The names of the states

It's time. Here's the next normblog poll. As I've hit you with some really heavy subjects in the past - like your favourite movie stars and the greatest songs of rock 'n' roll - I've decided this time to lighten up. This one's about the states of the United States of America. No, actually it's about the names of the states of the United States of America.

Let me introduce it to you like this. (Well, you can't stop me from doing that, so the 'let me', if read as seeking a permission, is otiose. But reason not the need.) Listening to Steve Earle's tribute song for Townes Van Zandt a few days ago, and already thinking about the names of the states for other reasons, I heard again the lines...

But Colorado's always clean and healin'
And Tennessee in Spring is green and cool

Then further on:

And they say Texas weather's always changin'

Now, apart from the brilliance of the song anyway, there's the romance of the names. You seem to be able to do something with Colorado, Tennessee and Texas that might not work so well with, say, Surrey, Essex and Northamptonshire.

So what I'm asking you for is your favourite names of the states of the US. That is different from your favourite states. You have five votes each, to distribute to the names of five US states. No need to rank them. And with your entry I'm asking that you submit one song lyric that includes the name of one your chosen states. Got it? I will answer any questions you may have other than 'Hey, what is the point of the exercise?'

Closing date: Sunday 30 April.