Iowa Stubborn

"Iowa Stubborn" is a song by Meredith Willson from his 1957 musical The [Music Man]. It is the first sung number in the show, following the show's unusual spoken opening, "Rock Island". The piece is sung in a schottische or "soft-shoe" rhythm. In the lyrics, the reserved and stoic citizens of River City, Iowa seek to persuade a visitor to "give Iowa a try." They sing of their "chip-on-the-shoulder attitude we've never been without that we recall.... And we're so by God stubborn we can stand touchin' noses for a week at a time, and never see eye to eye."