On December 3, 1818, Illinois was officially admitted as the 21st U.S. state to join the Union. Thus, December 3 of this year, 2018, will be the 200th anniversary of Illinois becoming a U.S. state, and 2018 is Illinois's bicentennial year.
That reminds me that Illinois does have an official state state, which is titled Illinois, although very few Illinoisans know the words to it, and the song Illinois is probably the least recognizable state anthem to the point that songs like Yankee Doodle (Connecticut's official state song), Georgia On My Mind (Georgia's official state song) and Rocky Mountain High (one of Colorado's two official state songs) are more recognizable to many Illinoisans that our own state's official state song. In case you're wondering what the song Illinois sounds like, here is a performance of the song Illinois by the University of Illinois's Varsity Men's Glee Club.
As far as I know, a new state song is not currently a priority for the Illinois General Assembly. With 2018 being Illinois's bicentennial year, isn't it time that Illinois adopt a more recognizable tune as its official state song? I say yes to that question.
However, finding a new state song would be a challenge. Songs that are explicitly about one part of the state, such as Sweet Home Chicago, would not be acceptable as an anthem for the entire state. One song that I would seriously consider as a viable contender for a new state song if the Illinois General Assembly were to consider adopting a new state song would be City of New Orleans. Although the song's title references a city in Louisiana, the song is named after the now-Amtrak passenger train that runs between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana, and the portion of City of New Orleans from the beginning to the song to the first playing of the chorus, with some alterations in lyrics, would be an interesting and recognizable official state song of Illinois if adopted as such. However, I would be willing to consider other contenders for a new official state song of Illinois, although I do have criteria for proposals for a new state song:
That reminds me that Illinois does have an official state state, which is titled Illinois, although very few Illinoisans know the words to it, and the song Illinois is probably the least recognizable state anthem to the point that songs like Yankee Doodle (Connecticut's official state song), Georgia On My Mind (Georgia's official state song) and Rocky Mountain High (one of Colorado's two official state songs) are more recognizable to many Illinoisans that our own state's official state song. In case you're wondering what the song Illinois sounds like, here is a performance of the song Illinois by the University of Illinois's Varsity Men's Glee Club.
As far as I know, a new state song is not currently a priority for the Illinois General Assembly. With 2018 being Illinois's bicentennial year, isn't it time that Illinois adopt a more recognizable tune as its official state song? I say yes to that question.
However, finding a new state song would be a challenge. Songs that are explicitly about one part of the state, such as Sweet Home Chicago, would not be acceptable as an anthem for the entire state. One song that I would seriously consider as a viable contender for a new state song if the Illinois General Assembly were to consider adopting a new state song would be City of New Orleans. Although the song's title references a city in Louisiana, the song is named after the now-Amtrak passenger train that runs between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana, and the portion of City of New Orleans from the beginning to the song to the first playing of the chorus, with some alterations in lyrics, would be an interesting and recognizable official state song of Illinois if adopted as such. However, I would be willing to consider other contenders for a new official state song of Illinois, although I do have criteria for proposals for a new state song:
- There must be both sheet music and lyrics for any proposal for a new Illinois state song.
- The lyrics of any proposal for a new Illinois state song cannot contain references to God or any other religious figure.
- The lyrics of any proposal for a new Illinois state song cannot reference only a single region of the state.
- The lyrics of any proposal for a new Illinois state song cannot reference individual people other than Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant by their proper names.
- The lyrics of any proposal for a new Illinois state song cannot be racist in nature (for example, if City of New Orleans were to become the Illinois state song, the line "...and the freight yards full of old black men..." would have to be changed to "...and the freight yards full of working men..." or something similar)
- The lyrics of any proposal for a new Illinois state song cannot regard Illinois as a sovereign country or imply that Illinois is a sovereign country, since Illinois is not a sovereign country.
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