Graph By: Damian M.
Music – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
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Places Of Interest
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Genius.
Nicely done Damian M.
I would like to add that MT could be, “The state of which it has been requested to give a child an abode.”
It’s sad that there are a few other states with songs that are missing, but I like this list.
Although “Ex’s” makes me sad. Should be “Exes”.
Ooh, nice. Only thing: I’m not quite sure why fire and rain have been visible in Colorado, but James Taylor most definitely went to CAROLINA in his mind. He’s from Chapel Hill, NC, which is what the song is in reference to. Different song from Fire and Rain, though.
I think it’s a reference to “I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky”
d00d! … you forgot Winona!
I really enjoyed your chart. I found this list on the internet. A website had done this for the 4th of July. Perhaps you could update your chart.
Alabama: “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynrd Skynrd
Alaska: “Alaska” by Dr. Dog
Arizona: “Hotel Arizona” by Wilco
Arkansas: “Arkansas Killing Time” by The Pine Box Boys
California: “California Girls” by the Beach Boys
Colorado: “The Colorado Trail” by Connie Dover
Connecticut: “Connecticut” by Judy Garland and Bing Crosby
Delaware: “Hello, I’m in Delaware” by City and Colour
Florida: “Florida” by Modest Mouse
Georgia: “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight
Hawaii: “Blue Hawaii” by Elvis
Idaho: “Private Idaho” by the B-52′s
Illinois: “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Indiana: “Goin’ Back to Indiana” by the Jackson Five
Iowa: “Iowa” by Dar Williams
Kansas: “You’re Not in Kansas Anymore” by Jo Dee Messina
Kentucky: “Awnaw” by Nappy Roots
Louisiana: “Louisiana” by the Walkmen
Maine: “Maine” by They Might Be Giants
Maryland: “Maryland” by Vonda Shepard
Massachusetts: “U-Mass” by The Pixies
Michigan: “Say Yes! To Michigan” by Sufjan Stevens
Minnesota: “Minnesoter” by the Dandy Warhols
Mississippi: “Down in Mississippi (Up to No Good)” by Sugarland
Missouri: “Missouri Waltz” by Johnny Cash
Montana: “Blue Rock Montana” by Willie Nelson
Nebraska: “Nebraska” by Bruce Springsteen
Nevada: “Stop in Nevada” by Billy Joel
New Hampshire: “New Hampshire” by Matt Pond PA
New Jersey: “Jersey Girl” by Tom Waits
New Mexico: “Crash and Burn” by Sheryl Crow
New York: “The Only Living Boy in New York” by Simon & Garfunkel
North Carolina: “North Carolina” by the Oranges Band
North Dakota: “North Dakota” by Lyle Lovett
Ohio: “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Hills” by Arlo Guthrie
Oregon: “Portland Oregon” by Loretta Lynn with Jack White
Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania 6-5000″ by the Glenn Miller Band
Rhode Island: “Sweet Rhode Island Red” by Ike and Tina Turner
South Carolina: “From South Carolina” by Her Space Holiday
South Dakota: “South Dakota Hairdo” by Joe West
Tennessee: “Tennessee” by Arrested Development
Texas: “All my Ex’s Live in Texas” by George Strait
Utah: “The History of Utah” by Camper Van Beethoven
Vermont: “Moonlight in Vermont” by Ella Fitzgerald
Virginia: “Virginia Moon” by Foo Fighters
Washington: “Four Hours In Washington” by M. Ward
West Virginia: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver
Wisconsin: “Highway 51 Blues” by Bob Dylan
Wyoming: “Song of Wyoming” by Chris LeDoux
Washington, DC: “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” by The Postal Service
OK everybody! Here’s a news flash!! Listen to Country Roads by John Denver. I mean REALLY listen to it, with a map in front of you. The Shenendoah River is in Virginia!! I recall an inteview where he said he was talking about the western part of Virginia! So please change the map! You got the wrong state!
Perhaps you need the map. The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River located in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia.
Actually… while the vast majority of the Shenandoah River is indeed in VA, there are a few mites that are in WV, near Charles Town (not to be mistaken for Charleston, the capital, which is in an entirely different part of the state). Same goes for the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Though I’ll admit I’ve heard the same interview–Virginia just didn’t sound as good. Funny how that worked out.
It’s cool though, the New River and the Kanawha River make up for the lack of Shenandoah.
