"O Fair New Mexico", the state song of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 was officially selected in 1917. It was adopted as the state song by an act of the New Mexico legislature, approved on March 14, 1917, as signed by Governor Washington E. Lindsey. The author, Elizabeth Garrett, was the daughter of former Lincoln County

Lincoln County, New Mexico

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.1% White*0.5% Black*2.4% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*9.1% Other races*29.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

 Sheriff Pat Garrett

Pat Garrett

Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid...

, the man who killed Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...

. The musical genre of "O Fair New Mexico" is classified as a tango

Tango music

Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...

.

Lyrics

The following are the lyrics for "O Fair New Mexico":

Under a sky of azure, where balmy breezes blow,

Kissed by the golden sunshine, is Nuevo México.

Home of the Montezuma, with fiery hearts aglow,

State of the deeds historic, is Nuevo México.

Chorus

O, fair New Mexico, we love, we love you so

Our hearts with pride o'erflow, no matter where we go,

O, fair New Mexico, we love, we love you so,

The grandest state to know, New Mexico.

Second Verse

Rugged and high sierras, with deep canyons below;

Dotted with fertile valleys, is Nuevo México.

Fields full of sweet alfalfa, richest perfumes bestow,

State of apple blossoms, is Nuevo México.

Chorus

Third Verse

Days that are full of heart-dreams, nights when the moon hangs low;

Beaming its benediction, o'er Nuevo México.

Land with its bright manana, coming through weal and woe;

State of our esperanza, is Nuevo México.

Chorus