Smitten With The Mitten

"Song Title"

Music & Lyrics by Scott Cooley.

The sun sets on one side, and on the other it rises

Painting pretty pictures on watery horizons

The Native Americans, the French, then all the rest

Have settled in to make our state the best

Kalkaska sand, a rare soil in this land

The state that is shaped like a mitten on your hand

The Painted Turtle wanders this fertile ground

Where state parks and forests can always be found

White Pines in straight lines, planted long ago with care

In the sky they rise over a hundred feet in the air

The Apple Blossom flowers are pretty in pink

And we never run out of fresh water to drink

I'm smitten with the mitten, it's our happy home

With great lakes and great times, in cars and boats we roam

If our insect was the love bug, then surely I've been bitten

I'm a Michigander, 'cause I'm smitten... with the mitten

The Greenstone gem from Isle Royale

Is the crown jewel of an island unspoiled

The Petoskey stone, its namesake it's home

Can be found on its beaches when carefully combed

With islands and waterfalls and rocky shores so nice

It's a water winter wonderland, a true paradise

The great lakes are awesome, surrounding us all

Lighthouses lead ships in from the squalls

In our woods are wild turkey and white tailed deer

Wildlife is plentiful and protected here

Where mastodons once roamed, and wolverines called home

The Dwarf Lake Iris, grows wild near limestone

I'm smitten with the mitten, it's our happy home

With great lakes and great times, in cars and boats we roam

If our insect was the love bug, then surely I've been bitten

I'm a Michigander, 'cause I'm smitten... with the mitten

The Robin's striking beauty is a site we all treasure

Just like the fall colors, both seasonal pleasures

The Brook Trout swim about throughout the state

A fisherman's paradise in streams, rivers and lakes

When it comes to automobiles, our state is the hub

Their wheels bring prosperity, passion and love

Our peninsulas can be seen from up high on a ridge

Joined by the mighty Mackinaw Bridge

From the song of Hiawatha to the Motown sound

Up the Porcupine mountains to the Lake of the Clouds

When northwinds blow cold, we get lake effect snow

Skiing, snowmobiling, and sledding we go

I'm smitten with the mitten, it's our happy home

With great lakes and great times, in cars and boats we roam

If our insect was the love bug, then surely I've been bitten

I'm a Michigander, 'cause I'm smitten... with the mitten

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About Michigan's Current State Songs

Sung since the Civil War, "Michigan, My Michigan" has long been considered Michigan's unofficial state song. Another song, "My Michigan," has been all but forgotten except in the records of the Michigan Legislature. "My Michigan" was named "an" official song (not "the" official song) of the state in 1937.

Learn more about each song here:

My Michigan - Michigan's Mystery State Song!

The Michigan Historical Center once thought that Michigan had no official state song. But they recently discovered that Michigan's House of Representatives and Senate passed Concurrent Resolution No. 17 in 1937. It reads, "'My Michigan' is an [emphasis added] official song of the State of Michigan." Giles Kavanagh wrote the words and H. O'Reilly Clint wrote the music. H. O'Reilly Clint Co., Music Publishers, Detroit, copyrighted it in 1933. The Rare Book Room of the Library of Michigan holds the sheet music, one version for voice and piano and another for voice, saxophones, trumpets, trombone, guitar, drums, piano, violin and double bass. The sheet music is also in the collection of the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan. The song is still under copyright protection. Below is the resolution honoring "My Michigan." Read a brief history [PDF] of how the state's House of Representatives and Senate passed this resolution. (Note the care that the Senate took not to name it as "the" official song of Michigan.)

A concurrent resolution designating and adopting "My Michigan," as composed and written by Giles Kavanagh and H. O'Reilly Clint, as an official song of the State of Michigan. Whereas, The words and music in the song "My Michigan," as composed and written by Giles Kavanagh and H. O'Reilly Clint, express the hopes, ambitions and pride of the people of the State of Michigan; and Whereas, On June 18, 1936, Governor Frank D. Fitzgerald designated "My Michigan," as an official song of the State of Michigan, in true recognition of the fine thoughts conveyed in the words and music of this lovely memorial to the State of Michigan; now therefore be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the 1937 Michigan Legislature designates and adopts "My Michigan," as an official song of the State of Michigan.

Michigan, My Michigan

A more popular song called "Michigan, My Michigan" is considered by many to be Michigan's unofficial state song. Winifred Lee Brent of Detroit wrote the lyrics for the first version of "Michigan, My Michigan" in 1862 to the tune of "O Tannenbaum." She was inspired to write the song after the Civil War's battle of Fredericksburg. Later, Brent married Dr. Henry Lyster, who had been a surgeon in the Union army. In 1886, Major James W. Long of Grand Rapids wrote new lyrics for "Michigan, My Michigan" for Michigan's semi-centennial celebration. While his words hail Michigan's attributes ("lake-bound shore," "thy pines," "jewels glitter in thy mines" and "sails of commerce"), they do not forget the Civil War veterans with references that include "on trust Thy noble sons have bit the dust" and "Thy diadem-thy hero sons." Douglas Malloch composed new lyrics-deemed more suitable for peacetime-for a convention of the Michigan State Federation of Woman's Clubs in Muskegon in 1902. After the convention, the member clubs sang it at club meetings and at state conventions. Schools used in musical and patriotic programs. Read the lyrics of the 1862, 1886 and 1902 versions of "Michigan, My Michigan." [PDF, 2 pages]

Related Information:

Free Sheet Music !

Thanks to my friend Mike Criswell, a master of music transcription and notation who works for beer, the following sheet music is now available if you want to learn to play my song:

Free PDF Download: "Smitten With The Mitten" - Sheet Music with Lyrics:

SmittenWithTheMitten-SheetMusic.pdf

2020 update: sheet music in .mscz format with midi