US State Songs
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Wisconsin Symbols
|
|
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
|
|
|
|
Wisconsin State Song
"On, Wisconsin!"
Written by J. S. Hubbard and Charles D. Rosa
Composed by William T. Purdy
Adopted in 1959.
The Wisconsin state song is "On, Wis-consin", music written by W. T. Purdy was adopted in 1959
"On, Wisconsin!"
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Champion of the right,
"Forward", our motto
God will give thee might!"
Origin of Song:
"On, Wisconsin!" The music for "On, Wisconsin!" was composed in 1909 by William T. Purdy with the idea of entering it in a contest for the creation of a new University of Minnesota football song. ("Minnesota" would have replaced "On, Wisconsin" in the opening lines.) Carl Beck persuaded Purdy to dedicate the song to the University of Wisconsin football team instead, and Beck collaborated with the composer by writing the lyrics. The song was introduced at the Madison campus in November 1909. It was later acclaimed by world-famous composer and bandmaster John Philip Sousa as the best college song he had ever heard.
Lyrics more in keeping with the purposes of a state song were subsequently written in 1913 by Judge Charles D. Rosa and J. S. Hubbard, editor of the Beloit Free Press. Rosa and Hubbard were among the delegates from many states convened in 1913 to commemorate the centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie. Inspired by the occasion, they provided new, more solemn words to the already well-known football song.
Although "On, Wisconsin!" was widely recognized as Wisconsin's song, the state did not officially adopt it until 1959. Representative Harold W. Clemens discovered that Wisconsin was one of only ten states without an official song. He introduced a bill to give the song the status he thought it deserved. On discovering that many different lyrics existed, an official text for the first verse was incorporated in Chapter 170, Laws of 1959, and it is contained in Section 1.10 of the statutes:
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters, Hail thee, good and great.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Champion of the right,
'Forward', our motto - God will give thee might!
Wisconsin Legislature
1.10 State song, state ballad, state waltz, state dance, and state symbols.
(1) The Wisconsin state song is "On, Wis-consin",
music written by W. T. Purdy, the words to which are as follows:
"On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters, Hail thee, good and great. On,
Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Champion of the right, 'Forward', our
motto &emdash; God will give thee might!".
(1m) The Wisconsin state ballad is "Oh Wisconsin, Land of My Dreams"
music written by Shari A. Sarazin and lyrics written
by Erma Barrett, the words to which are as follows:
"Oh Wiscon-sin, land of beauty, with your hillsides and your plains,
with your jackpine and your birch tree, and your oak of mighty frame.
Land of rivers, lakes and valleys, land of warmth and winter snows,
land of birds and beasts and humanity, oh Wisconsin, I love you so.
Oh Wisconsin, land of my dreams. Oh Wisconsin, you're all I'll ever
need. A little heaven here on earth could you be? Oh Wisconsin,
land of my dreams. In the summer, golden grain fields; in the win-ter,
drift of white snow; in the springtime, robins singing; in the
autumn, flaming colors show. Oh I wonder who could wander, or
who could want to drift for long, away from all your beauty, all
your sunshine, all your sweet song? Oh Wisconsin, land of my
dreams. Oh Wisconsin, you're all I'll ever need. A little heaven
here on earth could you be? Oh Wisconsin, land of my dreams.
And when it's time, let my spirit run free in Wisconsin. land of my dreams."
|
|
50 State Resource Guide
|
|
|
Everyone needs a little help, advice, or inspiration now and again. Find state colleges, universities, headline news, newspapers, debt consolidation, financial offerings, radios and TV stations, traffic reports, and state symbols: animals, birds,
flags, flowers, seals, and more as well as quick links to social, demographic, and economic statistics.
|
|
| |
|
