Notes:
Look over state song of Massachusetts and place the 15 correct words in the blanks.
"All Hail to Massachusetts" by Arthur J. Marsh
All hail to Massachusetts, the land of the !
For and Charlestown, and flag we love to wave:
For Lexington and , and the heard 'round the world;
All hail to Massachusetts, we'll keep her flag unfurled.
She stands upright for freedom's light that shines from :
All hail to Massachusetts!
Our country 'tis of thee!
All hail to grand old , the home of the and the cod!
Where Pilgrims found a landing and gave their thanks to God.
A land of opportunity in the good old U.S.A.
Where men , and people come to stay.
Don't , but learn to court her industry and :
All hail to grand old Bay State!
The land of pride!
All hail to Massachusetts, renowned in the !
How proudly wave her banners with her name!
In unity and brotherhood, sons and daughters go hand in hand:
All hail to Massachusetts, there is !
It's .
All hail to Massachusetts!
All hail! All hail! All hail!
Your Options
[free and the brave][no finer land][live long and prosper][Bay State][emblazoned][M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S][shot][Concord][Hall of Fame][bean][sea to sea][Pilgrim's][sell her short][Bunker Hill][stride]
Click or drag the options above to the spaces in the text.
If you thought Maryland's nine stanzas of Civil War bellicosity, Louisiana's sudden detour into a seafood menu, or Maine's cheerleader ending were peak state song absurdity, Massachusetts asks you to hold its Sam Adams as it insanely combines all three. The official state song is titled "All Hail to Massachusetts." It was written in 1954 by a local music teacher named Arthur J. Marsh. He specifically penned it hoping the state would adopt it, and a committee led by Arthur Fiedler, conductor of the Boston Pops, finally picked it in 1966.
On its face, the song is a standard, hyper-patriotic laundry list of historical bragging rights. It shouts out Bunker Hill, Lexington, Concord, the Pilgrims, and "the shot heard 'round the world" - sadly, not Bobby Thomson's game-winning, walk-off home run for the New York Giants against the Brooklyn Dodgers to win the National League pennant in 1951, but the opening to the battle of Lexington and Concord...boring!
But, fair enough. However, it wouldn't be a New England anthem without getting incredibly and weirdly specific about local dinner ingredients. The lyrics proudly boast that Massachusetts is "the home of the bean and the cod" - MY GOD, is that a bean and cod dish? Bean stuffed cod!?! I tried that in the Author's Kitchen and got rejected.
So, yep, the official, dignified anthem of the Commonwealth legally requires people to sing about baked beans and fish. If that isn't enough the song ends with a cheer section that somehow manages to beat Maine's for silly cringeworthiness - you have to yell: "It's M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S. All hail to Massachusetts!" I expect the senators to hold up 13 placards, a letter a piece, at the opening of each session.
And, just like Maine, Massachusetts suffers from extreme commitment issues. Over the years, politicians have not been able to agree on just one song, so they kept creating new categories to satisfy everyone. Today, Massachusetts has seven official state songs - SEVEN!!?? "All Hail to Massachusetts" is the main state song. But they also have an official state folk song, an official state patriotic song, an official state ode, an official state ceremonial march, an official glee club song, and, no joke, an official state polka song. Their Spotify playlist is out of control.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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