List of U.S. state songs

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"State song" redirects here. For sovereign states, see national anthem. For equivalent songs found in other countries, see regional anthem.

Forty-eight 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 never adopted a state song.[4] In 2021, Maryland removed the official status of "Maryland, My Maryland" due to pro-Confederate language deemed racist, but did not establish a replacement.[5] 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.[6] In 2015, "Our Great Virginia" was made the new state song of Virginia.[7]

Iowa's ("The Song of Iowa") uses the tune from the song "O Tannenbaum" as the melody for their official state song.[8]

State songs[]

State State song Composer(s) Lyricist(s) Year adopted
 Alabama "Alabama" Edna Gockel Gussen Julia S. Tutwiler 1931[1][9]
 Alaska "Alaska's Flag" Elinor Dusenbury Marie Drake 1955[1][10]
 Arizona State song: "Arizona" Rex Allen and Rex Allen, Jr. Rex Allen and Rex Allen, Jr. 1981[1][11]
State anthem: "Arizona March Song" Maurice Blumenthal Margaret Rowe Clifford 1919[1][11]
 Arkansas State anthem: "Arkansas" Eva Ware Barnett Eva Ware Barnett 1917/1987[1][12]
"Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)" Wayland Holyfield Wayland Holyfield 1987[1][12]
"Oh, Arkansas" Terry Rose and Gary Klaff Terry Rose and Gary Klaff 1987[1][12]
State historic song: "Arkansas Traveler" Sandford C. Faulkner State Song Selection Committee 1949/1987[1][12]
 California "I Love You, California" F. B. Silverwood 1951[1]
 Colorado "Where the Columbines Grow" A.J. Fynn 1915[1][13][14]
"Rocky Mountain High" John Denver and Mike Taylor John Denver 2007[13][15]
 Connecticut State song: "Yankee Doodle" 1978[16][17]
Second state song: "" 2013[16][17]
State cantata: "The Nutmeg" 2003[16][17]
State polka: "" 2013[17][18]
 Delaware "Our Delaware" Will M. S. Brown George Beswick Hynson 1925[1]
 Florida Official song: "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)" (with revised lyrics) Stephen Foster Original: Stephen Foster

