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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 8, 1994                   TAG: 9402080182
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

SENATE NEARLY IN UNISON FOR REVISED STATE SONG

For years, racially offensive words in "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" have outraged African Americans, embarrassed politicians and led to an unofficial ban of the song at state functions.

All that may be changing, however. The Senate voted 35-2 to strip the charged words from the song and replace them with uncontroversial language.

Although there have been many attempts in the past to reword or change the state song, Monday was the first time that such an effort has been approved by a legislative chamber. The bill now advances to the House for consideration.

The patron of the bill, Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville, proposed changing only a few words to the 119-year-old song, which is about a slave's desire to return to his birthplace in Virginia.

Two lyrics that say "There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go," would be changed to "There's where this old dreamer's heart has longed to go."

The Senate also agreed alter a reference to "old Massa" to "my loved ones," change another reference to "Massa" to "Mama," and change the word "Missis" to "Papa."

The new lyrics were approved without debate. Marye was ecstatic. "It's about time we had a state song that all the children could sing without offending anyone," he said.

The original song was written by a black man - James Bland, an acclaimed minstrel singer of the 19th century. It became the state song in 1940.

In recent years, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" has been the stuff of controversy. Former Gov. Douglas Wilder began his political career by railing against the song in his maiden address as a state senator in 1970.

In 1986, a few lawmakers failed to convince the General Assembly to adopt completely new lyrics to the song. A year later, a legislative subcommittee toured the state holding auditions for anyone who could write a new song in hearings reminiscent of "The Ted Mack Amateur Hour."

Voting against the bill were Minority Leader Joseph Benedetti, R-Richmond, and Sen. Kevin Miller, R-Harrisonburg.

"At the time the song was originally written, the lyrics were not racially charged," Benedetti said. "Have we become so narrowly focused that we can no longer accept a song of antiquity?"

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994