The United States of Songs: Minnesota

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Hi there, everybody! Time again for The United States of Songs, in which I try (and, according to comment feedback, generally fail) to find a perfect song for each state in the country, moving alphabetically through the list. To qualify, a song has to have the state in the title and address the state as a whole, none of this "New York City is awesome but screw Buffalo" crap (although that would make a great pop song). Without further adieu, here's this week's victim:

The state: Minnesota
The song: "Minnesota Sun" by The 99ers

Minnesota Sun by The 99ers

 

I was all ready for this with Anni Rossi's "Minnesota," an odd-timed, violin-plunking ode to "mini-Scandinavia." But apparently that song was never meant for public consumption because I could find no trace of it online, not even on her website. So feel free to peruse iTunes or something and download that. It's a nice song.

And I would've loved to use The Dandy Warhols' "Minnesoter," but that felt like a cop-out since I'm pretty sure they only wrote that as a challenge to themselves to rhyme something with "Minnesota." It's nothing against you guys, Minnesota. You've got lots of great songs. You guys invented "Funky Town." Weird Al wrote a song about your biggest ball of twine. You unleashed Prince on the world, for cryin' out loud! I visited once, 13 years ago, and it was really nice. But it's tough to find a good song about you guys with your state name in the title; I realize that's my fault and not yours.

 

Seriously though. Why do Flickr users insist on flooding the site with photos of highways?

I also realize that this is a silly song, and not something majestic and regal or lonesome like you might hear Garrison Keillor to yodel out over NPR airwaves, but c'mon: a sizable portion of Americans know nothing about you guys except that it's cold where you live. And those accents. Those adorable, adorable accents. So I hope you like your song, Minnesotans. I think it looks good on ya. I promise I will be back to visit again some day, if only so I can have another Juicy Lucy.


Runner-Up: "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" by "Weird" Al Yankovic
Most Laughable Suggestion: "Minnesota, WI" by Bon Iver. Because anything to do with Bon Iver is laughable.

What do you think? Got a better song for Minnesota? Let me know. And start suggesting now for next week's state, Mississippi!

 

 

Flickr photo Minnesota State Highway 47 by Doug Kerr used under a Creative Commons License.

 



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