What Should Be the Official Rock Song of Massachusetts?
We're the makers of Aerosmith, J. Geils Band, the Cars, Boston, the Del Fuegos, 'Til Tuesday, Billy Squier, and Dropkick Murphys—yet none of these should be the pick.

Illustration by Dale Stephanos
Welcome to “The Salty Cod,” a monthly column in which humorist Steve Calechman grapples with uniquely New England dilemmas.
Dear Salty Cod: What should be the official rock song of Massachusetts?
We already have songs in seven categories: generic, patriotic, folk, glee club, ceremonial march, ode, and polka, none of which anyone could hum. So do we really need a rock song? Eff yeah, because Ohio can’t be the only state to have one. (“Hang on Sloopy,” for the bar bet.) We’re the makers of Aerosmith, J. Geils Band, the Cars, Boston, the Del Fuegos, ’Til Tuesday, Billy Squier, and Dropkick Murphys, who all have viable hits—yet none of these should be the pick.
It should be Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers’ “Roadrunner,” far from a new idea. Legislation was first proposed in 2013 and continues to be proposed, and we see no need to rearrange deck chairs, because other tunes don’t measure up. “Dream On” isn’t about Boston and is a power ballad, and thus ineligible. However much J. Geils’s “Must of Got Lost” would be poetic, it doesn’t have the heft. As for “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” those are the only five words anyone knows.
So that’s it, “Roadrunner” wins on all counts. Richman is a local kid (Natick). The tune calls out Stop & Shop, 128, and “I’m in love with Massachusetts.” The alternate version, “Roadrunner (Once),” also released in 1976, throws in Mattapan, Roslindale, and the power lines in Needham. The kicker? In both, there are no bad words, no unseemly images, no mentions of muggers or frustrated women that would give people pause. So if anyone remains hesitant, the only response is to ask what should be our Official Incredulous Question: “What more do you want?”
Now, nothing is ever simple when it involves a State House vote, and putting in the time to debate a rock song over, say, affordable housing, is a tough sell back in any district. But legislators, this is akin to a tap-in—and can and should be done this year. The Cod suspects that most Bay Staters would see the passage for what it was: honoring our cultural history and a great opening count-off. Not everyone, mind you. Some would complain, email, and even lobby for “More Than Words,” because this is still Massachusetts, and two of our top hobbies are knowing better and not leaving well enough alone.
Finally, the song isn’t without quibbles. For all the push, “Roadrunner” still lacks a high profile in some demographics. It’s not played after victories or shouted at closing time. It’s also slightly unintelligible, hard to follow, a little quirky. And this shouldn’t represent us, because…?
Got a question for the Salty Cod? Send it to editor@bostonmagazine.com.
A version of this story appeared in the print edition of the May 2025 issue.