# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/61 "2010-10-05T14:07:40Z")
[Tennessee](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g40c6iAEHpc) - Arrested Development ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/62 "2010-10-05T16:38:43Z")
Vicki Lawrence once did a medley of her hit song: _The Night the Lights went out in Georgia_. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/63 "2010-10-05T16:52:45Z")
So good it’s an official state song (and public domain, so here’s all of it). Tune: “O Tannenbaum” Maryland, My Maryland The despot’s heel is on thy shore, Maryland! His torch is at thy temple door, Maryland! Avenge the patriotic gore That flecked the streets of Baltimore, And be the battle queen of yore, Maryland! My Maryland! Hark to an exiled son’s appeal, Maryland! My Mother State! to thee I kneel, Maryland! For life or death, for woe or weal, Thy peerless chivalry reveal, And gird thy beauteous limbs with steel, Maryland! My Maryland! Thou wilt not cower in the dust, Maryland! Thy beaming sword shall never rust, Maryland! Remember Carroll’s sacred trust, Remember Howard’s warlike thrust,- And all thy slumberers with the just, Maryland! My Maryland! Come! 'tis the red dawn of the day, Maryland! Come with thy panoplied array, Maryland! With Ringgold’s spirit for the fray, With Watson’s blood at Monterey, With fearless Lowe and dashing May, Maryland! My Maryland! Come! for thy shield is bright and strong, Maryland! Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong, Maryland! Come to thine own anointed throng, Stalking with Liberty along, And sing thy dauntless slogan song, Maryland! My Maryland! Dear Mother! burst the tyrant’s chain, Maryland! Virginia should not call in vain, Maryland! She meets her sisters on the plain- Sic semper! 'tis the proud refrain That baffles minions back amain, Maryland! Arise in majesty again, Maryland! My Maryland! I see the blush upon thy cheek, Maryland! For thou wast ever bravely meek, Maryland! But lo! there surges forth a shriek, From hill to hill, from creek to creek, Potomac calls to Chesapeake, Maryland! My Maryland! Thou wilt not yield the Vandal toll, Maryland! Thou wilt not crook to his control, Maryland! Better the fire upon thee roll, Better the shot, the blade, the bowl, Than crucifixion of the Soul, Maryland! My Maryland! I hear the distant thunder-hum, Maryland! The Old Line bugle, fife, and drum, Maryland! She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb- Huzza! She spurns the Northern scum! She breathes! She burns! She’ll come! She’ll come! Maryland! My Maryland! ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/64 "2010-10-05T21:13:13Z")
I guess for Kansas, maybe [Wichita Lineman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcykofWTCgY). And then there is [Kansas City](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOYq9JiBW3s)… but is that really a Missouri song or Kansas song? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/65 "2010-10-05T21:22:39Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > Deep in the Heart of Texas > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXEZuAfxT3I](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXEZuAfxT3I) Clap clap clap clap! My contribution: [50 Nifty United States](http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=35821&title=Fifty_Nifty_United_States_) ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/66 "2010-10-06T09:41:36Z")
From my home state: Back Home in Indiana [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ8A7Q-SVHI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ8A7Q-SVHI) I like the Louis Armstrong instrumental better, but this one has the lyrics. Another favorite is L’Air de Louisiane [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2\_xV5V4oOI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2_xV5V4oOI) Jimmy Buffet does a lot of songs about / containing different states. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/67 "2010-10-06T12:52:11Z")
As an Ohioan, I’m partial to “My City Was Gone” by the Pretenders, even though it’s depressing as all get-out. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/68 "2010-10-06T13:04:23Z")
I’m surprise no one has mentioned The B-52s [Private Idaho.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7t7cGwN7_0) _“You’re living in your own private Idaho…get out of that state, get out of that state you’re in!”_ mmm ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/69 "2010-10-06T14:29:30Z")
I see a lot of Country Music songs on this topic thread. Here are 2 more country songs: Alaska: \*\* North to Alaska \*\* by Johnny Horton Kansas: \*\* Home on the Range\*\* by Gene Autry ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/70 "2010-10-06T14:38:29Z")
Or New Jersey’s “Born to Run”. Baby, this town rips the bones from your back, it’s a deathtrap, it’s a suicide rap, we gotta get out while we’re young … ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/71 "2010-10-06T17:55:24Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > > [@Wilson](#): > > > > Came in to mention this one. John Pizzarelli does a great version of this. > > In addition, also from the John Pizzarelli catalog, is “I Like Jersey Best”. A humorous take on what makes New Jersey great, it’s perfectly suited to Pizzarelli’s vaudevillean style. I’ve seen him do this live, and the imitations he works in to the song are hilarious. You can get a sense of this from the recording of the song on his “Live at Birdland” CD. > > His Billie Holiday is even funnier than his Dylan! And his Madeleine Peyroux is exactly the same as his Billie Holiday… when I saw him live he cut back and forth between the two of them very quickly, using the same voice. Cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![amily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@amily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amily)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/72 "2010-10-07T00:15:03Z")
I usually just read here, but as much as I love the B-52s, Josh Ritter has the best ever song about Idaho. He’s a local boy and well, if you don’t know about gravel roads you just don’t know Idaho. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/S1OnCr56JoI/hqdefault.jpg "Josh Ritter - Idaho (Kent, OH)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1OnCr56JoI) ---
**Author:** ![amily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@amily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amily)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962/73 "2010-10-07T00:26:24Z")
BoDeans have us pretty well pegged too! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NirT6V8o8s8/hqdefault.jpg "Bodeans Idaho") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NirT6V8o8s8) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-u-s-state-oriented-songs/555962.md?page=3)