Grand State Of Maine

Album: State Songs (1939)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Grand State Of Maine" is the Official State Song of the, er, Grand State of Maine! It was written by Roger Vinton Snow (1890-1952) - who was a lawyer rather than a musician by profession - and was adopted as the State Song in 1939.
    The song itself is similar in content to the Welsh National Anthem "Land Of My Fathers" but obviously not as moving lyrically, because there was an attempt by a State legislator to have it replaced. What happened next was related by Roger Vinton Snow Junior in a 1999 interview with two researchers from Bates College:

    "When I was in the Senate, somebody in the House didn't like the State of Maine Song and thought we should have a different State of Maine Song. So there was a bill introduced to do something about a new State of Maine Song. And Herbert Payson, Charles' brother, was in the House when I was in the senate. He was a Republican and I was Democrat. He said, 'Did you see this bill, Roger?' I says, 'No.' And he says, 'Well.' I says, 'I can't go; I've got, to the hearing. Would you go?' And he went and he got up and said, 'Did you know that the father of the chairman of the Education Committee wrote this song?' And the sponsor dropped his bill. That was all that was necessary; an exercise of power. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

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