2021 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
Title 49 - State Administration
§155. State song
RS 155 - State song
A. The official state song for the state of Louisiana shall be the musical composition with words and music by Jimmy H. Davis and Charles Mitchell, entitled "You Are My Sunshine"; the words reading as follows:
Verses:
The other night, dear
As I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear
I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried;
I'll always love you
And make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me
To love another
You'll regret it all some day;
You told me once, dear
You really loved me
And no one else could come between
But now you've left me
And love another
You have shattered all my dreams;
Louisiana my Louisiana
the place where I was borne.
White fields of cotton
--green fields of clover,
the best fishing
and long tall corn;
Crawfish gumbo and jambalaya
the biggest shrimp and sugar cane,
the finest oysters
and sweet strawberries
from Toledo Bend to New Orleans;
Chorus:
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are grey
You'll never know dear
How much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away.
B. The official state cultural song for the state of Louisiana shall be the musical composition with words and music by Allen Toussaint, entitled "Southern Nights", which was inspired by Allen Toussaint's time spent in Terrebonne Parish; the words reading as follows:
Southern nights
Have you ever felt a Southern night?
Free as a breeze
Not to mention the trees
Whistling tunes that you know and love so
Southern nights
Just as good even when closed your eyes
I apologize
To any one who can truly say
That he's found a better way
Southern skies
Have you ever noticed southern skies?
Its precious beauty
Lies just beyond the eye
It goes running through the soul
Like the stories told of old
Old man
He and his dog that walk the old land
Every flower touched his cold hand
As he slowly walked by
Weeping willows would cry for joy
Joy
Feels so good
Feels so good it's frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
La-da-da-da-da, da-la-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da
Mystery
Like this and many others
In the trees
Blow in the night
In the southern skies
Southern nights
They feel so good it's frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
Da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da...
Amended by Acts 1970, No. 431, §1; Acts 1977, No. 540, §1; Acts 2021, No. 471, §1.
1On authority of R.S. 24:253, the music has been omitted from the Revised Statutes.
