys 😃 ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/3 "2010-10-04T01:29:56Z")
Four dead in [Ohio](http://bit.ly/bg3xtL) I doubt it will ever become the state song. But this Ohio native thinks it’s pretty great. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/4 "2010-10-04T01:37:11Z")
[North To Alaska](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSt0NEESrUA) - Johnny Horton ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/5 "2010-10-04T01:40:27Z")
[That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMhaehb5AnE) - Lyle Lovett ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/6 "2010-10-04T01:47:43Z")
Apologies for not keeping it U.S. specific, but the best state-oriented song is clearly the one for [YOUR STATE’S NAME HERE](http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/yourstat.htm). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/7 "2010-10-04T02:12:49Z")
[Say Yes! To M!ch!gan!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWnZMQy-gjM) - Sufjan Stevens. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/8 "2010-10-04T02:14:20Z")
[State of Love & Trust](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2XtoypGap8) - Pearl Jam …oh wait, that song isn’t about Washington state anymore than Born in the USA is about celebrating America. has anyone ever done a good Connecticut song? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/9 "2010-10-04T02:16:36Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > has anyone ever done a good Connecticut song? Try [these](http://carnivalsaloon.blogspot.com/2009/02/state-songs-7-connecticut.html). ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/10 "2010-10-04T03:07:03Z")
[Georgia on my Mind](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thls_tMuFkc) The attribution to the state of Georgia came later, but its still pretty awesome. Interesting flute bit in this version, regardless…and its the official state song now anyhow. Oh well. Maybe this shouldn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/11 "2010-10-04T03:13:37Z")
This is an official song, but not THE official song. It’s the official state FOLK song of Massachusetts, and it’s by Arlo Guthrie. It’s called–wait for it–[Massachusetts.](http://www.lyrics007.com/Arlo%20Guthrie%20Lyrics/Massachusetts%20Lyrics.html) Here’s a [video of a performance.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_MdmnSOVMI) I used to work for the MA state government and our [official song](http://www.50states.com/songs/mass.htm)should go in a worst-of thread. And the tune is worse than the lyrics. The last two lines are the best/worst, obviously the contest-winner writer ran out of ideas. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/12 "2010-10-04T03:18:36Z")
_Oklahoma!_ How could anyone seriously think otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/13 "2010-10-04T03:18:40Z")
Rocky Mountain High. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/14 "2010-10-04T03:23:00Z")
Miles and Miles of Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/15 "2010-10-04T03:25:26Z")
Oooh! Oooh! SWEET HOME ALABAMA! BLUE HAWAII by Elvis! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/16 "2010-10-04T03:34:02Z")
I like [Stars Fell on Alabama](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wklVHBrwzkM) (that’s the Jimmy Buffet version; it’s an old jazz standard). [Story behind the song](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_Fell_on_Alabama): > [@](#): > > The title refers to a spectacular occurrence of the Leonid meteor shower that had been observed in Alabama in November of 1833, “the night the stars fell.” As reported by the Florence Gazette: “[There were] thousands of luminous bodies shooting across the firmament in every direction. There was little wind and not a trace of clouds, and the meteors succeeded each other in quick succession.” ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/17 "2010-10-04T03:41:24Z")
A couple of oldies. I think it is the official song, but I do get a little choked up at the Kentucky Derby when _My Old Kentucky Home_ is played. Back in the 80’s, I had a digital watch whose alarm played _The Yellow Rose of Texas_. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/18 "2010-10-04T03:41:41Z")
> [@E.Thorp](#): > > Four dead in [Ohio](http://bit.ly/bg3xtL) > > I doubt it will ever become the state song. But this Ohio native thinks it’s pretty great. Hear hear! ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/19 "2010-10-04T03:46:37Z")
Two more Ohio songs I think are pretty great: [“Ohio River Boat Song”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRzewgVLmp8), by Bonnie Prince Billy, and [“On the Banks of the Ohio”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C3r9PnoNTw), by Bill Monroe and Doc Watson. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/20 "2010-10-04T05:08:46Z")
[Elvis- Blue Hawaii](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4F5dbiaITw) [Dotting the Eye](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ71na_17O0), but perhaps more iconically [The Fight Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl6Tzt18TLg&feature=related) and maybe [Hang On Sloopy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oPiBSktp6M&feature=related). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962.md?page=2)