Georgia has inspired countless musicians, from soul legends to country storytellers. Whether it’s the pride of calling it home, leaving it behind, or the warmth of its people, the Peach State keeps finding its way into music. From country roads to big-city streets, these songs cover the many sides of Georgia life.
Be sure to check out the Songs About Georgia Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Songs About Georgia
1. “Georgia on My Mind” – Ray Charles
Lyric Sample: “Just an old, sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind.”
Ray Charles turned this 1930s tune into a declaration of love for his home state. Its slow, soulful delivery made it the official Georgia state song and one of the most recognized tributes in American music.
2. “Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
Lyric Sample: “He said he’s goin’ back to find what’s left of his world.”
A defining soul hit of the 1970s, this song tells the story of a man giving up his failed dreams in Los Angeles to return to the comfort of his home state. Gladys Knight sings about the shared hope and relief found in going back to a simpler life.
Related: Best Songs About Trains
3. “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” – Vicki Lawrence
Lyric Sample: “That’s the night that they hung an innocent man.”
This Southern Gothic tale from the ’70s blends mystery, revenge, and small-town justice. Few songs mix storytelling and shock value quite like this one.
Related: Best Songs About Revenge
4. “Why Georgia” – John Mayer
Lyric Sample: “It might be a quarter-life crisis, or just the stirring in my soul.”
Mayer uses Georgia as the backdrop for questioning where his life is headed. It’s about that restless mid-twenties phase when you look around at your life and wonder if you’re really where you’re supposed to be.
5. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” – Charlie Daniels Band
Lyric Sample: “The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal.”
A famous piece of Southern Rock and country music storytelling, this song recounts a fiddle-playing contest between a boy named Johnny and the Devil. The fast-paced tale is a celebration of musical skill and fighting for your soul.
6. “Highway 20 Ride” – Zac Brown Band
Lyric Sample: “And I count the days and the miles back home to you.”
This modern country ballad describes the long drive he has to make along Interstate 20 to pick up his child for visitation. It’s about the pain of divorced fatherhood and missing family.
Related: Best Songs About Divorce
7. “Statesboro Blues” – The Allman Brothers Band
Lyric Sample: “I said I woke up this morning, I had them Statesboro blues so bad.”
Originally written by Blind Willie McTell, this blues song follows a man coping with loss and hard living in the town of Statesboro, Georgia. The Allman Brothers’ version keeps the grit and sadness of the original while giving it a harder Southern edge.
8. “Rainy Night in Georgia” – Brook Benton
Lyric Sample: “Late at night, when it’s hard to rest, I hold your picture to my chest.”
Benton’s classic is about a traveler who feels low and is seeking shelter on a stormy Georgia night. The persistent rain mirrors the man’s lonely state.
Related: Best Songs About Rain
9. “Georgia” – Ludacris & Field Mob ft. Jamie Foxx
Lyric Sample: “I got five Georgia homes where I rest my Georgia bones.”
This early 2000s rap hit pays tribute to Georgia, highlighting everything from its culture and cities to its history and music. Ludacris and the other artists show their pride and loyalty to their home state.
10. “Sweet Georgia Brown” – Ben Bernie
Lyric Sample: “Georgia claimed her, Georgia named her, sweet Georgia Brown.”
This jazz standard, first heard in the 1920s, describes a woman who captures the attention of everyone she meets. The tune became an iconic part of American musical culture and is often associated with the Harlem Globetrotters.
11. “Georgia Peaches” – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lyric Sample: “She’s a real fine woman, she’s my Georgia peach.”
This Southern rock favorite toasts the confident, street-smart women navigating life in Georgia. It’s a salute to their mix of charm and boldness.
12. “Going to Georgia” – The Mountain Goats
Lyric Sample: “The most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you.”
This ’90s indie track is a unique story of returning home to see someone important. It blends anxiety, relief, and longing as the narrator travels home to Georgia.
13. “Chattahoochee” – Alan Jackson
Lyric Sample: “Down by the river on a Friday night, a pyramid of cans in the pale moonlight.”
Alan Jackson recalls memories of growing up on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in this country hit. It’s about the fun of youthful escapades, from inner-tubing to falling in love.
Related: “Chattahoochee” Song Meaning
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14. “Georgia Clay” – Josh Kelley
Lyric Sample: “Good ole days don’t wash away, just like that Georgia clay.”
In “Georgia Clay,” Kelley looks back on summers of youth spent running around Georgia. He sings about nostalgia for small moments, like tailgate kisses and carefree adventures.
15. “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” – Ashley McBryde
Lyric Sample: “Here’s to the breakups that didn’t break us.”
