The United States of Songs: Connecticut

Friday, June 10, 2011

It’s time again for my weekly examination of the best song for capturing the spirit and essence of a state. This week it’s The Constitution State, or The Nutmeg State if you want to be one of the cool kids. So what do you look for when you’re trying to find the perfect Connecticut song? It’s got to have the name in the title, and it’s got to make you feel like you’re there (or maybe make you wish you were there right now). Let’s take a stab at it.

The state: Connecticut
The song: “Connecticut” by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin, as sung by Judy Garland and Bing Crosby

I imagine this song is instantly beamed into your head as you cross the state lines. If not, it should be. How can you go wrong with BING?! And Judy Garland’s no slouch, either. It harkens back to a simpler kind of time, when you went for a Sunday drive through the country with your sweetie at your side. I imagine Connecticut’s got that somewhere outside of Hartford.

Of course there’s a Yale reference, which goes great with the general East Coast elitist bragging throughout the rest of the song. Still it’s kind of a quaint refrain: “Connecticut is the place for me.” I believe it, guys. I really do.

You can almost write your own Connecticut montage while listening to this: exploring Rocky Neck State Park (just cover yourself in DDT to keep the ticks away), touring Gillette Castle, strolling the campus of Yale, checking in on the hijinx at the ESPN offices, and topping it off with a burger at Ted’s. All the while enjoying your decriminalized marijuana and completely legal same-sex marriage. Good on ya, Connecticut.

Join me next week as we move out of the Cs and into a place where few people tread: Delaware.

Think I got it all wrong? Got a better suggestion, or have an idea for a state song further down the list? Let me know in the comments!

Runner up: “Connecticut’s for F&%$ ing” by Jesus H Christ and The Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse (yeah, you should expect NSFW lyrics with that)

Most Laughable Suggestion: “Kylie from Connecticut” by Ben Folds

Flickr photo Connecticut by Doug Kerr used under a Creative Commons License

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