What's your state song? Every state (except one) has an official tune.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" officially became the national anthem of the United States in 1931 when President Herbert Hoover signed it into law, but many states already had an established state song decades before.
Do you know your state's official state song? Maybe you sang it growing up in school or maybe this is the first time you're hearing about it. Maybe you live in the one state that has never had a state song at all.
Learn more about them all in this guide to state songs across the U.S.:
Alabama
Alabama's state song is predictably named "Alabama," with lyrics written by Julia Tutwiler, an advocate for education and prison reform in the state during the late 19th century.
Alaska
"Alaska's Flag" is Alaska's state song, an ode to "the simple flag of a last frontier."
Arizona
Arizona has two official state songs: "Arizona March Song," which was adopted in 1919 and "Arizona" by Rex Allen Jr., added in 1982.
Arkansas
Arkansas' official state song is "Arkansas" by Eva Ware Barnett, but the state also claims "Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)," "Oh, Arkansas," and "The Arkansas Traveler" as state anthems.
California
"I Love You, California" is California's state song, written in 1913 and first sung by opera star Mary Garden. It was designated as the official state song in 1951.
Colorado
"Where the Columbines Grow" was Colorado's first official state song, adopted in 1915. In 2007, Colorado adopted John Denver's famous hit, "Rocky Mountain High" as a second state song.
Connecticut
"Yankee Doodle" is a song many schoolchildren learn growing up, but did you know it's actually Connecticut's official state song?
Delaware
"Our Delaware" has been Delaware's official state song since 1925, before even the country had a national anthem.
Florida
Florida's state song is called "The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)", more colloquially known as "Old Folks at Home." Florida's Department of State site contains revised lyrics, which omit or change parts of the song widely viewed as racially insensitive.
Georgia
Georgia's state song is the Ray Charles classic "Georgia On My Mind." Ray Charles recorded his version in 1960, but Hoagy Carmichael originally sang the song in 1930.
Hawaii
Hawaii's state song is "Hawai‘i Pono‘i," with lyrics that reference loyalty, family and duty.
Idaho
"Here We Have Idaho" is Idaho's state song, adopted in 1931.
Illinois
Illinois' state song is called "Illinois," by C.H. Chamberlain and Archibald Johnston.
Indiana
Indiana's state song is "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" by Paul Dresser.
Iowa
"The Song of Iowa" is the state's officially recognized song. The song was written by S.H.M. Byers to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" and "My Maryland," which he heard Confederate soldiers singing after he was captured in the Civil War.
"The rebel bands often passed the prison, and for our discomfiture, sometimes played the tune 'My Maryland,' set to southern and bitter words," Byers said, according to Iowa.gov. "Hearing it once through our barred window, I said to myself, 'I would like someday to put that tune to loyal words.'"
Kansas
Kansas' state song is "Home on the Range," declared in 1947. The song was originally a poem, written in 1872 and called "My Western Home." It gained popularity shortly after that when it was set to music.
Kentucky
"My Old Kentucky Home" has been Kentucky's state song since 1988. Written by Stephen Foster, this pre-Civil War song is another example of a state anthem whose original lyrics are no longer sung because of offensive references.
Louisiana
"You Are My Sunshine" is Louisiana's official state song, originally sung by Jimmie Davis, the former governor of Louisiana. It was previously "Give Me Louisiana." In July 2021, the state made yet another change, adopting "Southern Nights" by Allen Toussaint as Louisiana's state cultural song.
Maine
Maine's state song is appropriately named "State of Maine Song," but the state also has a state march ("The Dirigo March") and a state ballad, "The Ballad of the 20th Maine."
Maryland
"Maryland, My Maryland" was the state's official song until it was repealed in May 2021. The Civil War-era song to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" is an outdated "relic of the confederacy" Governor Larry Hogan said when he signed the repeal effort. The state no longer has an official song.
Massachusetts
For Massachusetts, one song just isn't enough, the commonwealth has seven state songs.
Official state song: "All Hail To Massachusetts"
Patriotic song: "Massachusetts (Because of You Our Land is Free)"
Folk song: "Massachusetts"
State glee club song (yes, that's a thing): "The Great State of Massachusetts,"
Official march: "The Road to Boston"
State polka: "Say Hello to Someone in Massachusetts."
Michigan
"My Michigan," written in 1933, has been Michigan's official song since 1933.
Minnesota
Minnesota's state song is "Hail! Minnesota." The song was originally written by two college students at the University of Minnesota and later modified to reflect the state at large when it was adopted as state song in 1945.
Mississippi
Mississippi held "Go, Mississippi" as its state song since 1962 until it was replaced with "One Mississippi" in 2022.
