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US State Songs

List of all of the official state songs with words, their history and adoption information.

South Carolina Symbols

South Carolina State Song

"South Carolina on My Mind"

Written by Hank Martin and Buzz Arledge

Adopted in 1984.

"South Carolina on My Mind" was designated by Act No. 302, 1984, as an official State Song.

"South Carolina on My Mind"

At the foot hills of the Appalachian chain,
Down through the rivers, to the coastal plain,
There's a place that I call home,
And I'll never be alone,
Singin' this Carolina love song

I've got South Carolina on my mind
Remembering all those sunshine Summertimes,
And the Autumns in the Smokies when the leaves turn to gold
Touches my heart and thrills my soul to have South Carolina on my mind,
With those clean snow-covered mountain Wintertimes
And the white sand of the beaches and those Carolina peaches,
I've got South Carolina on my mind.

I'm grown now with a family of my own
In a place that all my kids are callin' home.
And I love this life I'm livin',
And thank God for all He's givin',
But my heart sings a Carolina love song

I've got South Carolina on my mind
Remembering all those sunshine Summertimes,
And the Autumns in the Smokies when the leaves turn to gold
Touches my heart and thrills my soul to have South Carolina on my mind,
With those clean snow-covered mountain Wintertimes
And the white sand of the beaches and those Carolina peaches,
I've got South Carolina on my mind.

Origin of Song:

"South Carolina on My Mind" created, sung and recorded by Hank Martin and Buzz Arledge, native South Carolinians, was designated by Act No. 302, 1984, as an official State Song.

South Carolina 2002 Code of Laws
SECTION 1-1-685. Official State song.
"South Carolina On My Mind" is designated as an official state song to help inspire pride in our State and improve the quality of life among all South Carolinians, and to promote the image of South Carolina beyond our borders by further developing tourism and industry through the attraction of vacationers, prospective investors, and new residents.

State Songs

Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state legislature as a symbol of the state.

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.