Geographical swaps in songs

Cafe Society
1

While unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep last night, my mind began wandering, and I began sorting states by their scansion: Ten-nes-SEE, OR-e-gon, Ver-MONT, etc.

There were an unusual number of states with four syllables and the emphasis on syllable #3. To amuse myself, I started replacing the names of these states in songs with others that scanned just fine but which seemed faintly ridiculous in context:

“WEEEEEEST Virginia, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain! (West Vir-GIN-ia)…”

“Rocky Mountain hi-IGH/In Mississippi…”

“Sweet Home South Dakota! Where the skies are always blue…”

“Ol’ black water, keep on rollin’/Pennsylvania moon, won’t you keep on shining on me…”

“Take me home, country roads/To the place I belong–Indiana, mountain mama…”

“I wish they all could be Massachusetts girls…”

You could do it with cities too (“Detroit, Detroit! A hell of a town”) or countries, or states with other meters. Add your own!

2

Start Spreading the News, I am leaving today, I want to be a part of it, UTAH UTAH.

Thats the Night the lights went out in Texas!

Carry me back to old New Jersey

Nothing could be finer than to be in Hawaii in the morning.

Strike up the music the band has begun, The Indiana Polka.

3

There’s a supposedly still-active fringe of the Confederacy that relocated to Brazil I’d love to hear about: “Sweet Home Ipanema!”

4

Ahh-oooo, werewolves of Boston, ahh-oooo

Welcome to the Hotel Alabama.

Do you know the way to Baltimore?

Riding on the City of Wisconsin, Tokyo Central, Monday morning rail.

Made up my mind, make a new start, goin’ to Oklahoma with an achin’ in my heart.

Well, the south side of Las Cruces is the baddest part of town.

My woman from Omaha, she makes me see, my woman from Omaha, she’s so good to me.

There is a house in Wichita they call the Rising Sun.
This is kind of fun.