# Your state's (or city's) rock song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790 "2006-05-15T02:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/1 "2006-05-15T02:38:38Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=371656), 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. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/2 "2006-05-15T02:44:35Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/3 "2006-05-15T03:19:35Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > Without question, my State would be “Born To Run.” {Yes, New Jersey} New Jersey almost made _Born to Run_ the “unofficial” theme song for New Jersey youth. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/4 "2006-05-15T03:26:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/5 "2006-05-15T03:45:04Z")
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. 🙂 As for the other category, lots of choices, but my personal favorite is Buffalo Springfield. (And, yes, there is a Springfield, NY.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/6 "2006-05-15T06:16:36Z")
[The BoDeans](http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=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_ ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/7 "2006-05-15T07:11:13Z")
Hands down Honolulu City Lights ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/8 "2006-05-15T08:58:03Z")
_Dirty Water_ for my home town (Boston) _Asakusa Yaro_ for my new one (Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo) ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/9 "2006-05-15T12:01:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/10 "2006-05-15T13:23:06Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/11 "2006-05-15T13:33:31Z")
My adopted home state of Ohio has an official rock song, Hang On Sloopy. Here what the leislature had to say about it: > [@](#): > > “Hang on Sloopy,” was a national hit in 1965 by The McCoys, from Dayton, Ohio. Co-written by The McCoys’ guitarist Rick Derringer of Celina, Ohio, “Hang on Sloopy,” became the Ohio state rock song in November 1985. > The actual House Concurrent Resolution No.16: > WHEREAS, The members of the 116th General Assembly of Ohio wish to recognize the rock song “Hang On Sloopy” as the official rock song of the great State of Ohio; and > WHEREAS, In 1965, an Ohio-based rock group known as the McCoys reached the top of the national record charts with “Hang On Sloopy,” composed by Bert Russell and Wes Farrell, and that same year, John Tagenhorst, then an arranger for the Ohio State University Marching Band, created the band’s now-famous arrangement of “Sloopy,” first performed at the Ohio State-Illinois football game on October 9, 1965; and > WHEREAS, Rock music has become an integral part of American culture, having attained a degree of acceptance no one would have thought possible twenty years ago; and > WHEREAS, Adoption of “Hang On Sloopy” as the official rock song of Ohio is in no way intended to supplant “Beautiful Ohio” as the official state song, but would serve as a companion piece to that old chestnut; and > WHEREAS, If fans of jazz, country-and-western, classical, Hawaiian and polka music think those styles also should be recognized by the state, then by golly, they can push their own resolution just like we’re doing; and > WHEREAS, “Hang On Sloopy” is of particular relevance to members of the Baby Boom Generation, who were once dismissed as a bunch of long-haired, crazy kids, but who now are old enough and vote in sufficient numbers to be taken quite seriously; and > WHEREAS, Adoption of this resolution will not take too long, cost the state anything, or affect the quality of life in this state to any appreciable degree, and if we in the legislature just go ahead and pass the darn thing, we can get on with more important stuff; and > WHEREAS, Sloopy lives in a very bad part of town, and everybody, yeah, tries to put my Sloopy down; and > WHEREAS, Sloopy, I don’t care what your daddy do, 'cause you know, Sloopy girl, I’m in love with you; therefore be it > Resolved, That we, the members of the 116th General Assembly of Ohio, in adopting this Resolution, name “Hang On Sloopy” as the official rock song of the State of Ohio; and be it further > Resolved, That the Legislative Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit duly authenticated copies of this Resolution to the news media of Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/12 "2006-05-15T13:54:29Z")
> [@Ohio Legislature](#): > > WHEREAS, If fans of jazz, country-and-western, classical, Hawaiian and polka music think those styles also should be recognized by the state, then **by golly** , they can push their own resolution just like we’re doing; and > … > WHEREAS, Adoption of this resolution will not take too long, cost the state anything, or affect the quality of life in this state to any appreciable degree, and if we in the legislature just go ahead and pass the **darn** thing, we can get on with more important stuff; 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. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/13 "2006-05-15T14:07:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/14 "2006-05-15T14:19:45Z")
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!_ ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/15 "2006-05-15T15:33:59Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > 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 Are you me? 😃 Those were exactly my answers. Though, really, Frankie wins. At least “New York, New York” is a _positive_ song. ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/16 "2006-05-15T15:35:24Z")
And, because I forgot to add it above, Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” is an excellent state song. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/17 "2006-05-15T15:42:49Z")
“California Dreamin’” says it all. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/18 "2006-05-15T15:45:12Z")
“I Love L.A.” is very popular at sporting events like Lakers, Kings and DOdgers games. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/19 "2006-05-15T15:47:02Z")
Hmmm. Only one local band of note - Cradle of Filth. Hardly provides what is needed… ---
**Author:** ![Cemetery\_Savior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Cemetery\_Savior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cemetery_Savior)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/20 "2006-05-15T15:52:44Z")
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 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790.md?page=2)