"Go, Mississippi" was first used as a campaign tune for former Mississippi governor Ross Barnett in 1959. "One Mississippi" was written by Mississippi native country singer Steve Azar.
Missouri
"The Missouri Waltz" has been Missouri's state song since 1949.
Montana
Montana's state song, aptly named "Montana," was written in 1910 in a single night after criticism that the state did not already have an official song. According to Montanakids.com, the first performance of the song was so well received they had to perform 12 encores of it.
Nebraska
"Beautiful Nebraska" has been Nebraska's state song since 1967.
Nevada
Nevada's state song is "Home Means Nevada," written by Bertha Raffetto.
New Hampshire
"Old New Hampshire" is the state's official song, but there are nine other appropriately selected honorary state songs, including "Autumn in New Hampshire," "The Old Man of the Mountain" and "Live Free or Die."
New Jersey
New Jersey is the only state that does not have a state song.
New Mexico
"O Fair New Mexico" by Elizabeth Garrett is New Mexico's official state song.
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of? Not quite. New York's state song is "I Love New York."
North Carolina
North Carolina is known as the "Old North State," so it makes sense that its state song would also be called "The Old North State."
North Dakota
"North Dakota Hymn" is North Dakota's state song, referencing freedom, green fields and "prairies wide and free."
Ohio
"Beautiful Ohio" has been Ohio's state song since 1969. The original 1918 lyrics were rewritten in 1989 to replace lyrics about two lovers with references to Ohio's industries, cities and farmland.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma's state song is "Oklahoma!" from the musical duo Rodgers and Hammerstein. It was adopted in 1953 after Oklahoma House of Representatives legislator George Nigh saw the musical. Nigh then asked the cast of a local college production of "Oklahoma!" to perform it for legislators.
Oregon
"Oregon, My Oregon" is this state's official song. According to the Oregon Secretary of State's site, the lyrics were changed after a House resolution in 2021 to modify "racist, outdated and exclusionary language" and adjust a song that "didn't account for the experiences of indigenous people who have lived here since time immemorial."
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's state song is "Pennsylvania," by Eddie Khoury and Ronnie Bonner.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island's state song is called "Rhode Island's It for Me," an anthem that proclaims "Rhody stole my heart."
South Carolina
"Carolina" was designated as South Carolina's state song in 1911. The state added a second song in 1984, "South Carolina on My Mind."
South Dakota
South Dakota's state song is "Hail! South Dakota." The song was voted the fan favorite out of 158 songs entered in a statewide contest.
Tennessee
Tennessee has 10 state songs. A list of all 10 and the year each was adopted as a state song:
1925: "My Homeland, Tennessee"
1935: "When It's Iris Time in Tennessee"
1955: "My Tennessee"
1965: "Tennessee Waltz"
1982: "Rocky Top"
1992: "Tennessee"
1996: "The Pride of Tennessee"
1996: "A Tennessee Bicentennial Rap: 1796-1996"
2010: "Smoky Mountain Rain"
2012: "Tennessee"
Texas
Texas' state song is "Texas, Our Texas" by William J. March and Gladys Yoakum Wright. The 1929 lyrics originally said "Largest and grandest," but this was changed to "Boldest and grandest" when Alaska became a state.
Utah
Utah's state song is "Utah This is the Place" by Sam and Gary Francis. The previous state song was "Utah We Love Thee," but a fourth-grade class sparked the change when they had a hard time finding and singing the tune.
Vermont
Vermont's state song accompanies its state nickname: "These Green Mountains."
Virginia
Virginia's state song was "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" until 1997. A song that "perpetuated a myth of Black nostalgia for life in slavery on plantations," the tune was demoted to "state song emeritus" after six years of legislation to try and replace it. The Virginia General Assembly also changed the lyrics to try and make the song less offensive, Encyclopedia Virginia writes.
In 2015, "Our Great Virginia" became the official traditional song and "Sweet Virginia Breeze" the official popular song.
Washington
Washington's state song is "Washington, My Home" which references the state's natural splendors. The state folk song is "Roll on, Columbia, Roll on."
West Virginia
West Virginia has four state songs: "The West Virginia Hills," "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home," "This Is My West Virginia" and the fan favorite "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, which references the state several times, including the famous line "West Virginia, mountain mama."
Wisconsin
"On, Wisconsin!" has been the state's official state song since 1959.
Wyoming
Wyoming has two official state songs: "Wyoming" by Charles E. Winter and George E. Knapp and "Wyoming, Where I Belong" by Annie and Amy Smith.
Discover more unique symbols for your state:
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The official state songs of all 50 US states: Check out the full list
