Songs that name-check Utah 

• Jade Wilson
• The Mountain Goats

Popular music finds its muse in many places: Boy meets girl, boy cheats on girl, boy loses girl, etc. However, through the years, the mention of various locales—especially within the 50 states—has become a source of inspiration, musing and contentment. Stephen Foster more or less started the trend in the mid-1800s when he wrote that famous lyric that began, "I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee / I'm goin' to Louisiana my true love for to see." As a result, the imagery became forever entwined in the American ethos.

Nearly a century later, "Tennessee Waltz" found its way into the public consciousness courtesy of a heartwarming rendition by Patti Page. In the 1960s, the Mamas and the Papas captured the hippie fantasy in their signature song "California Dreamin'."

California and Tennessee remain among the most popular musical destinations, with Arizona, Texas and Colorado prime reference points in between. Nevertheless, Utah has also shown up within the popular musical lexicon, and while some may consider those references confined to obscurity, we here at the Salt Lake City Weekly are pleased to counter that notion by pointing out some prime examples of songs that give our state its due.

"The Great Salt Lake" was the second single taken culled from Band of Horses' 2006 debut album Everything All the Time. Released as a single three months after the album dropped, it failed to chart, and yet even now, some 18 years on, it remains one of Band of Horses' most requested songs—and, in fact, a regular part of their live repertoire. In truth, though it explicitly mentions Great Salt Lake by name, it was actually inspired by Lake Murray, a reservoir in band member Ben Bridwell's native South Carolina. Nevertheless, it also references some anecdotal incidents they encountered here in Salt Lake City. Either way, we're happy to have the shout-out.

"Ballad For A Friend" was written by Bob Dylan early on in his career, but appeared much later on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964. The song is a narrative in Dylan's typical unadorned, early folksy style, one that starts innocently enough about a dear friend from Minnesota who takes to the open road only to meet a tragic end when he's either hit by a truck, or mowed down by another car after being dropped off by a truck that gave him a ride. "A diesel truck was rollin' slow / Pullin' down a heavy load / It left him on a Utah road." Hmm, that's clearly not something we necessarily want to be associated with, but on the other hand, any time you can get name-dropped in a Bob Dylan song, it's kinda worth it. It's a sad lament to be sure, but hey, we'll take it regardless.

"Palace of the Brine" shared the Pixies' appreciation for the concentrated content of the Great Salt Lake that's found "beneath reflections in the fountain! The starry sky and Utah Mountains!" Taken from the album Trompe le Monde, it's a rare bit of nostalgic rumination from a band not necessarily known for drawing on sentiment. Indeed, it comes across as a rocking revelry of sorts, an abbreviated but convincing blast of pure devotion and affection. It's hard to imagine that anyone could get so revved up by sodium chloride, but apparently it provided the Pixies with the inspiration they needed.

"The Mess Inside" by the Mountain Goats offers a lonely lament wrapped around the realization that a relationship may be well worth preserving, but at times, that reality comes too late. The lyric deals with escapism, and trying to avoid the fact that the narrator has made a mess of his situation to the extent that no amount of traveling with his mate can ever erase the damage that's been done. Notably, the couple chose our environs as their initial destination: "We took a weekend / drove to Provo / the snow was white and fluffy / But a weekend in Utah won't fix what's wrong with us." Drawn from the album All Hail West Texas, it's a sad paean to futility, but the beautiful imagery and the determined delivery are effective nonetheless. Ultimately, it's wonderful to have something so solid that references Utah's natural beauty and shares it in song. We can only hope that frontman John Darnielle found the refuge he was seeking, and maybe gave us a try once again.

"Salt Lake City" by the Beach Boys remains an enduring classic, and we'd be remiss if we failed to include this tribute to our own beloved city. It's an homage indeed: "Down in Utah / The guys and I dig a city called Salt Lake / It's got the grooviest kids / That's why we never get tired of Salt Lake." The love was real, and indeed, it was Mike Love and Brian Wilson who co-wrote the track. Culled from their 1965 album, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), it was offered as praise to one of their earliest legions of fans. According to Wikipedia, The Beach Boys performed at the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington at least twelve times between 1963 and 1973. We can also claim credit for being one of the first places Beach Boys music was played outside California. Who knew that you could catch a wave in the Great Salt Lake?