Oregon State Song Updated to Remove Racist Language

By Associated Press ^ | June 7, 2021

[ConservativeStatement]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Legislature has approved changes to the lyrics of Oregon’s state song to remove racist language and make the lyrics more inclusive.

House Concurrent Resolution 11, approved Monday by a vote of 47-6, modifies the lyrics, while keeping the same music of “Oregon, My Oregon.” If reflects the “significant cultural, historical, economic and societal evolution in Oregon” since the state song was adopted in 1927, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

[Jeff Chandler]

Oregon, My Oregon Lyrics

Words by J.A. Buchanan
Music by Henry B. Murtagh

Land of the Empire Builders, Land of the Golden West;
Conquered and held by free men, Fairest and the best.
On-ward and upward ever, Forward and on, and on;
Hail to thee, Land of the Heroes, My Oregon.

Land of the rose and sunshine, Land of the summer’s breeze;
Laden with health and vigor, Fresh from the western seas.
Blest by the blood of martyrs, Land of the setting sun;
Hail to thee, Land of Promise, My Oregon.

Copyright: Lyrics © Original Writer and Publisher

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/statesongslyrics/oregonstatesonglyrics.html

[Dr. Pritchett]

Idiots. I noticed the story doesn’t even contain the old lyrics and the new. They must be so ashamed of their own progressivism. To hell with them.

[plain talk]

The lyrics weren’t racist by my read.

[a fool in paradise]

>>The first verse, which referred to Oregon as “conquered and held by free men; fairest and the best,” was replaced with new lyrics emphasizing Oregon’s natural beauty and “rolling rivers.” There are other small changes throughout.

An admission that oregonians are no longer free and shouldn’t celebrate such notions?

>> “fairest.” ... The word is a cognate of Old Saxon fagar, meaning beautiful, pretty or peaceful. Since the days of the historian Bede, in the early 700s, it was used to mean good-looking.May 18, 2014

Is this term racist?

[Jeff Chandler]

Here are the new lyrics in full:

Land of Majestic Mountains

Land of the Great Northwest

Forests and rolling rivers

Grandest and the best

Onward and upward ever

Forward and on, and on

Hail to thee, Land of Heroes,

My Oregon

Land of the rose and sunshine

Land of the summer’s breeze

Laden with health and vigor

Fresh from the Western seas

Blessed by the love of freedom

Land of the setting sun

Hail to thee, Land of Promise,

My Oregon

[X180A]

If they are changing the line “conquered and held by free men; fairest and the best” it should be replaced with “conquered by ANTIFA; we kneel at their behest”.

[ConservativeStatement]

Here is another account.

https://forward.com/culture/471056/oregon-racist-state-song-jewish-teacher/

Thankfully, as of Tuesday, there are new lyrics. Amy Donna Shapiro, an Oregon resident and musician specializing in traditional Jewish music, has updated the words while keeping the original tune. “Land of Majestic Mountains,” it now opens, and “blood of martyrs” is now “land of freedom.”

Few Oregonians today know the song, but it still led government meetings and made occasional appearances at sports games and other similar events; Shapiro told me she hopes it will be taught in schools again, now that the words are no longer offensive.

Shapiro first encountered the song when she was asked to teach it to her students 30 years ago, at the Portland Jewish Academy, where she was the choir director. She felt uncomfortable with it at the time, and has been pushing for years to change the words.

“I did not want to teach the children to sing about the blood of martyrs,” Shapiro said in a podcast interview with OregonLive. “It’s especially difficult in a Jewish school when there are martyrs all over the world who call themselves martyrs for attacking Jews.”

[a fool in paradise]

Maybe the word conquered set them off.

Has the Cortez woman apologized for using her Conquistador name yet?

[Bloodandgravy]

[a fool in paradise]

>> and “blood of martyrs” is now “land of freedom.”

Figured the world martyrs might set them off.

Was there much violent bloodshed in settling the land of Oregon?

[Vendome]

color me confused...

[Scrambler Bob]

Why in He77 was the Spotted Owl omitted!!!

I am offended!

[beethovenfan]

They replaced “onward and upward” with “backward and downward” to celebrate
progress toward mediocrity.

[Peter ODonnell]

I’m woke and I toke, and in forest fires I choke,

My father was a lady and my mother was a bloke,

Have a nice craft beer, and some mushrooms that taste queer,

And we all might live to see tomorrow.

[No_Mas_Obama]

Excellent - conquered by ANTIFA or just “the Deep State”.

[JennysCool]

and “blood of martyrs” is now “land of freedom.”

I have no problem with that change, or really any of the changes mentioned. This seems to be a rare case where a new version actually improves on the old one. The earlier version seems a bit dark to me, but the new version's lyrics that Jeff Chandler posted seem proud and hopeful.

[Tax-chick]

Was there much violent bloodshed in settling the land of Oregon?

Yes, quite a bit.

https://www.nps.gov/whmi/index.htm

[Fresh Wind]

I expected a rap version.

[Chode]

how dare you print such vulgarity?

i’m reporting you to management!!!