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List of all of the official state songs with words, their history and
adoption information.
Kentucky Symbols
Kentucky SymbolsAmphitheater, Arboretum, Bird, Bluegrass Song, Botanical Garden, Bourbon Festival, Butterfly, Center for Celebration of African American Heritage, Covered Bridge, Covered Bridge - Capital of Kentucky, Drink, Fish, Flag, Flower, Fossil, Fruit, Gemstone, Horse, Language, Latin Motto, Mineral, Motto, Musical Instrument, Nicknames, Outdoors Musical of Kentucky , Pipe Band, Pledge, Rock, Science Center, Seal, Silverware Pattern, Soil, Song, State Steam Locomotive, Tree, Tug-of-War Championship, Wild Animal Game Animal |
Kentucky State Song"My Old Kentucky Home"Words by Stephen C. Foster
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Original Title (1850)"Poor Uncle Tom, Goodnight" |
Original Lyrics (1853)(at time of publication) |
Publisher's Title (1853)"My Old Kentucky Home" |
Contemporary Lyrics (1986)(revised by House Resolution 159) |
Original Lyrics (1853) |
Contemporary Lyrics (1986) |
| The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home, 'Tis summer, the darkies are gay; The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom, While the birds make music all the day. The young folks roll on the little cabin floor, Chorus |
The sun shines bright in My Old Kentucky Home, 'Tis summer, the people are gay; The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom While the birds make music all the day. The young folks roll on the little cabin floor, Chorus |
Full Original Version"My Old Kentucky Home" The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home, The young folks roll on the little cabin floor, Chorus They hunt no more for the possum and the coon, The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart, Chorus The head must bow and the back will have to bend, A few more days for to tote the weary load, Chorus |
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Origin of Song:
"My Old Kentucky Home" was written and set to music by Stephen Collins Foster in 1850 and published in 1853 by
Firth, Pound, and Company, New York. It was designated the state song of Kentucky by an act of the legislature (Kentucky
Acts, 1928), approved March 19, 1928.
Foster wrote the song after a brief stay at the home of his cousins, the Rowans, in Bardstown, Kentucky. Historians
have neither found clear evidence that Foster did visit the mansion, named Federal Hill, nor that he wrote the famous
song in its parlor. In some of the family correspondence, references to Foster's taking a steamboat to Louisville
is documented, and it is possible that he visited the Rowans in nearby Bardstown while in the area.
From Kentucky Revised Statutes Annotated, Chapter 2.100: "LRC Note: The modern version of 'My Old Kentucky Home'
was adopted during the 1986 Regular Session of the General Assembly by the House of Representatives in House Resolution
159 and the Senate in Senate Resolution 114.
New Jersey does have an unofficial state song, "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, but it has not yet been approved by the state legislature.
Some states have more than one official state song, and may refer to some of their official songs by other names; for example, Arkansas officially has two state songs, a state anthem, and a state historical song. Also, Virginia does not presently have a state song by that name, but it has given two songs official recognition under other names. Arizona has a song that was written specifically as a state anthem in 1915, as well as the 1981 country hit Arizona, which it adopted as an alternate.