Do you have a favorite song about your state?

lisaviolet had a video to watch said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 4:27pm ET

Of course I do, otherwise I’d not have started this thread. And, of course, I’m going to share it. I was born in Germany to an American airman and Irish woman (triple citizenship, how about that?), traveling from state to state, country to country until my dad retired from the service. We lived on Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert (Desert High Scorpions, purple and white, go team!) when he retired in 1971 and we moved to Lakeside, California in San Diego county.

And here’s my favorite song about my state.

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f00l said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 6:13pm ET:

@lisaviolet

Here’s one of my favorite songs that’s clearly about your state:

Girl With Far-Away Eyes

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- @f00l I never really listened to the Stones much, but this is really cool.
  
  lisaviolet said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 11:33am ET
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- @lisaviolet
  
  Love this song. Exactly what it’s like driving thru the middle of no-where to go meet someone, listening to the radio.
  
  “And there she was … a little bleary, and worse for wear …”
  
  f00l said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 12:40pm ET
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Seeds said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 6:21pm ET:

no one cares about maine. If you’re talking about where I grew up, everyone assumes new jersey is just like the area around the airports.

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- @Pantheist
  
  Stop talking that way about Jersey
  
  Song is by Tom Waits
  
  f00l said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 6:25pm ET
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- @f00l You just made my night… If I had to pick one musician to listen to, it would be Tom Waits… Listening to this, I know the words, but I never would have thought of it. Wana blunt? I’ve got my first ever legal crop growing.
  
  Seeds said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 6:35pm ET
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- @Pantheist
  
  There’s some temptation.
  
  f00l said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 6:54pm ET
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- @Pantheist
  
  Here’s a double feature. Both songs will do New York and New Jersey proud. Just wish there was a little more volume on the recording.
  
  Recorded at MetLife Stadium, NJ.
  Sept 22, 2012
  
  f00l said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 1:21pm ET
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f00l said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 6:50pm ET:

Here’s an oldie traditional minstrel song, much updated, about Texas - the history of the song is unclear, and the story with which the song is traditionally associated is quite apocryphal.

The traditional lyrics are very non-pc by today’s standards, not as denigration, but are racially specific. This song seems to have appeared in print in the 1853. A version with changed military marching lyrics was sung by some Texas regiments in the Civil War.

The lyrics got updated be to non-racially specific during the 1870’s. The song was frequently performed by 20th century performers and big bands including Gene Autrey, Mitch Miller, Elvis, Willie Nelson, military bands - it became a staple.

Miller’s version was used in the diner fight scene in the film Giant. The song was #1 during the week the James Dean died in a car accident.

The Yellow Rose of Texas

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yellow_Rose_of_Texas_(song)

The song has a number of possibly histories before it appeared in print.

One interpretation of the song - the one that delights schoolchildren - refers an apocryphal incident, supposedly told by Sam Houston to another ship’s passenger in 1842, that may have occurred during the 18 minute Battle of San Jacinto (which saw Santa Anna’s armies defeated and secured the independence of the Republic of Texas in 1836).

Schoolchildren are officially told that Santa Anna hid among his troops, having changed into in a private’s uniform as he tried to escape, thus demonstrating that he was a man of no honor.
The story schoolchildren tell each other about the method of Santa Anna’s capture by Gen Houston’s troops sees the song as a tribute to folk heroine Emily D West, in honor of her patriotic service to the Republic.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_D._West

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- @f00l I have, in my collection of 45 rpm records, a little song from the AM radio station KNIN.
  
  "Now let me tell ya
  ’bout my hometown
  In the middle of the
  Lone Star State.
  
  I’ll have to brag
  just a little bit,
  but I really won’t
  exaggerate…"
  
  My dad was stationed at Sheppard Air Force base in Wichita Falls. We used to camp in Possum Kingdom. I was in the early years of elementary school.
  
  I remember the flash floods and us kids would body surf down the gutters.
  
  lisaviolet said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 8:27pm ET
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daveinwarsh said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 6:59pm ET:

Nope.
No songs about Washington State.

I did live in California for 10 years…

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- @daveinwarsh I lived it port towsend for a year. Hiked in the olympic mounains and on the coast, kayaked in the san juan islands. If there’s not a song the should be.
  
  Seeds said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 7:02pm ET
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- @Pantheist Port Townsend is a nice little town.
  There are Washington songs, just no GOOD Washington State songs…
  (that I know of…)
  
  daveinwarsh said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 10:32pm ET
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- @daveinwarsh
  /youtube Sicko Washington My Home
  
  compunaut said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 10:56pm ET
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Trillian said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 7:58pm ET:

This clip is played at some point during every Stars home game, and it makes me smile every time.

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- @Trillian
  
  Here’s a fav about Texas. The song was written by Nan O’Byrne. The performance is by Bonnie Raitt.
  
  We never did anything like this or well maybe we did.
  
  Your Sweet and Shiny Eyes
  
  You don’t cross at Laredo much anymore. People who live in Laredo. with family in Nuevo Laredo hardly ever cross. Too dangerous.
  
