The United States of Songs: Georgia
Friday, July 15, 2011
After a brief hiatus, I’m back! Sorry for the to weeks off, but I was on vacation in beautiful King Cove, Alaska. For the record, we nailed it with their state song. I’m back now, though, and ready to pick up where we left off. If you’re not familiar with the United States of Songs project, here’s the deal: every week I try to find the perfect theme song for a state in the Union, moving down the list alphabetically. To qualify, a song has to have the name of the state in the title and it has to celebrate the entire state, so a tune about Florida can’t focus on Miami and a ballad for Colorado can’t just ramble on about the Rockies. With that in mind, let’s head back down South.
The state: Georgia
The song: “Georgia” by Ludacris with Field Mob
I know, I know, picking a Ludacris song for Georgia reeks of “low-hanging fruit,” but let me attempt to justify this. Georgia is one of those places that for some reason inspires an overwhelming loyalty in its citizens. I mean, I’m not ashamed of where I come from, but never have I considered getting a tattoo to show my love of Southern Illinois. So a song representing the state is going to have to address this love affair, and this one mentions the word “Georgia” roughly 900 times in four and a half minutes.
Yeah, it’s a hip hop ode to the “Dirty South,” and yes I feel incredibly white even typing those words. But it’s also got a nod to the Ray Charles tune that was adopted as the state song sampled in there. Okay, it’s Jamie Foxx singing a Ray Charles song, but still. One might argue that this is a pretty Atlanta-centric song, but c’mon. If you took a shot every time someone says “Georgia,” you’d die of alcohol poisoning by the first chorus. Besides, I think we can safely say the days of the genteel Southern aristocrat staring wistfully from his porch swing are gone. Right?
This is a song to which I can see myself bar-hopping, sitting immobile in horrific traffic, or sweating uncontrollably. That’s pretty much the scope of my Georgia experiences already, so it’s a perfect fit.
Think I got it all wrong? Think I nailed it? Let me know. Have a suggestion for next week’s state (Hawaii)? Let’s hear it!
Runner Up: “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia” by Vicki Lawrence
Most Laughable Suggestion: “Why Georgia” by John Mayer
Flickr photo Georgia Aquarium Glass Tunnel by Mike Johnston used under a Creative Commons License.
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