The United States of Songs: New York

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Here we go. Our weekly musical ritual hits the big time this week. If you're just tuning in, every week I try to find a new song perfect for a state. The song has to have the state name in the title, and it has to be about the WHOLE state, not just one spot. This week we're taking on the Empire State!

The state: New York
The song: "I Love New York" by Steve Karmen

 

 

Ever since I started this feature, I've looked at New York as easy pickin's. With so many songs about the place, I figured I could pick any one of them and get something high quality that people could relate to. But you know what? Damn near 99% of songs that mention "New York" are talking about the city, not the state. And that's in clear violation of my rules, so I had to throw the lot of them out. So let's just take a minute to acknowledge that, yes, if there any justice in the world, we would be discussing the prettiest New York-themed song in history, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong singing "Autumn in New York."

Seriously. Go listen to that. Your soul will just feel better afterwards, I promise.

But back to New York. I feel like it bears (repeated) mentioning that it's not just NYC up there: there are actually NICE parts, too! I kid, I kid (sort of). New York City and I have a tenuous truce; it's really not my kind of town, but some people I like a whole lot spend their time there. When my wife and I were dating and engaged she was working in NYC and I was in Los Angeles, so my New York memories tend to involve long flights, feeling tired and lost, and arguing over who should move.

But enough about the city, New York's got the Great Appalachian Valley, Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks, the Catskills, historical Revolutionary War sites, native Algonquin and Iroquoian heritage, borders with Canada, the Hudson River, and the largest state park in the (contiguous) nation: Adirondack Park. It even beats Yellowstone, although not Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska. Sure, the weather's not the best, but we can't all live in Hawaii. The point is there's a lot of cool stuff all over the place in New York state.

 

I don't care WHERE this guy is, I want to visit.

And yes, for all the time I spend trying to distance New York state from New York City, the city is still pretty amazing. Regardless of whether or not I would want to live there, it's got its own very distinct vibe. So your song's kind of cheesy, New York, but here's why I think it fits: most everyone I've ever met from New York or living in New York or even the castoffs who couldn't make it in NYC share a similar mantra: "I love New York." You guys might not be the greatest state ever, but you don't let that stop you from telling everyone you are. Congratulations New York! Now get out of the city and explore your state some more.

What do you think? Did his pick do New York justice? Let us know your pick for the best New York kind of song in the comments!

Runner-up: "New York's Alright if You Like Saxophones" by Fear (NSFW lyrics)
Most Laughable Suggestion: "Englishman in New York" by Sting

 

 

Flickr photo New York State Fair by Peter Dutton used under a Creative Commons License.

 



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