50 States 50 Songs
Posted by Dave C on 27 November 2008 - 10:18am.
It's Thanksgiving in the US today - so how about tipping our collective titfers in a westerly direction, and seeing if The Word browers, bloggers, chippers-in and dippers-in can nominate a song for every state.
Song titles (or album titles at a push, but not band names). name-checking towns, states or counties qualify - but not lyrics or serial-listers like 'Route 66' - so fifty states - fifty songs
And to raise the stakes Vegas-style is it possible to complete this topographic ticklist on the same calendar day as Thanksgiving?
I'll kick it off with Glen Campbell - Galveston (Texas)
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Low hanging fruit
Anchorage
New York, New York
Georgia on My Mind
Sweet Home Alabama
Delaware -Perry Como
Let's Go to California - the Wedding Present
Your Own Private Idaho - B52's
Portland, Oregon - Loretta Lynn (w/ Jack White)
And on the next branch...
Viva Las Vegas
Chicago
San Francisco
Nebraska
Let's get some order here....
How about alphabetically?
* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* Washington, D.C.
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming
"Sweet Home Alabama" Lynyrd Skynyrd
Off the top of my head alphabetically
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Anchorage(Alaska) - Michelle Shocked
Why Arizona - Chris Richards
Girl From Arkansas - Rod Picott
California Girls - Beach Boys
Colorado Girl - Townes Van Zandt
Conneticut -
Delaware Slide - George Thorogood and The Destroyers
Florida -
Georgia Rae - John Hiatt
New Hawaiian Boogie - George Thorogood and The Destroyers
Idaho - Nerina Pallot
Johnsburg Illinois - Tom Waits
Indiana Road - Fred Eaglesmith
Iowa -
Kansas City - Willie Nelson
My Old Kentucky Home - Randy Newman
Louisiana 1927 - Randy Newman
Maines, Nattalie is a Dixie Chick(is this allowed?)
The Lights went Out In Massachussets - Bee Gees
Michigan -
Minnesota -
Mississippi - Miss The Mississippi And You - Steve Forbert
Missouri -
Montana -
Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen
Nevada - Jayhawks
New Hampshire -
Strange Names, North New Jersey Has Them - Steve Forbert
New Mexico -
New York New York - Frank Sinatra
North Carolina -
North Dakota - Lyle Lovett
Ohio - Neil Young
My Oklahoma Home - Bruce Springsteen
Pennsylvania -
Rhode Island Red - Can't remember the artists.
South Carolina -
South Dakota -
Tennessee Plates - John Hiatt
Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Utah -
Moonlight In Vermont - Can't remember the artist
Virginia Avenue - Tom Waits
Christmas In Washington - Steve Earle
Washington DC -
West Virginia -
Wisconsin -
Wyoming -
Iowa is a (horrible) album by Slipknot. And then we have...
Florida Moon - Donald Fagen
Salt Pork, West Virginia - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Deadwood, South Dakota - Nanci Griffith
Montana - Frank Zappa
Michigan Girls - Califone
Here's 15 states
Courtesy of They Might Be Giants' John Linnell...
http://tmbw.net/wiki/State_Songs
Sorry to get all 'emo' on your asses
but for Alaska, let's have Juneau by Funeral for a Friend
Moonlight in Vermont
Like a Virgin(ia)?
For Arizona
How about Blues Shadows from the Three Amigos by Chevy, Steve and Martin - written, I think, by Mr Randy Newman.
"Arizona moon keep shining, from the desert sky above..."
Or Under African Skies by Paul Simon
"... take this child, Lord, from Tucson Arizona Give her the wings to fly through harmony..."
Arizona
By the time I get to Phoenix/Glen Campbell
or if you prefer...
By the time I get to Arizona/Public Enemy
From Boulder to Birmingham
(Does that count as 2?)
Massachusets (...and the lights go out in....)
Streets of Philadelphia
Blue Kentucky Girl
Streets of Baltimore
Devil went down to Georgia....
But the ultimate Thanksgiving song really must be:
"Fat Turkey's Song"
(to the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")
Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble,
Fat turkeys, fat turkeys.
Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble,
Fat turkeys are we.
We walk very proudly and gobble so loudly,
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble.
Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble.
Fat turkeys are we.
If the shoe fits, eh, my brave colonial brothers?!
Ohio - Neil Young
Massachusettes - Bee Gees
Kansas City
Indiana
I think you could cobble together a pretty decent compilation out of this list.
I have
Well, started one, anyway. Have a look at http://8tracks.com/magneticfields/50-states-50-songs and add suggestions
James Taylor - Carolina In My Mind
He doesn't specify whether it's North or South Carolina. Can I claim both?
Tennessee + Oklahoma cher-ching!
