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SPEAK FLORIDA
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Florida and it's Emblems
Deane and Chris developed materials here by looking for the State song, motto, poem and other symbolic things relating to Florida. We hope you find it educational and interesting.
Florida State Symbols
Bird Mockingbird
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Flower |
Insect |
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Salt Water Mammal |
Mortgage Broker |
Mammal |
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Marine Mammal |
Tree |
Reptile
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Florida State Songs
A New State Song?
Florida has been struggling for years with efforts to make a new state song. The most recent attempt is described below.
Florida State Senator Tony Hill from Jacksonville is spearheading a drive to replace the old Florida state song with a new one. He's working with the Florida Music Educator's Association and state Rep. Ed Homan to replace the current Florida state song ''Old Folks At Home'' which was written by Stephen Foster and is better known as ''Way down upon the Suwanee River.'' It's been the state song since 1935.
The problem with the song is it's a bit out-dated now, having been written for black faced vaudeville, popular in the late 19th Century. It includes a racist tone to it and some of the lyrics are unfortunate. For example, the line ''Oh darkeys...'' is in reference to old tyme blacks and anytime anyone sings it, they have to change that line so as not to offend anybody. Even Florida's Governor Crist refused to have the song played at his inauguration in 2007.
Current State Song
Story of the adoption of Florida's present (controversial) State Song.
Stephen Collins Foster wrote "Old Folks at Home" in Pittsburg PA in 1851, as a minsrtrel production for the stage theater. (in the original draft he used the Pedee River a two part word - so when he decided to use Suwannee - a three part word
- he shortened it to Swanee to fit the melody)
The song, "The Swanee River (Old Folks At Home)", words and music by Stephen C. Foster, was adopted as the official state song of Florida on May 25, 1935.
Through House Concurrent Resolution No. 22 in 1935, S. P. Robineau of Miami successfully entered "The Swanee River" as the official state song, replacing "Florida, My Florida," which had been adopted as the State Song in 1913.
When Florida dedicated its new capitol in 1978 some changes were made. Words "brothers" or "dear ones" were substituted for "darkeys" in the chorus of "Old Folks
at Home" and the minstrel dialect was no longer produced in the lyrics.
The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)
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FIRST VERSE Way down upon de Swanee Ribber, Far, far away, Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber, Dere's wha de old folks stay. All up and down de whole creation Sadly I roam, Still longing for de old plantation, And for de old folks at home.
CHORUS All de world am sad and dreary, Eb-rywhere I roam; Oh, darkeys, *how my heart grows weary, Far from de old folks at home!
SECOND VERSE All round de little farm I wandered When I was young, Den many happy days I squandered, Many de songs I sung. When I was playing wid my brudder Happy was I; Oh, take me to my kind old mudder! Dere let me live and die.
THIRD VERSE One little hut among de bushes, One dat I love Still sadly to my memory rushes, No matter where I rove. When will I see de bees a-humming All round de comb? When will I hear de banjo strumming, Down in my good old home?
Original State Song
"Florida My Florida" was written in 1894 by Rev Dr. C. V. Waugh, a professor of languages at the Florida Agricultural College at Lake City, the song was said by the Legislature to have "both metric and patriotic merit of the kind calculated to inspire love for home and native State."
Sung to the tune of "Maryland, My Maryland" a strongly Secessionist song written by James Ryder Randall in 1861 which turned into one of the biggest hits of the Confederacy.
"Florida My Florida" Land of my birth, bright sunkissed land, Of all the States in East or West, The golden fruit the world outshines In country, town, or hills and dells, Will call thy children day by day Yield their rich store of good supply, |
Others songs of the State
Several songs have been written about the Suwannee river,a slow flowing river that very much symbolizes Florida.
I've Got the Swanee River Flowing Thru My Veins. A song in tribute to the Swanee River, a popular theme in Floridian folk songs. click to listen
- you may need to return this site after new page loads and then click again to activate sound.
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Many songs have been written about the Suwannee River. This one represents the spread of popular music that was starting in the early Twentieth-century. This is demonstrated in a line from the song "Old Folks at Home." (popularly is known as "Way Down Upon the Swannee River.") Stephen Foster composed the song. He was one of America's greatest composers. Baskette's tune refers to Foster's famous song at the beginning and the end. The piano style demonstrated in this performance forecasts the "stride piano" sound. This style dominated popular music throughout the 1920's. It eventually evolved into 'swing' in the '30's and '40's. |
Words by Ed Rose, Music by Billy Baskette, Copyright 1919 It seems that I must always sing a Dixie song, Along the Swanee spreads the weeping willow tree, I've got the Swanee river flowing thru my veins, |
CREDIT GRATFULLY GIVEN TO
Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida
Funded by the Florida Department of Education
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