Mar 252014
In honor of cliffsofinsanity’s recent inclusion of “Indiana Wants Me” in this week’s Saturday Night Shut In, I thought that we couldn’t be regionalist, and that it would be important to consider all of our wonderful (some more wonderful than others) 50 states. Please include a song title that includes a state’s name. Once a state is mentioned, it’s out of the running.
This is a Last Man Standing with no more than 50 entries.
I’ll start out with Propellerheads’ “Take California.”
Can we exclude all songs by bands who have made entire albums with songs about each state? I suspect They Might Be Giants and that indie-rock guy who was big about 8 years ago – not Conor Oberst, but the other guy who made some albums with state name titles – may need to be excluded. They would make this too easy.
I’ll take those rules. And you mean Sufjan Stevens?
Yes, he’s the other Boy Genius I was thinking of. Thanks!
Enough rules. Let’s get it on!
“Oklahoma, USA,” The Kinks.
LAST MAN STANDING!
“Massachusetts”, The Bee Gees
CSN – Ohio
Lyle Lovett – North Dakota
“Kansas” – The Wolfgang Press
15 Years in Indiana – Jack Logan
Private Idaho — The B 52s
Texas Jailcell – Jon Wayne
Kentucky Woman
“By the Time I Get to Arizona” -Public Enemy
Montana – Frank Zappa
“Delaware” -Drop Nineteens
Saginaw Michigan – Lefty Freizzell
Tennessee – Arrested Development
That there is a beautiful song, and a stunning recording by George Massenburg.
New York State of Mind. I think Billy is singing about the city, but it clearly says New York State in the title.
Midnight Train to Georgia!
Florida – Modest Mouse
“New Hampshire” – Sonic Youth
First one I thought of (unfortunately).
That’s the other song I was thinking of.
Jack White and Loretta Lynn – Portland, Oregon
Sweet Home Alabama!
Pennsylvania Polka.
“Polka? I hardly knowa!”
Colorado – Grizzly Bear
Pick your preposition:
Moonlight In Vermont – Frank Sinatra
Moonlight On Vermont – Captain Beefheart
Mississippi Queen!
If you know what I mean.
Blossom Dearie – Rhode Island is Famous for You
BEST STATE SONG!
I love swooping in and stealing a Stones title before CDM takes it! Come on down.
Sweet Virginia.
Jersey Girl – Tom Waits
…punk…
Along the lines of “NY State of Mind”
“Washington Bullets” Clash
aloha
LD
“Fly Hawaii” – Luke Vibert & B.J. Cole
“Louisiana 1927” Randy Newman
aloha
LD
Kudos! I suspected my sig would prompt a Beach Boys nom
aloha
LD
“North to Alaska” — Johnny Horton
Connecticuts like a knife by Ryan Adams.
Nice!
“New Mexico” – Brightblack
Broooce – Mary, Queen Of Arkansas
That was a joke, btw!
The Dictators — “The Minnesota Strip”
great song.
And an excellent one at that…
I’ll follow up RaoulG’s Washington and post:
Washington DC by the Magnetic Fields
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYLLNhTiQZc
Ok, musically-inclined geography buffs, we’re still looking for:
Nevada
Utah
Wyoming
Nebraska
South Dakota
Iowa
Missouri
Wisconsin
Illinois
West Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Maryland
Maine
Creativity is encouraged!
“Nebraska” – Springsteen
Dar Williams – Iowa
Reno, Nevada – Fairport Convention
“South Dakota” – Liz Phair’s Girly songs rewrite of Iggy Pop’s “Funtime”
“Gonna get drunk and fuck some cows.”
Vonda Shepard — “Maryland”
The Captain scores twice!
Zappa & Beefheart – Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead
“Missouri” – Low
Johnsburg, Illinois – Tom Waits
“Creativity”?
Howzabout two birds with one stone?
“Oh Carolina” Shaggy
aloha
LD
Parquet Courts – N Dakota
Salt Pork, West Virginia – Louis Jordan
Ornamental Wigwam’s “Wisconsin.”
Union Carbide (West Virginia version) by The Revolting Cocks (still a toe-tapper!) This would never have come to mind if I hadn’t been archiving some lps into the computer recently…
Jerry Reed’s “Welcome to Nevada” from the soundtrack to Vanishing Point. Love that whole record.
“Utah Me Down” – Flamin’ Groovies
Ugh! That took me a second and once I got it, well, ugh.
Points for creativity…I’ll take it!
That leaves Maine for the Last Man Standing!
Go!
How about Roxy Music – The Main(e) Thing ???
Or Frank Sinatra – Charmaine…