Tag Archives: 50 states

There are plenty of solid choices for Minnesota—home to Prince, The Replacements, and Robert Zimmerman, just to name a few. Girl From the North Country would be the classic pick, while Prince’s Rock and Roll is Alive, and It Lives … Continue reading →

There are, of course, a ton of great songs about Michigan. And in another world, I might have been writing about Motown or 8 Mile or something along those lines. But we don’t live in that world; we live in … Continue reading →

It’s hard to turn down “Roadrunner.” And I do love “They Came to Boston” by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, particularly for the way it captures the strange mix of cultures that make up Boston. And speaking of that weird mash of cultures, … Continue reading →

Maryland, Maryland, what are we to do with you? There are plenty of non-terrible songs for the state. Lyle Lovett, Randy Newman, Stephen Malkmus, The Jayhawks, Gram Parsons…all have perfectly fine entries. But none of them sing to me. Dylan’s … Continue reading →

Going To Maine – The Mountain Goats Oh Maine, you are a beautiful state, but holy cow are there not any good songs about you. My default for this project, when a specific state is extremely weak, is to fall … Continue reading →

Go to the Mardi Gras – Professor Longhair Going into this project, Louisiana was one of the single most daunting states. How could I pick just one song from this great state, that is home to such a cornucopia of … Continue reading →

You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive – Brad Paisley Kentucky is a difficult one. For one thing, it’s one of the few cases where the official state song is in serious contention. “My Old Kentucky Home” is a beautiful song, maybe the … Continue reading →

Holy cow, does Kansas have some slim pickings. If not for this song, I honestly have no clue what I even would have picked. And this song isn’t even really about Kansas. Jimmy Webb’s inspiration for the song were the … Continue reading →