There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
You may imagine shrimp, Palmetto trees, and college football when you think of South Carolina. Yet this great state has some of the most interesting histories.
For example, Charleston, the most popular city, has the oldest tree in the country. In the Civil War, South Carolina was the first state to secede. The barbeque was born in this state, and also the legend of the Lizard Man.
To get the best picture of the state, it’s a good idea to listen to songs about it. Check out our list below to find 11 songs about South Carolina.
11 Songs About South Carolina
1. “South Carolina Low Country” by Josh Turner
“I grew up in South Carolina
Singing all them bluegrass and country songs”
South Carolina is known for its country songs. It has inspired young singers and songwriters with its beautiful sceneries, Palmetto trees, and Atlantic breeze. You don’t have to be from this state to sing your heart out every time you hear Josh Turner’s song and to understand the importance of it.
The song is about the beauties of the Palmetto State and rich history, like the happenings of the Civil War.
2. “Just a Little Bit of South of North Carolina” by Dean Martin
“Just a little bit south of North Carolina
That’s where I long to be
In a little brown shack in South Carolina
Someone waits for me”
Paradise is what awaits you in South Carolina, or that is what the song tells us. It fills you with a warm and fuzzy feeling while listening to this older country song written in 1955. The lyrics sing to us of the nature-filled state that everyone longs to visit and to go back to. And like most country songs, it is about love, not only the love between two people but the love you feel toward your home. It is also a great song to add to your road trip playlist, even though it is a bit dated.
3. “Waltz For a Girl in South Carolina” by Brett Shady
“There’s a girl in South Carolina
Standing in the sweet summer wind
A girl in South Carolina
That I’ll never talk to again”
Summer wind and the girl of your dreams are just a few themes in this song. It’s a beautifully written song about the singer’s lost love who has left her behind in South Carolina. The song is slow-paced and has a relaxing vibe that you can listen to while enjoying the sweet summer winds of South Carolina.
4. “Oh, Carolina” by NEEDTOBREATHE
“Oh Carolina
Yeah, when I get back home to you, we’re gonna start a fire
Oh, you know I miss you
And when we get back home to you, I got a story to give you.”
Most residents of South Carolina can agree that there is a homie feeling to this beautiful state. NEEDTOBREATHE is from South Carolina, so there is no need to explain why they long for their homecoming. However, the song also hides away an important part of history for all the residents of South Carolina as well. The lyrics, “When I get back home to you, we’re gonna start a fire,” are probably a remembrance of the great Charleston fire during the Civil War. Many people claim that a “great cultural awakening” for the state arose from the ashes of that fire.
5. “South Carolina” by Archers of Loaf
“South Carolina
Because I’ve been searching for you
I’ve been praying for you.”
This song is a different genre of music for South Carolina. Though the group was originally from North Carolina, they depict the symbolic search for the Palmetto State in this song. So if you are a fan of slow-paced rock music, this is just that. An indie-rock piece that can put a little melody into your road trip to Charleston to see the oldest tree in the country.
6. “Carolina in the Morning” by Judy Garland
“Nothing could be finer
Than to be in Carolina
In the morning.”
As an oldie but a goody, “Carolina in the Morning” was written in 1922 by Gus Kahn. Many performers and singers have performed this beautiful song in reminiscence of South and North Carolina. The verse has a melancholy tone to the song yet also gives it a catchy melody. It is meant to celebrate the Carolinas and show the state’s amazing beauty during the mornings.
7. “South Carolina Blues” by Junior League Band
“Got them South Carolina Blues”
If you are looking for the best country music depicting your favorite state of South Carolina, then this song is for you. It gives us that strong country vibe that you expect from South Carolina, inviting you to take up your boots and dance to the beat of the music. While the Junior League Band is not well known, they are worth checking out.
8. “South Carolina” by Tennis
“South Carolina really makes a man
If The South can’t do it then no one can
The morning breeze is my favorite part
Carry South Carolina deep in my heart
We’ll make a family in the quiet country
You and me, in simplicity”
Although this indie-pop band is not originally from South Carolina, they still managed to paint the beautiful nature of this southern state. The lyrics talk about the white pines and the hemlock that many locals of South Carolina are familiar with during their hot summers. The singer explains how she carries South Carolina’s morning breeze in her heart, as many do. This song oozes the positive vibes of sunshine on a cool summer morning.
9. “Charleston, South Carolina” by Lovie Austin & Her Blue Serenaders
“Sometime, you’ll dance it one time
The dance called the Charleston
Made in South Caroline”
This song is an old song but still fun to listen to and dance to. As the song mentions, the Charleston dance is named after the city of Charleston. The dance moves, called The Charleston, were popularized by mainstream dance music from 1923. Although the movements resemble the African-American dance called Juba, it still became trendy among the locals of South Carolina.
10. “Double Shot (Of My Babies Love)” by The Swingin’ Medallions
“A potion that I had too much of
It was a double shot of my baby’s love.”
Due to the song’s implications of drinking and other things, it was banned soon after being released in 1963. This band is from South Carolina, and even though its message was banned and considered forbidden, they managed to make it very popular. Since then, many other bands have covered the song.
11. “South Carolina Fight Song” by South Carolina Gamecocks
“In Carolina pride have we.
So, Go Gamecocks Go – FIGHT!
Drive for the goal – FIGHT!”
A perfect way to end our list is with this fight song for the South Carolina Gamecocks football team. It motivates and inspires the athletes at game time. South Carolina is known for its football, especially the Gamecocks, the University of South Carolina’s football team. It is also a catchy song, and even though it is short, it still manages to inspire team spirit for the sport.
Final Thoughts on Songs About South Carolina
The state of South Carolina has many things to offer. Musicians who were not only from South Carolina but from all around the country have traveled through it and were inspired to write songs about the Palmetto tree state.
From the old to the new, doing the Charleston, having fun, and playing football, we hope to show South Carolina’s full potential with these 11 songs about South Carolina. Check out the artists mentioned above. Even though some of them are not well known, you should definitely give them a try.
