State Songs #19: Louisiana

These songs all give a flavour of one of America's greatest and most unique states but none of them are about its most famous city. I realise this might be controversial but there are so many New Orleans songs that I didn't know where to start. On the plus side it gives me some great stuff left to post next Mardi Gras.

As usual, please let me know what you think of the tunes, suggest your favourites, and, most importantly, enjoy your Abita beer and Zaps chips in moderation.

MP3: Lucinda Williams - Lake Charles

You could make a very tasty complilation of songs Lucinda has written about her home state. This is from her masterpiece Car Wheels on a Gravel Road which I presume you all already have in your collections (if you don't we have a spare copy; email me - first come, first served).
Buy: 7digital | Amazon

MP3: Guy Clark - Baton Rouge

I love Guy Clark and hearing this makes me want to pack my bags, buy my own pair of alligator shoes, and follow him down to Louisiana's capital city. Once there I imagine we'd tuck into some crawfish and rice and then I'd bore him with questions about Townes Van Zandt.
Buy: 7digital | Amazon

MP3: The Be Good Tanyas - Lakes of Pontchartrain

Jolie Holland's arrangement of the 19th-century ballad is one of the highlights of the Be Good Tanyas' debut Blue Horse. My colleague Sarah vows to one day play the banjo like Trish Klein does on this.
Buy: 7digital | Amazon

MP3: Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart - Girl from Louisian'

I met Steve's sister Stacey and her husband Mark Stuart when they played an outdoor gig in Reno during my brief visit to "the biggest little city in the world". I was on my own with little to do and the friendly couple were extremely gracious as I pestered them about twang and they told me about various places they'd played in the UK.
Buy: Amazon

MP3: Emmylou Harris - Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight

This was written by Harris' former bandmate Rodney Crowell and first appeared on his 1978 debut Ain't Living Long Like This. Emmylou was quick off the mark in covering it - this is from her album of the same year Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town.
Buy: 7digital | Amazon

MP3: Lightnin' Hopkins - Mojo Hand

My colleague Richard recommended this when I told him Louisiana was up next on our musical road trip. I'm not too familiar with the great bluesman and probably first came across his name via the track REM titled after him on their album Document.
Buy: 7digital | Amazon

MP3: Waylon Jennings - Louisiana Women

Considering Waylon's stature as both a country music giant and essential piece of the rock'n'roll jigsaw (he was Buddy Holly's bassist) I am embarrassingly ignorant of most of his work. Then again, he recorded more than 50 albums, so I guess I have an excuse. This is from his 1974 LP This Time.
Buy: 7digital | Amazon

Next time we leave the South for Maine, one of the most challenging stops on the trip. Be prepared for a very diverse selection of songs.

Neighbouring States
State Songs #4: Arkansas - The New Lost City Ramblers, Hayes Carll, Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell, REM, Bruce Springsteen

The Journey So Far
State Songs - links to every post on this musical road trip

State Songs #5: California

I could post dozens of songs just about Los Angeles or San Francisco before even thinking about the rest of the state. Instead these are just a handful of my favourite California songs. By all means point out my omissions in the comments below and I'll tell you if it's a song I'd already thought of.

MP3: Tom Waits - Goin' Out West

The male version of Naomi Watts' character in Mulholland Drive. There's no way that this ex-con turned wannabe actor is ever going to make it in Hollywood whether he changes his name to Hannibal or Rex. Incidentally, you may remember Tony Franciosa from such films as Death Wish II and Across 110th Street.
More Tom Waits: Carnival Saloon | MySpace | Amazon | 7digital

MP3: The Arlenes - Going to California

Shortly after I moved to the capital 10 years ago Big Steve Arlene introduced me to North London's twang scene via his and Alan Tyler's still-going-strong Sunday afternoon club Come Down And Meet the Folks. This song was written shortly before the Family Arlene upped sticks from Camden to California. They've since moved to Nashville.
More Arlenes: official site | Amazon

MP3: Billy Bragg & Wilco - California Stars (live on Letterman)

This was the first dance at our wedding last year, beautifully played, pedal steel and all, by our friends Two Fingers of Firewater. Some trivia: The High Desert Mavericks, a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California used the song as their theme during the 2001 season.
More Bragg & Wilco: woodyguthrie.org | Amazon | 7digital

MP3: Marlena Shaw - California Soul

I'm trying to up the soul quotient at the Carnival Saloon and Joanne suggested this track as we rifled through our CDs looking for state songs. I feel bad for not including Joni Mitchell's California for her too but we'll hear from Joni once we get to Iowa.
More Marlena: MySpace | Amazon | 7digital

MP3: Virgil Shaw - Back to Eureka

I bought Virgil Shaw's cracking album Quad Cities on a trip to Northern California so this song reminds me of Highway 1, the redwoods and Anchor Steam beer. I think I may have bought a Polaroid camera in Eureka.
More Virgil Shaw: MySpace | Amazon

MP3: Jolie Holland - Goodbye California

There are some people for whom excellent weather, an abundance of fruit and the Terminator as your state's governor aren't things to stick around for. Perhaps Jolie Holland is among their number.
More Jolie Holland: | MySpace |Amazon 7digital

MP3: Guy Clark - LA Freeway

Someone else who wanted an exit from the Golden State. Guy Clark does a wonderful intro to this on stage. Apparently the final straw was when the landlord he "couldn't stand" chopped down the fruit tree outside the Clarks' window.
More Guy Clark: official site | Amazon | 7digital

Next time you'll need to prepare for possible altitude sickness - we're heading for the mountains of Colorado.

Related Posts
State Songs #1: Alabama - Cat Power, Billie Holiday, Jim White, Joan Baez, Shelby Lynne and, of course, Lynryd Skynyrd.
State Songs #2: Alaska - Michelle Shocked, Johnny Cash, Port O'Brien, Dan Bern, The Velvet Underground
State Songs #3: Arizona - Wilco, Glen Campbell, The DeZurik Sisters, Dimitri Tiomkin and Public Enemy
State Songs #4: Arkansas - The New Lost City Ramblers, Hayes Carll, Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell, REM, Bruce Springsteen