# Songs featuring your home state **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865 "2003-08-31T22:13:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/21 "2003-09-01T06:12:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Superdude \* > \*\*The _ONLY_ one that I can think of (even googling), is “Indiana Wants Me,” by R. Dean Taylor \*\* [_Gary, Indiana_](http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/themusicman/garyindiana.htm) (from The Music Man) [_Goin’ Back to Indiana_](http://www.lyricsfind.com/lyrics/2897/28929.php) (Jackson Five) [_Back Home Again In Indiana_](http://www.lyricshut.co.uk/getlyrics.php?a=1115483) (as sung by Neil Diamond – although the tune is annually performed at the Indianapolis 500, it is not the official state song) [_I spent the War in Indiana_](http://home.insightbb.com/~bobtom.fan/dannyquayle.html) (parody of the above – performed by Danny and the Quayles) ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/22 "2003-09-01T07:27:50Z")
“Viva Las Vegas” OK, so it doesn’t say, “Vival Las Vegas, NEVADA”, but I think the world knows where we are. (BTW, FYI, Nevada is pronounced, Nuh-Va-Duh…not Knee-Vaa-Duh.) ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/23 "2003-09-01T10:52:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rick \* > \*\*(wish they all could beat) California Girls \*\* 'Lest anyone think that the song is about wife abuse, lets make sure it’s understood that the lyric is “wish they could all be California Girls.” ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/24 "2003-09-01T11:53:01Z")
Well, I searched, but couldn’t find any songs with the word “Queensland” in either the lyrics or the title. But I know that there’s a song called “If Your’re Going to San Francisco” which might, by extension, qualify. Only joking… only joking… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/25 "2003-09-01T12:23:34Z")
“Jersey Girl” is the obvious one. New York also has “For New York.” It started as a little ditty for Channel 4 Four News, but they extended it into a whole song. I love the commercial, but I do wish that when they sang “For the thrill of being #1,” they would should the marque for “Urinetown.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/26 "2003-09-01T12:36:51Z")
Tennessee Stud (may be **The** Tennessee Stud) by Eddy Arnold. (Tennessee Waltz is the state song) ---
**Author:** ![Soup\_du\_jour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Soup\_du\_jour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_du_jour)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/27 "2003-09-01T12:48:14Z")
We also have “Miles and Miles of Texas.” I can’t believe none of y’all have said “California Lovin’!” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/28 "2003-09-01T13:07:32Z")
Original home state: “Four Dead in Ohio” “I Went Back to Ohio” (or is that one “My City Was Gone”?) Current home state: The proposed state polka, “Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts” ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/29 "2003-09-01T16:05:29Z")
I can’t think of any songs that mention New South Wales in the title, but there is an old song called _My City of Sydney_, Eskimo Joe have a song called _Sydney Song_ and The Lucksmiths have a song called _The Great Dividing Range_, (the mountain range running down the east coast of Australia). Also, a Whitlams’ song called \*\* has the lyric, “She was one in a million, so there’s five more just in New South Wales.” So that could well be the closest I’ll get. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Boo Boo Foo_ > Well, I searched, but couldn’t find any songs with the word “Queensland” in either the lyrics or the title. But I know that there’s a song called “If Your’re Going to San Francisco” which might, by extension, qualify. I can’t think of any that mention Queensland, but The Saints have a song called _Brisbane (Security City)_ - I’m guessing about the tyranny of Sir Joh - and the Go Betweens, while not mentioning any Queensland locales in their songs have a definite Queensland feel about them - _Spring Rain_ and _Cattle and Cane_, for instance. Also, in R.E.M.'s _Parakeet_ from their Up album, Michael Stipe sings “The tectonic dispatcher shifts/ To smooth the ocean floor And flattens out to warmer winds/ Off Brisbane’s sunny shore” ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/30 "2003-09-01T16:08:58Z")
Sorry, the Whitlams song mentioned is called _Up Against the Wall_. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/31 "2003-09-01T16:09:14Z")
Got another: “Lizzie Borden (You Can’t Chop Your Papa Up In Massachusetts)” ---
**Author:** ![wakimika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@wakimika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wakimika)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/32 "2003-09-01T16:15:07Z")
_The nutmeg of my eye Connecticut_ Okay, I made that up. I doubt anyone will ever write a song about my state. What would you rhyme it with? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/33 "2003-09-01T16:25:26Z")
_Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues_ by Todd Snider. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zeldar \* > \*\*Tennessee Stud (may be **The** Tennessee Stud) by Eddy Arnold. > \*\* [nitpick] Jimmie Driftwood wrote it. Fabulous choice too, **Zeldar**! [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/34 "2003-09-01T16:52:23Z")
There are more, but the best one I found is: [The Last Saskatchewan Pirate](http://www.letssingit.com/arrogant-worms-the-last-saskatchewan-pirate-c73bzxw.html) by the Arrogant Worms. Maybe you had to be there… ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/35 "2003-09-01T17:20:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by koeeoaddi \* > \*\* > [nitpick] Jimmie Driftwood wrote it. Fabulous choice too, **Zeldar**! [/nitpick] \*\* **koeeoaddi** , thanks for that nitpick. I remember Eddy singing the song back in the 60’s and never took the trouble to find out who wrote it. Johnny Cash also recorded it. Not long ago PBS had a Ryman Auditorium special with The Chieftains and quite a few Nashville types doing Celtic-based Country. Hearing them do _Tennessee Stud_ as an Irish-flavored instrumental was a real treat. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/36 "2003-09-01T17:37:57Z")
**wakimika** : Superchunk have a song called Connecticut. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/37 "2003-09-01T17:40:54Z")
[More Tenessee Stud hijack] My favorite version is Doc Watson’s live one with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Never heard the Chieftans’. I am _so_ going to check that out, **Zeldar** Thanks. [/horse highjack] ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/38 "2003-09-01T18:12:50Z")
Of course there’s a Connecticut song. Everybody sing! “Take a chance, make it happen, Pop a cork, fingers snappin’, Spin the wheel, round and round we go …” ---
**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/39 "2003-09-01T18:56:22Z")
“Arizona,” by Mark Lindsay How about a soung about the whole country, which names every state? - [Fifty Nifty United States](http://esl-lounge.com/songs/song50nifty.html). ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865/40 "2003-09-01T19:01:17Z")
Woo! Found one! _Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota_. Weird Al. _sigh_ Pitiful. At least I can take comfort in the fact that my state invented Post It notes and Scotch tape. . . . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-featuring-your-home-state/198865.md?page=3)