List of U.S. state songs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
49 states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state legislature as a symbol of the state.
Some 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", a "state anthem", and a "state historical song". Also, Virginia does not presently have a "state song" by that name, but it has given two songs official recognition under other names. This list is intended to include all official songs, as well as a few unofficial ones (especially for New Jersey).
A few of these are among the best-known songs in the U.S., including "Old Folks at Home" (better known as "Swanee River"), "Yankee Doodle", "You Are My Sunshine", "My Old Kentucky Home", 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". Many of the remainder, such as "Here We Have Idaho", "Utah, This is the Place", and "State Song of Maine", are unlikely to be seen anywhere except on lists such as the following.
| State | State song | State Law |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | "Alabama" (not the Kurt Weill song)
"Sweet Home Alabama" (unofficial) |
|
| Alaska | "Alaska's Flag" | |
| Arizona | "Arizona" | |
| Arkansas | "Arkansas" (state anthem) "Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)" "Oh, Arkansas" "The Arkansas Traveler" (state historical song) |
Arkansas Code 1-4-116 |
| California | "I Love You, California" "California, Here I Come" (unofficial) |
|
| Colorado | "Where the Columbines Grow"
(unofficial) || "Rocky Mountain High"" |
|
| Connecticut | "Yankee Doodle" | |
| Delaware | "Our Delaware" | |
| Florida | "Old Folks at Home" ("(Way Down Upon The) Swanee River") "Florida" "Florida, My Florida" |
|
| Georgia | "Georgia on My Mind" | |
| Hawaii | "Hawai'i pono'i" | |
| Idaho | "Here We Have Idaho" | |
| Illinois | "Illinois" | |
| Indiana | "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away"
"Back Home Again in Indiana" (unofficial) |
|
| Iowa | "The Song of Iowa" "Iowa State Fight Song" "The Bells of Iowa State" |
|
| Kansas | "Home on the Range" | |
| Kentucky | "My Old Kentucky Home" "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (bluegrass song) |
KRS 002.100 |
| Louisiana | "Give Me Louisiana" "You Are My Sunshine" "Louisiana My Home Sweet Home" (state march) "The Gifts of Earth" (environmental song) "Belle Louisiane" (unofficial French song) |
Lyrics & act numbers of official songs |
| Maine | "State of Maine Song" | |
| Maryland | "Maryland, My Maryland" (to the tune of "O Tannenbaum") | |
| Massachusetts |
"All Hail to Massachusetts," words and music by Arthur J. Marsh - official song |
M.G.L. 2:19 M.G.L. 2:20 |
| Michigan | "My Michigan" "Michigan, My Michigan" (unofficial) |
|
| Minnesota | "Hail! Minnesota" | |
| Mississippi | "Go Mis-sis-sip-pi" | |
| Missouri | "Missouri Waltz" | |
| Montana | "Montana" "Montana Melody" |
|
| Nebraska | "Beautiful Nebraska" | |
| Nevada | "Home Means Nevada" | |
| New Hampshire | "Old New Hampshire"- official "New Hampshire, my New Hampshire" - honorary "New Hampshire Hills" - honorary "Autumn in New Hampshire" - honorary "New Hampshire's Granite State" - honorary "Oh, New Hampshire" - honorary "The Old Man of the Mountain" - honorary "The New Hampshire State March" - honorary "New Hampshire Naturally" - honorary |
RSA 3:7 |
| New Jersey | (No official state song)
"New Jersey, My Home" by Dr. Patrick D. Finley was the first place winner in the 1996 State Song Competition held by the NJ State Council on the Arts. "In New Jersey" placed second, and "Be Proud to Be in New Jersey" placed third. Any other designations are erroneous. "Born To Run" - popularly associated with state |
|
| New Mexico | "O Fair New Mexico" (English) "Así Es Nuevo Méjico" (Spanish) "Land of Enchantment" (Ballad) "New Mexico - Mi Lindo Nuevo México" (bilingual) |
|
| New York | "I Love New York" | |
| North Carolina | "The Old North State" | |
| North Dakota | "North Dakota Hymn" | |
| Ohio | "Beautiful Ohio" "Hang on Sloopy" (rock song) |
|
| Oklahoma | "Oklahoma!" | 25 Okla. Stat. § 94.3 |
| Oregon | "Oregon, My Oregon" | |
| Pennsylvania | "Pennsylvania" | |
| Rhode Island | "Rhode Island" "Rhode Island, It's for Me" |
|
| South Carolina | "Carolina" | |
| South Dakota | "Hail, South Dakota!" | |
| Tennessee | "My Homeland, Tennessee" "When It's Iris Time in Tennessee" "My Tennessee" "The Tennessee Waltz" "Rocky Top, Tennessee" |
|
| Texas | "Texas, Our Texas" [1] | Government code, § 3101.005 |
| Utah | "Utah, This is the Place" (until recently "Utah, We Love Thee") | |
| Vermont | "These Green Mountains" (until recently "Hail, Vermont!") | |
| Virginia | "Virginia" (unofficial) "Oh Shenandoah" (unofficial) |
|
| Washington | "Washington, My Home" (almost "Louie Louie") | |
| West Virginia | "The West Virginia Hills" "This Is My West Virginia" "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home" "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (unofficial) |
|
| Wisconsin | "On Wisconsin" | |
| Wyoming | "Wyoming" |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/TT/xet1.html (accessed August 4, 2006).
