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1998 SESSION

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984536309
HOUSE BILL NO. 1424 Offered January 30, 1998 A BILL to amend and reenact § 7.1-37 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the official song of the Commonwealth. ---------- Patron-- Jones, S.C. ---------- Consent to introduce ---------- Referred to Committee on General Laws ----------

Whereas, the Commonwealth has no official song because "Carry Me Back To Old Virginia," declared the State song in 1940, has become so controversial that it is no longer possible or appropriate to use the song; and

Whereas, the official song should reference the rich history and tradition of the Commonwealth and invoke images of the natural and scenic beauty its citizens celebrate; and

Whereas, the Commonwealth requires an official song that can be sung on all occasions with pride and affection; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That "Virginia is for Lovers," by Thad Williams, be designated the official song of the Commonwealth, the words of which are as follows:

Virginia is for Lovers As the salty surf breaks on the sand of Virginia's sil'vry shore, And the tide floods the river and winding creek. Seagulls screaming in a trawler's wake, As she meets an oyster boat, They're port bound on the busy Chesapeake. From the peanut fields to the rolling hills, With cotton, wheat, and corn, The woodland with its lakes and streams, Is the state where I was born.

Chorus:

Virginia is for lovers! Lovers of the sea, lovers of the mountains, the arts and history, Lovers of the farms and hills, the flow'ring dogwood trees, Virginia is for lovers, and Virginia is for me. From the smallest country village to the city's busy street, Colonial towns where once our heroes trod, Buildings draped in history, That were built on hallowed ground, Reflect the works of mortal man and God. From the Eastern Shore to the Shenandoah, There's a lot for you to love, The great Blue Ridge and Natural Bridge And the southern skies above.

Chorus:

Virginia is for lovers! Lovers of the sea, lovers of the mountains, the arts and history, Lovers of the farms and hills, the flow'ring dogwood trees, Virginia is for lovers, and Virginia is for me.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 7.1-37 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 7.1-37. Official song.

A. The song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia," by James A. Bland, as set out in the House Joint Resolution 10, adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia at the Session of 1940, is declared to be the official song emeritus of the Commonwealth.

B. The song "Virginia is for Lovers," by Thad Williams, as set out in the 1998 Acts of Assembly, is declared to be the official song of the Commonwealth.