Such a beautiful racket, it whispers and roars.
I was bored the other day and was inspired to come up with this last based on a somewhat similar post on last.fm.
Basically -- take the 50 states and search your iPod for song titles that reference each state name. Doesn't matter if the song is about the state -- just needs to have the state's name in its title. I only listed songs that are actually *on* my iPod. Only I would enjoy something like this.
I was surprised at how many I had, though. For some of the states, I've noted that I only included songs that I'd rated highly, etc., as I had a lot.
I really need to get out more.
1. Alabama Song (Allison Moorer) & My Home's In Alabama (Alabama)
2. --Alaska--
3. There Is No Arizona (Jamie O'Neal)
4. Education In Arkansas & Other Idiots From Arkansa (Lewis Black)\
5. Hey California (Catie Curtis), She's So California (Gary Allan), Heads Carolina, Tails California (JoDee Messina), & California (Mates of State) [only rated 4+ songs]
6. Surf Colorado (Bowling For Soup) & Colorado Woman (Caroline Herring)
7. --Connecticut--
8. Dover, Delaware (The Duhks)
9. Clearwater, Florida (Cheryl Wheeler), Never Snows in Florida (A New Found Glory), & Florida (Patty Griffin)
10. The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band), The Moon Over Georgia (Shenadoah), & The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (Reba McEntire) [ songs]
11. Two Weeks in Hawaii (Hellogoodbye)
12. Idaho (Train)
13. Come On! Feel the Illionoise! (Sufjan Stevens)
14. Independence, Indiana (Eddie From Ohio)
15. Iowa & Iowa (Traveling III) (Dar Williams)
16. Train From Kansas City (Neko Case), You're Not in Kansas Anymore (JoDee Messina), & Kansas City, KS (Garrison Starr)
17. Cold Gray Kentucky Morning (Aaron Tippin)
18. Louisiana Saturday Night (Mel McDaniel) & Leavin' Louisiana In the Broad (Rodney Crowell)
19. --Maine--
20. Down In Mary's Land (Mary Chapin Carpenter) -- A stretch, but it's Chapin, so I'm putting it in!
21. --Massachusetts--
22. --Michigan--
23. Minnesota 1945 (Eddie From Ohio)
24. Mississippi (Sugarland, Train), Mississippi Girl (Faith Hill), & Down In Mississippi (And Up to No Good) (Sugarland)
25. Mimosas in Missouri (Eddie From Ohio)
26. --Montana--
27. (Ready or Not) Omaha Nebraska (Bowling For Soup), & Nebraska (Melissa Ferrick)
28. --Nevada-- Though I do have songs about Reno!
29. --New Hampshire--
30. No Left Turns In Jersey (Eddie From Ohio), & Timberwolves At New Jersey (Taking Back Sunday)
31. Somewhere in New Mexico (Jill Sobule)
32. Love Song/New York (Lucy Kaplansky), Piazza, New York Catcher (Belle & Sebastian), & In a New York Second (Ty Herndon) [top rated songs]
33. Charlotte's in North Carolina (Keith Whitley), & North Carolina (Melissa Ferrick)
34. North Dakota (Kris Delhmorst)
35. Ohio (Come Back to Texas) (Bowling For Soup), Ohio is for Lovers (Hawthorne Heights), & Ohio Clouds (Laura Viers)
36. Does The Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma (Reba McEntire), Oklahoma (Bob Schneider), & Oklahoma City (Nine Days)
37. --Oregon--
38. You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania (A New Found Glory)
39. Rhode Island is Famous for You (Erin McKeown)
40. Several "Carolina" songs, but none specifically call out "South Carolina"
41. --South Dakota--
42. Tennessee (The Wreckers, Mindy Smith), Tennessee River (Alabama), & Tennessee Christmas (Alabama) [top rated]
43. If You're Gonna Play In Texas (Alabama), Ohio (Come Back to Texas) (Bowling For Soup), & Luckenbach, Texas (Waylon Jennings) [5+ rated songs only, lots of Texas!]
44. --Utah--
45. --Vermont--
46. Old Virginia (Cornelia's Dad), Virginia Woolf (Indigo Girls), & Virginia (Tori Amos)
47. Mount Washington (Beth Orton)
48. --West Virginia-- (sad, as I know I have a Kathy Mattea song with WV in the title -- must not be on my iPod)
49. Wisconsin (Lewis Black)
50. Wyoming Wind (Mark Erelli)
Basically -- take the 50 states and search your iPod for song titles that reference each state name. Doesn't matter if the song is about the state -- just needs to have the state's name in its title. I only listed songs that are actually *on* my iPod. Only I would enjoy something like this.
