FEBRUARY 1, 1966
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News ,Atlanta Bureau
ATLANTA
- A state song for Georgia
with dreamy lyrics about watermelons, ttte
eaw of the ciow, sweet potatoes, marsh
hens and hound dogs is rea-dy for introduc-
tion in the state legislature.
The words of th€_ Georgia-flavored song
,.$ronr'fhe pen and fiano of ,savannah-born
Johnny Mercer arg' in answcr to a request
frorn''the""$tate,Jegislature and Gov" Carl E"
Sanders for a new state song,
Preparations wilt be made by Gov. Sanders for the official presentation sf the Mercer song to the General Assembly, reported
Chatham Rep. Willis J. Richardson. But in
the meantime Richardson is having 500 cop:
ies printed for distribution to the state legii-
There's much about Savannah in the song,
a reference to Tomo-chi-chl, ttie
Indian chief who greeted Oglethorpe.
Mercer sings about the moss, the old flat
bottom boats, the lazy rivers, oid plantation
tlf*, summer lightning, and barefoot para-
iuch as
dise.
The song:
"Georgia, Georgia, where do I start?
Words can sing ,but not like the heart;
there's no land in all this earth like the iand
of my birth.
(Chorus) j'Georgia, Georgia, eareless ye
yield, waterrnelons ripe in the fieid; pine
trees full of redbird song, river rollin' along"
"Georgia mighty when twilight is done,
smell of peaches long in the sur; ln:eeze
cornes blowin''
University of
Georgia glee elub to present the proposed
state song which, if its words are any indication, is as much like Georgia as syrup and
pancakes or grits for breakfast.
Richardson said the of ficial copy of ttre
Mercer song eame in the mail Monday afternoon from former Rep. Dan Sewell of Sa-
It was Sewell who authored the resolution inviting three-time Oscar winner
vannah.
Mercer to write the song.
The copy received by Richardson also iRcluded the music but n0 one lvas available to
play music Monday afternoon.
"From the words, it just sounds like Georgia and it must be a great one if the rnusic
sounds ut ' gos{i
lsaid.
,gs
'the
.
w.or,ds,'
' R ichardson
h the shade, like a eool
.
.::,:i-..:,.,::i-:.
:
(Chorus) "Georgia, Georgis, slolv and
deep, grownup voices sing you to sleep;
summer lightning in the sky, river rollin' on
by.
"Red clay hills and late standing eorn,
i what-cha
saY?'
'nGeorgia, Georgia"
i tCt orusigreen,
old man sury. '
lustr and
iffi nuinTing tire seeRe; old,
i
ii;G
d'oze wirTte
ehildren PlaY, in'
sparkle in the bright, frosty morn; pine cone
smoke curls on the breeze, tlrrough the
mocking bird,trees"
(Chorus) "Georgia, Georgia, crisp and
clear. sweet and bitter time of the year,
hound dogs bayin' througlr the eold, river
shinin' tike gold"
"Row the old flat bottom bateaux, low the
lazy eaw of
crow; see the marsh hens
we pass, whirrin' up throtrgh the grass.
'
"
a.
",:
v
.
,.
-
as
--
i
""rtrt*rus) "Georgia'
:unA'
Georgia,
wild, barefoot Parq{-
it*L*f
child; arhors fat with
iil];ia
river rollin'
p p e r n o fr
it *
8,
o
i aJong.
i
Georgla
"Seorgia,'watermelons
e
al'e-
riPe.. in
tuuu vi*id,
iirr* durd, will live mY long life
-t=qah,'with these memories of
!
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