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North Carolina Lyrics

jednc

By jednc
in North Carolina

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jednc Burg

jednc

Posted
Posted

I'm starting this thread because I want to pick the brains of as many people as possible. I'm wondering what songs (preferrably popular) out there mention NC or a city in NC in their lyrics. I guess all genres are fair game, but I'm most interested in songs that have been popular and commercially successful. The rules are flexible for what qualifies, but please explain how the song satisfies the question when you post. I'll get things started with what I consider 4 different categories...

1. "Brick" by Ben Folds Five - "Her mom and dad went down to Charlotte"

This is clearly a reference to Charlotte

2. "Carolina In My Mind" by James Taylor - "goin' to Carolina in my mind"

While this is less obvious, James Taylor lived in NC for a while and attended UNC. In this case, I'd say Carolina is North Carolina, not the more general the Carolinas.

3. "Heads Carolina, Tails California" by Jo Dee Messina - "Heads Carolina"

At least to me, this Carolina refers to the Carolinas, not just NC or SC. It's not exactly what I'm interested in, but I did say the rules were flexible! (I don't want to miss out on anyone's suggestion if it happens to fall into this category)

4. "Heart of Rock-n-Roll" by Huey Lewis and the News - "Charlotte, and Raleigh too"

This category might be interesting, but it's not what I'm looking for really. This song contained the names of many US cities. I don't know the industry name for this, but they created several extended versions for local radio stations and inserted the names of local cities. You never heard the "Charlotte, and Raleigh too" lyrics unless you heard the song on a local radio station.

Think hard and come up with some other ideas.

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

Posted
Posted

There aren't many songs that refer to North Carolina specifically. Same is true for South Carolina. They always get lumped together. There are TONS of songs that refer to "Carolina" though. As far as city references, I'm sure I've heard Raleigh mentioned a few times, but I couldn't tell you where.

suburban george3 Town

suburban george3

Posted
Posted

Glen Miller's 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' has the following lyrics:

Dinner in the diner --

Nothing could be finer

Than to have your ham and eggs in Carolina.

Alabama's 'Christmas in Dixie' has the following lyrics:

Its windy in Chicago. The kids are out of school.

There's magic in Motown. The city's on the move.

In Jackson, Mississippi to Charlotte, Caroline

And all across the Nation, its a peaceful Christmas time.

Again, both are a 'Carolina' reference..

Boyz II Men 'All Around the World' also references Carolina..

davidals Hamlet

davidals

Posted
Posted

Chapel Hill by Sonic Youth

A wry little commentary about jaded scenesters during the heyday of "the Chapel Hill scene." Jesse Helms is namechecked.

In Spain by The dB's

I believe this is the dB's tune with a "riding around/Tobaccotown" reference; the POV is a guy travelling around in Europe and trying to describe his hometown. The dB's were not well known, 1978-1991, from Winston-Salem; the members of the group had all gone to Reynolds High, and had released an album under the name Sneakers before they graduated. They relocated for a while to NY at the tail end of the CBGB's punk scene; Chris Stamey eventually became a producer of some renown (he lives in Chapel Hill now), and Peter Holsapple went on to become a touring guitarist with R.E.M. and Hootie & The Blowfish.

Carolina Rain by Ryan Adams

Jacksonville Skyline by Ryan Adams

Adams grew up in Jacksonville, and moved to Raleigh, where he got into the band Whiskeytown before launching his solo career; it's an autobiographical song, heavy on the slice-of-life descriptions about cruising around a military town on weekends while growing up.

White Trash Heroes by Archers Of Loaf

These guys were college radio stars during the 90s; Madonna tried to sign them to Maverick at one point - the band was based in Chapel Hill, but they were all Asheville natives. This tune has an "NC state fair" reference; there are NC/SC references in several of their other tunes.

davidals Hamlet

davidals

Posted
Posted

Regarding James Taylor - siblings Alex, Kate and Livingston all also recorded albums; Livingston's discs are quite good, a lot bluesier than James.

I don't think JT went to UNC though I may be wrong. His dad was dean of the med school I believe, and they family lived in the Morgan Creek area of Chapel Hill, very near the US 15/501-NC 54-South Columbia interchange. JT migrated to NY when he was about 19 and ended up in the band Flying Machine, and went on to London (after a little detour back to Chapel Hill), where he was the first non-Beatle signed to Apple Records.

teshadoh Burg

teshadoh

Posted
Posted
Chapel Hill by Sonic Youth

A wry little commentary about jaded scenesters during the heyday of "the Chapel Hill scene." Jesse Helms is namechecked.

White Trash Heroes by Archers Of Loaf

These guys were college radio stars during the 90s; Madonna tried to sign them to Maverick at one point - the band was based in Chapel Hill, but they were all Asheville natives. This tune has an "NC state fair" reference; there are NC/SC references in several of their other tunes.

New Name Burg

New Name

Posted
Posted
Carolina Rain by Ryan Adams

Jacksonville Skyline by Ryan Adams

Adams grew up in Jacksonville, and moved to Raleigh, where he got into the band Whiskeytown before launching his solo career; it's an autobiographical song, heavy on the slice-of-life descriptions about cruising around a military town on weekends while growing up.

fortyniner Whistle-Stop

fortyniner

Posted
Posted

Seems like in the 1980's I remember a "truckers song" called "Sunrise Over Charlotte". Don't think I ever actually heard it.

How about "Promised Land"? (by Chuck Berry)

Left my home in Norfork, Virginia, California on my mind. Straddled that Greyhound rolling into Raleigh and on across Caroline.

Stopped in Charlotte, but by-passed Rock Hill. We never was a minute late.

We was 90 miles out of Atlanta by sundown, headin' out of Georgia state.......

Elvis did a version of "Promised Land" but his version left out the reference to Charlotte and Rock Hill.

DanRNC Burg

DanRNC

Posted
Posted
I don't think JT went to UNC though I may be wrong. His dad was dean of the med school I believe, and they family lived in the Morgan Creek area of Chapel Hill, very near the US 15/501-NC 54-South Columbia interchange. JT migrated to NY when he was about 19 and ended up in the band Flying Machine, and went on to London (after a little detour back to Chapel Hill), where he was the first non-Beatle signed to Apple Records.
  • 2 weeks later...
swampfox43 Hamlet

swampfox43

Posted
Posted

The first song that came to my mind was the Fleetwood Mac song "Hypnotized" from the 1973 Mystery To Me album. It still gets plenty of airplay on 95.7.

The song was inspired by a Pascagoula Mississippi UFO sighting but the verse that mentions NC is:

"Now it

davidals Hamlet

davidals

Posted
Posted
The first song that came to my mind was the Fleetwood Mac song "Hypnotized" from the 1973 Mystery To Me album. It still gets plenty of airplay on 95.7.
  • 3 weeks later...
eastsider Burg

eastsider

Posted
Posted

"Steal my Kisses" - Ben Harper

I pulled into nashville, tennessee, but you wouldn't even come around to see me

And since your headin' up to carolina, you know i'm gonna be right there behind

You

swampfox43 Hamlet

swampfox43

Posted
Posted

Allman Brothers - BLUE SKY

"Good ol' Sunday mornin' bells are ringin' everywhere

Goin' to Carolina ... won't be long til I'll be there"

And of course, Dickey Betts was singing about North Carolina. :whistling:

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