The line is “West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads” Plus the Blue Ridge mountains and the Shenandoah do make a small, but significant, appearance in the extreme eastern tip of WV. So if he meant WestERN Virginia, he got the lyric wrong in the song, but technically his geography is just fine.
Wow, way to freak out over nothing. It’s just a funny chart on the internet. I can haz life priorities?
tk, very cool. It’s like getting 51 potential Jeopardy answers on one page.
Ok, you go ahead and do that chart.
This chart is done with songs that almost everybody knows
and quickly come to mind. I think it is well done and I like it alot!
Great job!
How about the reference to the New Jersey Turnpike in America by Simon and Garfunkel? (Great song … great graph!)
Maine is actually a song by John Linnell himself, rather than by both Johns (which would make it a TMBG song)
This list has a bit of fail. There are a TON better songs than ones that are listed here – the “State: “State” by xxx” entries are particularly annoying.
Creativity ftw.
Yes, I was hoping for a “there is no” arizona
Don’t forget “The Pennsylvania Polka!”
What happened to New York New York?
I believe you, Raef.
Yeah – should be a legend for “If I can make it here….”
Someone’s a bit bitter about us down-staters.
I’m from Long Island — we have it worse. City people hate us and upstaters think we are city people and hate us.
Yeah, Lila, there’s a reason for that.
Hey, I love Long Islanders! My roomie was from Long Island, as was my Bee-eff-eff at college.
I think we should graft Long Island. Remove it from the ass of New York (it seriously looks like NY is pooping it out), and put it in lake Erie, instead
What about “New York State Of Mind” by Billy Joel?
We should b our own state bcuz we r sooooooo much better than u upstaters or L.I.ers
Shouldn’t the midnight train’s destination color be everywhere? Hence, anywhere.
Unless you’re Gladys Knight.
ahh, journey reference.
Nevada: In which there is a city I’m leavin’ (alternately, the city which I fear and loathe)
Michigan: In which there is a city it took me four days to hitchhike from
But these require cities, so not as cool as original poster.
…but where did the devil go down to?
Completely agree…. although you’d also think that Johnny cash song would fit in somewhere (well, Everywhere) too.
The same place the lights went out.
Makes sense, actually. oo;
And Kansas as the Point of No (Know) Return?
This one is pretty damn awesome, I’m not gonna nitpick it.
kudos. very nice effort, Damian.
full of win and awesome.
Pretty efficient, Damian.
This could have be 11 to 12 separate graphs (GA is referenced twice) if done by other folks.
Arrgh! ‘Could have been’, not ‘be’.!
Dust in the Wind – Kansas
Dude… Dust in the Wind is BY Kansas, not ABOUT Kansas. Fail.
Actually, James Taylor was referring to Charleston, SC when he sang “In my mind I’m goin’ to Carolina.” But we still sang that song at graduations & stuff at Carolina (THE University of NORTH Carolina). He did, however, hang out around the campus and sing, even though he wasn’t a student there.
You youngsters have forgotten (or don’t know about) “Montana” by Frank Zappa. (I hope all of you remember to floss regularly).You youngsters have forgotten (or don’t know about) “Montana” by Frank Zappa. (I hope all of you remember to floss regularly).
And you see that I’m so old, I’ve taken to repeating myself. Or maybe there’s an echo in here.
Yeah, me and the pygmy pony heard it too.
“Especially in Michigan” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
“All Summer Long” – Kid Rock
“Detroit Rock City” –
All of these have good lyrics that would work well with Michigan, and quite frankly that song that was listed under the 4th of July themed post, does not…
Detroit references one city, not the whole state, so it wouldn’t work as well.
“From whence he took the midnight train going anywhere.” From Don’t Stop Believin’.
The California references is great, especially the way it is worded.
Except that the Hotel California is actually in Baja California–which is in Mexico.
how about some cash “..well i shot a man in reno…”
Damian, I have a question about Fire and Rain. That song makes no reference to Colorado whatsoever. Am I missing something here? Nicely done!
Arizona should have had “My body flies the galaxy, my heart longs to be there.” And whoever gets the ref gets a Kewpie doll.
Back Home Again, in Indiana
or
God didn’t make little green apples, and it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summer time
or
Indiana wants me, Lord, I can’t go back there.
or
Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary, Indiana, my home sweet home.
