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VOICE 1:
Almost every state in America has an official song. However,songwriters have written many beautiful, unofficial songs todescribe the state they love best.
I’m Shirley Griffith.
VOICE 2:
And I’m Steve Ember. We play songs about American states on ourreport today on the VOA Special English program, this is America.
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VOICE 1:
One of the most famous songs aboutan American state is from the Broadway musical play “Oklahoma!”Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote it innineteen-forty-three. The play is about farmers and cowboys livingin a territory in the American West in the early nineteen-hundreds.At the end of the play, they celebrate when their territory becomesa state. Here, Nelson Eddy sings “Oklahoma”:
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VOICE 2:
Texas is America’s second largest state in land area. It isfamous for oil wells, cattle, and cowboys. Many people believe thateverything is bigger, better, and brighter in Texas. Songwritershave written more songs about Texas than about any other state. BobWills sings one of them here. It is called “Deep in the Heart ofTexas”:
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VOICE 1:
Many people think America’s southern states have a special beautyand history. And there are more songs about southern states thanabout states in any other part of the country. One of the mostbeautiful is about the state of Georgia. It is called “Georgia on myMind. ” Hoagy Carmichael wrote it. Ray Charles made it famous.
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VOICE 2:
In the early nineteen-seventies, John Denver wrote and performedmany popular songs. Two were about the states he liked best. Bothhave tall mountains. One state is West Virginia, which is actuallyin the eastern part of the country.
John Denver said West Virginia is so beautiful that it is “almostheaven.” Here he sings “Take Me Home, Country Roads”:
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VOICE 1:
John Denver also loved the westernstate of Colorado, because of the Rocky Mountains there. He singsabout a young man who discovers the mountains of Colorado. Theexperience changes his life. The song is called “Rocky MountainHigh”:
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VOICE 2:
Many people love the states in the northeastern United States.This is the area called New England. These states are especiallybeautiful in autumn when the leaves on the trees change from green… to yellow … red … and orange. They also are beautiful inwinter when the land is covered with snow.
Here Billie Holiday sings about the beauty of one New Englandstate in the song, “Moonlight in Vermont”:
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VOICE 1:
Some people love the state of New York best. Of course, manypeople want to live in the nation’s biggest and most exciting city,New York. Yet others love the rest of the state, too, better thanany other place. Carmen McRae sings about this in the song, “NewYork State of Mind”:
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VOICE 2:
We do not want to forget America’s middle western states, eventhough there are not as many songs about them. There is one popularsong about the middle-western state of Indiana. It is called “BackHome Again in Indiana.” Errol garner plays it:
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VOICE 1:
This program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced anddirected by Lawan Davis. I’m Shirley Griffith.
VOICE 2:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English program,this is America.