Senate: Altered state song OK, new anthem, too

BY BREANNE GILPATRICK

bgilpatrick@MiamiHerald.com

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida would have both a new state anthem and a revised state song -- one without the racially offensive lyrics that had brought it under fire -- with a plan approved Thursday by the state Senate.

Senators unanimously approved the compromise proposal to remove the controversial language from Florida's state song Old Folks at Home and declare that a new song by a South Florida school teacher would become the new state anthem.

Originally, black lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist wanted to entirely replace Old Folks at Home -- also known as Swanee River -- because of its mention of ''darkies,'' the ''old plantation'' and its minstrel-show origins.

But because some North and Central Florida lawmakers wanted the old song kept, legislators agreed to change the lyrics and make Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky the new anthem.

''I'm a little disappointed,'' Crist said. ``There's a reason I didn't play this at my inauguration.''

Since 1935, Old Folks at Home has been Florida's state song. It was written in 1851 by Stephen Foster, who misspelled the name of the Suwannee. The revised lyrics come from the Center for American Music at the University of Pittsburgh.

The new anthem was written by Pompano Beach school teacher Jan Hinton and was chosen by more than 8,000 voters. Sen. Tony Hill, a Jacksonville Democrat, kicked off the search for a new state song last year.

Senators said they were happy to at least scrap the offensive language in the old song.

''I think it brings a lot of relief to the people of the state of Florida,'' said Sen. Frederica Wilson, a Miami Democrat. ``I'm just so glad this is taking place.''

The proposal now heads to the House.

Miami Herald staff writer Marc Caputo contributed to this report.