"The Song of Iowa" is the

regional anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, written by S. H. M. Byers in 1867 and adopted as the official

state song Forty-eight of the fifty U.S. states have one or more state songs, a type of regional anthem, which are selected by each state legislature as a symbol (or emblem) of that particular U.S. state. Some U.S. states have more than one official state ...

by the

Iowa State Legislature The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of R ...

on March 20, 1911. The song is set to the tune "

O Tannenbaum "" (; "O fir tree", English: O Christmas Tree) is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song which was unrelated to Christmas, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree. History The modern lyrics were written in 1824 ...

" and Byers' lyrics' theme is centered on his love and praise for Iowa.

History

"The Song of Iowa" was written by Major S. H. M. Byers. Byers fought for the Union in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

but was captured by the Confederacy in 1863. Whilst in jail in

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Priso ...

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, he was inspired to write "The Song of Iowa" after hearing the Confederate bands playing "

Maryland, My Maryland "Maryland, My Maryland" was the state song of the U.S. state of Maryland from 1939 until 2021. The song is set to the melody of "Lauriger Horatius" — the same tune " O Tannenbaum" was taken from. The lyrics are from a nine-stanza poem written ...

" (also set to "O Tannenbaum") outside his prison cell. He wrote the lyrics and upon his release, asked a French opera singer at Foster Opera House in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

, to perform it for the first time. The song was well received by the audience who requested constant encores of it. In order to foster state pride, Byers ran a contest in 1902 for teachers wherein the teacher who taught "The Song of Iowa" to the most students who could recite it by heart, would receive a gold watch. As a result of the contest, approximately 250,000 students had learned the song by heart and every school in the state had been singing it. A total of 500,000 copies of the song had been sold by October 1902. In 1911, the Iowa State Legislature officially designated "The Song of Iowa" as Iowa's

. The song would be performed at ceremonial events in the state, usually immediately after the American national anthem "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...

Modern criticism

In the 21st century, criticism started to grow about "The Song of Iowa" and occasional petitions to change it as Iowa's official state song were made. Most criticisms were based upon Iowa's state song sharing the same tune as

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

's. In 2015, the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'' suggested Iowa change their state song.

Lyrics

You asked what land I love the best, Tis Iowa, O Iowa, The fairest State of all the west, It's Iowa, O! Iowa, From yonder Mississippi's stream To where Missouri's waters gleam O! fair it is as poet's dream, O! Iowa, In Iowa. Go read the story of thy past. O! Iowa, O! Iowa, What glorious deeds, what fame thou hast! O! Iowa, O! Iowa, So long as time's great cycle runs, Or nations weep their fallen ones Thou'lt not forget thy patriot sons, O! Iowa, O! Iowa.

References

External links

* Iowa Official Register 1997-1998, pg. 7 * 50state

Sheet Music on IMSLP
{{DEFAULTSORT:Song of Iowa, The Music of Iowa

Songs about Iowa 1867 songs