Dancing Dakota

It all started with a posting on my blog back in July, when I was writing in praise of Chuck Suchy and his music. I said “My two favorites (of Chuck’s songs) surprisingly, are a couple of waltzes, “Saturday Night at the Hall” and “Dancing Dakota.”

That prompted a response from Tom Isern over in Fargo, he of “Plains Talk” fame, who wrote:

“So Jim, will you join a campaign to designate "Dancing Dakota" the new state song of North Dakota? I believe a waltz is the appropriate sort of song for a prairie state, and this one is just right.”

I wrote back that I agreed, but was nervous about finding a legislator who would introduce legislation to do that. After all, our North Dakota State Song, “North Dakota Hymn,” is embedded in Section 54-02-04 of the North Dakota Century Code (along with the State Bird, and the State Tree, and the State Fossil and the State Grass and the State Beverage, among other official things) and has been there for almost 90 years. There is also a North Dakota State March, “The Flickertail March,” designated in NDCC 54-02-09.

The North Dakota Hymn was written by our former Poet Laureate James Foley. In 1926 Minnie J. Nielson, North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, asked Foley to write the lyrics for a song about North Dakota. Foley created a poem that could be sung to the “The Austrian Hymn.” Dr. C. S. Putnam, conductor of the North Dakota Agricultural College Band in Fargo, arranged music for Foley's work. The first public presentation of the “North Dakota Hymn” was in the Bismarck City Auditorium in 1927.

Frankly, that was probably one of the last times it was performed in public. First, it’s not a very good song—oh, the lyrics are patriotic enough, but very 1920-ish—and second, there probably weren’t 40 Austrians in the entire state, so why we chose their tune was a mystery. Maybe Minnie and Foley and the Legislature just figured there weren’t enough Austrians around to object to us stealing their melody.

I can honestly say I have never heard it. Or if I did, it did not make enough of an impression on me to register. It wasn’t part of the repertoire of the Hettinger High School Band when I was there. So I certainly wouldn’t have a problem “joining a campaign” to change it. Except that my record at trying to get official things changed is pretty dismal.

So I did a little research. And I found out some very interesting things. Most of all, it is not unusual for states to have a number of official state songs. There are official State Waltzes, State Polkas, State Hymns, State Anthems, State Folk songs, and even a State Rock Song.

So I suggested to Tom that perhaps we should just ease into this by trying to get “Dancing Dakota” designated the Official North Dakota State Waltz. Who could be opposed to that?

I called Chuck Suchy. He really didn’t want any part of another one of my schemes, but would not object to us seeking such a designation. And Tom said, “What the heck? Why not?” So we’re off.

A few weeks later, I mentioned this to a friend of mine, State Senator Connie Triplett of Grand Forks. And she thought it was a great idea! I mentioned it to another friend of mine, State Senator Tim Mathern of Fargo, and he agreed. (Tim, coincidentally, was the Senator who introduced the bill to change the name of North Dakota to just Dakota back in 1989. He’s a fearless soul.)

So I guess we’re going to do that. I wish I could play the whole song for you right here on my blog, but we don’t have an mp3 available (although Chuck told me last night he’d work on that). But you can listen to the first few bars of it here. And Chuck was nice enough to send me the lyrics, which I’ll include at the end of this post. If anybody out there knows how to make an mp3 and put it on YouTube, we can use my CD, and we could all really appreciate the song. Otherwise you’re just going to have to buy the CD, or come by my house and listen to it.

I know, I know, some of you are just itching to say “But Jim, it’s called ‘Dancing Dakota,’ not ‘Dancing North Dakota.’ You trying to pull something here?”

Don’t worry, it’s okay. I’ll tell you why. State songs come in all colors and flavors. For example:

North Carolina’s state song is “The Old North State,” and the lyrics never mention “North Carolina”—in fact Carolina is only mentioned once, but it’s a pretty good song.

