Today is the 5th and final installment in this mini-series of posts where I post a song (or a song by a band) with a U.S. state in its title. I've gone through the states alphabetically, ten states at a time. If you are just starting here, you may want to back up and catch the earlier installments. Part 1 covers the states from Alabama to Georgia – you can read it here. Part 2 spans from Hawaii to Maryland – you can read it here. Part 3 goes from Massachusetts to New Jersey – you can read it here. Part 4 spans from New Mexico to South Carolina – you can read it here. Today, I'll cover the final 10 states, from South Dakota to Wyoming. Like each installment before, I've included actual video links for each song (or band) whenever possible. In some cases, when I couldn't pick just one song (or band), I have included two of them. Enjoy!
41) SOUTH DAKOTA: My, I do love a good story-song! And this is a good one. Ladies and gentlemen, Nanci Griffith singing "Deadwood, South Dakota"...
And because I know you all can never have too much of South Dakota or The Bee Gees, here's a little bit of both in one song. The Bee Gees singing "South Dakota Morning"...
42) TENNESSEE: Though I don't necessarily agree with or understand the "theology" in this song (they're not a Christian band), this is an interesting song and fits the theme, and it's old-school hip-hop, for Pete's sake. Yes, please! This is Arrested Development with their song, "Tennessee"...
But really, what would a Tennessee entry be without a country song? Well, we don't have to find out. Here's The Wreckers with their song, "Tennessee"...
43) TEXAS: Well, this one was most definitely hard to narrow down to just two. So I narrowed it down to three. Let's face it – all the best songs about Texas are country songs. First up (this one was a no-brainer), it's George Strait's "All My Ex's Live In Texas"...
Next up, Waylon Jennings' "Luckenbach, Texas"...
And finally, Alabama's "If You're Gonna Play In Texas (You've Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band)...
44) UTAH: This was a difficult one, too. After much deliberation, I finally settled on a band with "Utah" in its name. This hard-rocking song is by a group called Everyone Dies In Utah, and it's called "Bed, Bath, & Beyoncé"... (LOL!)
45) VERMONT: And now for something completely different (and much easier on the ears). This is Jo Stafford, singing the classic song "Moonlight In Vermont"...
46) VIRGINIA: These guys may not be from Virginia, but apparently they've spent enough time there to consider it their "second home." Enjoy "Oh Virginia" by Blessid Union Of Souls...
47) WASHINGTON: This state was harder than you might think. Finally, I ran across this high-energy pop singer from Papua New Guinea who just happens to go by the mononym Washington (her first name is Megan) singing a song called "Holy Moses"...
48) WEST VIRGINIA: There's nothing more poignant than hearing a singer sing passionately about their home state. Here, country/bluegrass singer Kathy Mattea sings a medley of two great songs about West Virginia (albeit only one of which contains the state's name in the title): "Green Rolling Hills Of West Virginia" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads"...
49) WISCONSIN: This state also wasn't too easy to come up with a song for. I had to go back to 1945, as a matter of fact. Here's "Beautiful Wisconsin" sung by Ken Griffin. I'm warning you, it's the longest three minutes you'll ever experience. Try not to fall asleep...
50) WYOMING: Since Wyoming's such a lovely state (so my wife tells me), let's do two songs in its honor. First up, Neil Young's wonderful instrumental song, "Emperor Of Wyoming"...
This was a nice little ditty, too, that prominently features the state. It's called "Ticket To Wyoming" by The Ocean Blue...
BONUS TRACK – WASHINGTON, D.C.: Last but not least, we should include a song about the capital of our great nation. While it's not technically a state, that doesn't mean we shouldn't show D.C. some love, too. Here's The Magnetic Fields' "Washington, D.C."...
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