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state song, while Virginia's previous state song, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny", adopted in 1940,[1] was later rescinded in 1997 due to its racist language by the Virginia General Assembly.[4] In 2015, "Our Great Virginia" was made the new state song of Virginia.[5]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[edit]
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Territories[edit]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
American Samoa
|
"Amerika Samoa" | |||
District of Columbia
|
Song: "Washington" | Jimmie Dodd | 1951[62] | |
| March: "Our Nation's Capital" | Anthony A. Mitchell | 1961[62] | ||
Guam
|
"Stand Ye Guamanians" | 1919 | ||
Northern Mariana Islands
|
"Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi" | 1996 | ||
Puerto Rico
|
Anthem: "La Borinqueña" | Félix Astol Artés | Manuel Fernández Juncos | 1977 |
United States Virgin Islands
|
"Virgin Islands March" | 1963 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Colorado State Song". Colorado State Symbols & Emblems. State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 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[edit]
Media related to Songs of the United States at Wikimedia Commons
