Adopted in 1927, our official state song, “Oregon, My Oregon,” is getting a little creaky, with lyrics about Oregon being “conquered and held by free men” and “blest by the blood of martyrs.”
So Central Oregon’s own Rep. Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver) has come up with what he thinks is a better candidate: “No Place Under the Sun Like Oregon,” by singer-songwriter Lindy Gravelle, a Redmond resident who (according to The Oregonian) wrote it in the 1970s when she was living in Nashville and pining for her home state.
“It has such narrative description of the physical beauty of Oregon,” she’s quoted as saying. “I feel like it’s a mini-ad for Oregon, for tourism.”
It’s definitely that, ticking off the state’s natural beauties, from the coast to the mountains to the high desert. And by rhyming “Oregon” with “the sun,” it has the added merit of possibly teaching new residents how to pronounce our state’s name right instead of calling it “Oar-a-GAWN.”
But the melody, while pleasant enough, would be difficult for amateurs to sing. And the tempo, in The Eye’s opinion, is a little slow and draggy – not exactly calculated to set the pulse racing with state chauvinism.
As Kevin Kamberg points out on the Blue Oregon blog, a number of states have adopted state songs that aren’t specifically about the state, such as “Hang On Sloopy” and “Do You Realize,” the official “state rock songs” of Ohio and Oklahoma, respectively.
Without even trying, The Eye can come up with more than half a dozen rock, pop and jazz songs that could fill the bill if we want to dump “Oregon, My Oregon” (and we definitely should).
For instance, if we want to tie in with Oregon’s biggest claim to fame – the rain – there’s “Here’s That Rainy Day” by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, “Rainy Days and Mondays” by The Carpenters, “Rainy Day Women” by Bob Dylan, “Who’ll Stop the Rain” by Creedence, “Purple Rain” by Prince and “I Wish It Would Rain” by The Temptations, to name just a few.
Or we could try focusing on our state’s economy. “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas suggests itself as one likely choice. But our personal fave in that category is “The Party’s Over” – not the Willie Nelson version, but the classic Nat King Cole version:
The party’s over
It’s time to call it a day
They’ve burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away.
It’s time to wind up
The masquerade
Just make your mind up
The piper must be paid.
This article appears in May 7-13, 2009.
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Oh nooooooo…. รข Rainy Days and Mondaysรข ย by The Carpenters – I’ll never get it out my head.
Yep Your party(democratic/liberal)is over It is time for you to call it a day!!! You have burst our pretty balloon. Wind up your masquerade JUST MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!!! It is time to pay the piper.
No better fit YOU ARE RIGHT!!!
Sorry Tom.
WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN
MEET THE NEW BOSS (HILLARY)
SAME AS THE OLD BOSS (BILLARY)
WE’LL BE FIGHTING IN THE STREETS
WITH OUR CHILDREN AT OUR FEET
AND THE MORALS THAT THEY WORSHIP WILL BE GONE
AND THE MEN WHO SPURRED US ON
SIT IN JUDGEMENT OF ALL WRONG
THEY DECIDE AND THE SHOTGUN SINGS THE SONG
AND THE WORLD LOOKS JUST THE SAME
AND HISTORY AIN’T CHANGED
‘CAUSE THE BANNERS, THEY ALL FLOWN IN THE LAST WAR
I’LL TIP MY HAT TO THE NEW CONSTITUTION
TAKE A BOW FOR THE NEW REVOLUTION
SMILE AND GRIN AT THE “change” ALL AROUND ME
PICK UP MY GUITAR AND PLAY
JUST LIKE YESTERDAY
NO,NO!
I’LL MOVE MYSELF AND MY FAMILY ASIDE
IF WE HAPPEN TO BE LEFT HALF ALIVE
I’LL GET ALL MY PAPERS AND SMILE AT THE SKY
FOR I KNOW THAT THE HYPNOTIZED NEVER LIE
DO YA?
THERE’S NOTHING IN THE STREET
LOOKS ANY DIFFERENT TO ME
AND THE SLOGANS ARE REPLACED,BY-THE-BY
AND THE PARTING ON THE LEFT
IS NOW PARTING ON THE RIGHT
AND THE BEARDS HAVE ALL GROWN LONGER OVER NIGHT
(CHORUS)
I THINK YOU ALL GET IT, YOU’VE ALL BEEN FOOLED AGAIN!
“And, how about H. Bruce Miller for official state pessimist!”
Thanks! I’d be happy to consider it. What’s the salary? Do I qualify for PERS?
“Yep Your party(democratic/liberal)is over”
Latest Gallup Poll (5/3-5/9):
“Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president?
Approve: 66% Disapprove: 27%
The 27% are the Republican “base,” the right-wing dead-enders, the teabaggers, the dittoheads and Faux News addicts. They are the same people who were convinced right up to the bitter end that The Shrub was doin’ just a swell job as president.
IOW, they are the lunatic fringe.
“So you want a huge federal government?”
We already have one, in case you haven’t noticed. What we have now is a huge federal government that works for the benefit of billionaires and giant corporations. What I want is a government that works for the benefit of ordinary Americans.
“Have you been paying any attention to the states that are trying to become Sovereign from the federal government?”
Yes. And if they want to secede, I say let them. I’m tired of my taxes going to support those red-state welfare queens.
“Then they might have to think for them selfs. [sic]”
You’ll be in real trouble if that happens.
The 80s recording “stars” Quarterflash were originally local band Seafood Mama and man was she a hottie. So if we’re offering suggestions I’d go with “Harden My Heart”
Government by the Corporations for the Corporations is by Benito Mussolini’s definition Fascist. Get over it braindead, folks like HB didn’t destroy this country, redneck welfare whores such as yourself destroyed this country. You want to secede? Please do. You’re really not welcome here.
Nobody bailed out the timber industry.
“Alaska has money left over!”
Thanks to all that oil. Without oil Alaska would be flat-ass broke worse than Oregon.