New Hampshire Naturally!

"New Hampshire Naturally" is one of our state songs. Well, actually, it's one of the eight honorary NH State Songs. The official state song is "Old New Hampshire". New Hampshire, being the fiercely independent state that we are, has the unusual distinction of having nine state songs. How that came to be is rather interesting! Mt Washington Shot

The now "official" state song, "Old New Hampshire", was written in 1926 by an organist in a church in Manchester, NH. In 1949, the state Legislature adopted that song as our official song, however back in 1941, the Legislature had turned down this song. In 1963, a second state song was approved, then in 1973, a third state song was added. 1977 saw the addition of four more songs, with the final official song being determined by a drawing from a sealed envelope drawn by the wife of then Governor Meldrim Thomson.

We actually have a law on our books here in New Hampshire that created eight state songs, in New Hampshire's Revised Statutes Annotated. In 1983, the Legislature amended this law and added our final honorary state song, "New Hampshire Naturally".

Our Honorary State Songs are:

** "New Hampshire, My New Hampshire"
** "New Hampshire Hills"
** "Autumn in New Hampshire"
** "New Hampshire's Granite State"
** "Oh, New Hampshire You're My Home"
** "The Old Man of the Mountain"
** "The New Hampshire State March"
** "New Hampshire Naturally"

"New Hampshire Naturally" is probably the most famous of all the New Hampshire State Songs in that it was written and sung by The Shaw Brothers, Rick and Ron Shaw, of "I'd Like To Teach the World to Sing" fame as part of The Hillside Singers. This song came to be known as "The Coca Cola Song".

The words to our official NH State Song, "Old New Hampshire" --

"With a skill that knows no measure,
From the golden store of Fate
God, in His great love and wisdom, NH Lake and Moon Shining

Made the rugged Granite State;
Made the lakes, the fields, the forests;
Made the Rivers and the rills;
Made the bubbling, crystal fountains
Of New Hampshire's Granite Hills

Refrain:

Old New Hampshire, Old New Hampshire
Old New Hampshire Grand and Great
We will sing of Old New Hampshire,
Of the dear old Granite State

Builded he New Hampshire glorious
From the borders to the sea;
And with matchless charm and splendor
Blessed her for eternity.
Hers, the majesty of mountain;
Hers, the grandeur of the lake;
Hers, the truth as from the hillside
Whence her crystal waters break"

Portsmouth Lighthouse Shot

For more information on this great state of New Hampshire, check out other posts on my blog, and on my friends' blogs - Jay and Monika! As you'll be able to tell very quickly, we all just love living here, and you will as well if you ever come to visit! You'll want to make this home of ours a home for yourself!!

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