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The Folk Song of the Commonwealth

Massachusetts

words and music by Arlo Guthrie

    Like a dream in the night
    As the snow settles white
    There's a fire burning bright
    In Massachusetts
    And there's a house upon a hill
    That keeps us from the chill
    And by the grace of God
    We will be in Massachusetts

   CHORUS:
    You can tell me about the times you spent
    In the Rockies and on the plains,
    Please don't think that I'm the last to say
    That there ain't lots of other places
    In this world that still remain
    Beautiful and unchanged
    But they're just not the same
    The sun comes up to meet the dawn
    And there's a day that must go on
    There's another night that's gone
    In Massachusetts
    And I could spend all of my days
    And remain each day amazed
    At the way each day is phrased
    In Massachusetts

   CHORUS

    Now if you could only see
    I know you would agree
    There ain't nowhere else to be
    Like Massachusetts
    And there's a house upon a hill
    That keeps us from the chill
    And by the grace of God
    We will be in Massachusetts
    Come on tell me about the time you spent
    In the Rockies and on the plains
    And please don't think that I'm the last to say
    That there ain't lots of other places
    In this world that still remain
    Beautiful and unchanged
    But they're just not the same as Massachusetts

Adoption of State Song

The song "Massachusetts", words and music by Arlo Guthrie, was adopted by the Legislature as the official folk song of the Commonwealth in July, 1981.

General Laws of Massachusetts

The following information is excerpted from the General Laws of Massachusetts, Part 1, Title 1, Chapter 2, Section 20.

PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
TITLE I. JURISDICTION AND EMBLEMS OF THE COMMONWEALTH, THE GENERAL COURT, STATUTES AND PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
CHAPTER 2. ARMS, GREAT SEAL AND OTHER EMBLEMS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
SECTION 20

Section 20. Folk song of commonwealth. The song "Massachusetts", words and music by Arlo Guthrie, shall be the folk song of the commonwealth.

Source: Massachusetts State Web Site, (http://www.mass.gov), December 1, 2004
Source: Massachusetts General Court, (http://www.mass.gov/legis/), December 1, 2004
Source: State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols by Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Copyright 2002
Source: State Songs America, Edited by M.J. Bristow, Copyright 2000
Source: State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers, and Other Symbols by George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., Copyright 1938

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