The last one, while cute, references a city that pretends to be part of Chicago.
“From whence I went down to TN.”
“Where there is a small town….”
John Mellencamp ftw.
But it totally frickin rocks dude, no kidding.
Den carry me back to ole Virginny
To ole Virginny shore,
Oh, carry me back to ole Virginny,
To ole Virginny shore.
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THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE
Recorded by Hal “Lone” Pine and his Mountaineers with Betty Cody
Writers: MacDonald and Carroll
CHORUS
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
On the trail of the lonesome Pine
In the pale moonshine our hearts entwine
Where you carved your name and I carved mine.
Oh, you – like the mountains are blue
Like the pine – I am lonesome for you
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
On the trail of the lonesome Pine.
On a mountain in Virginia stands a lonesome Pine
Just below is the little cabin home of a little girl of mine
Her name is June and very, very soon she’ll belong to me
For I know she’s waiting there for me ‘neath that lone Pine tree.
CHORUS
_______________________
ETHEL LEVEY’S VIRGINIA SONG
aka “Virginia”
aka “I Was Born in Virginia”
From the George M. Cohan Broadway show “George Washington Jr.” (1906)
Ethel Levey (Broadway Production) – 1906
James Cagney, Walter Huston, Jeanne Cagney & Rosemary DeCamp
(feat. in the film “Yankee Doodle Dandy”) – 1942
I was born in a Southern state
Where all nature’s sublime
In a city where the gals are pretty
And the sun shines nearly all the time
Hospitality there you’ll find
Bright smiles ev’rywhere
When I look ‘roun’ and see some other town
I’m mighty glad I come from there
I was born in Virginia
That’s the state that will win yer
If you’ve got a soul in yer
Ain’t no Southern frown
In the city of Norfolk
Home of beauties and war talk
Reckon you’ll like it, if you should strike it
That doggarn town
Something nice about Southerners
You don’t find ev’rywhere
Never con yer, but they smile upon yer
And they make you happy while you’re there
Old Kentucky and Tennessee
They can certainly go some
Travel far and wide, still I’m satisfied
To settle in the state I’m from
DC: It’s where my baby waits for me.
Thanks for the kudos. I purposely stayed away from cities. I filled up the legend space until I ran out of room and then named it Places of Interest. This way I didn’t have to be all music comprehensive. I tried to pick songs that people would know immediately and then start singing in their heads.
You totally forgot the state in which you’re standing on a corner (in Winslow, AZ!!)
The one fail I see is Black Water, which refers to the Mississippi RIVER, not the state. There’s only one land location mentioned “…take that streetcar that’s goin’ Uptown…,” which if you’ve lived there, you know there’s only one place that can be: New Orleans.
So, if you have to associate a state with the song, it’d be Louisiana, and not Mississippi.
Party on.
Massachusetts- Place where, according to the Bee Gees, the lights went out.
“Country Roads Take Me Home” may also apply to Hawaii. (See: Kamakawiwoʻole, Israel.)
“Winds of Wyoming” by Yonder Mountain String Band
“South Side” by Moby (Southside of Chicago)
“Forty Nine Keep on Talkin’” by Tim O’Brien(about Memphis)
“Kelly Joe’s Shoes” by Tim O’Brien(Portland, OR; Chico,CA)
Good selection of songs for you choices! You should definitely try cities next time!
Brilliant idea. I’d like to add SD (where there’s 7 people dead, on a farm) (Bob Dylan, of course)
I’d like to add Wisconsin, which is “Where the I Divides” (information society)
Dude, this is awesome. I have to say, I’m surprised you didn’t go for “Georgia On My Mind,” which seems to be the first one everybody in Georgia remembers. I’d never really thought about how many songs there are about Georgia, though, until I saw this.
Necrocomment, I know. XD
You might also classify the yellow state as a sweet one that Ray Charles had on his mind.
“Location of Hotel with Express Checkouts & Poor Exits” <- I lol’d
you missed:
[yellow] where the devil went down to
haha, Oklahoma! refrence ftw!
I’ll be damned, they didn’t include WI on this graph. :’(
not that I, you know, thought they would.
. . . though I expected to see “where the Devil went down to” for GA, but, still. very clever, this’un.
I’ve enjoyed this list.
If I have other songs to add, I’ll keep you posted. Just enjoying going through everything right now.
Thanks!
genius… pure genius