State Rock Songs

[Lord Jubjub]

Oklahoma just made "Do You Realize?" by the Flaming Lips its official state rock song (http://www.oklahomarocksong.org/).

I was wondering what other songs would make good state songs.

For instance, Kansas could adopt a song by Kansas "Dust in the Wind"

[Nick Theodorakis]

Indiana could pick any number of John Mellencamp songs, inasmuch as he is a native and still lives here, but I would suggest either "Pink Houses" or "Small Town."

Nick

[geonuc]

Songs about the state rock? Georgia's could be "Call of the Garnetized Schist", or "Carving Stone Mountain".

Neither has been recorded yet. I guess that's a drawback.

[01101001]

Too many to chose from: California.

[KaiYeves]

If Neil Diamond's America counts as rock, it would be a good candidate for New York, with Ellis Island and all.

[Ara Pacis]

When I first saw that title for this thread I wondered to myself: "why would someone write a song about Fluorite?"

[Gillianren]

Some people tried to get "Louie Louie" as our state song a while back, as the most famous version was recorded in Seattle, I think. (Maybe Tacoma.) And, of course, there's the old attempt to get "Born to Run" as the state song for New Jersey.

[Kaptain K]

Oklahoma just made "Do You Realize?" by the Flaming Lips its official state rock song (http://www.oklahomarocksong.org/).

I was wondering what other songs would make good state songs.

For instance, Kansas could adopt a song by Kansas "Dust in the Wind"


"People of the South Wind" (also by Kansas) would be a better choice.

[Lord Jubjub]

Too many to chose from: California.

What, Hotel California doesn't capsulize the experience?

[Gemini]

Sweet Home Alabama for my state.

[Donnie B.]

I seem to remember that "Dirty Water" has some official standing in Massachusetts.

[novaderrik]

What, Hotel California doesn't capsulize the experience?
Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers would fit just as well- it's a song about how self centered the whole place is disguised as a song about how awesome it is.
at least that's what i get out of it.

for Minnesota they'd probably pick some Prince song but Bob Dylan also came from here, too.
either choice is equally bad.

[Fazor]

After watching the Indians' game tonight, and reflecting back upon all the other recent sporting events I've watched, I think Ohio's theme song should be "Love Stinks" by J Geils Band. Bah humbug.

[Tog_]

The obvious choice for Utah would be "Salt Lake City" by the Beach Boys.

[Gillianren]

The problem, I have always felt, with picking a proper state song for California is that it's too big and has too many different cultures--and I'm not just talking about the immigrant communities within Los Angeles!

[geonuc]

Indeed. California is quite diverse in many ways. Starting with the rocks. :)

[Swift]

I know the Ohio state rock is flint (state bird is the cardinal, state wildflower is the trillium), but I don't know the state rock song. It might be "Hang on Sloopy", they love playing it at Ohio State games

[mike alexander]

For Ohio how could the state song not be Randy Newman's immortal "Burn On"?

[Gillianren]

I love that song! I explained it to several of my friends recently, and they didn't believe me.

[peteshimmon]

For England it can be It might as well rain
until September.

Chosen at random from an old book of top
twenty charts, third attempt.

[sarongsong]

...the state rock song. It might be "Hang on Sloopy", they love playing it at Ohio State gamesYep! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hang_on_Sloopy)Some people tried to get "Louie Louie" as our state [Washington] song a while back...It was adopted (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_songs#cite_note-30) as the state's Rock song.

[Ara Pacis]

The problem, I have always felt, with picking a proper state song for California is that it's too big and has too many different cultures--and I'm not just talking about the immigrant communities within Los Angeles!

I wish they all could be California girls.

[Fazor]

Yep! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hang_on_Sloopy)


Hmm . . . now why does this tradition sound soo stupid when written on paper . . .
Fans usually chant the letters "O, H, I, O" during the pauses in the chorus while mimicking the shape of the letters with their arms.
Oh well.
"O-H!!!!"

[Gillianren]

I wish they all could be California girls.