One of Florida’s official state songs is “Old Folks At Home” (better known as “Way Down Upon The Swanee River”) and doesn’t mention Florida at all. Same with “You Are My Sunshine,” the state song of Louisiana.

“Home On The Range” is the official state song of Kansas—no mention of the state though.

Washington’s State Folk Song is “Roll On, Columbia, Roll On” by Woody Guthrie. The Legislature discussed, but never passed, adopting a State Rock Song: “Louie, Louie” written by Richard Berry and made famous by The Kingsmen back in the ‘60’s.

Ohio, though, did adopt a State Rock Song, “Hang On Sloopy,” by the McCoys (you’ve got to be my age to remember them). The McCoys were originally from Dayton, Ohio. In 1985, the Ohio General Assembly approved "Hang on Sloopy" as Ohio's Official Rock Song after Joe Dirck, a columnist for the Columbus Citizen-Journal, wrote a column about the State of Washington considering the adoption of its own rock song. The Ohio General Assembly responded by making "Hang on Sloopy" Ohio's rock song. Ohio is the only state to have an Official Rock Song.

The resolution adopted by the Ohio Legislature read, in part:

"WHEREAS, "Hang On Sloopy" is of particular relevance to members of the Baby Boom Generation, who were once dismissed as a bunch of long-haired, crazy kids, but who now are old enough and vote in sufficient numbers to be taken quite seriously"

and

"WHEREAS, Adoption of this resolution will not take too long, cost the state anything, or affect the quality of life in this state to any appreciable degree, and if we in the legislature just go ahead and pass the darn thing, we can get on with more important stuff. . . . ."

"Hang on Sloopy" is now also the official song of the Major League Baseball team the Cleveland Indians who play at Progressive Field (no, the name has nothing to do with the political affiliation of the city, the team or its owners—naming rights were sold to the Progressive Insurance Company, so all you conservatives can just take a deep breath and relax) Cleveland Ohio. The song is played during the middle of the 8th inning. You can read House Concurrent Resolution of the 116th General Assembly of Ohio in its entirety, and also read the Lyrics to “Hang On Sloopy,” by going here.

There are a lot of seriously great state songs, many of them well known nationally, such as “Rocky Top” and “The Tennessee Waltz” in Tennessee, “The Arkansas Traveler” in Arkansas, “Rocky Mountain High” in Colorado, “Georgia On My Mind” in Georgia, “My Old Kentucky Home” in Tennessee, “Oklahoma” from the musical of the same name in Oklahoma, “Carry Me Back To Old Virginny” in Virginia and “Yankee Doodle” in Connecticut.

No doubt folks in those states are proud of their state songs (okay, we’ll forgive Connecticut). But I doubt there’s more than a handful of North Dakotans who can sing the North Dakota Hymn. Now “Dancing Dakota,” there’s a song to be proud of.

I think Connie’s going to get this done. I think she’ll find lots of co-sponsors, and lots of Senators and Representatives who like to waltz, especially to Chuck Suchy’s music. Here are the lyrics. It’s such great poetry. I hope you can hear the music soon, if you haven’t.

DANCING DAKOTA

Chuck Suchy copyright 1989

The music is calling

quiet and clear

A voice gently falling

on the listening ear

It calls from the river

the wind and the trees

It calls I know you

do you know me?

For I am a dancer

I am the dance

I am a dreamer

living romance

I am all ages

timeless I be

I am Dakota

please dance with me

Chorus:

Dance Dakota

far as you see

Dance and the

spirit renew

Dance Dakota

long may we be

Dancing Dakota

with you

I am the magic

of mid-winter night

I am the warmth

of Spring morning bright

The aura of Autumn

in quiet repose

A sunset of Summer

a wild prairie rose

I've been dancing

thousands of years

Many for partners

I dance joy and tears

Flags o'er me flown

I've given the chance

I am Dakota

may I please have this dance

Chorus

I dance with the sun

I dance with the rain

I dance with the one's

who come home again

I dance with justice

with dignity

I am Dakota

please dance with me .

Chorus