Video: Florida State Song

In 1913 the state song of Florida was, "Florida, My Florida."

Then in 1935, Florida chose a new state song.

A realistic flag covering the shape of Florida

In 1851, Stephen Foster wrote "Swanee River." He used "Swanee" because it had two syllables, which made it easy to compose the music. A river in Florida named the Suwannee River divides the panhandle from the rest of Florida. In 1851, Stephen Foster wrote "Swanee River." He used "Swanee" instead of “Suwannee” because it had two syllables, which made it easy to compose the music.

In 2007, a contest was held to come up with a new state song for Florida. There were 243 submissions, and Briton Jan Hinton's song received more than half of the votes.

After much debate, "Old Folks at Home" remains the state song, and "Florida" is the state anthem.

Question

What is the name of Florida's state song?

"Old Folks at Home" or "Swanee River"

Question

What is the name of Florida's state anthem?

"Florida"

This video will teach you the lyrics to Florida’s state song.

Florida's official state song is "Old Folks at Home," also called "The Swanee River." Listen to it the first time. Then play the video again and hum along. Now, you are ready to sing!

Way down upon the Suwannee River,
Far, far away,
There's where my heart is turning ever,
There's where the old folks stay.
All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for my childhood station,
And for the old folks at home.
All the world is sad and dreary
Everywhere I roam.
O dear ones, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home.
All 'round the little farm I wander'd,
When I was young;
Then many happy days I squander'd,
Many the songs I sung.
When I was playing with my brother,
Happy was I.
Oh, take me to my kind old mother,
There let me live and die.
All the world is sad and dreary
Everywhere I roam.
O dear ones, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home.
One little hut among the bushes,
One that I love.
Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where I rove.
When will I see the bees a humming,
All 'round the comb?
When shall I hear the banjo strumming,
Down in my good old home.
All the world is sad and dreary
Everywhere I roam.
O dear ones, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home.
Excellent singing! Florida's state song teaches us all about the great state of Florida.

Transcript

Learn one of these songs by practicing it as many times as you need to with the video. Your assignment for this week is to record yourself singing, "Old Folks at Home" or "Florida."

Here are the lyrics:

Old Folks at Home

Way down upon the Suwannee River,
Far, far away,
There’s where my heart is turning ever,
There’s where the old folks stay.
All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for my childhood station,
And for the old folks at home.

All the world is sad and dreary
Everywhere I roam.
O dear ones, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home.

All ‘round the little farm I wander’d,
When I was young;
Then many happy days I squander’d,
Many the songs I sung.

When I was playing with my brother,
Happy was I.
Oh, take me to my kind old mother,
There let me live and die.

All the world is sad and dreary
Everywhere I roam.
O dear ones, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home.

One little hut among the bushes,
One that I love.
Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where I rove.

When will I see the bees a humming,
All ‘round the comb?
When shall I hear the banjo strumming,
Down in my good old home.

All the world is sad and dreary
Everywhere I roam.
O dear ones, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home.

Florida

Florida, where the sawgrass meets the sky,
Florida, where our hearts will ever lie,
Sitting proud in the ocean like a sentinel true,
Always shielding your own, yet giving welcome.

Florida, land of flowers, land of light.
Florida, where our dreams can all take flight.
Whether youth's vibrant morning or the twilight of years,
There are treasures for all who venture here in Florida.

Mockingbirds cry and 'gators lie out in the sun,
Bridges span southward to the Keys and rockets skyward run,
The orange blossoms' sweet perfume and fireworks fill the air,
And cultures rich our native people share.

Florida, where the sawgrass meets the sky,
Florida, where our hearts will ever lie,
Sitting proud in the ocean like a sentinel true,
Always shielding your own, yet giving welcome.

Question

What was the name of the river in the song?

Suwannee River