State of the Union - Oregon

George writes:

The official state nut of Oregon is the hazelnut. (Oregon is the only state with an official state nut).

 And Florence, Oregon is known as Oregon’s rhododendron capital. Is that true? Can anyone verify that?

 “Where are you from?”

 “Florence”

“ the Italian one or the rhododendron capitol of Oregon?”

But I think my favourite piece of information is that the official state seashell is the Oregon hairy triton. Was there a vote on this? What were the other candidates? And by the way, a search for Hairy Triton can be safely done at work.

Time for a song. There is a city in Oregon called Eugene,but you’re not getting the Dolly Parton track, but for the second week in a row I am featuring another simply beautiful song by Sufjan Stevens, this time from the Carrie & Lowell album. This album is not a bundle of laughs, given the topic, not one for playing if you’re a bit low, a bit melancholy. Eugene is a simple acoustic number, part of it recalling time he spent there as a child, and part relating to a illness and death. I think some of Sufjan Stevens’ work is fantastic, but it will not be featuring in this series every week. Maybe not again.

Sufjan Stevens - Eugene

And from Eugene to Portland, and possibly a track many are already familiar with. Not the one by Belle and Sebastian, not the one by The Replacements, not the one by The Purple Riders of The New Sage, not even Portland Town by Joan Baez……….but the track by Loretta Lynn and Jack White.

Loretta Lynn & Jack White - Portland, Oregon

And that was 305th best song of the 2000s. According to Pitchfork magazine. (“Destroyer” by The Sublimination Hour was ranked 304, a song with musical references to Hunky Dory so blatantly obvious even I can hear them.)

The fourth-largest city in Oregon is Gresham. Someone wrote a song about it. Twee beyond belief.

Another state next week.

CC writes - stumped this week. I had Loretta and Jack in mind.
Had to cheat a little