Florida (1935)
Florida
Florida is HOT, but the temperature and humidity are no worse than in Washington D.C. where I grew up. But, the summer in North Florida lasts from May to October, rather than say, June to September. The last day I was able to comfortabley swim in a pool was October 12.
Florida does have BUGS. But some of them are given creative names like waterbugs and palmetto bugs so that you hardly think of them as ROACHES. Yeah right, yuck.But, let's face it, those suckers are everywhere and they are the only living thing that will survive a nuclear winter. Props to them.
(How's THAT for looking on the bright side?)
note: I'm sorry, I couldn't bring myself to add photos of an actual roach, so here is a picture of Jack and Rosario Roach.
Florida does have ALLIGATORS. I often comment that Florida should have been left to the alligators; you know, perhaps people were not meant to live in Florida...? However, if people would stop treating them as pets and releasing them into man made ponds near where I live, I'd be a lot more fond of alligators as a whole. (Stop thinking they will be good pets, y'all!)
Florida does have HURRICANES.Hmm...the entire east coast and the gulf coast ALSO experience hurricanes. We can't all live in Kansas. (Did someone say, "Toto?") Florida deals with them somewhat better than a few other states. That's a small comfort. People put up with the hurricanes in Florida because the winters are so perfect.
Florida does have DEVELOPERS. Unfortunately, all of the great beach areas of our country do, and it's a shame what so many greedy builders and developers will do to make a profit.
I can speak to this even though we just built a new home less than two years ago near a nature preserve. Now, some idiot neighbors want to bulldoze our "back forty" because they won't build a fence, or they don't like us, or Floridians care too much about lawns, or whatever the reason, the net result makes Pat homeless.
Andrea, sums up her feelings about her home state and Ilyka touches on a related point about sexism that's worth reading about regarding a "Florida" post from American Digest. Okay, Gerard...we get it...please turn to the guy pointing the gun to your head and tell him you never want to go back to Florida!
To sum up, I feel qualified to make a few final comments both as a resident of Florida and a musician.
Something definitely happened in 1935 when the Florida state song, "Florida, My Florida" was replaced by "Swanee River" (or, Old Folks at Home) Ummmmm....hello??!!
Judge for yourself:
Florida, My Florida
Written by Rev Dr. C. V. Waugh
Land of my birth, bright sunkissed land,
Florida, my Florida.
Laded by the Gulf and Ocean grand,
Florida, my Florida.
Of all the States in East or West,
Unto my heart thou art the best
Here may I live, here may I rest
Florida, my Florida.
The golden fruit the world outshines
Florida, my Florida,
Thy gardens and thy phosphate mines,
Florida, my Florida,
In country, town, or hills and dells,
Florida, my Florida,
The rythmic chimes of the school bells
Florida, my Florida,
Will call thy children day by day
To learn to walk the patriot's way
Firmly to stand for thee for aye
Florida, my Florida.
Yield their rich store of good supply,
To still the voice of hunger's cry
For thee we'll live, for thee we'll die
Florida, my Florida.
NOW FOR..... SWANEE RIVER
The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)
Written by Stephen C. Foster
Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.
Chorus
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb-rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!
2nd verse
All round de little farm I wandered
When I was young,
Den many happy days I squandered,
Many de songs I sung.
When I was playing wid my brudder
Happy was I;
Oh, take me to my kind old mudder!
Dere let me live and die.
3rd Verse
One little hut among de bushes,
One dat I love
Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where I rove.
When will I see de bees a-humming
All round de comb?
When will I hear de banjo strumming,
Down in my good old home?
My opinion...
COME ON, there's NO CONTEST. Sheesh. I mean, truely, what was the motive for changing it to this minstrel song? It's a song in part about a river that DIVIDES Florida (the panhandle from the rest of the state.) Who wants a state song about division of any kind? Yet, SO WHAT, the Suwannee River might be important geographically even geologically, I'm guessing that couldn't have been the motivation to make this the state song. Plus, Foster never even visited Florida. When he wrote the song, he chose "Swanee" because the two syllable cadence fit nicely with the tune! I can think of another two syllables that would fit: sink hole. Guess we'll call ourselves lucky that Foster never actually visited the Sunshine state.
Who's itching to start a petition?
