Fla. Legislature may dump Foster song

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 13 (UPI) -- A measure to replace "Old Folks At Home" with a new state song advanced Thursday in the Florida Legislature.

"Florida -- Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" received unanimous approval from a House committee, The Tampa Tribune reported. But the bill almost stalled in the state senate, with two senators who do not like the song but said it should be discussed on the floor joining the sole backer in a 3-2 vote.

"Old Folks At Home" by Stephen Foster, also known as "Way Down Upon the Swanee River" or simply "Swanee River," has been the official Florida state song since 1935. The song was a popular hit in the 19th century and helped make northern Florida a tourist destination as curious visitors flocked to the Suwannee River.

But the song, written for a minstrel show from the point of view of a slave longing for the "old plantation," has become something of an embarrassment. Gov. Charles Crist refused to have it played at his inauguration, substituting "The Florida Song" by jazz musician Charles Atkinson.