Best/Favorite Song about North Carolina

[aGDevil2k]

No love for "Raise Up" by Petey Pablo?

That's the gif in the first reply

 

[ChileG]

Souther Culture on the Skids has a song called “Soul City.”

There is a Soul City in NC. You can read all about it in a book of the same name written by 1991 UNC graduate (and my friend):

In 'Soul City,' One Man Envisions A Place Where Black People Have Power, Opportunity

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/29/961968832/in-soul-city-one-man-envisions-a-place-where-black-people-have-power-opportunity

 

[Patb78]

The Grateful Dead sing, “Got a wife in Chino babe, and one in Cherokee. First one says she’s got my child but it don’t look like me.”

 

[donbosco]

Souther Culture on the Skids has a song called “Soul City.”

There is a Soul City in NC. You can read all about it in a book of the same name written by 1991 UNC graduate (and my friend):

In 'Soul City,' One Man Envisions A Place Where Black People Have Power, Opportunity

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/29/961968832/in-soul-city-one-man-envisions-a-place-where-black-people-have-power-opportunity

The lyrics to the SCOTS tune you reference don't seem to have anything to do with the actual Soul City in Warren County. At least not to my knowledge. And I'll most surely keep it that way.

 

[donbosco]

The Grateful Dead sing, “Got a wife in Chino babe, and one in Cherokee. First one says she’s got my child but it don’t look like me.”

The Dead often sang "Promised Land," a Chuck Berry tune...it mentions places in North Carolina. There's a story there...

Promised Land (Chuck Berry/Freedom Riders) - Songobiography

Another masterpiece from Chuck Berry, limning a cross-country journey, with a covert nod to John Lewis and the Freedom Riders.

www.elijahwald.com

 

[finesse]

 

[heelwithnoname]

Some good calls here - particularly King Mackerel...

Politics aside, I have to mention Charlie Daniels "Carolina (I Remember You)" and also "The Legend of the Wooley Swamp."

 

[C-Money]

 

[doctor_octopus]

AutoLOVE for Mojo.

 

[ChileG]

The lyrics to the SCOTS tune you reference don't seem to have anything to do with the actual Soul City in Warren County. At least not to my knowledge. And I'll most surely keep it that way.

I 100% agree, and almost said as much in my post.
I just wanted to post something from SCOTS.

 

[rodoheel]

Most people (including the band) would probably say this isn't one of their best songs, but it is (IMO) one of the catchiest:

 

[Peppers49]

Avett Brothers are my favorite artist from NC. Don’t think I have a specific favorite, but tons of their songs have cool NC references to various towns and roads across the state.

 

[akillesheel]

Carolina On My Mind and Neighbors are probably the J Cole songs that are most directly about NC, but he pops in a reference to UNC, NC, or Fayetteville pretty often. most famously on his first mainstream hit, Work Out, where he starts the second verse going "Carolina Blue kicks fresh on the scene"

 

[Centerpiece]

Certainly the James Taylor songs... and others mentioned.
But here's one of my favorites - by John Hartford.
"The Boys of North Carolina" Speaks to folk like Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and other "boys from N.C."

 

[ole howard1]

Here you go. I guess it could be about SC, as with their terrific “Chitlin’ Strut.”

SCOTS

 

[ole howard1]

Did this get posted yet?

 

[aGDevil2k]

