Just Sing Florida: New State Song Announced
Tune Replaces 'Swannee River'
POSTED: Friday, January 11, 2008
UPDATED: 3:32 pm EST January 11,
2008
TAMPA, Fla. -- The winner of a new state song contest was announced Friday in Tampa.
Click here to listen to the song. (Courtesy of Florida Today)
"Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" beat out two competitors in an online competition at JustSingFlorida.org conducted by the Florida Music Educators Association, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.State Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, and Rep. Ed Homan, R-Tampa, have agreed to sponsor legislation to replace Stephen Foster's "Old Folks At Home" as Florida's official state song in the 2008 legislative session. Gov. Charlie Crist didn't have the song -- also known as "Swannee River" -- sung at his inauguration last year and has supported the search for a new one."No one is saying it should be erased from Florida history," said James Perry, executive director of the FMEA. "But it's a song that a lot of people aren't comfortable singing."The state altered Foster's original lyrics, with their slavery-era dialect and racial stereotypes, but "Old Folks At Home" still referred to a long-gone era of plantations in Florida. The three new songs nominated as a replacement celebrated a more modern Florida.The FMEA said 8,020 ballots were cast and that "Sawgrass" won with more than half the vote.In addition to state song legislation, lawmakers will also consider a bill by Rep. Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola, to designate a different tune as Florida's official state "anthem." But that wouldn't affect adoption of a new state song."Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" was written by Jan Hinton of Pompano Beach.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Click here to listen to the song. (Courtesy of Florida Today)
"Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" beat out two competitors in an online competition at JustSingFlorida.org conducted by the Florida Music Educators Association, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.State Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, and Rep. Ed Homan, R-Tampa, have agreed to sponsor legislation to replace Stephen Foster's "Old Folks At Home" as Florida's official state song in the 2008 legislative session. Gov. Charlie Crist didn't have the song -- also known as "Swannee River" -- sung at his inauguration last year and has supported the search for a new one."No one is saying it should be erased from Florida history," said James Perry, executive director of the FMEA. "But it's a song that a lot of people aren't comfortable singing."The state altered Foster's original lyrics, with their slavery-era dialect and racial stereotypes, but "Old Folks At Home" still referred to a long-gone era of plantations in Florida. The three new songs nominated as a replacement celebrated a more modern Florida.The FMEA said 8,020 ballots were cast and that "Sawgrass" won with more than half the vote.In addition to state song legislation, lawmakers will also consider a bill by Rep. Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola, to designate a different tune as Florida's official state "anthem." But that wouldn't affect adoption of a new state song."Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" was written by Jan Hinton of Pompano Beach.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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