Maryland

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spot
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Maryland

Post by spot »

I was browsing the State Laws of Maryland yesterday, the way one does, and found a reference to Abraham Lincoln:The despot's heel is on thy shore. Maryland! My Maryland! His torch is at thy temple door. Maryland! My Maryland! Avenge the patriotic gore that flecked the streets of Baltimore and be the battle queen of yore, Maryland! My Maryland!I'm distressed to discover this historically significant item of legislation is to be changed this year for something more insipid.

She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb - Huzza! She spurns the Northern scum! She breathes! She burns! She'll come! She'll come! Maryland! My Maryland!

Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
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LarsMac
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Post by LarsMac »

spot;1498851 wrote: I was browsing the State Laws of Maryland yesterday, the way one does, and found a reference to Abraham Lincoln:The despot's heel is on thy shore. Maryland! My Maryland! His torch is at thy temple door. Maryland! My Maryland! Avenge the patriotic gore that flecked the streets of Baltimore and be the battle queen of yore, Maryland! My Maryland!I'm distressed to discover this historically significant item of legislation is to be changed this year for something more insipid.

She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb - Huzza! She spurns the Northern scum! She breathes! She burns! She'll come! She'll come! Maryland! My Maryland!




Both of those lines are part of the current state song. "Maryland, My Maryland"

The thing was written at the beginning of the American Civil War as a call for the state to secede from the Union.

Given that its secession would severely affect the North's ability to defend its capitol, Washington, DC, the North immediately occupied the state and prohibited its secession.

The song has now become a favorite of the Libertarians and Anti-gummint dolts. Though not many of them can seem to actually recall the words well enough to sign it.

And that line you ended with is one in particular the state wishes to discard in favor if something a little more civil.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
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Mark Aspam
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Maryland

Post by Mark Aspam »

The lyrics are historical. Maryland borders Washington DC and hundreds of government employees live in Maryland.

Can't imagine why England would be concerned about this.

P.S. A beloved Boy Scout song uses the same melody:

We live for you, we die for you,

National Embalming School.

We do our best to give you rest,

National Embalming School.

And, when you die, we'll dig a hole,

And bury you, so deep and cold

We live for you, we die for you,

National Embalming School
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spot
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Maryland

Post by spot »

Mark Aspam;1498866 wrote: The lyrics are historical.I may have misunderstood something. The Maryland government website law pages suggest the lyrics are current, the newspapers suggest the Maryland legislature is on the brink of making them historical by replacing them with anodyne pap.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
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Post by LarsMac »

spot;1498869 wrote: I may have misunderstood something. The Maryland government website law pages suggest the lyrics are current, the newspapers suggest the Maryland legislature is on the brink of making them historical by replacing them with anodyne pap.


The song was adopted by the state as the state song in 1939. not really certain the motivation at the time. Perhaps it was perceived as being anti-New Deal, or something.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
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spot
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Maryland

Post by spot »

As the Maryland government website so delicately phrases it, "The poem articulated Randall's Confederate sympathies".

This was in February:A Maryland House of Delegates committee burst into verse on Wednesday at a bill hearing about proposed changes to Maryland’s state song.

Sean Tully, a Baltimore resident who created a new version of the song “Maryland, My Maryland” by combining his own lyrics with the original song by James Ryder Randall and a poem by John T. White, was invited to sing his version.

And he did, with a chorus of delegates joining in on the familiar lines.

The performance was part of the most rousing bill hearing on the issue so far this General Assembly session. A similar hearing in the Senate last month came and went without so much as a hum.

Reviewing the list of state symbols I get the impression that there's a silly season, maybe mid-summer, when these legislative guys fling aside their inhibitions and collectively behave daft. Hence the notion of a Maryland State Reptile, or the promotion of Line Dancing as an officially recognized aspect of Maryland Culture.

I only looked in the first place because of the Jousting.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
Mark Aspam
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Maryland

Post by Mark Aspam »

spot;1498869 wrote: I may have misunderstood something. The Maryland government website law pages suggest the lyrics are currentLOL! I think that's called "splitting hairs". The lyrics are historical in origin.
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spot
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Maryland

Post by spot »

Perhaps we have another example of two versions of English.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
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LarsMac
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Post by LarsMac »

Mark Aspam;1498887 wrote: LOL! I think that's called "splitting hairs". The lyrics are historical in origin.


Well, the song may be historic, but the song is currently the "Official State Song" until the state legislature sees fit to change it.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
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spot
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Maryland

Post by spot »

But I can so far find no reference at all to why it was adopted in 1939. For a Democrat state (at the time) it had just had a rare Republican governor from 1935 to 1939, the 1934 Democrat having fallen out with FDR over, as you mentioned, the New Deal. But the timing suggests the state song was adopted during the Republican governor's term of office.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 04,2001967 is worth reeding. I definitely approve of the current state song. Few states have one written by a blatantly hormonal 22 year old and I doubt many more will ever be written with quite that bias and fervor. What's particularly pleasing is that though Americans think the tune is a Christmas hymn, to everyone in the UK it's called The Red Flag.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
User avatar
LarsMac
Posts: 13701
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:11 pm
Location: on the open road
Contact:

Maryland

Post by LarsMac »

spot;1498898 wrote: But I can so far find no reference at all to why it was adopted in 1939. For a Democrat state (at the time) it had just had a rare Republican governor from 1935 to 1939, the 1934 Democrat having fallen out with FDR over, as you mentioned, the New Deal. But the timing suggests the state song was adopted during the Republican governor's term of office.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 04,2001967 is worth reeding. I definitely approve of the current state song. Few states have one written by a blatantly hormonal 22 year old and I doubt many more will ever be written with quite that bias and fervor. What's particularly pleasing is that though Americans think the tune is a Christmas hymn, to everyone in the UK it's called The Red Flag.


I learned that tune from my Grandfather, in German, when I was very young. To me it will always be the Christmas tune in German. The English translation grates on my ears. The words of the State Songs remind me more of 'La Marseillaise'
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
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