Thursday, March 27, 2014

The Tennessee Bicentennial Rap Song

The title says it all... back in 1996, the Tennessee State Legislature actually acclaimed the following ditty as the official "State Rap Song".
TENNE-, TENNE-, TENNES-SEE!
Oh, how proud we are of thee!
Volunteer State since 1812 -
Glad our fathers picked here to dwell! 
Presidents, Presidents - proud are we!
Jackson, Polk, and Johnson - three!
Crockett, Forrest, and John Sevier;
Alvin York and Hull lived here! 
Baker, Gores, and Kefauver,
Served our country with honor!
U.T., Memphis and Vandy U.,
Tennessee Tech and Sewanee, too! 
Appalachian Mountains, mountains high -
Reaching up in the smoky sky!
Tennessee River, flowing through -
We will cross near the Choo Choo! 
Dollywood and Walking Horse Show!
Opryland and the Opry Show!
Whisky, whisky - sipping smooth -
Moon, Moon Pies and Goo Goo Goos! 
Reelfoot Lake and cotton fields,
Natchez Trace and Civil War fields!
Mocking birds and raccoons grow,
And tulip poplars and iris show! 
Bessie Smith and Memphis blues -
W.C. Handy and Elvis, too!
Eastman, Oak Ridge, and TVA -
Nissan, Saturn, and Country Music pay! 
Chickasaw, Sequoyah, and Cherokee -
Cumberland Plateau and Mississippi!
BIRTHDAY WISHES ON 200 YEARS -
GIVE TENNESSEE A BIG, BIG CHEER!
Wow.

There's some problems... it's dated, of course - Saturn no longer exists, nor does the Opryland amusement park. And the repetition of "whisky, whisky" and "Moon, Moon Pies" sounds like we're stuttering. (Perhaps this could be explained by our diet of hard liquor and overly rich candy-like substances.)

But just try and rap it. It's horrible.

I apologize profusely for my inability to find a sound file or video of this.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I looked for the audio file also lol. I really want to hear that song.I bet it sounds like a PSA stay in school rap.