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            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 La. Rev. Stat. 24:253, the music has been omitted from the Revised Statutes.