Songs of the States

  

Here it is, the official page for nominations of new state songs.  

Background:
A few of my friends and I were sitting around one night after one or two drinks and discovered something. Please keep in mind as I tell you this that we were not exactly in our right minds, many of us had been traveling to various states as of late, and most of us are originally from different parts of the United States. What we discovered was, most of the titles listed as official state songs were lame. Thus began the debate: If you were to pick new songs for states, what would they be?

Instructions:
To nominate a song, please list the state, the song, the artist and an explanation as to why you think it’s appropriate in the comment box below.  Totals will be updated as nominations and votes come in.  You can nominate as many songs for each state as you like.  The same song may end up getting nominated for different states.  This is okay, but only one state can claim the song after voting is completed.  Screen names will be used to protect the innocent; and to ensure that only one vote per person, per state, counts.  Please use the format below, as the reasons for your nominations may attract other votes. 

For our friends outside the U.S., please feel free to nominate songs appropriate for your states or provinces as well.  Nominations for states or provinces that are not within the United States will have the country listed behind the state name.  Nominations will be open until the end of February 2007.  Voting will begin March 1st 2007, and will remain open until the end of April.  Once a nomination is made, it will be placed on the actual 50 States page.  Let the debate begin.

Alabama

• Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Obviously the appropriate song for the state. – reportcard
  • I agree with the original nomination above… Turn it up – betterhalf

Alaska

• Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice – Hey, I felt that Ice Ice Baby should be in here somewhere; and didn’t think it would win as the Florida nomination - reportcard 

Alberta (Canada)

Arizona

• “Wanted Dead or Alive” – Bon Jovi - in honor of the movie Tombstone – Shenanigans
  • I think she means in honor of the movie Young Guns II – reportcard
  • My knowledge of late ’80s/early 90s westerns is lackluster. – Shenanigans
•  “The Heat Is On” - Glenn Fry - I replace my original Arizona vote - Shenanigans  
• “Hot in Here” - Nelly - I replace my original Arizona vote – Shenanigans 

Arkansas

• “Arkansas” – Roger Miller - From the musical “Big River” – reportcard

British Columbia (Canada)
 
California

• “California Girls” – Beach Boys – (not David Lee Roth’s version) – Shenanigans
• “California Dreamin’” - The Mamas and the Papas – betterhalf 
• “Hotel California” – The Eagles – betterhalf
• “Life in the Fastlane” - The Eagles – betterhalf
• “How Do You Afford Your Rock-N-Roll Lifestyle?” – Cake – betterhalf

Canada (Entire Nation)

• Blame Canada – Mary Kay Bergman & Trey Parker - Song from the movie South Park:  Bigger, Longer, Uncut – Fred Jackson 

Colorado

• Rocky Mountain High – John Denver – C’mon, that should have been the first one you typed in – Jory
  • John Denver’s Behind the Music still makes me cry. – betterhalf

Connecticut

• Rockin’ The Suburbs – Ben Folds Five – reportcard seems to have forgotten his adamant endorsement of “Rockin’ the Suburbs”, as Connecticut exists merely to serve as a site for affordable $100M + housing for commuting New Yorkers and Bostonians. - betterhalf

Delaware

• “Hot Time In Deleware” – Saves The Day  – reportcard

Florida

• Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett - Shenanigans
  • to confirm, Shenanigans is correct, this is what started it all – betterhalf   

Fred Jackson

• Bitch – Meredith Brooks – Because that is all Fred seems to do on this page – reportcard

Georgia

• Georgia On My Mind – Stevie Wonder – Fred Jackson
• Devil Went Down to Georgia – Charlie Daniel’s Band – Shenanigans
• Peaches – Presidents of the United States of America – Georgia is the Peach State – reportcard

Hawaii

• Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Isreal Kamakawiwo’ole – The Hawaiian style that they play on tv every time somebody dies or a parent realizes their adorable children are growing up while making Rice Krispie treats. I only submit this nominee since I was so strongly chastised for my original nomination of “City of New Orleans” due to the chorus “Good morning America Haw-I-ya…”.  – betterhalf
• Hawaii Five-O Theme Song – Morton Stevens – Maybe shenanigans, and betterhalf caught a case of the retardation, but clearly Hawaii is the theme song from Hawaii-five-oh. – Fred Jackson

Idaho

• My Own Private Idaho – B52’s – An obvious choice due to the title and the lyrics – betterhalf

Illinois

• “Sweet Home Chicago” – Illinois – Believed to have been written by Robert Johnson - Shenanigans

Indiana

• Mary Jane’s Last Dance – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Fred Jackson

Iowa

• American Pie – Don McClean – Written about the day that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash in Iowa – reportcard

Jalisco (Mexico)

• Tequila – The Champs - I challenge Fred Jackson’s nomination for the song “Tequila” for the entire nation of Mexico the Mexican state of Jalisco is more appropriate.  It is the state where most tequilla is produced. – reportcard

Kansas

• Southbound 35 – Pat Green – A great song about why living in  Texas will always be better than living in Kansas City. – betterhalf

