Oklahoma Hills

"Oklahoma Hills" is a song written by Woody Guthrie. In 2001 it was named the official Folk Song of the state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Hills
Regional anthem of Oklahoma
LyricsWoody Guthrie, 1945
MusicJack Guthrie, 1945
Adopted2001 (2001)

Chorus
Way down yonder in the Indian nation
I rode my pony on the reservation
In the Oklahoma Hills where I was born
Way down yonder in the Indian nation
A cowboy’s life is my occupation
In the Oklahoma Hills where I was born

Jack Guthrie Recording

Jack Guthrie, Woody's cousin, changed the lyrics and music slightly and in 1945 recorded a Western swing version, which reached Number 1 on the Juke Box Folk Records charts.[1] It remains the best-known version of "Oklahoma Hills", and was the biggest hit of Jack Guthrie's fairly short life. Though Woody originated the song, the official Woody Guthrie website credits both him and Jack as its writers, perhaps because Jack's changes have become so well known.

Recordings

Recordings of "Oklahoma Hills" have been made by these singers, among others:

  • John Mellencamp

Accolades

Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[3] In 2001, the Oklahoma Legislature declared it to be the official state folk song.

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 146.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 345.
  3. Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
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