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“Just an old, sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.” Eventually, Ray Charles’ version of “Georgia on My Mind” became the official anthem of the State of Georgia in 1979. It might be the most famous song about the beautiful State of Georgia, but it is definitely not the only one. If you’ve never been to this state, songs about Georgia will let you experience it in the best way possible – through music.
So, let’s travel to Georgia with these 11 songs.
11 Songs About Georgia
1. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by Charlie Daniels
“The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for soul to steal
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind
And he was willing to make a deal.”
In this 1979 ballad, a boy from Georgia makes a deal with the devil. The devil challenged the boy to a duel by fiddle, and if the boy lost, the devil would take his soul. If the boy won, he would be given a gold fiddle. Of course, the boy wins in the end. The song is a perfect example of southern storytelling, which is quite common in country music.
2. “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight and the Pips
“And I’m gonna be with him (I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on the midnight train to Georgia)
I’d rather live in his world (live in his world)
Then live without him in mine
(Her world is his, his and her alone)”
The narrator’s lover is an unsuccessful musician in Los Angeles who eventually gives up on his dream of becoming a star and returns to his old life in Georgia. Despite her established status, the narrator decides to go with him. The song is actually a cover of Jim Weatherly’s “Midnight Plane to Houston.” Since Gladys Knight and the Pips were from Atlanta, they changed the lyrics to “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
3. “Georgia” by Elton John
“Talking ’bout, oh Georgia, take me to your Southlands
I sometimes feel my life is rolling on
Oh Georgia, lead me through your heartlands
I need to see them one more time before I’m gone.”
Elton John had written this song about Georgia over 10 years before buying a house in Atlanta. It was also used in TV advertisements during the 1995 Olympics.
4. “Walkin’ back to Georgia” by Jim Croce
“I’m walkin’ back to Georgia
She’s the only one who knows
How it feels when you lose a dream
And how it feels when you dream alone.”
In this song, Georgia is a state and, metaphorically, a woman from Georgia. For the narrator, Georgia is the only one who can understand and comfort him.
5. “Chattahoochee” by Alan Jackson
“Well way down yonder on the Chattahoochee
It gets hotter than a hoochie coochie
We laid rubber on the Georgia asphalt
We got a little crazy but we never got caught.”
The Chattahoochee River, sometimes called the Hooch by locals, runs through Georgia, and it makes the southern half of the border with Alabama and a part of the border with Florida. People who grow up near rivers have a special kind of fun, and the man in this 1993 country song remembers some of his favorite memories from his childhood. As a child, he learned to swim in this river. When he was a teenager, he would drink with his friends and girlfriend on the river bank. He says the river taught him “a lot about livin’ and a little ’bout love.”
6. “Watermelon Crawl” by Tracy Byrd
“I was drivin’ through Georgia in late July
On a day hot enough to make the devil sigh
I saw a homemade sign writtin’ in red
Rhine County Watermelon Festival ahead.”
In late July, the narrator was driving through Georgia when his curiosity was sparked by a handmade sign pointing to a watermelon festival. The 1994 song most likely refers to the annual Watermelon Days Festival in Cordele, Georgia. There the narrator drank watermelon wine and danced the “watermelon crawl.”
7. “Georgia Peaches” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Well them Georgia Peaches
Sure do got the style
They’ll steal your heart with a Southern smile
Well they talk a little funny, but they look so fine.”
Georgia is famous for producing the highest quality peaches and is often called “the Peach State.” But, the song isn’t talking about the fruit. It is actually about the girls from Georgia, who are just as sweet as the fruit. They wear short skirts and high heels and steal hearts with their cute accents.
8. “She’s so Georgia” by Jon Langston
“She’s got red clay running through her veins
She’s a homegrown peach, she don’t ever change
She’s a backwoods southern belle, hometown hottie
She’s the queen of the South
She’s country strong, standing tall, Dixieland outlaw
You know what I’m talking about
Yeah, she’s everything that’s good for yah
She’s so Georgia.”
According to this 2015 country song, Georgia girls are quite special. They are the perfect mix of tough country girls and lovely southern beauties. In the song, the narrator loves how his girl can bait her own hooks and start a fire, but she can also dress up and be a perfect Queen of the South.
9. “Rainy Night in Georgia” by Brook Benton
“A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
Lord, I believe it’s rainin’ all over the world
I feel like it’s rainin’ all over the world.”
This 1969 R&B song describes a lonely man, left only with his guitar and suitcase. He doesn’t have a place to spend the night, and the rain is pouring. It often rains in Georgia due to its humid subtropical climate.
10. “Georgia Rain” by Trisha Yearwood
“The Georgia Rain on the Jasper County clay
Couldn’t wash away what I felt for you that day
Just you and me down an old dirt road
Nothin’ in our way
Except for the Georgia Rain.”
It is no wonder that Georgia’s rain is described in many songs since it’s one of the rainiest states. In this 2005 country song, the woman returns to her old home in Jasper Country, Georgia. She drives by the family home of her high school love, and memories flood her mind like Georgia rain.
11. “Georgia Clay” by Josh Kelley
“When life was nothing more than living for the night
Just trying to steal a kiss on a tailgate of that ride
Good old days don’t wash away
Just like that Georgia Clay.”
In this reminiscent country song from 2011, the narrator pulls down the blue tarp off his old truck and is immediately taken back to his high school days. There is clay residue on the truck, and he states that just like that red Georgia clay, the memories can’t wash away.
Final Thoughts on Songs About Georgia
These songs about Georgia are sure to help you at least get a notion of the spirit of Georgia. They tell us a lot about the people, the culture, and even about the soil and climate of Georgia itself.
So, hopefully, now you know some of the things you can expect when you get to Georgia – red clay, hot and rainy days, sentimental people, and a lot of country music.
Be sure the check out the links to hear the songs about the Peach State.
