HLS 21RS-123 REENGROSSED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 351
BY REPRESENTATIVES PIERRE, AMEDEE, BRYANT, ROBBY CARTER, WILFORD
CARTER, COX, DUPLESSIS, FREEMAN, GREEN, HARRIS, HUGHES, TRAVIS
JOHNSON, JONES, GREGORY MILLER, NEWELL, SEABAUGH, SELDERS,
STAGNI, WHITE, AND WILLARD
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
STATE SYMBOL: Designates the song "Southern Nights" by Allen Toussaint as the
official state cultural song
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 49:155(A) and (B), relative to state symbols; to designate
3 "Southern Nights" by Allen Toussaint as the official state cultural song; and to
4 provide for related matters.
5Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 49:155(A) and (B) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
7follows:
8 ยง155.7. State song
9 A. The official state song for the State of Louisiana shall be a musical
10 composition, with words and music by Doralice Fontane, entitled: "Give Me
11 Louisiana"; the words and music
1
reading as follows:
12 Give me Louisiana,
13 The state where I was born
14 The state of snowy cotton,
15 The best I've ever known;
16 A state of sweet magnolias
17 And creole melodies
18 Oh give me Louisiana,
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1 The state where I was born
2 Oh what sweet old mem'ries
3 The mossy old oaks bring
4 It brings us the story of our Evangeline
5 A state of old tradition,
6 Of old plantation days
7 Makes good old Louisiana
8 The sweetest of all states.
9 Give me Louisiana,
10 A state prepared to share
11 That good old southern custom,
12 Hospitality so rare;
13 A state of fruit and flowers,
14 Of sunshine and spring showers
15 Oh give me Louisiana,
16 The state where I was born
17 Its woodlands, Its marshes
18 Where humble trappers live
19 Its rivers, Its valleys,
20 A place to always give
21 A state where work is pleasure,
22 With blessings in full measure
23 Makes good old Louisiana
24 The dearest of all states.
25 Give me Louisiana,
26 Where love birds always sing
27 In shady lanes or pastures,
28 The cowbells softly ring;
29 The softness of the sunset
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1 Brings peace and blissful rest
2 Oh give me Louisiana,
3 The state where I was born
4 The smell of sweet clover
5 Which blossoms ev'rywhere
6 The fresh new mown hay
7 Where children romp and play
8 A state of love and laughter,
9 A state for all here after
10 Makes good old Louisiana
11 The grandest of all states.
12 B. A. The official state song for the state of Louisiana shall also be the
13 musical composition with words and music by Jimmy H. Davis and Charles
14 Mitchell, entitled "You Are My Sunshine"; the words reading as follows:
15 Verses:
16 The other night, dear
17 As I lay sleeping
18 I dreamed I held you in my arms
19 When I awoke, dear
20 I was mistaken
21 And I hung my head and cried;
22 I'll always love you
23 And make you happy
24 If you will only say the same
25 But if you leave me
26 To love another
27 You'll regret it all some day;
28 You told me once, dear
29 You really loved me
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1 And no one else could come between
2 But now you've left me
3 And love another
4 You have shattered all my dreams;
5 Louisiana my Louisiana
6 the place where I was borne.
7 White fields of cotton
8 --green fields of clover,
9 the best fishing
10 and long tall corn;
11 Crawfish gumbo and jambalaya
12 the biggest shrimp and sugar cane,
13 the finest oysters
14 and sweet strawberries
15 from Toledo Bend to New Orleans;
16 Chorus:
17 YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
18 My only sunshine
19 You make me happy
20 When skies are grey
21 You'll never know dear
22 How much I love you
23 Please don't take my sunshine away.
24 B. The official state cultural song for the state of Louisiana shall be the
25 musical composition with words and music by Allen Toussaint, entitled "Southern
26 Nights", which was inspired by Allen Toussaint's time spent in Terrebonne Parish;
27 the words reading as follows:
28 Southern nights
29 Have you ever felt a Southern night?
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1 Free as a breeze
2 Not to mention the trees
3 Whistling tunes that you know and love so
4 Southern nights
5 Just as good even when closed your eyes
6 I apologize
7 To any one who can truly say
8 That he's found a better way
9 Southern skies
10 Have you ever noticed southern skies?
11 It's precious beauty
12 Lies just beyond the eye
13 It goes running through the soul
14 Like the stories told of old
15 Old man
16 He and his dog that walk the old land
17 Every flower touched his cold hand
18 As he slowly walked by
19 Weeping willows would cry for joy
20 Joy
21 Feels so good
22 Feels so good it's frightening
23 Wish I could
24 Stop this world from fighting
25 La-da-da-da-da, da-la-da-da-da-da
26 Da-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da
27 Mystery
28 Like this and many others
29 In the trees
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1 Blow in the night
2 In the southern skies
3 Southern nights
4 They feel so good it's frightening
5 Wish I could
6 Stop this world from fighting
7 Da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da
8 Da-da-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da...
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 351 Reengrossed 2021 Regular Session Pierre
Abstract: Provides for the official state cultural song entitled "Southern Nights" by Allen
Toussaint.
Proposed law designates "Southern Nights", a musical composition with lyrics and music
by Allen Toussaint, as the official state cultural song.
(Adds R.S. 49:155.7)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Change "Southern Nights" from a state song to a state cultural song.
2. Remove "Give Me Louisiana" as a state song.
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