Mmm. "California Girls" pretty much assumes that they're all on the beach with surfboards. This is not really practical for most of the people living in the state.

[sarongsong]

Mmm. "California Girls" pretty much assumes that they're all on the beach with surfboards...Not really:...The west coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned...

[Fazor]

You know, Cali could just adopt the Terminator theme. I mean, that's a pretty great song anyway. Sure, it'll be irrelevant in a few years. But who cares?

[Donnie B.]

Why not California Dreamin'? No negativees there that I can see, except it's about someone who's not in California... just wants to be there.

[Gillianren]

Not really:

But, see, you don't get terribly tanned in Yreka. Or the Sierras.

[sarongsong]

:lol: Well, not if you don't go out in the sun. (It's Sierra, BTW.)

[Gillianren]

:lol: Well, not if you don't go out in the sun. (It's Sierra, BTW.)

I'm not sure what you're getting at--back home, we call the moutains the Sierras. It's short for "Sierra Nevadas." (Which should, if we're being precise, be Sierras Nevadas, but who's picky?) It's that big mountain range running along the east of the state. And my point was, there's not as much sun in some parts of California as there is in the parts people think of. It's possible to get tan here, in fact, so "tan" and "from California" are not the same thing. Especially for those of us who, while from there, don't tan but just burn.

[sarongsong]

Nevada is Spanish for "snow-covered" and sierra means "mountain range", which the locals there delight in pointing out to newcomers. :)

[Gillianren]

I'm perfectly aware of that, thank you.

[sarongsong]

Oh, I didn't realize there were more than one Sierra Nevada. :doh:...we call the moutains the Sierras. It's short for "Sierra Nevadas." (Which should, if we're being precise, be Sierras Nevadas...

[ngc3314]

Oh, I didn't realize there were more than one Sierra Nevada. :doh:

Well, sure - there's the range by that name in Spain...

[sarongsong]

:lol: I feel a song coming on..."The range in Spain..."

[geonuc]

The state song of the Georgia (USA) is, of course, "Georgia On My Mind", but I suppose that doesn't qualify as a rock song. Nice song, though.

By the way, I've traveled the Sierra Nevada widely and referring to the range as 'the Sierras' just seems natural, even if not correct.

[Doodler]

Some people tried to get "Louie Louie" as our state song a while back, as the most famous version was recorded in Seattle, I think. (Maybe Tacoma.) And, of course, there's the old attempt to get "Born to Run" as the state song for New Jersey.


And here I thought Jersey would be going for "That Smell" by Skynyrd...

[Doodler]

I wish they all could be California girls.

After the Real Housewives of Orange County, you can keep'em...FAR away...

[Gillianren]

Oh, I didn't realize there were more than one Sierra Nevada. :doh:

Happily enough, there is, as mentioned, more than one Sierra Nevada range. It wouldn't surprise me to find out a stretch of mountains somewhere south of California had the name, too!

Then again, I'm from just south of the San Gabriels, myself, and I now live within sight (if you're in the right place to see through the trees) of both the Olympics and the Cascades.

[sarongsong]

... I'm from just south of the San Gabriels...[Maury Povich voice-over:]
"Gillianren, you are a California Girl!" http://www.bautforum.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fazor]

And here I thought Jersey would be going for "That Smell" by Skynyrd...

Lol! You know, I always thought that was an exaggeration about NJ, but when we drove through there last summer . . . my lord! And it was pretty much the whole stretch of road!

[geonuc]

Then again, I'm from just south of the San Gabriels...
The fastest rising mountains in the world, according to John McPhee (or the geologist he was trailing at the time). :)

[Gillianren]

The fastest rising mountains in the world, according to John McPhee (or the geologist he was trailing at the time). :)

Indeed yes. And falling down pretty quickly, too. I could tell you stories. Actually, we read about 'em in that one geology class of mine, and every place mentioned just reminded me of home. Made me all nostalgic, not that I have any interest in living there ever again.

[Kaptain K]

There's a place not far from here, out with the cows and the Lone Star beer. It's a place called Texas, a mighty fine place to be.