West Virginia State Song

West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home Adopted: March 3, 1947

West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home

Words and music by Col. Julian G. Hearne, Jr.

West Virginia my home, sweet home,
My heart beats with lasting love for you,
Where my roots are so deep, where my forefathers sleep,
Where the kinfolks and friends are staunch and true;
Where the Blue of the North, and the Grey of the South
Long have blended in perfect harmony,
Where the East meets the West, and derives from each the best,
That’s West Virginia, home, sweet home for me!

West Virginia my home, sweet home,
Where mountains and hills and valleys, too,
And the orchards, the farms, timberlands, all have charms,
And the fact’ries and mines are on review;
There I work, and I play, and I worship Sunday,
In that land where the mountaineers are free,
Other states are OK, it’s a grand old USA,
But West Virginia’s home, sweet home for me!

Adoption of an official state song

West Virginia State Song: West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home

"West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home" by Julian G. Hearne, Jr. was designated as the official state song by Senate Concurrent Resolution No.11 on March 3, 1947.

On February 3, 1961, and without knowledge of the fact that a state song had already been designated, "The West Virginia Hills," by Ellen King and H. E. Engle was adopted as the official state song by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 5.

Realizing the error and wanting to add the song "This is My West Virginia" by Iris Bell, on February 28, 1963 the Legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 19 designating all three the official state songs of West Virginia.

Now West Virginia had two state songs... with more to come.

Sources...

"Official State Symbols of West Virginia." West Virginia Legislature. State of West Virginia, 2015. Web. 27 May 2015.

Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

West Virginia State Song

West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home

Adoption of an official state song

Sources...

Additional Information