Florida's State Song - Music to My Ears

As a 4th generation “cracker”, I believe some things shouldn’t be messed with. Orange juice served at our state’s welcome centers, the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee, and the St. John’s River flowing north set us apart from “the other 49” states. So talk about changing our state song raised my ire. Swanee River -- Old Folks at Home by Stephen Foster has been one of those sacred Florida traditions. In recent years, concern has been expressed about some of the racial undertones in Foster’s lyrics.

Actually, Old Folks at Home was not Florida’s original state song. Florida, My Florida written by Rev Dr. C. V. Waugh was adopted by the Legislature as our state’s first state song in 1913.

In 1935 Swanee River became our 2nd state song.

Now in 2008, the Florida Legislature is again considering a new state song. Jan Hinton of Pompano Beach, a Fort Lauderdale middle-school music teacher, has submitted the winning entry for Florida’s new state song Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky.

I admit upon hearing the title, I was skeptical. But after hearing the song on Jan’s web site, I’m beginning to think that sometimes change is a good thing. The song starts with a simple melody and builds in richness and pomp. The lyrics are inclusive of virtually every symbol of the sunshine state.

Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky is growing on me! Maybe its okay for Florida to shed old traditions, and begin new ones.

Click here, take a listen, and let me know what you think.