Why Road Construction Should Be the Official State Tourism Song
Story by Susan Lampert Smith | Song by Mike Starling
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Mike Starling felt kind of bad for state tourism officials this week. After all, they’d paid $22,000 for a song, “Wisconsin – Life’s So Good,” as part of the new $2.2 million campaign promoting the state, only to learn that it sounds suspiciously like a 1995 song song by a British group, Supergrass.
The faux pas got lots of publicity for Wisconsin – it made the international news wires, and tourism officials were teased by people from as far away as China. Yes, the phones were ringing off the hook at Tourism last week, but unfortunately, the callers were nasty reporters, not nice tourists hoping to book a feel-good week in Wisconsin Dells. Even worse, the state had paid for a tune that probably can’t be used.
So Milwaukee songwriter Starling, a giving kind of guy, sent Tourism Secretary Jim Holperin an offer. The state can have his ready-to-go original Wisconsin song for the bargain price of just $10,000. It’s called "Road Construction" and contains such catchy lyrics as:
The faux pas got lots of publicity for Wisconsin – it made the international news wires, and tourism officials were teased by people from as far away as China. Yes, the phones were ringing off the hook at Tourism last week, but unfortunately, the callers were nasty reporters, not nice tourists hoping to book a feel-good week in Wisconsin Dells. Even worse, the state had paid for a tune that probably can’t be used.
So Milwaukee songwriter Starling, a giving kind of guy, sent Tourism Secretary Jim Holperin an offer. The state can have his ready-to-go original Wisconsin song for the bargain price of just $10,000. It’s called "Road Construction" and contains such catchy lyrics as:
We got four seasons
Here in the Midwest
There’s winter, there’s spring
There’s fall and there is
Road construction
“It’s definitely a topic everyone in the state can relate to,” said Starling. “I wrote it back when I lived on West Avenue in La Crosse, and got woke up one morning by jackhammers.”
Starling says Holperin sent back a nice, thanks-but-no-thanks e-mail.
I think he should reconsider. Coming up with the world’s most totally honest tourism song would be a great way to recover from the stolen-song mess.
They could tailor the “Road Construction” campaign to Wisconsin’s different regions and tourism events.
If you were stuck in traffic trying to get to Oktoberfest in La Crosse, you could turn to tourism radio and get “The Orange Barrel Polka.” (“Roll out the barrels, getting to the beer will be a barrel of fun.”) If you were in Milwaukee and could see Summerfest, but couldn’t get there due to construction in the massive Marquette Interchange, your tourism radio would soothe you with that childhood favorite, “On top of Spaghetti Bowl, I’m turning to cheese. I must find a rest room, I hope I don’t sneeze. . .”
And for all those tourists stuck in Interstate 90-94-39 traffic while trying to get up north on a Friday night or back home on Sunday, there’s a song from Creedence Clearwater Revival that’s so perfect you don’t even need to change the lyrics. It begins:
Starling says Holperin sent back a nice, thanks-but-no-thanks e-mail.
I think he should reconsider. Coming up with the world’s most totally honest tourism song would be a great way to recover from the stolen-song mess.
They could tailor the “Road Construction” campaign to Wisconsin’s different regions and tourism events.
If you were stuck in traffic trying to get to Oktoberfest in La Crosse, you could turn to tourism radio and get “The Orange Barrel Polka.” (“Roll out the barrels, getting to the beer will be a barrel of fun.”) If you were in Milwaukee and could see Summerfest, but couldn’t get there due to construction in the massive Marquette Interchange, your tourism radio would soothe you with that childhood favorite, “On top of Spaghetti Bowl, I’m turning to cheese. I must find a rest room, I hope I don’t sneeze. . .”
And for all those tourists stuck in Interstate 90-94-39 traffic while trying to get up north on a Friday night or back home on Sunday, there’s a song from Creedence Clearwater Revival that’s so perfect you don’t even need to change the lyrics. It begins:
Just about a year ago, I set out on the road
Seekin’ my fame and fortune lookin’ for a pot of gold
Things got bad, and things got worse
I guess you know the tune
Oh, Lord, stuck in Lodi again
I can hear you humming along from here.
ROAD CONSTRUCTION: THE SONG
Over this road there's a tiny ridge
Get out the tools we need to build a bridge
Road construction!
Early in the morning before others go to work
That's the best time to put asphalt over dirt
With that road construction
Flyin' down the interstate at 65
In the corner of your eye you see a sign
That says "Road construction, Next 100 Miles"
Road construction!
Yeah, things were pretty cool, you were makin' time
Now you'll be stuck in South Dakota 'til the end of time
Because of road construction
Caution! Warning! Men at work!
Killin' trees and movin' earth!
Caution! Warning! Here they come!
They got big machines so they can do their
Road construction
We got four seasons here in the Midwest
There's winter, there's spring, there's fall
And there is road construction
Road construction! Road construction!
DOWNLOAD THE SONG AT APPLE MUSIC | AMAZON | CD BABY
Words and music ©1992 Mike Starling. Published by Bean Hoy Music (BMI). All rights reserved.
The article by Susan Lampert Smith was originally published February 13, 2005 in the Wisconsin State Journal, under the headline "Rx for State Tourism PR: Embrace the Orange Barrel." CCC maintenance work on Swan Lake Road, Colville National Forest photo from the OSU Special Collections & Archives, posted via a creative commons license from the Wikimedia Commons. The "Road Construction" song lyrics, music and sound recording ©1992 Mike Starling. Published by Bean Hoy Music (BMI). All rights reserved. Recording engineered and mixed by Jason Knox and mastered by Brett Huus. Musicians: Mike Starling: Vocals, bass, guitar, Plymouth Horizon horn. Casey Virock: Guitar, backing vocals. Jim Vogt: Drums, backing vocals. Gretchen Vogt Henchen: Tuba. This song was first released on the debut cassette by the Bean Hoy band in 1992. It was later remixed and remastered for the 1998 compilation CD Boys Can't Be Trusted. Download the song at Apple Music, Amazon and CD Baby.
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