Beautiful Ohio
Encyclopedia
"Beautiful Ohio" is the official song of the U.S. State of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

.http://www.50states.com/songs/ohio.htm

History

The first lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...

 were written by Ballard MacDonald
Ballard MacDonald
Ballard MacDonald was a Tin Pan Alley lyricist.Born in Portland, Oregon, among his credits are:Beautiful Ohio, Rose of Washington Square, Second Hand Rose, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Back Home Again in Indiana, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, Play That Barbershop Chord, Clap Hands, Here Comes...

 and the music by Robert A. "Bobo" King, who used the name Mary Earl.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1612 A bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....

 passed by the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...

 in 1969 made it the state's official song and in 1989 adopted an amendment to section 5.09 of the Ohio Revised Code
Ohio Revised Code
The Ohio Revised Code contains all acts passed by the Ohio General Assembly and signed by the governor. The Ohio Revised Code replaced the Ohio General Code in 1953. However the current organization and form of the Ohio Revised Code Title 29 was completely re-written and issued into law by the...

 which changed the original words to a new set, written by Wilbert McBride.http://www.50states.com/songs/ohio.htm

Beautiful Ohio was originally written as a love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...

 by Ballard MacDonald
Ballard MacDonald
Ballard MacDonald was a Tin Pan Alley lyricist.Born in Portland, Oregon, among his credits are:Beautiful Ohio, Rose of Washington Square, Second Hand Rose, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Back Home Again in Indiana, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, Play That Barbershop Chord, Clap Hands, Here Comes...

 whose lyrics depict a "paradise of love divine." When McBride rewrote the lyrics for the 1989 version he gave a much more accurate portrayal of Ohio by including things such as the state's cities and factories rather than two imaginary lovers.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1612

Modern Use

Though "Beautiful Ohio" was originally written as a waltz, one version of the song is a march arranged by Richard Heine. It is commonly performed by The Ohio State University Marching Band
The Ohio State University Marching Band
The Ohio State University Marching Band performs at Ohio State football games and other events during the fall quarter...

 when travelling, including their appearance in the 2005 Inaugural Parade of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 and at the 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

.

The original waltz version of the song is performed by the Ohio State Fair Band (which holds shows multiple times a day during the Ohio state fair) at the beginning of every performance.

Original Lyrics

Long, long time ago

Someone I know

Had a little red canoe,

In it room for only two.

Love found its start

Then in my heart,

And like a flower grew.


Chorus:


Drifting with the current down a moonlit stream,

While above the Heavens in their glory gleam,

And the stars on high

Twinkle in the sky,

Seeming in a paradise of love divine,

Dreaming of a pair of eyes that looked in mine.

Beautiful Ohio, in dreams again I see

Visions of what used to be.http://www.scarletandgray.info/osu/songs/beautiful_ohio.html

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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