List of U.S. state songs
Forty-nine of the fifty U.S. states that make up the United States of America have one or more state songs, a type of regional anthem, which are selected by each state legislature, and/or state governor, as a symbol (or emblem) of that particular U.S. state.
Some U.S. states have more than one official state song, and may refer to some of their official songs by other names; for example, Arkansas officially has two state songs, plus a state anthem, and a state historical song. Tennessee has the most state songs, with 9 official state songs and an official bicentennial rap.
Arizona has a song that was written specifically as a state anthem in 1915, as well as the 1981 country hit "Arizona", which it adopted as the alternate state anthem in 1982. [1]
Two individuals, Stephen Foster, and John Denver, have written or co-written two state songs. Foster's two state songs, " Old Folks at Home" (better known as "Swanee Ribber" or "Suwannee River"), adopted by Florida, and " My Old Kentucky Home" are among the best-known songs in the U.S. On March 12, 2007, the Colorado Senate passed a resolution to make Denver's trademark 1972 hit " Rocky Mountain High" one of the state's two official state songs, sharing duties with its predecessor, "Where the Columbines Grow". [2] On March 7, 2014, the West Virginia Legislature approved a resolution to make Denver's " Take Me Home, Country Roads" one of four official state songs of West Virginia. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed the resolution into law on March 8, 2014. [3] Additionally, Woody Guthrie wrote or co-wrote two state folk songs - " Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" and " Oklahoma Hills" - but they have separate status from the official state songs of Washington and Oklahoma, respectively. Other well-known state songs include " Yankee Doodle", " You Are My Sunshine", " Rocky Top", and " Home on the Range"; a number of others are popular standards, including " Oklahoma" (from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical), Hoagy Carmichael's " Georgia on My Mind", " Tennessee Waltz", " Missouri Waltz", and " On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away". Many of the others are much less well-known, especially outside the state.
New Jersey has no official state song, while Virginia's previous state song, " Carry Me Back to Old Virginny", adopted in 1940, [1] was later rescinded in 1997 due to language deemed racist by the Virginia General Assembly. [4] In 2015, " Our Great Virginia" was made the new state song of Virginia. [5]
Maryland (" Maryland, My Maryland") and Iowa (" The Song of Iowa") use the tune from the song " O Tannenbaum" as the melody to their official state songs. [6]
State songs
Territories
Along with Washington, D.C. (a federal district), some U.S. overseas territories, although not U.S. states, have songs and marches of their own.
Territory | Song | Composer(s) | Lyricist(s) | Year adopted |
---|---|---|---|---|
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" Amerika Samoa" | Napoleon Andrew Tuiteleleapaga | Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo | 1950 |
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Song: "Washington" | Jimmie Dodd | 1951 [63] | |
March: " Our Nation's Capital" | Anthony A. Mitchell | 1961 [63] | ||
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" Stand Ye Guamanians" | Ramon Manalisay Sablan |
Ramon Manalisay Sablan
Lagrimas Untalan (translation) |
1919 |
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" Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi" | Wilhelm Ganzhorn | David Kapileo Taulamwaar Peter
Jose and Joaqin Pangelinan |
1996 |
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Anthem: " La Borinqueña" | Félix Astol Artés | Manuel Fernández Juncos | 1977 |
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" Virgin Islands March" | Sam Williams and Alton Adams | 1963 |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci Johnson, Roger R. (2009). "State Songs". Welcome to America. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ "Official State Song". Retrieved April 16, 2009.
- ^ "Colorado State Song Rocky Mountain High composed by John Denver". www.netstate.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Official State Song of the Commonwealth of Virginia". 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ a b c "Listen: Virginia Now Has 2 State Songs". 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- ^ "Maryland, my meh song", The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, 15 March 2016. Retrieved on 05 June 2017.
