Welcome back, Wooters, to our weekly ritual in which we search for the perfect song to describe a song state. I'm moving through the list alphabetically and applying some simple rules: the song must have the state in the title, and it must praise the entire state, not just one city or feature. This week we're sending up the Bay State:
The state: Massachusetts
The song: "Massachusetts" by Arlo Guthrie
Be honest: you were expecting some kind of Dropkick Murphys-esque Celtic punk, weren't you? As much as I like 'em, the Commonwealth is more than just Boston, and Boston is more than just Irish guys yelling about Guinness and/or the Patriots. And how can you not appreciate Arlo Guthrie? Okay, he's no Woody, but no one is. And the guy can still write a hell of a song. He might not be a native son, but it's his adopted home and you can tell he loves it.
This is not his house.
This has that typical "You can talk about other places, but they don't have ____" format that a lot of these types of songs take. I've only ever been to Boston, but this makes me want to go back and check out the rest of the state. You know, the good parts. This is a song that makes me think of driving down a country road to a friend's house where we'll have a delicious dinner and go for a walk through the trees, admiring the leaves changing color.
This song's for you, Massachusetts. I'll try not to hold Mitt Romney against you guys any more.
Runner-up: "Massachusetts" by Gene Krupa
Most Ridiculous Suggestion: "Massachusetts" by The Bee Gees
Got a better idea for the Bay State's song? Want to suggest one for next week's piece on Michigan? Let fly in the comments below!
Flickr photo Massachusetts by Doug Kerr used under a Creative Commons License.
