{{Short description|Anthem of the U.S. state of Oregon}} {{Infobox anthem | image = Oregon, My Oregon.jpg | caption = Sheet music with original lyrics | country = [[Oregon]] | prefix = Regional | adopted = 1927 | author = [[John Andrew Buchanan]], 1920 | composer = Henry Bernard Murtagh, 1920 (modified 2021) }} "'''Oregon, My Oregon'''" is the [[regional anthem]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Oregon]]. Written for a song contest in 1920, the 16-line, 2-verse song became the state's official state song in 1927.
The lyrics, widely considered to convey racist sentiments, were updated by an act of the [[Oregon Legislature]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wong|first=Peter|date=June 7, 2021|title=State song gets official makeover from Oregon lawmakers|work=[[Portland Tribune]]|url=https://pamplinmedia.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/512306-408899-state-song-gets-official-makeover-from-oregon-lawmakers|archive-date=February 19, 2022|access-date=July 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219163218/https://pamplinmedia.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/512306-408899-state-song-gets-official-makeover-from-oregon-lawmakers|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==History== In 1920, the Society of Oregon Composers held a competition to select a state song for Oregon.<ref name=bluebook>{{cite web|url=https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/explore/focus-song.aspx|title=Oregon Almanac:State Song|publisher=Oregon State Archives|access-date=2007-09-10}}</ref><ref name=ohp>{{cite web|url=http://oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/sheet-music-cover-oregon-my-oregon/|title=Sheet Music Cover, Oregon, My Oregon|work=Oregon History Project|publisher=[[Oregon Historical Society]]|access-date=2016-06-17}}</ref> The winning entry, "Oregon, My Oregon," was a collaboration between [[John Andrew Buchanan]], who wrote the lyrics, and [[Henry Bernard Murtagh]], who composed the music.<ref name=ohp/> Buchanan was an amateur lyricist who was an [[Astoria, Oregon|Astoria]] city judge,<ref name=ohp/> while Murtagh was a professional musician with a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] credit,<ref name=ibdb>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=453970|title=Henry B. Murtagh|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|access-date=2007-09-10}}</ref> but who was best known as a professionally trained [[theatre organ]]ist on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] during the [[silent movie]] era.<ref name=ohp/><ref name=pstos1>{{cite web|url=http://www.pstos.org/instruments/or/portland/liberty.htm|title=Liberty Theatre, Portland, Oregon|publisher=Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society|access-date=2007-09-10}}</ref><ref name=pstos2>{{cite web|url=http://www.pstos.org/instruments/wa/seattle/liberty.htm|title=Liberty Theatre, Seattle|publisher=Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society|access-date=2007-09-10}}</ref><ref name=cor>{{cite book|url=http://www.theatreorgans.com/southerncross/Journal/NewYork.htm|title=New York and the Cinema|last=Buhrman|first=T. Scott |quote=Published in 'The Complete Organ Recitalist', ed. Herbert Westerby, London, 1927, pp. 347–354.}}</ref><ref name=na>{{cite web|url=http://www.national-anthems.org/anthems/naw_id/SSA-037|title=Oregon State Song|access-date=2007-09-10|publisher=national-anthems.org}}</ref>
Following the song's selection, the Society promoted the song by conducting performances at public gathering spaces around the state and at schools and universities (the state [[Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction|Superintendent of Public Instruction]] had endorsed the song).<ref name=ohp/>
On February 12, 1927, the song was officially adopted as the state song by a joint resolution of the [[Oregon State Legislature]].<ref name=ns>{{cite web|url=http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/song/or_my_or.htm|publisher=NetState.com|title=Oregon State Song|access-date=2007-09-10}}</ref>
In 2009, legislator [[Gene Whisnant]] proposed choosing a new official state song.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://special.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/updates/13262687-55/story.csp |title=Oregon unlikely to be singing a new song anytime soon | Main News | Eugene, Oregon |last=Steves |first=David |date=May 7, 2009 |work=[[The Register-Guard]] |access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://projects.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/opinion/13366026-46/story.csp |title=State Song Idea Off-Key: Let's Stick with 'Oregon, My Oregon' (editorial) |date=May 10, 2009 |work=[[The Register-Guard]] |access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref> In 2017, a bill proposed in the [[Oregon Legislative Assembly]] sought to update the song's lyrics, "to reflect cultural, historical, economic and societal evolution" of the state.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/HCR20 |title=HCR20, 2017 Regular Session |website=Oregon Legislative Assembly |access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref>
==Description== Buchanan's lyrics contain two main themes: honoring the early settlers and pioneers of Oregon, and praise for the natural beauty of the state. Murtagh composed the song as a [[march (music)|march]] in [[F major]]. Unlike two other similarly named state songs—"[[Maryland, My Maryland]]" and "[[Michigan, My Michigan]]"—"Oregon, My Oregon" is not set to the tune of "[[O Tannenbaum]]."
On June 6, 2021, the [[Oregon Legislative Assembly|Oregon Legislature]] approved changes to the lyrics of Oregon's state song.<ref name="HCR11">{{Cite web|title=House Concurrent Resolution 11|url=https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HCR11/Introduced|year=2021|website=Oregon State Legislature}}</ref><ref name="oreg-2021jun7">{{cite news |last=Swindler |first=Samantha |title=Oregon state song gets new lyrics without racist language |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2021/06/oregon-state-song-gets-new-lyrics-without-racist-language.html |access-date=2021-06-10 |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |date=June 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610104539/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2021/06/oregon-state-song-gets-new-lyrics-without-racist-language.html |archive-date=June 10, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Amy Donna Shapiro, an Oregonian, replaced "Land of the Empire Builders, Land of the Golden West; Conquered and held by free men, Fairest and the Best" in the first verse with "Land of Majestic Mountains, Land of the Great Northwest; Forests and rolling rivers, Grandest and the best", and "Blest by the blood of martyrs" in the second verse with "Blessed by the love of freedom".<ref name="HCR11"/>
=== Lyrics === Sources:<ref name="HCR11"/><ref name="oreg-2021jun7"/> {| class=wikitable ; style="width: 100%" ! Original ! New (2021 – present) |- | :Land of the Empire Builders, :Land of the Golden West; :Conquered and held by free men, :Fairest and the Best :Onward and upward ever, :Forward and on, and on; :𝄆 Hail to thee, Land of Heroes, :My Oregon. 𝄇
:Land of the rose and sunshine :Land of the summer's breeze; :Laden with health and vigor, :Fresh from the Western seas. :Blessed by the blood of martyrs, :Land of the setting sun; :𝄆 Hail to thee, Land of Promise, :My Oregon. 𝄇 | :Land of '''Majestic Mountains''', :Land of the '''Great Northwest'''; :'''Forests and rolling rivers,''' :'''Grandest and the best''' :Onward and upward ever, :Forward and on, and on; :𝄆 Hail to thee, Land of Heroes, :My Oregon. 𝄇
:Land of the rose and sunshine :Land of the summer's breeze; :Laden with health and vigor, :Fresh from the Western seas. :Blessed by the '''love of freedom,''' :Land of the setting sun; :𝄆 Hail to thee, Land of Promise, :My Oregon. 𝄇 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{commonscat-inline|Oregon, My Oregon|"Oregon, My Oregon"}} *{{Wikisource-inline|Oregon, My Oregon|"Oregon, My Oregon"|single=true}} {{List of U.S. state songs}}
[[Category:United States state songs|Oregon 1927]] [[Category:Anthems of non-sovereign states]] [[Category:Music of Oregon]] [[Category:Symbols of Oregon]] [[Category:Songs about Oregon]] [[Category:1920 songs]]