- ^ Act 31-126, Acts of Alabama, "STATE SONG: Alabama". Official Symbols and Emblems of Alabama. Alabama Department of Archives & History. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ "Official State Song". Alaska Information. State of Alaska Office of Economic Development. Archived from the original on 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ a b "Arizona State Anthems". SOS for Kids. Arizona Secretary of State's Office. 2003. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ a b c d "State Songs". Arkansas Secretary of State's Office. Archived from the original on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
- ^ a b "State Songs". Colorado State Archives. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ^ "Colorado State Song". Colorado State Symbols & Emblems. State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ Brown, Jennifer (March 12, 2007). "Lawmakers OK 'Rocky Mountain High'". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-03-12. CRS 24-80-909
- ^ a b State of Connecticut, Sites ° Seals ° Symbols Archived 2008-03-14 at the Wayback Machine; Connecticut State Register & Manual; retrieved on January 4, 2007
- ^ [1] Archived 2013-07-28 at the Wayback Machine "Summary of Bills Related to Arts, Cultural, Arts Education. Or Historical Resources That Passed the 2008 Florida Legislature May 5, 2008", Retrieved 2011-12-14
- ^ "SR1894". flsenate.gov. Florida State Senate. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "I Am Florida". www.iamflorida.org. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ from janhintonmusic.com "Home" page. Retrieved on November 27, 2008
- ^ "Hawaii Revised Statutes §5-10". hawaii.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ State Songs of the United States: An Annotated Anthology. Psychology Press. 1997. ISBN 9780789003973.
- ^ "HR 126 ...recognizing Ms. Effie Burt for her composition, "I'll M..." www.legis.iowa.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "KRS 002.100". ky.gov. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ Statton, Dana; Mitchell, Jennifer (28 August 2014). "Give Me Louisiana: Selections from the Doralice Fontane Papers". Louisiana State University. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ Lyrics & act numbers of official songs Archived 2006-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Maryland, My Maryland - Maryland State Song
- ^ "Section 19". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Section 20". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Section 27". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Section 31". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Section 43". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Official Web Site of Lenny Gomulka and the Chicago Push". chicagopush.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Section 44". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Section 47". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ Montana Code Annotated 2019, Title 1, Chapter 1, Part 5, 1-1-530 State lullaby, retrieved 2019-10-27
- ^ NE-gov-symbols.
- ^ "Section 3:7 State Songs". www.gencourt.state.nh.us. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ reynolds. "Frequently Asked Questions | NJ Facts". www.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
- ^ "New York State Information and Emblems: New York State Library". www.nysl.nysed.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
- ^ "Section 91. State hymn of remembrance in honor of all American veterans", New York Consolidated Laws, State Law, Article 6, 2019-10-29, retrieved 2019-12-26
- ^ Arnold, Chad (January 3, 2019), "New York gets new veterans' hymn despite objections to Christian theme", Democrat and Chronicle, retrieved 2019-12-26
- ^ Ohio Revised Code: 1989 S 33, eff. 11-6-89; 1989 H 457
- ^ House Concurrent Resolution 16 on November 20, 1985.
- ^ "25 Okla. Stat.] § 94.1–3". state.ok.us. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Oklahoma Session Laws – 2001 – Section 47 – Oklahoma State Folk Song; declaring "Oklahoma Hills" as the Oklahoma State Folk Song. Effective date". www.oscn.net. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ 25 Okla. Stat. § 94.8–10
- ^ 25 Okla. Stat. § 94.5–7
- ^ 25 Okla. Stat. § 94.11–13
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "State Songs". State of Tennessee. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ Tennessee Journal, Vol. 36, No. 23, June 4, 2010
- ^ Tom Humphrey, 'Smoky Mountain Rain' Wins Race to Become 8th State Song Archived 2010-06-06 at the Wayback Machine, KnoxNews website, June 3, 2010.
- ^ Spain, Jr., Charles A. (19 May 2014). "Texas, Our Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ "State Song" (Texas Government Code § 3101.005)
- ^ Utah State Song - "Utah, This is the Place" from pioneer.utah.gov "Pioneer: Utah's Online Library" page. Retrieved on 2008-09-08
- ^ Utah State Hymn - "Utah We Love Thee" from pioneer.utah.gov "Pioneer: Utah's Online Library" page. Retrieved on 2008-09-08
- ^ "State Song". Secretary of State of Vermont. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ The song was rescinded in 1998 but is still not yet replaced and still in use until for the time being.
- ^ "Symbols of Washington State". Washington State Legislature. Archived from the original on 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
- ^ "Washington State Facts". wsdot. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ a b c Ramella, Richard. "West Virginia's Three State Songs". West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ "'Take Me Home, Country Roads' a WVa State Song". USA Today. March 7, 2014.
- ^ a b c "State song, state ballad, state waltz, state dance, and state symbols". Wisconsin Legislature 1.10. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ "Wyoming Facts and Symbols: State Song". State of Wyoming. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ a b Imhoff, Gary (October 1999). "Our Official Songs". DC Watch. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
External links
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Media related to Songs of the United States at Wikimedia Commons