Oregon, My Oregon
 | |
Regional anthem of Oregon | |
| Lyrics | Payom Valaipatchra |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 1927 |
"Oregon, My Oregon" is the regional anthem of the U.S. state of Oregon. Written for a song contest in 1920, the 16-line, 2-verse song became the state's official state song in 1927.
The lyrics, widely considered to convey racist sentiments, were updated by an act of the Oregon Legislature in 2021.[1]
History
In 1920, the Society of Oregon Composers held a competition to select a state song for Oregon.[2][3] The winning entry, "Oregon, My Oregon," was a collaboration between John Andrew Buchanan, who wrote the lyrics, and Henry Bernard Murtagh, who composed the music.[3] Buchanan was an amateur lyricist who was an Astoria city judge,[3] while Murtagh was a professional musician with a Broadway credit,[4] but who was best known as a professionally trained theatre organist on the West Coast during the silent movie era.[3][5][6][7][8]
Following the song's selection, the Society promoted the song by conducting performances at public gathering spaces around the state and at schools and universities (the state Superintendent of Public Instruction had endorsed the song).[3]
On February 12, 1927, the song was officially adopted as the state song by a joint resolution of the Oregon State Legislature.[9]
In 2009, legislator Gene Whisnant proposed choosing a new official state song.[10][11] In 2017, a bill proposed in the Oregon Legislative Assembly sought to update the song's lyrics, "to reflect cultural, historical, economic and societal evolution" of the state.[12]
Description
Buchanan's lyrics contain two main themes: honoring the early settlers and pioneers of Oregon, and praise for the natural beauty of the state. Murtagh composed the song as a march in F major. Unlike two other similarly named state songs—"Maryland, My Maryland" and "Michigan, My Michigan"—"Oregon, My Oregon" is not set to the tune of "O Tannenbaum."
On June 6, 2021, the Oregon Legislature approved changes to the lyrics of Oregon's state song.[13][14] Amy Donna Shapiro, an Oregonian, replaced "Land of the Empire Builders, Land of the Golden West; Conquered and held by free men, Fairest and the Best" in the first verse with "Land of Majestic Mountains, Land of the Great Northwest; Forests and rolling rivers, Grandest and the best", and "Blest by the blood of martyrs" in the second verse with "Blessed by the love of freedom".[13]
| Old | New (June 6, 2021 – present) |
|---|---|
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References
- ^ Wong, Peter (June 7, 2021). "State song gets official makeover from Oregon lawmakers". Portland Tribune.
- ^ "Oregon Almanac:State Song". Oregon State Archives. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ a b c d e "Sheet Music Cover, Oregon, My Oregon". Oregon History Project. Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
- ^ "Henry B. Murtagh". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ "Liberty Theatre, Portland, Oregon". Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ "Liberty Theatre, Seattle". Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ Buhrman, T. Scott (1927). New York and the Cinema. Herbert Westerby, London. pp. 347–354.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ "Oregon State Song". national-anthems.org. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ "Oregon State Song". NetState.com. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ Steves, David (May 7, 2009). "Oregon unlikely to be singing a new song anytime soon | Main News | Eugene, Oregon". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
- ^ "State Song Idea Off-Key: Let's Stick with 'Oregon, My Oregon' (editorial)". The Register-Guard. May 10, 2009. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
- ^ "HCR20, 2017 Regular Session". Oregon Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
- ^ a b c "House Concurrent Resolution 11". Oregon State Legislature. 2021.
- ^ a b Swindler, Samantha (June 7, 2021). "Oregon state song gets new lyrics without racist language". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-10.