  Here’s the classic song about Laredo
  
  Johnny Cash’s version of The Streets of Laredo
  
  f00l said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 8:09pm ET
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- @Trillian
  I like that song. Here is Gene Autrey’s version
  
  f00l said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 8:12pm ET
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- @f00l Marty Robbins.
  
  lisaviolet said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 9:05pm ET
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- @Trillian
  
  Here’s a Gene Audrey version that I hope will play here:
  
  Deep in the Heart of Texas
  
  f00l said Tue, Dec 20th 2016 at 2:15am ET
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- @lisaviolet
  
  Love Mart Robbins. Here is the gorgeous El Paso
  You could do a whole thread just on the George Strait Texas songs
  
  All My Exes Live in Texas
  Here’s a new fav: (aimed at the music industry, not other states)
  
  Ray Wylie Hubbard — “Screw You, We’re From Texas”
  f00l said Tue, Dec 20th 2016 at 2:17am ET
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- @f00l I have Gunfighter Ballads in vinyl. It was my dad’s before me. Cool, huh?
  
  lisaviolet said Tue, Dec 20th 2016 at 10:03am ET
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- @lisaviolet
  
  There is something in his voice. It just gets to me.
  
  f00l said Tue, Dec 20th 2016 at 3:07pm ET
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lisaviolet said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 8:21pm ET:

I’ll watch these tomorrow on the PC, the laptop has sucky speakers.

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earlyre said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 9:02pm ET:

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- @earlyre We might have a winner here.
  
  lisaviolet said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 12:55pm ET
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- @earlyre Anything with Brak and Zorak is a winner.
  
  jrwofuga said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 11:21pm ET
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cercopithecoid said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 9:12pm ET:

Promised Land.

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brhfl said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 10:28pm ET:

Certainly can’t think of any Maryland songs, but to my backup (non)state…
/youtube magnetic fields washington dc

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ConAndLibrarian said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 11:06pm ET:

Just because I am in the mood…

/youtube California Gurls

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heartny said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 11:47pm ET:

I’m sure there is no shortage of New York songs, but my fave is Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind”, since he’s from my home town of Hicksville.

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Mehsturbator said Sun, Dec 18th 2016 at 11:58pm ET:

Dazed and Confused!

Er, wait, you’re talking about a different kind of state, aren’t you?

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SSteve said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 1:55am ET:

No one could dream a place like California.

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RiotDemon said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 2:07am ET:

I don’t have a favorite. I actually had to look it up to see if I recognized any of the songs about Florida. There’s quite a few of them, most, if not all of them, I’ve never heard of.

Of course you have Pitbull that always sings about Miami, and don’t forget about Flo Rida. Also the group Florida Georgia Line.
None are my cup of tea.

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- I currently live in Colorado but previously I lived in Florida. This was the first song that came to mind:
  
  emilyap said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 10:17am ET
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Pavlov said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 2:39am ET:

Best song about a city in the State in which I now reside -

Best song about the State where I was born and raised -

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- @Pavlov Both great songs. Wichita Lineman is so mehlancholy…almost makes me want to cry. Like “Goodtime Charlie”.
  
  lisaviolet said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 12:59pm ET
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- @Pavlov
  Have loved both those songs forever.
  
  But that particular vid of Wichita Lineman is just weird-creepy.
  
  f00l said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 1:02pm ET
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- @f00l I had considered “Kansas City - Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey” which is by far the most famous song about the area I live, but that song was written with the Missouri side in mind, most definitely (12th Street and Vine, etc.) - and I’m on the Kansas side for now. The most famous version of the song being from 1964, when The Beatles’ recorded Little Richard’s medley of “Kansas City” and “Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey”, a song they began performing in their early Hamburg days.
  
  Pavlov said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 4:22pm ET
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capguncowboy said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 2:57am ET:

I guess a lot of people would expect me to say Rocky Top, but I actually think that song is really obnoxious. Maybe it’s equally as expected, but I’ve always enjoyed The Tennessee Waltz as sung by Patti Page

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- @capguncowboy I love this version:
  /youtube Bonnie Raitt & Norah Jones Tennessee Waltz
  
  compunaut said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 2:38pm ET
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jbartus said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 4:33am ET:

Does this count as being about my state? There are lots of songs about Boston / Massachusetts but this is my favorite to listen to.

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caffeine_dude said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 8:08am ET:

Driving through my state.
Metallica - Turn The Page
Google for the Bob Seger version.

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sanspoint said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 11:19am ET:

La la la
La la la la
La la la la
La la la la
Pennsylvania

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- @sanspoint As for songs about my home TOWN, there is only one right answer: “Philadelphia! Get to know us!”
  
  sanspoint said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 11:21am ET
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daveinwarsh said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 8:22pm ET:

Hank Snow is great

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jrwofuga said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 11:22pm ET:

Game over

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- @jrwofuga That’s what I was going to post!! Guess I will have to find a recording of one of my favorite songs, Devil Went Down to Georgia.
  
  mehbee said Tue, Dec 20th 2016 at 12:20am ET
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jsimsace said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 11:48pm ET:

It’s probably the only one:

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rhrgrt said Mon, Dec 19th 2016 at 11:50pm ET:

I live in Washington, and I definitely have a favorite:

totally counts, and 100% about my state.

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Epinardian said Tue, Dec 20th 2016 at 12:11am ET:

Someone should make a list.

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