Kentucky

• My Old Kentucky Home – Stephen Foster – The current state song, it would be a shameful to change it. – betterhalf

Louisiana

• “Baton Rouge” – Garth Brooks - Shenanigans

Maine

• Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult – the Halloween theme song because of the most famous resident Stephen King. – Fred Jackson
  • Whereas I cannot find that Stephen King had anything to do with the movie Halloween, both Stephen King and the movie Halloween are creepy. – reportcard
     

Manitoba (Canada)
 
Maryland

• “Maryland” – Vonda Shepard – Can’t think of anything else that references the state. – reportcard

Massachusetts

• The Cheers theme song - Shenanigan
• “Revolution” – The Beatles – as in “Home of the American”, Paul Revere, etc. – betterhalf

Mexico (Entire Nation)

• Tequila – The Champs – Mexico, and all provinces – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila song – Fred Jackson 

Michigan

• 8 mile – Eminem – From the Movie 8 Mile – Fred Jackson
• Bombs over Bagdad – Outkast – Simply because of the “New Falujah” reference… – Fred Jackson

Minnesota

• Cold as Ice – Foreigner – since it is F-ing freezing… – Fred Jackson

Mississippi
 
Missouri
 
Montana

• “Wide Open Spaces” - The Dixie Chicks – I feel bad for some of the states that seem to have been neglected. – Shenanigans

Nebraska

• “Hoe Down” – Aaron Copland – The Orchestra music used in the “Beef Its Whats For Dinner” Advertising Campaign…Nebraska is a major beef producing state…(the video link to the song should only be used by high bandwidth connections) - reportcard

Nevada

•  “Viva Las Vegas” – Elvis – Shenanigans

New Brunswick (Canada)
 
Newfoundland (Canada)
 
New Hampshire
 
New Jersey

• Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi - The Band is From New Jersey – Shenanigans

New Mexico

• “Wanted Dead or Alive” – Bon Jovi - I challenge Shenanigans on Bon Jovi “Dead or Alive”, it should be the state song of New Mexico because Billy the Kid is buried at Fort Sumner (or maybe he isn’t). Young Guns, not Tombstone… – betterhalf

New York

• New York, New York – Frank Sinatra – Fred Jackson

North Carolina

• “Fly” - Sugar Ray – home of the Wright brothers – Shenanigans

North Dakota

• High On North Dakota – Vic Pellerano – Off the Wild Horses and Dreams Album…both songs were composed to represent the beauty, places to see and the history of the State. – vic pellerano
• Discover the Spirit – Vic Pellerano – Off the Wild Horses and Dreams Album…both songs were composed to represent the beauty, places to see and the history of the State. – vic pellerano 

Northwest Territories (Canada)
 
Nova Scotia (Canada)
 
Nunavut (Canada)
 
Ohio

• Cleveland Rocks – Presidents of the United States of America -http://www.lyricsfreak.com/i/ian+hunter/cleveland+rocks_20066603.html - Fred Jackson

Oklahoma

• Theme song from the musical OKLAHOMA – An obvious choice, but still appropriate – betterhalf
• Okie from Muskogee - Merle Haggard – Despite my standard adulation of any song that encourages people to spell state names properly, I must contribute “Okie from Muskogee” not only because of the obvious Oklahoma/Dust Bowl reference, but also because Oolagah and the tornado bus rock! – betterhalf

Ontario (Canada)
 
Oregon

• Blowin’ the in the Wind - Bob Dylan - the ultimate hippie song for the ultimate hippie state – Save a tree, Wipe your ass with an owl. – betterhalf

Pennsylvania

• Gonna Fly Now - De Etta Little & Nelson Pigford - Rocky theme – betterhalf

Prince Edward Island (Canada)
 
Quebec (Canada)

reportcard

• Shutup – Kelly Osbourne – Because of your refusal to accept my nominations on behalf of an entire nation (even though they are really the 52nd state) - Fred Jackson
  • Fred Jackson made this nomination prior to the decision to open nominations for entire nations – reportcard

  Rhode Island
   
  Saskatchewan (Canada)
   
  South Carolina
   
  South Dakota

• Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee – Indigo Girls – The state is known for it’s history as part of the Western Frontier. Wounded Knee is in Southwest South Dakota. – betterhalf
• “Highway Forever” – Presidents of the United States of America – Two reasons:  First, South Dakota has endless miles of highway with nothing between small towns; Second, it has Mount Rushmore.

Tennessee

• Rocky Top – Felice & Boudleaux Bryant – The current state song, and still good to listen to. – reportcard

Texas

• Songs About Texas – Pat Green – A song about all the songs written about Texas – reportcard
• Screw You, We’re From Texas – Ray Wylie Hubbard – The name of the song says it all – reportcard

Utah
 
Vermont

• I kissed a girl – Jill Sobule – 1st State to allow gay civil unions – reportcard

Virginia
 
Washington

• “No Rain” - Blind Melon - Shenanigans

West Virginia

• Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandel – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueling_Banjos - Fred Jackson
• Country Roads – John Denver – Collin Rich

Wisconsin
 
Wyoming
 
Yukon Territory (Canada)