The official song of the state of Georgia—Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind”—came into the public domain on January first, ninety-five years after the song was written. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece is here with a little history of the song—and what happened forty-six years ago, when its official state song status became law.

Ray Charles: 1930 - 2004 (Photo Courtesy of: rudecactus)

 

TRANSCRIPT:

Only one week ago, what I am about to do, right here on the public airwaves, would have gotten me in trouble with the law. But this week, I can read these seventy words for you without fear.

Are you ready? 

Georgia / Georgia / The whole day through / Just an old, sweet song / Keeps Georgia on my mind

Georgia / Georgia / A song of you / Comes as sweet and clear / As moonlight through the pines

Other arms reach out to me / Other eyes smile tenderly / Still, in peaceful dreams, I see / The road leads back to you

Georgia / Georgia / No peace I find / Just an old, sweet song / Keeps Georgia on my mind

I can read you the lyrics to Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind”—every word of them—because on January 1st that song, written in 1930, went into the public domain. That means anyone, including me, is now free to copy, arrange, perform, record, adapt, or interpolate—without permission or payment—the lyrics and melody of that immortal song.

And what a beautiful song it is. For the last forty-six years, it has been the official song of my home state of Georgia. Even though it was written by a guy from Indiana. Actually two guys from Indiana. Carmichael wrote the music, and his college roommate at Indiana University, Stuart Gorrell, wrote the lyrics. One story goes that the prompt to write a song about Georgia came from a saxophonist from Illinois named Frankie Trumbauer. Legend has it Trumbauer swore that nobody ever went broke writing a song about the South.

I get that. Southerners do get sentimental over songs about our region. Beginning with Hoagy’s own vocal performance of the song from ninety-five years ago…

MUSIC: Hoagy Carmichael - "Georgia On My Mind"

…hundreds of singers have recorded the song. 

But most Georgia people will tell you their favorite version is by a native of our state, Ray Charles. 

MUSIC: Ray Charles - "Georgia On My Mind"

In 1979, when the Georgia Legislature made it the official state song, Ray Charles showed up at the state capitol to play it live. When he finished, Secretary of State Ben Fortson, who had held that office for thirty-three years and would die of heart failure only two months later, thanked Charles on behalf of the state. 

Fortson told the pioneering musician that he, and I quote, “may have achieved here today something that nobody else has been able to do—to bring the minds and hearts of the Georgia Legislature together.”

Y’all come see us at SalvationSouth.com—and be sure to subscribe to The Salvation South Podcast

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Salvation South editor Chuck Reece comments on Southern culture and values in a weekly segment that airs on GPB Radio. Salvation South Deluxe is a series of longer Salvation South episodes which tell deeper stories of the Southern experience through the unique voices that live it. You can also find them here at GPB.org/Salvation-South and wherever you get your podcasts.