Maryland, the Free State, is a gorgeous mid-Atlantic state with impressive waterways, historic ports, and picturesque scenery that has inspired musicians and artists for decades. In fact, Maryland is where Francis Scott Key first penned the US national anthem.
Want to hear more impressive music from the Old Line State? Discover the best songs about Maryland below.
1. “What’s New in Baltimore” by Frank Zappa
Song Year: 1981
Frank Zappa released one of the best songs about Maryland with “What’s New in Baltimore” from the album Puttin’ On The Ritz (Live).
Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and pays homage to his home state with this song. The city of Baltimore honored Zappa by making September 19th “Frank Zappa Day.”
2. “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac
Song Year: 1977
The female lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, wrote the song “Silver Springs” after getting inspired by a sign on the highway for Silver Springs, Maryland.
This song showcases Nick’s vocal talent backed by Fleetwood Mac’s distinct dreamy style of instrumental. “Silver Springs” is one of the songs about Maryland that listeners will be happy to put on repeat.
3. “There She Goes” by Good Charlotte
Song Year: 2010
Joel Madden, the lead singer of the pop-rock band Good Charlotte, sings about his home state of Maryland in the song “There She Goes” from the album Cardiology.
“There She Goes” speaks about losing love now that Madden’s experienced fame and moved away from Maryland to the big city of LA. The chorus repeats how Maryland will always be considered home to Madden.
4. “Maryland” by Elephanz (feat. Eugénie)
Song Year: 2017
One of the best songs about Maryland is the song “Maryland” by Elephanz ft. Eugénie. This happy indie tune features an upbeat tempo with steel drums in the background and catchy vocals in the foreground.
“Maryland” is about bridging the distance between two people by taking a trip to the Free State to enjoy time together on the beach.
5. “Six Feet Under the Stars” by All Time Low
Song Year: 2007
The American pop-punk band All Time Low hail from the small town of Towson, MD, and represent their home state in one of the best songs about Maryland, “Six Feet Under the Stars.”
The chorus of this pop-rock song references Thames Street and South Broadway, two streets found in Baltimore, Maryland.
6. “Maryland, Massachusetts” by Nelly
Song Year: 2013
“Maryland, Massachusetts” by Nelly is a fun party song that uses the state of Maryland and Massachusetts to reference coast-to-coast partying.
Nelly mentions flying from one city to the next to please his woman and keep life interesting and exciting. The song repeats the two city names in the title to highlight that Nelly can go anywhere in the United States and have a good time.
7. “Maryland My Maryland” by Bobby Horton
Song Year: 1985
Listeners will instantly recognize the tune of “Maryland My Maryland” by Bobby Horton because it’s the same as the popular Christmas tune, “O Tannenbaum.”
Folk singer Bobby Horton has changed the lyrics of this track to represent the state of Maryland and its history in the Civil War.
8. “Southern Maryland Thang” by Donovan Farrell
Song Year: 2015
“Southern Maryland Thang” by Donovan Farrell is a country-rock song from his album True Heroes.
“Southern Maryland Thang” is a song about Maryland that pays tribute to the people of Southern Maryland and features Maryland natives Wes Ryce, Lindz Owen, and John Luskey on the track.
9. “Going to Maryland” by The Mountain Goats
Song Year: 1994
“Going to Maryland” by the alternative and folk band The Mountain Goats is one of the best songs about Maryland from the album Beautiful Rat Sunset.
This song features soft acoustic instrumentals and lyrics that speak about falling in love near the Chesapeake Bay, America’s largest estuary, located in Maryland.
10. “For Baltimore” by All Time Low
Song Year: 2012
Check out the catchy song “For Baltimore” by All Time Low if you enjoy pop-rock and songs about Maryland.
“For Baltimore” by All Time Low is a song about Baltimore nightlife and making memories in the Free State. The music video for this song features cartoon renditions of an old Maryland yearbook with pictures of the band in various places in Baltimore.
11. “Maryland” by Coyote Theory
Song Year: 2018
The pop band Coyote Theory sings a slow song about Maryland on their album Late Night (Live).
