Being the home of the famous rock and roll hall of fame museum, there is no surprise that many songs are written about this city.
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The songs range from those about love to conflict, but they aim to educate and appreciate this beautiful state. Below is a compilation of some of the best songs about Ohio.
“Beautiful Ohio” – Henry Burr
This mellow and calm song pays homage to the serenity and tranquility when in Ohio.
The song was originally written by Ballard MacDonald and adopted as the official state song by the Ohio Legislature. This rendition of Beautiful Ohio by Henry Burr gives off old-timey vibes in quite an enjoyable and relaxing manner.
“Boy in Ohio” – Phil Ochs
Looking for a nostalgic song about Ohio? Then Boy in Ohio is going to be your new favorite jam.
This song was released in 1970 and followed the journey of a young man and all the daily happenings as he lived in the State. He reminisces how wonderful life was and how no other place will ever compare.
“Carry Me Ohio” – Sun Kil Moon
We all desire to get away from life pressures every so often.
What better escape than to a State with breathtaking rivers and lakes? Carry Me Ohio is a song that offers hope when you are going through tough times.
“Girl From Ohio” – The Outlaws
This tune can be considered a love song that traverses time and place. Henry Paul, one of the founding members of The Outlaws, places more significance and soul on this song because it reminds him of a girl he once loved dearly.
This song was released in 1976 from the album Lady In Waiting and is still a banging tune to date.
“Ohio is for Lovers” – Hawthorne Heights
While still on this love train, we cannot go without adding Ohio is for Lovers to the list. The song was released while the band was on the road and missed their girlfriends in Ohio.
The lyrics are dramatic and dark, making it an awesome Emo track. This track was released as a single due to all its traction at the grassroots level.
“Banks of the Ohio” – Olivia Newton
As with any great list, there needs to be a balance between the sweet and sour. This track is about how a man murders a woman who rejects his marriage proposal.
Olivia’s version of this song was recorded and released in 1971, but there have been other versions by great artists such as Johnny Cash and Dolly Patron.
“Cleveland Rocks” – Ian Hunter
Cleveland Rocks are most popularly known as the theme song of The Drew Carey Show, which was aired back in 1990.
Hunter’s main motivation to write this song was to popularize a city seen as lesser than. The song is a tune that plays on to this day as the anthem of Cleveland. The instruments pair quite well with the themes mostly observed in rock and roll.
“My City Was Gone” – The Pretenders
This track was released as part of The Pretenders’ Learning To Crawl album back in 1984.
It begs the question of the practicality of investments in shopping malls on human existence that have since replaced the old rubber factories. The artist is rather disappointed that the smell of Akron, rubber, is no longer an option.
“Till I Die” – Machine Gun Kelly
Home is always best, and that is how the artist felt as he wrote this song. He even goes further to say that Cleveland is his home for life.
Released in 2015, Till I Die is among some of the most recent tracks about Cleveland and enjoys quite a good reception by fans with over one hundred million views on Youtube.
This hip-hop track was shot in Cleveland with guest cameos from Billard. It is easy to tell that the city is a great source of inspiration to Machine Gun Kelly and his rap career, and he is extremely grateful for it.
“Ohio” – The Black Keys
This State seems to have had a significant effect on everyone who has lived there previously. It talks about how the artist is never fully at peace when away from Ohio. It is a bonus track from the Brothers album released in 2011.
There are a lot of songs about Ohio that aim to show Ohio from many perspectives. Most of the songs have nothing but praise, while others offer a more cautious approach while in the State.
The tunes added in the article above give both ranges of emotion and exposure to what life is like in Ohio.
