Just wondering if every US State has a State song. You’d think it should. If so, what is the song for NJ? I know…many one-liners come to mind here as I pose this leading question. But, seriously…
- Jinx
Google does wonders, ya know. 
Having typed in “new jersey state song” I found here that the song is
“I’m From New Jersey”
Yup.
You can find the lyrics here.
(Don’t worry about the New Jersey one-liner. I think the state song does it better than you ever could.)
“I’m from New Jersey”. Check out the full list here:
California’s official state dance is the West Coast Swing.
Virginia retired “Carry Me Back to Old Virginia” in 1997 due to racially questionable lyrics. A new song was supposed to be named by 2001, but none has yet been selected.
Virginia’s song–sheesh. Never saw the lyrics before. I’d say they’re questionable, although it’s a pretty enough song and the lyrics, horrid as they are, paint a lovely word picture.
I used to work for the state of MA, and our song dates from the 1930s. What happens is that usually some schoolchildren or some sweet old lady proposes the song and it becomes the pet project of some legislator or committee. It’s very informal and everybody votes for it (it slips in as one of dozens of bills debated each day) unless somebody else has a pet song, then there’s usually a performance of the song at a press conference and the rest of the legislature glances at each other and purses their lips trying not to laugh.
YSLMV.
It’s a lousy song and very hard to actually sing. Poor Marsh ran out of lyrics towards the end and you have to go:
It’s M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S.
All hail to Massachusetts! All hail! All hail! All hail!
The State Folk Song, ‘Massachusetts’ is by Arlo Guthrie and is pretty great. There’s also a State March and a State Jingle, which is more like a sung slogan. When I worked there, it was "The Spirit of Massachusetts is the Spirit of America’ which actually was singable, although not very quickly. This suceeded ‘Make it in Massachusetts’ which spawned the obvious parodies.
I think that Maine’s state song is “Maniac” from Flashdance.
An Okie here. Guess what our song is? Only one guess and you’d better be picturing a surrey with fringe on top.
hint: we’re OK
Hmmmm, I think I’ll have me some of that sweet smelling waving wheat for breakfast. 
There is some controversy in Maryland regarding our State song. Some say it’s racist, others say it’s our history so keep it. Lyrics can be found here.
Now where did I hear the state song for New Jersey was Born to Run?! I swear I heard it somewhere.
Well, Kentucky’s state song, like Oklahoma’s, is a real no-brainer. The sun shines bright … and now it’s summer and the PEOPLE are gay. Thank heavens for that.
“It’s a death trap, a suicide rap, we gotta get out while we’re young…”
Makes perfect sense to me. Possibly the best rock song with a glockenspiel. Kind of like using Born in the USA as a campaign song.
FWIW Arizona has *The Arizona March* <sigh> Ain’t that a frickin’ toe tapper. I’m going to lobby for changing it to Hey Jealousy by the Gin Blossoms.
Note that some states have a state anthem (old slow funeral dirge-like tune) and a state song (a recent pop tune that may or not not mention the state, usually with not-always-appropriate lyrics). If you do crossword puzzles you have to know this.
Some idiot politician in NJ once proposed making BTR the state song. Robert Wuhl had a great routine making fun of this idea.
Does not. It never once says What exit?
I’m rather disappointed that my home state of Pennsylvania bowed to peer pressure and got itself an official state song. At least they could have made it something fun… EVERYBODY POLKA!
Is it just me or do the lyrics for the last two verses of “You Are My Sunshine” (state song of Louisiana) seem rather out of place with the rest of the song? Yes I know Jimmy Davis was the Governor of the state…but still they sound more then a little…odd…
Here’s all of them.
[hijack]
You know how in church you sometimes sing a two-syllable word as one syllable in order to try to preserve the meter of the song? Like this:
Well, if you do that with the word “flowing” and pronounce it as one syllable, sort of like “floing” (as in Gerald McBoing Boing), then the state song of Illinois has exactly the same meter as the great hymn Jesus Saves!
Freaking amazing. Maybe I’ll tell our church music director about this sometime…
[/hijack]
After a measure to name “Born to Run” the official theme song of New Jersey was defeated, that state’s assembly did name it the “unofficial youth anthem of New Jersey.”
Also in the biography “Born to Run” IIRC
Ah, thank you Furt!
New Jersey does not have a state song. The man who wrote I’m From New Jersey, “Red” Mascara, has tried for years to get state legislators to approve it as the official state song of New Jersey, but so far, he’s been unsuccessful. Too bad, it’s a catchy tune.