Wisconsin has few notable songs, On, Wisconsin being one.
Otherwise, it’s mentioned in Springsteen’s Cadillac Ranch in the lyric “hey ittle girlie with your blue jeans so tight, driving alone through the Wisconsin night”.
And it also gets a mention in Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the line “The ship was the pride of the American side coming back from some mill in Wisconsin”.
Not real big time, but not horrible, I guess.
Of course “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” for Georgia.
Also, “Country Roads” for West Virginia
“Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” for Virginia
Of course I know. This isn’t an 80’s cocktail party trivia game stumper. I will admit I didn’t know before looking up info on Lincoln Chafee years ago. But why on earth would that be referenced in a song? If someone sings about life down in 'bama, we all know where they mean.
Not only are there tons of songs about Texas, there is at least one song that even makes fun of the fact. It’s by the Austin Lounge Lizards. (An older song but it’s still good.)
http://www.austinlizards.com/lyrics/supid_texas_song
And evidently they misspelled stupid? It’s a Supid Texas Song!
Does “The Star-Spangled Banner” count for Maryland? It doesn’t directly mention Maryland or Baltimore, but it is clearly about defending Baltimore, MD from British attack.
There is Maryland, My Maryland, the secessionist state song. Like the SSB, a poem put on top of another tune.
Ok, but Shagnasty’s bringing one to life with the full name. We are a pretty feeble excuse for a state and oughta try and get some notice for our uniqueness. And aren’t these threads kind of like a cocktail party game, except lacking cocktails?
ETA: Were you disappointed by what you found about Chafee?
I disovered it in a long-ago crossword puzzle.
“19 across. Smallest state. 42 letters???”:eek:
I think there are two named “North Dakota.” Thrush Hermit (Joel Plaskett’s old band) had one on their album Sweet Homewrecker, and I think John Linnell had one on his album State Songs.
Illinois has to be in the running for “most songs” thanks to Sufjan Stevens. Illinois (aka Come On! Feel the Illinoise!) has 22 songs about the state, and The Avalanche adds another 21. Illinois certainly has to win “most best songs”: the album Illinois is my pick for the best album of the 2000’s.
John Linnell, of They Might Be Giants, released a solo album called State Songs. It has 15 songs named after, but not necessarily about, states.
Beginning with Tennessee Waltz but not ending with Rocky Top, I’d say Tennessee likely follows Texas closely in the number of songs with the state named in them. There are even songs (T for Texas) that name both.
Really, almost any state where country music is culturally relevent will be mentioned in at least one cut on some CD.
None of these answer the OP, I realize, but as long as we’re listing songs about states…
Indiana Wants Me – R. Dean Taylor
Gary Indiana – From “The Music Man”
Goin’ Back to Indiana –Jackson 5
Mississippi Queen – Mountain
Black Water – Doobie Brothers (Mississippi moon won’t you keep on shinin’ on me)
The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia – Vicki Lawrence
Ohio –CSN&Y
Nebraska –Bruce Springsteen
Wild Montana Skies – John Denver
Montana – Frank Zappa
I’d guess both of those are talking about the river, not the state.
I’m pretty sure Randy Newman sang about it as a B side of his hit “I Love El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula.”
Almost as good as Kenny Rogers’ “Planet Texas.”
Sorry, re-reading my post it seems a bit snotty and I didn’t intend that. It certainy is peculiar. A quick Google shows that the full name isn’t on drivers licenses. Is it used on other official state documents.
I like Chafee. I wish the republican party had a lot more moderates like him. Of course, he’s an independent now.
Found another one about RI: “Poor Little Rhode Island”, recorded by Guy Lombardo on 12-1-44. Don’t think anyone else recorded it at the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_uE7olZ9cU
Jerry Lewis recorded “North Dakota, South Dakota” for Capitol in the early 50s.
Found one that deal with Utah: “The Utah Trail”, recorded by Bud & Joe Billings for Victor in 1929.
I’ve even found a few about New Hampshire: “Ain’t You Coming Back to New Hampshire, Molly?” from 1906 and “New Hampshire Highway” from 1927, among others.
“Away Down East in Maine” was popular in 1922 and “Among the Pines in Maine” is another one about that state (from '27).
NP. I didn’t take it that way.
There have been several efforts to remove ‘and Providence Plantations’ from the name. I don’t know why they fail. The reasons are because it is too long and so many people don’t know it, even here, and the association of the term ‘plantation’ with slavery. That wasn’t the basis of the name originally, but RI has other associations with the slave trade, so it sounds offensive to some. But just being too long seems to be sufficient reason for me.
Actually he’s a moron. He became governor because he ran against two more repugnant morons, and we reserve the positions of governor and the mayor of Cranston so that only Democrats don’t get elected to office. You should note that in this state, the mayor of Providence outranks the governor. As does the legisture in most aspects. (some liberty taken with the facts in that diatribe).
I imagine Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky are all pretty high on the list. I can think of a number of songs for each of them.
Kentucky Rain
My Old Kentucky Home
I’m Goin’ Back to Old Kentucky
Kentucky Waltz
Bowling Green
Paradise
8 More Miles to Louisville
Dwight Yoakam must have a dozen songs set in Kentucky.
T fot Texas, T for Tennessee
Tennessee Waltz
Tennessee Stud
Please Come to Boston (is actually about the man from Tennessee)
Tennessee (Arrested Development)
…and countless other country songs
Midnight Train to Georgia
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Georgia on My Mind
Rainy Night in Georgia
Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochee
Ramblin’ Man
Doraville
etc., etc.