“Maryland” is a sad acoustic song that shares the story of a boy who’s lost someone he loves and can’t get them out of his head. To deal with the breakup, the boy goes to Maryland and tries to reunite with his lost love.
12. “Baltimore” by Randy Newman
Song Year: 1977
While many musicians sing about the good times in Maryland, Randy Newman shares a darker side of the state with his song “Baltimore” on the album Little Criminals.
This song features slow piano and drums and lyrics that poetically share some of the things seen in Baltimore like drunks on the sidewalks and workers trying to make a living in a city that’s challenging to live in.
13. “Garrett County” by Bob Hansel
Song Year: 2020
Bob Hansel pays homage to the incredible natural wonders of Maryland in his country song “Garrett County.” This is one of the best songs about Maryland that makes listeners want to visit Maryland.
Garret Country, Maryland, is as far west as one can travel in the Free State and boasts impressive landmarks mentioned in this Bob Hansel song, including Keyser’s Ridge, Allegheny Mountain, and Big Savage Mountain.
14. “My Promise to Maryland” by Boys of Fall
Song Year: 2016
Boys of Fall is a pop-punk band with one of the best songs about Maryland on their album Thank You & Goodbye.
In the song “My Promise to Maryland,” Maryland is a reference to a woman that the singer is trying to get over. The lyrics are an apology and a promise of future love to the woman if she can forgive him for his past wrongdoings.
15. “Maryland Memories” by Ronnie Dove
Song Year: 2009
Ronnie Dove is a popular country singer with a catchy song about Maryland titled “Maryland Memories.”
“Maryland Memories” is a slow song that listeners will sway to as the lyrics tell the story of a man who left the woman he loves in Maryland. To Dove, the memories of Maryland are bittersweet because they’re a combination of happy times and heartbreak.
16. “Clarity in Maryland” by Matthew Bacon
Song Year: 2019
Matthew Bacon shares his poetic thoughts on love and life in the exceptional folk song about Maryland, “Clarity in Maryland,” from his album Blame It On My Youth.
In this sad song, Bacon uses simple and acoustic instrumentals to back his heartfelt vocals. The lyrics share advice to listeners about letting someone you love go to Maryland, with the hope they one day return with the clarity and healing they deserve.
17. “Maryland” by Lake Malawi
Song Year: 2017
Folk band Lake Malawi sings a slow and melodic song about Maryland titled “Maryland” on the album Surrounded By Light.
This song features soft acoustic guitar and soothing vocals that share the sad realities of life in the verses and a hopeful chorus that contradicts the verses by suggesting that life will be different in Maryland.
18. “Around the Way Anthem” by Eyedeal Bayano
Song Year: 2018
Rapper Eyedeal Bayano was raised in Maryland and pays tribute to his home state and family history in the rap song “Around the Way Anthem.”
This song features catchy hooks and references to places in Maryland where Eyedeal Bayano grew up, like Briggs Road in Silver Springs, MOCO (Montgomery County), and his childhood neighborhood.
19. “Crabs for Christmas” by David DeBoy
Song Year: 2001
David DeBoy is a renowned writer and stage actor who released one of the most popular songs about Maryland, “Crabs for Christmas.”
This holiday-themed show tune tells the story of a conversation with Santa Claus where a Baltimore man tells Mr. Claus that all he wants for the holiday is something that reminds him of his home state of Maryland; steamed crabs and beer.
20. “Springtime in Maryland” by Forest Rain
Song Year: 2014
If you’re craving catchy, feel-good songs about Maryland, listen to “Springtime in Maryland” by Forest Rain from the album Something Special.
This happy pop-folk song sings about leaving behind the cold Canadian winter weather, embracing the spring season in Maryland, and rekindling an old love as the cherry blossoms begin to bloom.
21. “Together in Maryland (That’s All I Need)” by Tony Cavallo
Song Year: 2015
You’ll be ready to hit the road and drive to Maryland the moment “Together in Maryland (That’s All I Need)” by Tony Cavallo plays on your speakers.
This rock song features catchy guitar riffs and the growly vocals of rock musician Tony Cavallo as he sings about finding happiness under the blue skies of Maryland with the one that he loves.