Identifying the "most popular" songs about North Carolina can vary based on genre, era, and the specificity of the reference (e.g., songs mentioning the state vs. songs explicitly about it).
Based on widespread recognition, sales/streams, and consistent inclusion on lists of North Carolina-themed music, here is a list of 20 popular songs that either explicitly mention or are widely associated with North Carolina.
Top 20 Popular North Carolina Songs
| # | Song Title | Artist | Year | Notes on NC Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina in My Mind | James Taylor | 1968 | Iconic folk song about longing for his childhood home in Chapel Hill, NC. |
| 2 | Raise Up (North Carolina) | Petey Pablo | 2001 | North Carolina's definitive hip-hop anthem, explicitly calling out cities and regions across the state. |
| 3 | Wagon Wheel | Old Crow Medicine Show | 2004 | Hugely popular folk/country song with a prominent lyric about hitchhiking "South of the border, down in Carolina." |
| 4 | Oh My Sweet Carolina | Ryan Adams | 2000 | A heartfelt ballad about returning to his home state, with a video shot in Raleigh. |
| 5 | Carolina Girls | The Chairmen of the Board | 1980 | A beach music classic celebrating the women of the Carolinas, widely associated with the NC coast and shag culture. |
| 6 | Carolina | Taylor Swift | 2022 | Atmospheric, haunting song written for the movie Where the Crawdads Sing, which is set in North Carolina. |
| 7 | Carolina in the Morning | Various Artists | 1922 | A Tin Pan Alley standard that popularized the phrase, "Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning." |
| 8 | Heads Carolina, Tails California | Jo Dee Messina | 1996 | Country hit about a road trip, using "Carolina" as the destination of a coin flip. |
| 9 | North Cack | G Yamazawa | 2017 | A modern hip-hop track celebrating Durham and the state of North Carolina (often called "North Cackalacky"). |
| 10 | Charlotte's in North Carolina | Keith Whitley | 1988 | Classic country ballad about a love lost to a big city in North Carolina. |
| 11 | Blue Sky | The Allman Brothers Band | 1972 | Southern rock song with the line, "Goin' to Carolina won't be long 'til I'll be there," which Dickey Betts confirmed was about NC. |
| 12 | Carolina Moon | Scotty McCreery | 2011 | Country song by the Garner, NC native, evoking the beauty of the state's nights. |
| 13 | Freight Train | Elizabeth Cotten | c. 1900s (Recorded 1950s) | A folk classic written by the influential North Carolina-born musician when she was a child. |
| 14 | Carolina Calling | Mipso | 2013 | Bluegrass/folk song from a Chapel Hill band, expressing the pull and nostalgia for the state. |
| 15 | Deep River Blues | Doc Watson | 1964 | Signature song of the legendary North Carolina flatpicking guitarist, associated with the state's folk and blues roots. |
| 16 | Carolina | Parmalee | 2013 | Country rock hit about a guy missing his girl in Carolina, sung by a band formed in North Carolina. |
| 17 | Meanwhile in Carolina | Conner Smith | 2023 | Contemporary country song about life and love set in the Carolinas. |
| 18 | Asheville City Skyline | The Lonesome Trio | 2015 | A popular folk tune specifically celebrating the mountain town of Asheville, NC. |
| 19 | Carolina Drama | The Raconteurs | 2008 | A gripping narrative rock song about a dramatic family story set in rural Carolina. |
| 20 | The Carolinian | Chatham County Line | 2006 | Bluegrass/Americana song named after the Amtrak passenger train that runs through North Carolina. |
Would you like me to find a YouTube video or Pandora station featuring mu
sic about North Carolina?

 

[donbosco]

China Groove - Doobie Brithers

Maybe about a different China Grove but we could claim it

A "song for drivin'"

 

[kickazzz2000]

What’s your favorite song about North Carolina? In 1958 one of the most famous Tar Heel-related tunes hit #1 on the Billboard Charts — “Tom Dooley” as sung by The Kingston Trio. Lots of us can sing that one and quite a few know the sad and too common tale of love and violence it tells. But what else is ‘Out There’ that mentions North Carolina or a place, event, or person with Old North State connections? “The Wreck of the Old 97,” sung by many but made most famous by Johnny Cash names Spencer, NC in the opening stanza. Ben Folds Five’s “Where's Summer B?” laments the downfall of Chapel Hill’s beloved loon magnet The Hardback Cafe. Townes Van Zandt once looked up from Texas at a “Greensboro Woman” - a song for driving if you ask me. What Other Songs Can You Name (or link below to a YouTube or Lyrics site?) Kingston Trio Hits the Top of the Charts with “Tom Dooley” in 1958

Carolina Can - Chase Rice
She had me at Heads Carolina - Cole Swindell
Brick - Ben Folds

 

[fourheels]

"Coast of Carolina" is Jimmy Buffett's song "sequel" to his first hit, "Come Monday".