"Wyoming" is the
state song
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
of
Wyoming
Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
. Judge
Charles Edwin Winter (1870–1948) wrote the words during the summer of 1903, and Earle R. Clemens (1878–1943) wrote music to it soon thereafter. They copyrighted the song in 1913 and the Wyoming Publishing Company in
Casper published it that same year and the song became the unofficial Wyoming state song. Clemens was a newspaper editor for the ''Grand Encampment Herald'', the newspaper of
Grand Encampment, Wyoming.
In 1920, George Edwin Knapp (1886–1967) composed a new melody for
Judge Winter's poem. He copyrighted and published it through Richter Music Company of
Casper. The song was adopted as the official state song on February 15, 1955.
Knapp — a baritone singer and choral conductor — was professor of voice and director of the music department
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...
from 1920 to 1930.
History
Governor
Fenimore Chatterton has been credited as the first to announce "Wyoming" as the official state song, during a 1903 convention in
Sheridan of the State Industrial Association. The song was later endorsed as the official song by the state press association, state industrial convention, and the state university, then Wyoming State University.
Extant published versions
* "Wyoming", lyrics by
Winter
Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
, music by Knapp,
Casper: Bailey School Supply (1925);
* "Wyoming" ("In the Far and Mighty West"), march song, lyrics by
Winter
Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
, music by Knapp,
Casper: Richter Music (1920);
Lyrics
: ''In the far and mighty West,''
: ''Where the crimson sun seeks rest,''
: ''There's a growing splendid state that lies above,''
: ''On the breast of this great land;''
: ''Where the massive Rockies stand,''
: ''There's Wyoming young and strong, the State I love!''
: ''In the flowers wild and sweet,''
: ''Colors rare and perfumes meet;''
: ''There's the columbine so pure, the daisy too,''
: ''Wild the rose and red it springs,''
: ''White the button and its rings,''
: ''Thou art loyal for they're red and white and blue.''
: ''Where thy peaks with crowned head,''
: ''Rising until the sky they wed,''
: ''Sit like snow queens ruling wood and stream and plain;''
: '' 'Neath thy granite bases deep,''
: '' 'Neath thy bosom's broadened sweep,''
: ''Lie the riches that have gained and brought thee fame.''
: ''Other treasures thou dost hold,''
: ''Men and women thou dost mould;''
: ''True and earnest are the lives that thou dost raise,''
: ''Strength thy children thou dost teach,''
: ''Nature's truth thou givest to each,''
: ''Free and noble are thy workings and thy ways.''
: ''In the nation's banner free''
: ''There's one star that has for me''
: ''A radiance pure and a splendor like the sun;''
: ''Mine it is, Wyoming's star''
: ''Home it leads me near or far;''
: ''O Wyoming! All my heart and love you've won!''
: Chorus
: ''Wyoming, Wyoming! Land of the sunlight clear!''
: ''Wyoming, Wyoming! Land that we hold so dear!''
: ''Wyoming, Wyoming! Precious art thou and thine!''
: ''Wyoming, Wyoming! Beloved state of mine.
''
References
External links
Wyoming Roundup
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyoming (Song)
1903 songs
Music of Wyoming
Songs based on poems
Symbols of Wyoming
United States state songs
Songs about Wyoming