
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 1, 1994                   TAG: 9403010059
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

COMMITTEE APPROVES STATE SONG REVISIONS

A House of Delegates committee approved revisions to the state song Monday, the same day that a Georgia-based group launched an advertising campaign against the change.

The General Laws Committee endorsed, 15-2, a bill to change lyrics to "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" that some consider racially offensive. The bill sponsored by Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville, passed the Senate easily.

The bill changes the words "old darkey" to "old dreamer" and laboring for "old Massa" to laboring for "my loved ones."

An advertisement Monday in the Richmond Times-Dispatch called on Virginians to "Save the Virginia State Song!"

"Help us fight political correctness and preserve our Southern heritage," said the ad, placed by the Heritage Preservation Association, an Atlanta group that has fought efforts to remove Confederate symbols in other states.

Lee Collins, the group's president, said Virginians should vote in a referendum on changing the song. He said the group plans to place ads in other newspapers this week.

Gov. George Allen, who could have the last word on the song, told reporters he understands why some find it offensive.

"That's one of the reasons why it's hardly ever played," Allen said.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994

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