A budget isn’t the only thing that Virginia lacks: It’s the only state in the nation without a song.
The panel that’s supposed to pick the state tune hasn’t been able to in six years — and probably won’t for at least one more. It’s a situation that could make a heart skip a beat.
“It’s a matter of pride in your state,” said state Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr., who headed the panel. “I consider this a bigger issue than tax reform.”
The Augusta County Republican has pledged to continue the musical quest, however. He said his focus on the budget has delayed the process.
Other states proudly tout songs like “Oklahoma!” (of the musical fame) and “Georgia on My Mind.” Maryland has “Maryland, My Maryland,” while the District has “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
But the Old Dominion has been out of tune since 1997, when the legislature retired “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” because some considered it racist.
The panel formed in 1998 to fix the problem with a “singable” and “historic” ballad will disband June 30. It took the panel six years to narrow the list of candidates from 340 to eight.
Mr. Hanger says he wants to keep most of the panel members on a volunteer basis and recommend a winning tune at next year’s General Assembly session. They will choose a winner from the eight finalists, he said.
But Mr. Hanger’s final deadline is 2007 — when the state celebrates the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. The event just wouldn’t be the same without a state song to sing in honor of the commonwealth, he said.
The job to find the perfect tune sounded simple. But it wasn’t.
The selection process has been stalled for years, with missed deadlines and copyright disagreements. Some would-be songwriters sued when they weren’t picked as finalists in the panel’s search for the state’s theme song.
The search also was bogged down by politics. Some accused the panel of favoritism when it picked as one of the finalists a song written by sausage king, actor and singer Jimmy Dean and wife Donna. Mr. Dean had contributed to some of the panel members’ re-election campaigns.
In the end, the delegates, senators and residents on the panel just couldn’t agree on one song.
“It’s a question of taste,” said House Minority Leader Franklin P. Hall, Chesterfield County Democrat and panel member. “Everyone liked a different song.”
Given the budget dispute this year, “There has been very little or no focus at all on the state song,” he said.
“Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” was designated state song emeritus after lawmakers retired it. Critics had said its 19th-century lyrics were offensive to blacks, even though it was written by James A. Bland, a free black who later became a minstrel.
If a new song is chosen, it won’t become official until the governor approves it.
Until then, marching bands and organizers will have to come up with other tunes to play at state functions.
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