Song of the day: ‘Rhode Island is Famous for You’
January 19th, 2012 at 6:00 am by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes, On the Main Site
Rhode Island’s official state song is a little tune written in 1996 by Charlie Hall and Maria Day called “Rhode Island, It’s for Me.” I’ve never heard it. Charlie’s song replaced “Rhode Island,” a march by T. Clarke Browne, which is now the official state march. I’ve never heard that one, either.
Here’s a song I have heard that’s about Rhode Island. It’s called “Rhode Island is Famous for You,” and it’s from a 1948 musical revue called “Inside U.S.A.” This version was recorded in 1960 by the jazz singer Blossom Dearie.
Actually, the song’s really sort of a veiled insult, since it seems to imply some individual person is all Rhode Island has going for it. This YouTube version has the lyrics (more or less), so you can follow along and decide for yourself:
Oh, and if you’re from across the border, there are two different songs called “Massachusetts” by the Bee-Gees or Maxine Sullivan.
Tags: blossom dearie, inside u.s.a., music, rhode island is famous for you, songs
Nesi's Notes covers politics and the economy in and around Rhode Island for WPRI.com. (Twitter: 
The song from 1960 fits the attitude of the people of Rhode Island, which is me, me, me.
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