I’m trying to compile a list of songs. 50, to be exact. One for each state in the union. With one rule, though…the name of the state can’t be referred to SOLELY in the title. Here are the songs I currently have:
“Take It Easy” by the Eagles (“I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona”)
“Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty (“With them Indiana boys on an Indiana night”)
“Kentucky Rain” by Elvis (“On this lonely Kentucky back road”)
“Tattoo” by Faster Pussycat (“Should I find a little cabin up in Boise, Idaho?”)
“Take Me Home (Country Roads)” by John Denver (“Almost heaven, West Virginia”)
“Four Days” by Counting Crows (“Have you seen Ohio rise?”)
“Good Time” by Counting Crows (“I’m just another boy from Texas”)
“Rocky Top” - I think this song is public domain - (“Down in the Tennessee hills”)
“I’m a Ramblin’ Man” by Waylon Jennings (“I’ve been down to Mississippi, down through New Orleans”)
“Calling Baton Rouge” by Garth Brooks (“I spent last night in the arms of a girl from Louisiana”)
“Daylight Fading” by Counting Crows (“It’s getting cold in California”)
“Come Monday” by Jimmy Buffett (“Remember that night in Montana?”)
“You’re My Home” by Billy Joel (“Home could be the Pennsylvania Turnpike”)
“Never Been to Spain” by Three Dog Night (“In Oklahoma, not Arizona”)
“The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota” by Weird Al Yankovic (“Finally, at 7:37 early Wednesday evening, as the sun was setting in the Minnesota sky”)
“Allentown” by Billy Joel “(Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore”)
“Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” by Billy Joel (“Before we all lived here in Florida”)
Can anyone help with the other 33 states? I need:
[ul]
Alabama
Arkansas
Washington
Iowa
Nebraska
North Carolina
South Carolina
New York (which should be easy)
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Georgia
Delaware
Connecticut
Illinois
Michigan
Missouri
Virginia
Nevada
Utah
Orgeon
North Dakota
South Dakota
Wisconsin
Wyoming
New Mexico
Colorado
Massachusetts
Hawaii
Kansas
[/ul]
Using “Kentucky Rain” as an example, the name of the state can appear in the title, as long as it’s not JUST in the chorus, and so long as the title isn’t JUST the state name. In fact, the title doesn’t have to include the name of the state at all.
The Missouri Waltz should get triple points. It’s the state song, and it has the word pick-a-ninny in the lyrics. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Hush-a-bye, ma baby, slumber-time is coming soon
Rest yo’ head upon ma breast while Mammy hums a tune
The sandman is callin’ where shadows are fallin’,
While the soft breezes sigh as in days long gone by.
’Way down in Missouri where I heard this melody,
When I was a Pick-a-ninny on ma Mammy’s knee
South Dakota by Girlysound
Man I feel lucky tonight
I’m gonna get stoned and run around
Born in South Dakota
Hey we’re going to a rodeo town
I’m gonna get drunk and fuck some cows
Born in South Dakota I was born in South Dakota
I was born in South Dakota
Here’s a song from the Animaniacs that lists all the states (and their capitals). I think the tune is “Turkey in the Straw.” But that’s probably cheating.
And there’s “Going to California” by Led Zepellin, but you already got CA.
“City of New Orleans” by Arlo Guthrie. (“Illinois Central Monday monring rail”)
“Portland, Oregon” by Loretta Lynn & Jack White mentions the state four times.
For Virginia there’s the state song, “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny”.
I like “My Hawaii” better but I forget who sang it. I think they started with an A. “In these Islands of Hawaii I’ll return to find this dream divine.”
I want to say “The Association” or “The Animals” but neither appears to be it.
You missed three states in your list: Alaska, Rhode Island, and Maryland (I’m from Maryland, that’s why I noticed).
I don’t have any really good song suggestions, but the state song of Maryland is “Maryland, my Maryland” (sung to the same tune as “Oh, Christmas Tree” aka “O, Tannenbaum”). Also, isn’t there a Counting Crows song that mentions Maryland? Or does it just talk about Baltimore? Does that count?
For Rhode Island, I would like to nominate “Road to Rhode Island” from Family Guy. (“We’re off on the road to Rhode Island…” - Sung to the tune of “Road to Morocco”)
"what that woman meant to you
is what the mirror said to me whoa
she was raised in illinois
right outside of chicago
some of the best cookin’ you ever had "
There’s a song called “North Dakotachrome” by a Davis, California band called “Lawsuit.” It’s all about puns on state names. Some of the lines:
“Who runs around when I’m lonely and bored?
Whose foot’s on the clutch when the gas pedal’s floored-a? (FLORIDA)”
“I got a note from Ish again (MICHIGAN), he says ‘how are ya?’ (HAWAII)”
“She said she knew him, sure, (NEW HAMPSHIRE), she new him back in OKLAHOMA.”
“I knew your kind (NEW YORK), I dwell aware (DELAWARE),
But the MAINE thing’s for me not to care
a line, a line (CAROLINA) can tuck you (KENTUCKY) into bed”
Maybe doesn’t count for the OP, but it’s a clever song.
There a great song called Rhode Island (Is Famous for You). It mentions a boatload of the states.
Here’s a sample:
Copper comes from Arizona
Peaches come from Georgia
Lobsters come from Maine
The wheat fields are the sweet fields of Nebraska
And Kansas gets bonanzas from the grain
Ol’ whiskey comes from ol’ Kentucky
Ain’t the country lucky?
New Jersey gives us glue
And you - you come from Rhode Island
And little ol’ Rhode Island is famous for you
The whole thing can be found here.
