Tennessee - Arrested Development
Vicki Lawrence once did a medley of her hit song:
The Night the Lights went out in Georgia.
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!
I guess for Kansas, maybe Wichita Lineman. And then there is Kansas City… but is that really a Missouri song or Kansas song?
From my home state:
Back Home in Indiana 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
Jimmy Buffet does a lot of songs about / containing different states.
As an Ohioan, I’m partial to “My City Was Gone” by the Pretenders, even though it’s depressing as all get-out.
I’m surprise no one has mentioned The B-52s Private Idaho.
“You’re living in your own private Idaho…get out of that state, get out of that state you’re in!”
mmm
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
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 …
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.
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.
BoDeans have us pretty well pegged too!
