Utah State Song

"Utah, This is the Place"

Words by Sam Francis, Gary Francis
Music by Gary Francis

Adopted on March 15, 2003.

House Bill 223 called for changing the current state song to "Utah, This Is the Place" and designating the current state song, "Utah, We Love Thee", as the state hymn. On March 13, 2003, a new state song and an official state hymn were approved by the Legislature. Before the State Senate approved the song, however, the Joseph Cook Elementary School 4th graders performed "Utah, We Love Thee" for them. The Governor signed the legislation on March 15, 2003.

Utah State Song: "Utah, This is the Place"

"Utah, This is the Place"

Utah! People working together
Utah! What a great place to be.
Blessed from Heaven above.
It's the land that we love.
This is the place!

Utah! With its mountains and valleys.
Utah! With its canyons and streams.
You can go anywhere.
But there's none that compare.
This is the place!

It was Brigham Young who led the pioneers across the plains.
They suffered with the trials they had to face.
With faith they kept on going till they reached the Great Salt Lake
Here they heard the words..."THIS IS THE PLACE!"

Utah! With its focus on family,
Utah! Helps each child to succeed.
People care how they live.
Each has so much to give.
This is the place!

Utah! Getting bigger and better.
Utah! Always leading the way.
New technology's here...
Growing faster each year.
This is the place!

There is beauty in the snow-capped mountains, in the lakes and streams.
There are valleys filled with farms and orchards too.
The spirit of its people shows in everything they do.
Utah is the place where dreams come true.

Utah! With its pioneer spirit.
Utah! What a great legacy!
Blessed from Heaven above.
It's the land that we love.
This is the place!

Utah! Utah! Utah!
THIS IS THE PLACE!

Origin of Song: "Utah, This is the Place"

The 2003 Utah State Legislature voted to change the state song from "Utah, We Love Thee" to "Utah, This is the Place." Utah?s original state song was then designated as the Utah State Hymn in HB223. Rep. Dana Love, R-Syracuse, sponsored the bill at the behest of the Cook Elementary School class in Syracuse who, as quoted in article from the Salt Lake Tribune on Friday, February 28, 2003, "...they didn?t like the current state song, Utah We Love Thee, that it wasn?t very much fun to sing." The Cook Elementary School fourth-graders sang it to Utah senators before they voted on the change.

In 1996, Sam and Gary Francis wrote "Utah, This Is The Place" for Utah?s centennial celebration. Since then, the song has grown in popularity with children, especially among fourth-graders who learn it as part of their study of Utah history. There was some doubt if "Utah, This Is The Place" could become the Utah State Song since Sam and Gary Francis would hold copyright to the new state song, and gain royalties every time it was sung. Rep. Gordon Snow, R-Roosevelt asked Rep. Dana Love and she wasn?t sure of the answer, but someone, later identified as one of the composers, in the Legislative gallery shouted out "yes! when Snow asked if the copyright would be given up. The House adopted the tune. (according to an article appearing in the Salt Lake Tribune, Thursday, February 13, 2003).

Utah Law

The law designating the song "Utah, This is the Place" as the official Utah state song is found in the Utah Statutes, Title 63, Chapter 13, Section 63-13-5.5.

TITLE 63. State Affairs in General.
CHAPTER 13. Miscellaneous Provisions.
SECTION 63-13-5.5. State Symbols.

63-13-5.5. State symbols.
(1) Utah's state animal is the elk.
(2) Utah's state bird is the sea gull.
(3) Utah's state centennial astronomical symbol is the Beehive Cluster located in the constellation of Cancer the Crab.
(4) Utah's state centennial star is Dubhe, one of the seven bright stars composing the Big Dipper in the constellation Ursa Major.
(5) Utah's state centennial tartan, which honors the first Scots known to have been in Utah and those Utahns of Scottish heritage, shall have a pattern or repeating-half-sett of white-2, blue-6, red-6, blue-4, red-6, green-18, red-6, and white-4 to represent the tartan worn anciently by the Logan and Skene clans, with the addition of a white stripe.
(6) Utah's state cooking pot is the dutch oven.
(7) Utah's state emblem is the beehive.
(8) Utah's state fish is the Bonneville cutthroat trout.
(9) Utah's state flower is the sego lily.
(10) Utah's state folk dance is the square dance, the folk dance that is called, cued, or prompted to the dancers and includes squares, rounds, clogging, contra, line, and heritage dances.
(11) Utah's state fossil is the Allosaurus.
(12) Utah's state fruit is the cherry.
(13) Utah's state vegetable is the Spanish sweet onion.
(14) Utah's historic state vegetable is the sugar beet.
(15) Utah's state gem is topaz, as is prominently found in the Thomas Mountain Range in Juab County, Utah.
(16) Utah's state grass is Indian rice grass.
(17) Utah's state hymn is "Utah We Love Thee" by Evan Stephens.
(18) Utah's state insect is the honeybee.
(19) Utah's state mineral is copper.
(20) Utah's state motto is "Industry."
(21) Utah's state railroad museum is Ogden Union Station.
(22) Utah's state rock is coal.
(23) Utah's state song is "Utah This is the Place" by Sam and Gary Francis.
(24) Utah's state tree is the blue spruce.