Maryland

The official Maryland state song, Maryland, My Maryland, happens to be in 3/4 time, like a waltz, although like the Iowa state song the tune is more likely to make you feel like decorating a Christmas tree than to dance a waltz since they both share the tune with O Tannenbaum.  The lyrics, on the other hand, inspire other feelings.  The lyrics come from a nine stanza poem written and first published in 1861 by James Ryder Randall. The Wikipedia article about Maryland, My Maryland tells its story well so it won't be repeated here but suffice it to say it became an anthem for the Confederate army with lyrics so controversial that the Maryland Senate has recently considered dropping it as a state song or at least altering the lyrics to make it more acceptable.  Today, most public performances include only the third verse. One such performance by the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club is shared below.

Should the state of Maryland choose to mandate a new state song or to create an official Maryland state waltz, there are several choices. The most recent Maryland Waltz is that composed by Bob Donaldson, who in his "real job" is a popular science teacher at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Springs, Maryland. Its nuanced view of Maryland's position as a border state in the American Civil War is quite a contrast to Maryland, My Maryland. Here is Donaldson singing his Maryland Waltz:

If you would like a version with a little more visual interest, here is a video of Donaldson singing his Maryland Waltz at the Montgomery Blair High School Magnet Arts Night in 2016.  Singing with Donaldson is fellow science teacher, Elizabeth Duval, and a grandson, Will Donaldson.  Playing the piano (and singing) is another grandson, Ian Donaldson.  And, two students provide string accompaniment - Stephan Loh on viola and Calvin Liu on violin.

Sheet music is available in the Notated Music collection of the U.S. Library of Congress for two 19th century Maryland waltzes. The oldest is Maryland Waltz, a piano piece composed by George Willig, Jr. in 1847. In 1889, Wilhelm Diederichs composed the Rose of Maryland Waltz.  A computer generated performance of this latter waltz can be heard below.

In 2007, Laurence Baer, a singer/songwriter from the Baltimore, Maryland area, released a CD, Across a Bering Strait Bridge, which also contains a Maryland Waltz.  You can hear it in the YouTube video below.

The final example of Maryland Waltz was recorded in 1960 on a 45 rpm record on the Jay Jay Record label (Jay Jay 210) by Eddie Lash.  Lash is a Chemnitzer concertina player from Chicago who is best known for his polkas.  In fact, the primary side of the record containing Maryland Waltz features Tricky Fingers Polka.  Sadly, no audio track for either tune is available.

Not included:

A search of Google Books and the Internet Archive found four additional examples of Maryland waltzes.  Since no further evidence of publication or recording was found, they were not included in the discussion above.  The four are:

• My Maryland Waltz, words and music by Edwin G. Gittings, piano arrangement by LeRoy Heine. Published by E.G. Gittings Music. Copyright issued in 1965


• Maryland Waltz by Walker W. Lilley. Copyright in 1971


• The Beautiful Maryland Waltz, words and music by Robert William Larkin, arranged by Albert Holloway. Copyright, 1954.


• The 1846 edition of the Boston Musical Gazette makes reference to a Maryland Waltz by Mise Spreer.

And finally, a simplified score and lyrics for Bob Donaldson's Maryland Waltz are provided below.  Mr. Donaldson holds the copyright to the song which appear here with his permission.

Note: This is a simplified score. As you listen to Donaldson sing the song, you will note that considerable musical judgement is applied to the timing in phrases notated as three quarter notes per measure.

Lyrics:

The Maryland Waltz 

When I looked in your eyes as we walked by the bay

I knew you could never be false

No thoughts of the dark clouds that gathered that day

As we danced to the Maryland Waltz

Chorus:

You know I must leave tomorrow my dear

Wearing my coat of blue

Please wait for me and don’t shed a tear

You know I will come back to you.

Your brother wears gray and your father as well

Our state divided and lost

But hold me once more and we’ll dance through it all         

To the beautiful Maryland Waltz

Chorus

I’m sure to return before the first snow

Till then you’ll be e’er in my thoughts

As I write you each day, I’ll remember the glow

When we danced to the Maryland Waltz.

Chorus

Return to the Introduction and List of States