Mnemonic devices are terrific for trying to remember large or complicated sets of data, like the names of all 50 US states. For folks struggling to name all of the states in our country, Taylor Swift has the song for you: In a behind-the-scenes clip from The Voice, Swift sings a song with lyrics that are just the names of all 50 states in alphabetical order.
.@taylorswift13 singing the “State Song” is ICONIC so we had to show you the full thing. 🤩 #TaylorOnTheVoice pic.twitter.com/5KSwA6t8l8
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) October 29, 2019
In the clip shared by the show on Twitter, Swift (who guests on this season of The Voice as a “Mega Mentor“) is sitting on an empty set with Blake Shelton, who she asks, “Did you not sing the states song?” When Blake says he hasn’t, she launches into it, naming all of the US states over the course of the simple tune. When Swift concludes, Shelton declares, “That’s one of my favorite performance in 17 seasons of this show.”
This isn’t just some song Swift made up, as it was actually a popular tune at one point. It’s called “Fifty Nifty United States,” and it was penned by a songwriter named Ray Charles (not the one you’re thinking of) for The Perry Como Show, which aired in the ’40s and ’50s.
Watch Swift sing “Fifty Nifty United States” above.
