Isms: Views on Life in Rural America

It’s amazing (and maybe a bit sad) how a simple conversation, or in this case, a Twitter post, can send you down a rabbit hole.

That’s how I spent an hour, Sunday, after reading a friend’s post and the responses.

His tweet - this week’s poll question below - is this: What is the best song that has Nebraska in either the title or lyrics?

Many songs were familiar, but there were a few I needed to investigate. I compiled a brief list and listened to a few unfamiliar tunes.

Scrolling through responses, the top song at the time was Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page.” It was Scott’s first guess as he started singing, “On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha ...”

Some of the responders poked fun at Iowa, noting Iowa is so bad that Seger couldn’t even sing about it. I’m paraphrasing, since many tweets include harsher language about our eastern neighbors.

Another song mentioned often was “Hazard,” by Richard Marx. The song weaves a tale about a misunderstood young man who befriends a woman in a small Nebraska town. Rumors and lies surface about the relationship. One night, the woman - Mary - goes out for a walk and is murdered and the young man is blamed.

In the early 90s, Marx headlined a concert in North Platte and I won tickets. During the concert, a rainstorm passed through the area, and as Marx sang the song about the Sherman County village, a rainbow arched, filling the landscape beyond the stage.

Springsteen’s “Nebraska” was a popular choice. The song, part of the artist’s LP by the same name, tells the story of Charlie Starkweather’s 1958 killing spree that started in Lincoln and ended in Wyoming. Told from Starkweather’s perspective, the song attempts to explain his motivation, ending with the line, “they wanted to know why I did what I did. Sir, I guess there’s just a meanness in this world.”

The Killigans “The Cornhusker” has become a staple at Husker football games, played between the first and second quarters. The song, originally written by a Husker fan in 1909, has made a comeback in recent years, especially after the local Nebraska “folk-punk band” resurrected the song.

A tribute to Husker quarterback Brook Berringer, “The Nebraska Song,” by Sawyer Brown, was one of the most-mentioned songs. How did the song come about? According to lead singer Mark Miller, Berringer talked the band into performing at a 1996 national championship celebration in Lincoln and asked Miller to write a song for it. A few days later, he wrote the tune and sang it to the football star during a phone call. Berringer was scheduled to pick up the group at the airport for the benefit the next day. He never made it. Berringer, who loved to fly, died in a plane crash on April 18.

Other artists have sung about the Cornhusker state, including Lady Gaga, The Decemberists, John Prine and the Zac Brown Band. Some of them were mentioned in the Twitter thread.

Which Nebraska song is my favorite? If it’s during a Husker sporting event, definitely “There Is No Place Like Nebraska.” Any other time, I’d choose “Turn The Page.” It’s a classic.

What’s your favorite Nebraska song?