17 Best Songs About Indiana

“Indiana” by Sean Kelly

Song Year: 2003

Sean Kelly wrote this song about the first time he ever drove through Indiana, and then all the times he returned to The Hoosier State. He talks about how he would drive through small towns but not really know anything about them other than what he could see on the outside.

He sings about dreaming of meeting people in these towns and all the corn fields and rolling hills that he saw as he made his way through the state.

“Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty

Song Year: 1993

“Mary Jane’s Last Dance” is one of the best rock songs about Indiana. Don’t let the fact that the state isn’t in the song’s title fool you. Tom Petty does a wonderful job of telling the story of a beautiful woman who grew up in Indiana.

As you listen to the lyrics, you can picture a beautiful woman who is the star of her small Indiana town. He falls in love with her, and the song talks about how she’s the only reason he enjoys being in that small Indiana town. The artist sings about how he can’t stay long anyway but will make time for one last day with her before hitting the road.

“Indiana” by David Mead

Song Year: 2004

David Mead’s song about Indiana is truly a reminder that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While many people find the miles and miles of corn fields and soybean farms beautiful and peaceful places, David Mead sings about how being stuck in a car driving through Indiana is the worst.

Besides that, the song mentions how his partner travels through the concrete jungle of large cities and how he craves to do the same rather than drive through Indiana. It’s a unique take on Indiana compared to other songs written about the state, and still, one of the best written.

“Indiana” by Jon McLaughlin

Song Year: 2007

Another great song about Indiana is by Jon McLaughlin. To no one’s surprise, he wrote this song as a love song to the state and the small towns. Many of the lyrics are all about how he loves and misses every little detail of his home in Indiana.

The song is like poetry and will pull on your heartstrings. He mentions that he loves how far away his small town in Indiana is away from the large cities and everything in between. There is a woman mentioned in the song, but she doesn’t feel the same way about Indiana as the artist.

“Pizza King” by Wussy

Song Year: 2011

Wussy’s song, “Pizza King,” is an exciting and unique song about The Hoosier State. Unlike the others that mention how much people miss the small towns and landscapes of the state, this one is about specific activities people would get into while living in small towns in the USA.

The lyrics talk about how they would sit outside the Pizza King and meet up with friends, pass around cans of what we can assume is beer, and how teenagers would flirt and be playful with one another in a seemingly boring area.

“On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away” by Paul Dresser

Song Year: 1897

“On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away” is one of the oldest songs about Indiana that we can find. Paul Dresser released the song in the late 1890s, and by 1913, Indiana had officially adopted it as their state song. The song is all about the Wabash River that runs on the west and north side of the state.

The song is all about the memories people create on the Wabash River bank, specifically about the woman Paul Dresser loved the most in his life, his mom. The song is about their memories and, by the end of the song, how she passes away.

“Indiana” by Louis Armstrong

Song Year: 1951

Even though Louis Armstrong is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, his song “Indiana” is a beautiful tune about the Hoosier State. The lyrics are much like other songs about the state, mentioning how badly all they want to do is go home to Indiana and small-town life.

The lyrics dive deeper into the reasons why the artist misses Indiana. They miss running through the fields, seeing the moon shine over the Wabash River and other things about the state’s landscape. The song is relatable for anyone who has left a small town or Midwest state and wants to return.

“Indiana” by Melissa Etheridge

Song Year: 2010

Not all the songs about Indiana are Sunshine and Rainbows. Melissa Etherridge’s song “Indiana” is a little bit of a sad tune. The song tells a story about a girl being born and her father immediately leaving and disowning her. She’s raised by her mother, who she states is tougher than an Indiana winter.

The song continues to be about Indiana in the sense of comparing her mother to their winters, but how, as the girl grew up and left the nest, all she wanted to do was return home to Indiana, where she was the happiest.

Top Songs About Indiana, Final Thoughts

For decades, Indiana has inspired those lucky enough to grow up in the state or visit at some point in their life. Countless songs capture how lovely a small town can be and all the different feelings Indiana provokes in people.

Next time you feel homesick for Indiana or want to expand your music knowledge, these top songs about Indiana are excellent.