I was surprised at how many I had, though. For some of the states, I've noted that I only included songs that I'd rated highly, etc., as I had a lot.
I really need to get out more.
1. Alabama Song (Allison Moorer) & My Home's In Alabama (Alabama)
2. --Alaska--
3. There Is No Arizona (Jamie O'Neal)
4. Education In Arkansas & Other Idiots From Arkansa (Lewis Black)\
5. Hey California (Catie Curtis), She's So California (Gary Allan), Heads Carolina, Tails California (JoDee Messina), & California (Mates of State) [only rated 4+ songs]
6. Surf Colorado (Bowling For Soup) & Colorado Woman (Caroline Herring)
7. --Connecticut--
8. Dover, Delaware (The Duhks)
9. Clearwater, Florida (Cheryl Wheeler), Never Snows in Florida (A New Found Glory), & Florida (Patty Griffin)
10. The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band), The Moon Over Georgia (Shenadoah), & The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (Reba McEntire) [ songs]
11. Two Weeks in Hawaii (Hellogoodbye)
12. Idaho (Train)
13. Come On! Feel the Illionoise! (Sufjan Stevens)
14. Independence, Indiana (Eddie From Ohio)
15. Iowa & Iowa (Traveling III) (Dar Williams)
16. Train From Kansas City (Neko Case), You're Not in Kansas Anymore (JoDee Messina), & Kansas City, KS (Garrison Starr)
17. Cold Gray Kentucky Morning (Aaron Tippin)
18. Louisiana Saturday Night (Mel McDaniel) & Leavin' Louisiana In the Broad (Rodney Crowell)
19. --Maine--
20. Down In Mary's Land (Mary Chapin Carpenter) -- A stretch, but it's Chapin, so I'm putting it in!
21. --Massachusetts--
22. --Michigan--
23. Minnesota 1945 (Eddie From Ohio)
24. Mississippi (Sugarland, Train), Mississippi Girl (Faith Hill), & Down In Mississippi (And Up to No Good) (Sugarland)
25. Mimosas in Missouri (Eddie From Ohio)
26. --Montana--
27. (Ready or Not) Omaha Nebraska (Bowling For Soup), & Nebraska (Melissa Ferrick)
28. --Nevada-- Though I do have songs about Reno!
29. --New Hampshire--
30. No Left Turns In Jersey (Eddie From Ohio), & Timberwolves At New Jersey (Taking Back Sunday)
31. Somewhere in New Mexico (Jill Sobule)
32. Love Song/New York (Lucy Kaplansky), Piazza, New York Catcher (Belle & Sebastian), & In a New York Second (Ty Herndon) [top rated songs]
33. Charlotte's in North Carolina (Keith Whitley), & North Carolina (Melissa Ferrick)
34. North Dakota (Kris Delhmorst)
35. Ohio (Come Back to Texas) (Bowling For Soup), Ohio is for Lovers (Hawthorne Heights), & Ohio Clouds (Laura Viers)
36. Does The Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma (Reba McEntire), Oklahoma (Bob Schneider), & Oklahoma City (Nine Days)
37. --Oregon--
38. You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania (A New Found Glory)
39. Rhode Island is Famous for You (Erin McKeown)
40. Several "Carolina" songs, but none specifically call out "South Carolina"
41. --South Dakota--
42. Tennessee (The Wreckers, Mindy Smith), Tennessee River (Alabama), & Tennessee Christmas (Alabama) [top rated]
43. If You're Gonna Play In Texas (Alabama), Ohio (Come Back to Texas) (Bowling For Soup), & Luckenbach, Texas (Waylon Jennings) [5+ rated songs only, lots of Texas!]
44. --Utah--
45. --Vermont--
46. Old Virginia (Cornelia's Dad), Virginia Woolf (Indigo Girls), & Virginia (Tori Amos)
47. Mount Washington (Beth Orton)
48. --West Virginia-- (sad, as I know I have a Kathy Mattea song with WV in the title -- must not be on my iPod)
49. Wisconsin (Lewis Black)
50. Wyoming Wind (Mark Erelli)