5 Great Songs About North Carolina
The Tar Heel State has been well documented in song. From bluegrass stompers to hip-hop bangers, plenty of artists have something to say about North Carolina. With mountains, beaches, big cities, country towns, and barbecue, there's a lot to sing about in North Cackalackay.
At Uptown Dueling Pianos, we're proud to call North Carolina home. And after years of performing at weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, and public shows across the state, we've learned that certain songs bring out a little extra Carolina pride.
Here are five of our favorites!
5. Foggy Mountain Breakdown — Flatt & Scruggs
You can't talk about North Carolina music without talking about Earl Scruggs.
Born in Cleveland County, North Carolina, Scruggs revolutionized the banjo with his lightning-fast three-finger picking style. In 1949, he recorded "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with Lester Flatt and the Foggy Mountain Boys, creating one of the most recognizable instrumentals in bluegrass history.
The song gained an entirely new audience when it appeared in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. Its driving banjo picking became practically synonymous with high-speed chases through the countryside.
There's no singing, no catchy chorus, and certainly no electronic beats. Just some of the most impressive banjo playing you'll ever hear.
While the song isn't literally about North Carolina, it's a fitting tribute to one of our state's most influential musicians.
4. Carolina Girls — General Johnson & the Chairmen of the Board
If you've spent any time around the Carolina coast, you've probably heard this one!
Released in 1980, "Carolina Girls" became a huge beach music hit and an anthem of sorts throughout the Carolinas. Popularized by General Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board, it's a dance-floor favorite that still brings crowds together at breweries, weddings, fundraisers, and beach music festivals.
The song is a perfect example of Carolina beach music, a genre that combines rhythm and blues, soul, and a little bit of coastal attitude. Naturally, it pairs beautifully with our state's favorite dance, the Carolina Shag.
And if there's one thing we've learned performing this song, it's that Carolina audiences have absolutely no problem agreeing with the chorus!
3. Raise Up — Petey Pablo
In 2001, Greenville, North Carolina native Petey Pablo put the Tar Heel State squarely in the hip-hop spotlight with "Raise Up."
From the opening North Carolina shout-out to its famous helicopter-inspired crowd participation, this song is loud, rowdy, and unapologetically Carolina.
It's also a blast to work into a dueling pianos show. We love pairing it with DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win." A quick chord progression switch and you've got another crowd-pleasing party anthem.
"Raise Up" has become part of North Carolina sports culture, too. The UNC Marching Tar Heels have performed it following defensive third-down stops, and in 2018, Carolina Hurricanes fans voted to make it the team's official goal song.
More than two decades after its release, the song still has the power to turn an ordinary crowd into a sea of waving arms.
2. Carolina in My Mind — James Taylor
Not every great song about North Carolina needs to make people jump out of their seats.
Sometimes, the best ones make you stop and appreciate where you're from.
James Taylor grew up in Chapel Hill, but he wrote "Carolina in My Mind" while living overseas in 1968. Homesick for the place he'd grown up, Taylor created a gentle, reflective song that would eventually become one of North Carolina's unofficial anthems.
There's something timeless about this one. Whether you've lived in North Carolina your entire life or moved away years ago, the song captures that feeling of wanting to return somewhere familiar.
It's also a reminder of what makes James Taylor such a remarkable songwriter. He doesn't need a giant chorus or a wall of sound to make an emotional connection. Just a beautiful melody, thoughtful lyrics, and that unmistakable voice.
And at weddings, especially when it's selected for a meaningful family dance, "Carolina in My Mind" can be one of the most touching songs of the evening.
1. Wagon Wheel — Old Crow Medicine Show
Was there ever any doubt?
Few songs can bring a North Carolina crowd together quite like "Wagon Wheel."
The song's story is almost as interesting as the song itself. Bob Dylan originally recorded an unfinished musical idea in 1973. Years later, Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor took that fragment and wrote new verses around it, eventually turning it into the Americana classic we know today.
And North Carolina is right at the heart of the story.
The narrator is making his way south, hoping to reach Raleigh and reunite with the person he loves. Along the way, the song paints a picture of highways, mountains, and life on the road.
Old Crow Medicine Show released their version in 2004, and Darius Rucker brought it to an even wider audience with his chart-topping cover in 2013.
For us, "Wagon Wheel" is practically guaranteed to get people singing. Weddings, breweries, corporate parties, neighborhood celebrations, it really doesn't matter. The moment the chorus arrives, the audience takes over.
And that's why it earns our number one spot.
What's Your Favorite North Carolina Song?
From Earl Scruggs' blistering banjo to Petey Pablo's hometown shout-outs, North Carolina has inspired some incredible music.
These five songs barely scratch the surface of the state's musical history, but they're among our favorites.
Did we leave out one of yours? Let us know!
And if you want to hear a few of these songs performed live, check out an upcoming Uptown Dueling Pianos show. We're always happy to take requests, especially when they come with a little Carolina pride.
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