The United States of Songs: Alaska
Friday, May 6, 2011
Welcome to our weekly series detailing the best lyrical tributes to individual states in America. We’re running through all 50 states in alphabetical order (check out our first entry here), but if you’re new to things then here’s the deal: we’re trying to identify the one song that can serve to mentally transport you to the state it exalts. A loving tribute is one thing, but the song has to unequivocally represent its namesake, to the point where merely hearing it not only brings you joy but serves as a roadmap for everything you’d ever need to know about the songwriter’s home.
With that rather lengthy explanation out of the way, let’s get to this week’s entry:
The State: Alaska
The Song: “North to Alaska” by Johnny Horton
I could probably find an excuse to do a Johnny Horton tune for every state, but if there’s one place that just cries out for it, it’s Alaska. And not just because of the cheesy John Wayne western that unleashed this song on the nation, either. At first a country western song might seem out of place for a frigid, rugged landscape, but old westerns were all about survival in the untamed frontier. If there’s any quick way to describe Alaska, it’s untamed frontier.
Sure it’s an ode to fictional characters, but the Nome gold rush was very real and its spirit has forever shaped the image of Alaska in our heads. Even today the state evokes images of heading out to the edge of the world in pursuit of some sort of treasure, be it fish, crab, oil, timber, mineral deposits, or just a fresh start in a place where no one knows you for your past screw-ups.
As soon as that chorus kicks in you can almost see yourself aboard some old steam engine, black coal smoke puffing in time with the beat, chugging along a pine-covered mountainside towards whatever fortune fate will bestow upon you in the great white North. Sure it’s a bit anachronistic, but that’s part of Alaska’s charm anyway. It’s still relatively untouched by modern convenience, aside from airplanes, oil rigs, and the majestic herds of Discovery Channel camera crews filming literally everything they stumble across to put on television.
A great state deserves a great song and sure, I’m biased, but I think this one nails it. So far we’ve had two states and two country-tinged songs, which I assure you is just a result of choosing BSA (best song available) and not any bias on my part. I think twangy ballads tend to lend themselves to odes to statehood. Will the trend continue? Find out next week, when we visit Arizona!
Runner Up: “Alaska and Me” by John Denver
Most Laughable Suggestion: ”Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi
Got a better song in mind for Alaska? Want to start suggestions for your state before I get there? Let me know in the comments!
Flickr photo Alaskan Wilderness by David Weekly used under a Creative Commons License.
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