The United States of Songs: Michigan
Friday, October 14, 2011
If you haven’t read The United States of Songs before, here’s the deal: I‘m moving alphabetically through every state in the union to find a song that perfectly encapsulates what it means to be in and/or from that state. I put some incredibly short-sighted rules on the contest when I started, namely that the song has to have the state name in the title and it must be about the whole state, not just one feature. Which means I get a lot of feedback like “Actually the PERFECT state song is ______, but it doesn’t have the state name in the title.” It also makes things a lot harder, because plenty of people will sing about a place without actually titling the song after said place. But enough whining. Let’s throw down, Michigan!
The state: Michigan
The song: “The Michigan Song” by Joe Reilly
First things first: yes, I know, Sufjan Stevens wrote a great little tune titled “Say Yes! To M!ch!gan!.” I like the song a lot, actually, but it’s just not Michigan-y enough to me. The “state must be in the title” restriction really hits hard in place like Michigan, because so many great acts come out of there. Obviously there’s every Motown act ever, like The Temptations, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the list goes on forever; although I can’t think of any songs that were Michigan-specific and I’m pretty sure they just happened to jump off in Michigan. But you still have great Michigan-bred acts like Madonna (a Michigan native), Alice Cooper, Cinecyde, Ted Nugent, Grand Funk Railroad, MC5, The Belleville Three, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop, The Von Bondies, The White Stripes, Eminem, Insane Clown Posse, Kid Rock, and dozens more. Maybe not all of those guys are your cup of tea, but you have to admit they’re popular.
Still, none of them have really penned any epic odes to their home state. Joe Reilly has, though. Michigan’s had a hell of a run of bad press on account of economic troubles in places like Detroit and Flint, but there’s more to Michigan than manufacturing centers. This song (I recommend finding a copy of the song somewhere, because this video doesn’t do it justice) captures what I know of the few people from Michigan I’ve met: they think the place is absolutely beautiful, and they want you to hear about it.
And you know what? It is. It’s gorgeous up there. Don’t buy all the hype about 8 Mile or whatever; go check out the non-concrete portions of the state, because they’re pretty awesome. And if you’re a sucker for small town America, Michigan’s got you covered with plenty of tight-knit towns and communities.
This is starting to sound like a tourism guide, so I’ll cut it short. How do you like your song, Michiganders?
Got a better suggestion? Want to get in line for next week’s column on Minnesota? Get to commentin’!
Runner-up: “Michigan Militia” by Moxy Fruvous
Most Laughable Suggestion: “Especially in Michigan” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Flickr photo Michigan Band by Jason McMann used under a Creative Commons License.
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