Tennessee Flat Top Box by Johnny Cash
If You're Ever in Oklahoma by JJ Cale
Jimmy Buffett
Mile high in Denver- Jimmy Buffett
Mainline Florida- Eric Clapton
What Made Milwaukee Famous
(Wisconsin)
can we include the UK
coz like The The had a song called "51st state" and we are like air strip one, just like a satelite of America what with people drinking coffee and saying "can I get" .......
That would be
"Heartland" from The The's fine "Infected" album.
Oh and waht about New England by
Billy Bragg!
Bob dylan did something similar on his radio recent which threw up some interesting choices.
Chris....
Can we really have New England? From my (feeble) memory, it is an 'area' that is made up from (I think) six States...
I suppose it does hit the jackpot of clearing up six of 'em at once, but then if we bung in Simon and Garfunkel's America, we can call a halt to the whole thing now!
Is anyone keeping track?
I should be, but haven't been (whaddya mean think it through next time)
Sweet Virginia
by ver Stones
here it is from '72. I always like those clips where Jagger plays the harmonica live...
A mixed bag ...
Pennsylvia 6-500 - Glen Miller
Missouri Loves Company - Ringo Starr (sorry!)
Blue Moon of Kentucky - Elvis et al
Blue Hawaii - Elvis again
What Did Delaware? - was this Perry Como or some such? Lists a great number of states in completely non-hilarious punsome fashion.
T For Texas - The Grateful Dead would be my preferred version
What Did Delaware?
Arrrgh - that terrible memory from childhood of this awful wince inducing groan-a-thon from the forever cardiganed Perry Como! A staple of Children's Favourites and its grim successor, Junior Choice.
"Oh, why did Cali-fon-ia..."
Nooooo.....!
I love it
reminds me of my dad and Christmas. Como's cardigan is what's missing from Christmas these days.
2 more
Sufjan Stevens: Come on feel the Illinoise
Can I have Exile on Maine Street? Probably not.
If we are going to have everywhere, all in one, who better?
Who better, indeed?
Oi! I did this one, 44 weeks and one day ago!!
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/states-we039re
this is a cover version
of that thread
and I'm sure
we've already done cover versions.
Whoops - sorry!
If it helps it's happened to me too, I did a search first to see if it had been covered by n'everything...
No problem Dave
Just miffed you got more replies than I did.....
Jasper Johns...
what a great artist.
Thanks for noticing
Some thought does go into what may seem like a piece of pop puffery
Few More
Florida - Patty Griffin
North Dakota - Lyle Lovett
North Carolina - The Devil Makes Three - this is a little obscure - but its real - roots folk from the MI area saw them on a recent Richard Thompson tour
I've done this before and I
I've done this before and I don't think it's possible, because there are - and I hope someone will successfully challenge this - no songs about New Hampshire. I think the nearest you'll get is either the aforementioned Billy Bragg song or "Weekend In New England" by Barry Manilow.
there are too.
New Hampshire, by Sonic Youth.
Aha!
They obviously saw a gap in the trivia market.
Gil Scott Heron has recorded
Gil Scott Heron has recorded two songs about DC, by the way - "Washington DC" and "The Train from Washington".
God I miss DLT
I met a girl...her name was Alabamadingdong
I Arkansas her standing there
The first Connecticut is the deepest
Delaware do you go to my lovely?
Hawaii supposed to live without you
Iowa nothing - nothing - nothing at all
I should be Kentucky, tucky tucky tucky
Did I Michigan? I think I Michigan...
And I Nevada knew love like this before
Ohio silver lining
Oregon to Scarborough Fair?
Has anyone seen my cock, My big Rhode Island Red ( I think this was a Velvet Underground B-Side)
Workin' at the Car Washington
Workin' at the Car Washington, D.C.
And how is Sufjan Stevens project going?
You know, the one where he is/was going to produce a record relating to each state in turn.
I confess I lost interest with his sub Van Dykes Parks drollery some states back.
(In case that sounds a compliment to Brian Wilsons favourite lyricist, has anyone else actually heard his instrumental claptr, er, stuff?)
listomania
I've just found a couple of lists on the same theme
http://deadon.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/tied-to-the-90s-all-american-edit...
This one's even got the cheek to share the same title (and no, I honestly didn't nick it)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/sep/14/usa.roadtrips
Three for the price of two
Virginia by Gin Blossoms
Ohio (Come Back to Texas) by Bowling for Soup.
South Carolina
Part One (Savannah) by Band of Horses
"and i'll love you always.
when we leave this place
and drive back to Carolina
and down to Savannah and say"
Top song, top band.
South Dakota
The theme from " Deadwood " as the original Deadwood was in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Star Maker Machine.....
...have done this recently:
http://sixsongs.blogspot.com/search/label/fifty%20states