# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/41 "2006-05-16T02:49:24Z")
If my town were to choose an official song, it would probably be a tie between “24 Hours to Tulsa” and “Livin’ on Tulsa Time.” Good songs both. My state’s official song isn’t a rock song, but it’s one helluva piece of music which I would never change: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s rousing “Oklahoma!” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/42 "2006-05-16T05:00:13Z")
(cue Frank Zappa) Movin’ to Montana soon, Gonna be a dental floss tycoon… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/43 "2006-05-16T05:39:31Z")
Sometime last fall, the city of Atlanta actually hired some band to make an official song. They played it on the radio one morning while I was driving to work and I agreed with the DJs and 99.999999999999999999999% of the people who called in saying it was the biggest pile of steaming crap they’d ever heard. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/44 "2006-05-16T09:56:42Z")
Hmm…I guess I’ll have to go with _Wellington_ by the Mutton Birds: _I wish I was in Wellington, the weather’s not so good The wind it cuts right through you and it rains more than it should_ Great marketing potential As for a local band, I’ll nominate Shihad (also known as Pacifier for a few dark years). They originated in Wellington, but like most good things in this country they drifted away to Australia (still waiting for an announcement from Peter Jackson…). I guess this would make _Home Again_ a good city anthem. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/45 "2006-05-16T10:36:49Z")
For where I currently live, it’d likely be [Youngstown](http://www.lyricsxp.com/lyrics/y/youngstown_bruce_springsteen.html) by Bruce Springsteen. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/46 "2006-05-16T14:05:37Z")
[QUOTE=Hunter Hawk] Seattle has more songs _from_ it than _about_ it, but there’s always Robyn Hitchcock’s number _Viva! Sea-Tac_: _Viva Seattle-Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac Viva Seattle-Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac Viva viva viva viva viva Sea-Tac They’ve got the best computers and coffee and smack_ [/QUOTE] At one time there was talk of making _Louie, Louie_ Seattle’s official rock song. The Kingsmen were from Portland, but it was recorded in Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/47 "2006-05-16T17:20:33Z")
[QUOTE=KarlGrenze] 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? [/QUOTE] Actually, [Gainesville](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002MSD/qid=1147799533/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8864049-7508851?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) by Randy Newman. Not his best, but kinda plaintive and sweet. Very unusual for Randy, truth be told. And _Kansas City_ by Lieber & Stoller for me. Can’t think of a single song offhand that mentions Missouri. Although I’m sure there are several. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/48 "2006-05-16T17:23:30Z")
San Francisco, open your golden gate! I left my heart in San Francisco ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/49 "2006-05-16T17:29:37Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Sometime last fall, the city of Atlanta actually hired some band to make an official song. They played it on the radio one morning while I was driving to work and I agreed with the DJs and 99.999999999999999999999% of the people who called in saying it was the biggest pile of steaming crap they’d ever heard. _sigh_ [/QUOTE] Especially since we already had the perfect song for the taking: “Oh, Atlanta” by Little Feat. Even if I weren’t from Atlanta, it would be one of my favorite songs. Our official State Song, “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles, ain’t too shabby, though. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/50 "2006-05-16T17:30:33Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] San Francisco, open your golden gate! I left my heart in San Francisco [/QUOTE] Shut your festering gob, you twit. Your type really makes me puke… Your grape are sour. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/51 "2006-05-16T19:51:56Z")
To hell with Randy Newman…“L.A. Woman” by **The Doors** is where it’s at. (Is there any other band that’s more quintessentially Los Angeles? I can’t think of one.) Honorable mention: “Hollywood Nights” by Bob Seger. For the San Fernando Valley, gotta go with Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” (despite the fact that there is NO FREEWAY in Reseda! Do your research, Tom!) ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790/52 "2006-05-16T23:41:48Z")
I’d go with “Home Sweet Home (last child)” by Aerosmith [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-or-citys-rock-song/356790.md?page=2)