22. “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan
Song Year: 1963
Folk singer Bob Dylan released one of the best songs about Maryland on his third studio album, The Times They Are a-Changin’.
“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” recounts the true story of the murder of Hattie Carroll, a barmaid in Baltimore, by another Maryland resident, William Devereux “Billy” Zantzinger. Dylan’s iconic voice sings about Zantzinger getting convicted of the crime and spending six months in a Maryland jail.
23. “Countdown” by Missing Joe
Song Year: 2002
“Countdown” by Missing Joe is a soft-rock song about listening to the radio after getting your heart broken.
“Countdown” tells the story of a boy from Connecticut who falls in love with a girl from Maryland. After the love turns sour, the girl returns home to Maryland and listens to songs on the radio rotation as she tries to get her mind off the boy.
24. “Just Like Bruddas” by Future
Song Year: 2015
If your playlist needs more rap songs about Maryland, look no further than Future’s hit song “Just Like Bruddas.”
In this song, Future’s auto-tuned voice raps and sings about his ex-fiance, Ciara, partying, cars, and money, and makes references to flying women from Maryland to join him and his friends in their fun.
25. “Maryland” by Vonda Shepard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb2kmBUG67s
Song Year: 1996
“Maryland” by Vonda Shepard is a beautiful folk song from her album It’s Good Eve, about living life for herself and not paying attention to what other’s expect of her.
Shepard sings alongside her piano about the joy of returning home to Maryland, even if her life doesn’t look the way her parents envisioned.
26. “Raining in Baltimore” by Counting Crows
Song Year: 1993
The rock band Counting Crows released one of the best songs about Maryland with their soft piano jam titled “Raining in Baltimore.”
This sad song captures the sensation of watching the rain come down and feeling lost in life. The lyrics share the desire to get out of Maryland and escape the rain in Baltimore.
27. “There’s A Girl In The Heart Of Maryland” by Bing Crosby
Song Year: 1913
Bing Crosby put Maryland girls on everyone’s radar with the song “There’s A Girl In The Heart Of Maryland.”
This beautiful love song features music by John Scott Trotter and Jimmy Dorsey and showcases Crosby’s vocal talent as he sings about a Maryland woman who’s his bride-to-be. The song describes her accepting the proposal and the two of them getting married in a Maryland church.
28. “75 Septembers” by Peter, Paul, and Mary
Song Year: 1995
Peter, Paul, and Mary is a famous American folk group that released one of the best songs about Maryland on their album Lifelines.
“75 Septembers” is about a band member’s father, who was born in Maryland in the same year as the Yellow Cab company. This slow folk song sings about the father’s life and how Maryland and the world have changed.
29. “Maryland Fight Song” by The University of Maryland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvZtvJelqfc
Song Year: 1939
Anyone who’s watched a football game at The University of Maryland will recognize the state’s anthem, “Maryland Fight Song.”
UMD alumni Ralph Davis composed “Maryland Fight Song” in 1939, and it has persisted as a crowd favorite for its powerful lyrics about fighting on until victory. This marching band song is an easy way to get the crowd roaring and chanting along in every corner of Maryland.
30. “Shut Out the Light” by Bruce Springsteen
Song Year: 1985
“Shut Out the Light” by Bruce Springsteen is one of the best songs about Maryland that shares the story of a soldier, Johnson Leneir, returning home to Maryland after the Vietnam War.
Leneir has PTSD, and though he’s home again, his mind is still in far-off lands as he stands near a river in Maryland and looks at the city lights.
31. “Maryland Bridge” by John K. Samson
Song Year: 1993
John K. Samson is a Canadian folk singer who released the song “Maryland Bridge” on his album Slips and Tangles.
In this song, Samson sings about getting a letter from an old lover that causes him to reminisce about their time together. The letter has hopeful messages that make Samson think there might be a chance for future love across the Maryland Bridge.
Top Songs About Maryland, Final Thoughts
Maryland is a state that has inspired many artists and musicians. Songs about Maryland speak about the good times and the challenging times, memories of love and loss, and historical stories that shaped the nation.
Next time you’re feeling homesick for Maryland or headed on a road trip to Baltimore, play these songs about Maryland for a musical score of the Free State.