More than a "fly over" state

There are some states in the middle of the US that many people to be "fly over states". Basically, they are the states you see when you are on a jet going from one place to another. They aren't significant enough to actually stop in, they are just an inevitable means to an end. Having driven through a couple of these states a couple of years ago, I can attest to the fact that there is much more to them than what you think you see from the air.

Nebraska is one of those states that I actually would have enjoyed spending more time in. We only spent one night in North Platte as we were heading along to Colorado, but I could tell it was a quite beautiful state with a lot of areas waiting to be explored. I would have zero issues going back and checking out some of those spots in the future. I was really hoping to maybe see some wagon wheel ruts from one of the old trails that the settlers took heading West, but time wasn't on our side.

In case you haven't figure it out yet, we have made our way through the "M's" and now we are on to the "N's" for my musical road trip across the US. This is part of the #threetunetuesday initiative sponsored by @ablaze. I've been working my way through all 50 states picking songs that have the name of each state either in the title or lyrics. There is a song from Bruce Springsteen named "Nebraska", so this one seems like it might have been a no brainer, but I decided to take a bit different track with these songs today.

I hope you enjoy!

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When I came across "Tarkio Road" by Brewer Shipley, there was something that triggered a memory in my head. It wasn't for this song specifically, but I knew I recognized the name of the band, I just couldn't put my finger on why. I did a quick Google search and then it became clear I definitely knew their song "One Toke Over the Line". This song has a very similar feel to that one and if you listen really closely, the reference to Nebraska happens right at the beginning of the song.

Fun fact, I think that Jerry Garcia played one of the background instruments on this song as well. At least that's what the Internet says. Feel free to dig into that more if you actually care about the Grateful Dead. This song has actually been covered by a few different bands, so you might be more familiar with one of those versions. Personally, like I said, I have never heard any version of it, but I like what I hear. I might have to take a deeper dive into Brewer and Shipley.

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Bob Seger on the other hand I am very familiar with! I actually got to see him in concert a few years ago when he was doing his farewell tour. It was a phenomenal show and I really wish I had seen him earlier in his career versus during his final run. It's not that it wasn't good, it's just that he is a great performer. I can't imagine how much more energy he would have had when he was younger.

"Get Out Of Denver" also has the reference to Nebraska right at the beginning of the song. Unlike some of his more well known ballads, this is an upbeat song kind of in the vein of Johnny B Goode. I can also hear some hints of Ain't Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up" which was made famous by Garth Brooks. Since that song likely came out well after this one, I can only guess there was some influence there.

I'm not going to dig too much into this one. Seger speaks for himself. He is such an amazing songwriter and storyteller. If you aren't familiar with him, do yourself a favor and dig in!

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Finally, this one might seem like an odd choice to you, but I decided to include "You and I" by Lady Gaga. This is actually the first song that made me pay more attention to Lady Gaga. Before that she had her dance numbers that were popular with the kids at the time, but they weren't really something I listened to. It wasn't until this song came out that I really started to see her range and I was able to look past all the goofiness and publicity stuff to see how amazing of an artist she is.

From that point on I was hooked and I have been a fan of hers ever since. At the time she wrote this song about a boyfriend she had from Nebraska. I can't really tell you what the video is about. It's pretty weird. If you think you know Lady Gaga, I highly encourage you to check out the album she did with Tony Bennett. I think it might change your mind about what you think of her.

Or not. Either way, it's still a good album!

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