Adapted: Stephen Foster Memorial at the University of Pittsburgh

2008 (revised lyrics)[19]
1935 (original lyrics)[1]
Official poem: "I Am Florida" Walter "Clyde" Orange Allen Autry Sr. 2013[20][21]
State anthem: "Florida (Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky)" 2008[22]
 Georgia "Georgia on My Mind", sung by Ray Charles Hoagy Carmichael Stuart Gorrell 1979[1]
 Hawaii State anthem: "Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī" Henri Berger King David Kalākaua 1967[1][23]
 Idaho "Here We Have Idaho" and 1931[1]
 Illinois "Illinois" Archibald Johnston Charles H. Chamberlain 1925[24]
 Indiana "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" Paul Dresser 1913[1]
 Iowa "The Song of Iowa" Melchior Franck S. H. M. Byers 1911[1]
Official Companion State Song: "" 2002[1][25]
 Kansas "Home on the Range" Daniel E. Kelley Brewster M. Higley 1947[1]
Official state march: "" 1935[1]
Official march: "" 1992[1]
 Kentucky State song: "My Old Kentucky Home" Stephen Foster 1928[1]
Bluegrass song: "Blue Moon of Kentucky" Bill Monroe 1988[1][26]
 Louisiana "Give Me Louisiana" [27] 1970[1]
"You Are My Sunshine" Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell 1977[1]
State march: "" 1952[1]
Environmental song: ""[28]
 Maine State song: State of Maine Roger Vinton Snow Roger Vinton Snow 1937[1]
State ballad: Ballad of the 20th Maine The Ghost of Paul Revere Griffin Sherry 2019
 Maryland None (Previously: Maryland, My Maryland)
 Massachusetts State anthem: "All Hail to Massachusetts" Arthur J. Marsh 1981[1][29]
State folk song: "Massachusetts" Arlo Guthrie 1981[1][30]
State ceremonial march: "The Road to Boston" unknown 1985[1][31]
State patriotic song: "Massachusetts (Because of You Our Land is Free)" Bernard Davidson 1989[1][32]
State glee club song: "The Great State of Massachusetts" George A. Wells 1997[1][33]
State polka: "Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts" Lenny Gomulka[34] 1998[35]
State ode: "Ode to Massachusetts" Joseph Falzone 2000[1][36]
 Michigan An official state song: "My Michigan" H. O'Reilly Clint Giles Kavanaugh 1937[1]
 Minnesota "Hail! Minnesota" Truman Rickard Cyrus Northrop 1945[1]
 Mississippi "Go, Mississippi"
(sometimes called Go Mis-sis-sip-pi)		 William Houston Davis 1962[1]
 Missouri "Missouri Waltz" melody: John V. Eppel
arranged: Frederic K. Logan		 J.R. Shannon 1949[1]
 Montana "Montana" Joseph E. Howard Charles Cohan 1945[1]
State ballad: "Montana Melody" 1983[1]
State lullaby: "Montana Lullaby" 2007[37]
 Nebraska Official: "Beautiful Nebraska" Jim Fras Jim Fras and Guy Miller 1967[1][38]
 Nevada "Home Means Nevada" Bertha Rafetto 1933[1]
 New Hampshire Official: "Old New Hampshire" Maurice Hoffman John F. Holmes 1949[1]
1977
Official: "Live Free or Die" Barry Palmer 2007
Honorary: "" 1963[1]
Honorary: "" 1973[1]
Honorary: "" 1977[1]
Honorary: "" 1977[1]
Honorary: "" 1977[1]
Honorary: "" 1977[1]
Honorary: "" 1977[1]
Honorary: "" 1983[1][39]
 New Jersey None[40] N/A N/A
 New Mexico State song: "O Fair New Mexico" Elizabeth Garrett 1917[1]
Spanish state song: "Así Es Nuevo Méjico" 1971[1]
State ballad: "Land of Enchantment" Michael Martin Murphey, Don Cook, and Chick Rains 1989[1]
Bilingual song: "New Mexico – Mi Lindo Nuevo México" Pablo Mares 1995[1]
State cowboy song: "Under New Mexico Skies" Syd Masters 2009
 New York State song: "I Love New York" Steve Karmen 1980[41]
State hymn of remembrance: "Here Rests in Honored Glory" Donald B. Miller 2018[42][43]
 North Carolina "The Old North State" E.E. Randolph William Gaston 1927[1]
 North Dakota "North Dakota Hymn" C. S. Putman James Folely 1947[1]
 Ohio "Beautiful Ohio" Mary Earl Ballard MacDonald (1918)
Wilbert McBride (1989)		 1969[1][44]
Rock song: "Hang On Sloopy" Wes Farrell and Bert Berns 1985[1][45]
 Oklahoma Official state song: "Oklahoma" Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein II 1953[1][46]
Official state waltz: "" 1982[1]
State Folk Song: "Oklahoma Hills" Woody Guthrie and Jack Guthrie 2001[47][48]
Official state children's song: "Oklahoma, My Native Land" Martha Kemm Barrett 1996[49]
Official state gospel song: "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" Wallis Willis 2011[50]
 Oregon "Oregon, My Oregon" Henry Bernard Murtaghin John Andrew Buchanan 1927[1]
 Pennsylvania "Pennsylvania" and 1990[1]
 Rhode Island State march: "Rhode Island" 1996
State song: "Rhode Island, It's for Me" 1996[1]
 South Carolina "Carolina" Henry Timrod
G.R. Goodwin (editor)		 1911[1]
"South Carolina on My Mind" and 1984[1]
 South Dakota "Hail, South Dakota!" 1943[1]
 Tennessee "My Homeland, Tennessee" 1925[51]
"" 1935[1][51]
"" 1955[51]
"Tennessee Waltz" Pee Wee King Redd Stewart 1965[1][51]
"Rocky Top" Felice and Boudleaux Bryant 1982[1][51]
"Tennessee" 1992[51]
"" /
/
 1996[1][51]
"" 1996[51]
"Smoky Mountain Rain" Kye Fleming
Dennis Morgan		 2010[51][52][53]
"" 2012[51]
 Texas "Texas, Our Texas" William J. Marsh William J. Marsh and Gladys Yoakum Wright 1929[54][55]
 Utah State song: "Utah…This Is The Place" Sam and Gary Francis 2003[56]
State hymn: "Utah, We Love Thee"
(state song from 1937 to 2003)[57]		 Evan Stephens 2003[1]
 Vermont "These Green Mountains" (composer)
Rita Buglass Gluck (arranger)		 Diane Martin 1999[1][58]
 Virginia Traditional state song: "Our Great Virginia" (arranger), based on "Oh Shenandoah" Mike Greenly 2015[7]
Popular state song: "Sweet Virginia Breeze" and Robbin Thompson 2015[7]
Emeritus state song: "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" (retired as official song in 1998) James A. Bland[59] 1940[1][6]
 Washington State song: "Washington, My Home" (arranger) Helen Davis 1959[1]
State folk song: "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" based on "Goodnight, Irene" Woody Guthrie 1987[1][60]
Unofficial state rock song: "Louie Louie" Richard Berry Richard Berry unofficial[61]
 West Virginia Official state song: "The West Virginia Hills" 1963[1][62]
Official state song: "" Iris Bell Iris Bell 1963[1][62]
Official state song: "" Julian G. Hearne, Jr. 1963[1][62]
Official state song: "Take Me Home, Country Roads" John Denver, Bill Danoff, and Taffy Nivert 2014[63]
 Wisconsin State song: "On, Wisconsin!" Charles D. Rosa and 1959[1][64]
State ballad: "" 2001[1][64]
State waltz: "" Eddie Hansen 2001[1][64]
 Wyoming State march: "Wyoming" Charles E. Winter 1955[1][65]
State song: "" Annie & Amy Smith Annie & Amy Smith 2018[citation needed]

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
 American Samoa "Amerika Samoa" Napoleon Andrew Tuiteleleapaga Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo 1950
 Washington, D.C. Song: "Washington" Jimmie Dodd 1951[66]
March: "Our Nation's Capital" Anthony A. Mitchell 1961[66]
 Guam "Stand Ye Guamanians"

Lagrimas Untalan (translation)

1919
 Northern Mariana Islands "Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi" Wilhelm Ganzhorn David Kapileo Taulamwaar Peter

Jose and Joaqin Pangelinan

1996
 Puerto Rico Anthem: "La Borinqueña" Félix Astol Artés Manuel Fernández Juncos 1977
 United States Virgin Islands "Virgin Islands March" Sam Williams and Alton Adams 1963

See also[]

References[]

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