“A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” is a 2018 country track about finding connection and comfort in unexpected places after rough days. It celebrates small victories, shared music, and the moments that make life feel a little lighter in Georgia.
16. “Georgia Time” – Riley Green
Lyric Sample: “Well, she’s all Alabama, but she’s got her feet stuck in the Georgia clay.”
This 2020s country song is about a girl whose life is divided between love and home, with Georgia holding a persistent pull. It’s about the small, everyday choices and the stubborn attachments that tie people to certain places.
17. “The Moon Over Georgia” – Shenandoah
Lyric Sample: “She’d rather have a million stars in the sky than a gold mine.”
Shenandoah’s hit is about choosing love and simple pleasures over wealth. It describes a woman’s preference for simple shared moments in Georgia instead of a life of luxury.
18. “Georgia Peaches” – Lauren Alaina
Lyric Sample: “Ain’t nothing sweeter than us Georgia Peaches.”
Lauren Alaina’s 2010s hit celebrates fun-loving, confident young women growing up in Georgia. It’s about their playful energy, Southern pride, and the way they embrace life in their own bold, charming way.
19. “Back to Georgia” – Loggins and Messina
Lyric Sample: “Maybe I’ll walk on back to Georgia, feel like a boy who ain’t got no home.”
This early ’70s soft rock tune is about returning to familiar ground after feeling lost and overwhelmed. Loggins and Messina sing about the relief of heading back to the people and places that offer comfort and a sense of belonging.
20. “Georgia” – Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Lyric Sample: “If I’m not over you by the time I get to Georgia, then I guess I’ll be Alabama bound.”
This country song follows a woman driving away from a failed relationship. Georgia becomes a milestone on her road to freedom, a test of whether she can finally move on.
21. “Georgia Rain” – Trisha Yearwood
Lyric Sample: “The Georgia rain on the Jasper County clay couldn’t wash away what I felt for you that day.”
Yearwood sings about young love and the memories tied to a rural Georgia hometown in this mid-2000s track. It traces moments of intimacy, nostalgia, and the way certain places and experiences leave a lasting impression.
Related: Songs About Rain
22. “Welcome to Atlanta” – Jermaine Dupri & Ludacris
Lyric Sample: “Welcome to Atlanta, where the players play, and we ride on them thangs like every day.”
This 2002 hip-hop track describes life in Atlanta through parties, local hangouts, and city culture. Dupri and Ludacris celebrate the city’s status as a major cultural hub of the South.
23. “Ohoopee River Bottomland” – Larry Jon Wilson
Lyric Sample: “This land has brought me pain and sorrow, the trailway’s coming through tomorrow, I’m leavin’.”
Wilson sings about leaving his rural Georgia home after years of hard work and hardship in this country blues song. It’s about the pull of home, family ties, and the difficult decision to seek a different life.
24. “Ol’ Red” – Blake Shelton
Lyric Sample: “Now Ol’ Red he’s the damnedest dog that I’ve ever seen.”
This narrative country song about Georgia takes place on a prison farm where the narrator is doing time. Shelton tells the humorous, suspenseful story of how he used a dog named “Ol’ Red” to successfully escape.
Related: Songs About Prison and Best Songs About Dogs
25. “Georgia” – Elton John
Lyric Sample: “Oh, Georgia, lead me through your heartlands, I need to see them one more time before I die.”
This lesser-known Elton John track follows a man traveling through Georgia, noticing how the seasons, towns, and daily life shift around him. It’s about wanting to connect with a place that holds personal meaning before it changes or is gone.
26. “Walkin’ Back to Georgia” – Jim Croce
Lyric Sample: “I’m walking back to Georgia, and I hope she will take me back.”
Croce’s gentle acoustic song is about a man returning to Georgia to reconnect with a past love. The traveler is tired but finds motivation in the thought of the reunion.
27. “Cedartown, Georgia” – Waylon Jennings
Lyric Sample: “Tonight I’ll put her on a train for Georgia, gonna be a lotta kin folks squalling and a grieving.”
This outlaw country song tells the story of a man who discovers his wife’s betrayal and takes violent revenge. It’s about betrayal, heartbreak, and the extreme lengths someone might go when trust is shattered.
Conclusion
The state of Georgia offers songwriters rich material, serving as a setting for big-city dreams and small-town secrets. These songs show how Georgia’s Southern charm, history, and everyday life create a backdrop for stories that feel real and lived-in.
If you liked this list, you might also enjoy our picks for Songs About Texas, Songs About Trains, and Songs Relating to Work.
