The Song “Georgia On My Mind” by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael Is The State Song Of Georgia. It Was adopted as the official state song of Georgia in 1979 (replacing “Georgia” by Robert Loveman and Mrs. Lollie Belle Wylie). Ray Charles, a native Singer of Georgia, recorded a version that went to No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100. On March 7, 1979, in a symbol of reconciliation in the aftermath of years of activism and national legislation resulting from the Civil Rights Movement, Hoagy Carmichael performed the State Song Of Georgia before the Georgia General Assembly.
After this performance, the Assembly adopted it as Georgia State Song. The Georgia State Song has been asserted that Hoagy Carmichael wrote the song about his sister Named Georgia. But Carmichael wrote in his second autobiography Sometimes I Wonder that saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer told him he should write a State Song Of Georgia Or About Georgia. He jokingly volunteered the first two words, “Georgia, Georgia…”, which Carmichael ended up using while working on the song with his roommate, Stuart Gorrell, who wrote the lyrics.
Gorrell’s name was absent from the copyright, but Carmichael sent him royalty checks anyway. Carmichael recorded Georgia State Song “Georgia on My Mind” with Bix Beiderbecke on cornet Eddie Lang on guitar, Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet, and Charles Winters on double bass on September 15, 1930, in New York City. This was part of Beiderbecke’s last recording session.
Georgia on My Mind
Written by: Stuart Gorrell
Composed by: Hoagy Carmichael
Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.
Georgia, Georgia, a song of you
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines.
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still, in peaceful dreams, I see
The road leads back to you.
Georgia, Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.
Melodies bring memories
That linger in my heart
Make me think of Georgia
Why did we ever part?
Some sweet day when blossoms fall
And all the world’s a song
I’ll go back to Georgia
‘Cause that’s where I belong.