Your state's (or city's) rock song

Cafe Society
1

Inspired by this thread, if your state legislature decided to name a “State Rock and Roll Song,” what would it be?

There are two categories:

  1. Song with your state or city name in it.
  2. Song by a group or act that originated in your state or city.
2

Without question, my State would be “Born To Run.” {Yes, New Jersey}
My City of Birth would use Frank Sinatra’s version of “New York, New York” {Yes, NYC}

Jim

3

New Jersey almost made Born to Run the “unofficial” theme song for New Jersey youth.

4

Here, it seems to be “Last Child” by Aerosmith, which contains the immortal line, “Take me back to south Tallahassee…” That one gets a lot of airplay in this town.

5

Considering what winter is like in upstate New York, and that Lou Gramm is from Rochester, and that Foreigner’s members met while living in NYC, “Cold As Ice” is the obvious choice. Even if the Tourism Board would lynch us all. :slight_smile:

As for the other category, lots of choices, but my personal favorite is Buffalo Springfield. (And, yes, there is a Springfield, NY.)

6

The BoDeans, Closer to Free (you know, the title music on Party of Five)

Everybody wants to live
How they wanna live
And everybody wants to love
Like they wanna love
And everybody wants to be
Closer to Free

7

Hands down

Honolulu City Lights

8

Dirty Water for my home town (Boston)

Asakusa Yaro for my new one (Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo)

9

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “What’s Your Name?” opens with the line, “It’s eight o’clock in Boise, Idaho…” That’s the only popular song I know of that specifically mentions the city or the state.

10

Callin’ Baton Rouge by Garth Brooks for my current city, Baton Rouge.

I can think right now of any that would mention Gainesville, except perhaps one of Tom Petty’s songs?

11

My adopted home state of Ohio has an official rock song, Hang On Sloopy. Here what the leislature had to say about it:

12

I knew that “Hang on Sloopy” was Ohio’s official rock song, but I hadn’t realised that the legislature used such profane language (as bolded above) in doing it. They sound like a bunch of Generation Xers.

13

Apparently there’s a “Moonlight in Vermont”, which is attributed to Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald as singing it.

Phish originated at UVM but I don’t know their songs well enough to pick one.

14

I think *Sweet Virginia * by the Stones is the best. Not only can it be the state song, it can also be the state motto!

Come on down to Sweet Virginia
You have to scrape the shit right off your shoes!

15

Are you me? :smiley: Those were exactly my answers. Though, really, Frankie wins. At least “New York, New York” is a positive song.

16

And, because I forgot to add it above, Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” is an excellent state song.

17

“California Dreamin’” says it all.

18

“I Love L.A.” is very popular at sporting events like Lakers, Kings and DOdgers games.

19

Hmmm. Only one local band of note - Cradle of Filth. Hardly provides what is needed…

20

Although I HATE Sinatra, I suppose “Chicago, Chicago” is the one most often associated with us.

The band Chicago had a couple of hits, as did Styx and multiple Blues artists identified with Chicago (Buddy Guy).

I enjoy “'79” by the Smashing Pumpkins, which references the “City by the Lake”.

Paper Lace did that wretched “The Night Chicago Died”. Toss that one!

-Cem