What’s the Powerful Draw to Montana? It’s This
What draws people to Montana? That is the question that has been asked a lot lately. Some people think that movies and TV are a big reason people are attracted to Montana. Some suggest the movie "A River Runs Through It" started getting people interested in coming to Montana. Some suggest that the TV show "Yellowstone" has contributed to people wanting to move to Montana. I think it's the music that brings people to Montana.
The Music Brings Them to Montana
Here is a look at a few songs that have been written about Montana from different genres. I think they have all contributed to the appreciation of Montana.
Official Song of Montana- Montana's official state song is "Montana" written by Charles Cohan
Jimmy Buffet- Jimmy may be known for his tropical songs like "Margaritaville" and "Fins" but he has written songs about Montana too. Jimmy played the Missoula Aber Day Kegger in 1976. Who can forget "Livingston Saturday Night"?
Jimmy also sang about Missoula in "Miss You So Badly".
Marie Osmond and Dan Seals- This song went to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Chart back in 1985. This may be the most popular of all Montana songs.
Hank Williams Jr.- Hank Williams Jr. is a resident of Montana's Bitterroot Valley. He has written more than one song about Montana too.
He also named one of his albums about Montana called "Montana Cafe" that featured the title track.
Chris Ledoux- Chris Ledoux, a country musician, who wrote a lot about rodeos, including his song describing "Montana Rodeo".
Nanci Griffith- Nanci Griffith a folk and country musician who captured what is like in Montana, with "Montana Backroads".
John Denver- John Denver wrote one of the official songs of Colorado with "Rocky Mountain High", which also was deemed controversial. He also wrote a popular song about Montana, called "Wild Montana Skies", featuring Emmy Lou Harris on vocals. In 2010 it was voted as one the top 100 Western songs of all time.
Jewel- When Jewel played Missoula, she dropped "The Missoula Song". It sums up the town pretty well.
There are plenty of songs that sing about the virtues of Montana, this is only a partial list. There is one artist and one song that I think stands out more than others as to what brings people to Montana.
Frank Zappa- Frank Zappa, was an interesting person and musician to say the least. I mean that with the utmost respect. There was an interview he gave about guitar solos that sums up how I, play music. There is one song that he wrote simply titled "Montana" that I believe is the main reason people are coming to Montana.
We All Want to Be A Dental Floss Tycoon
Every time I see an out-of-state license plate, I am convinced that they are here to become a "dental floss tycoon".