Tune of the Day: Home on the Range
“Home on the Range” is the official state song of Kansas since 1947, and is commonly regarded as the unofficial anthem of the American West.
Dr. Brewster M. Higley originally wrote the words in a poem called "My Western Home" in the early 1870s. The poem was first published under the title “Oh, Give Me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam”. The music was written by a friend of Higley's, musician and entertainer Daniel E. Kelley. The song was soon adopted by settlers and cowboys, and spread across the USA in various forms. During the early 20th century, it was arranged by Texas composer David Guion, who is sometimes erroneously credited as the composer.
"Home on the Range" is often performed in programs and concerts of American patriotic music, and is frequently used in plays and films. These include the 1948 film Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (sung by both Cary Grant and Myrna Loy), the 1967 musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (sung by the cast as a glee club rehearsal number), the 1980 film Where the Buffalo Roam (sung by Neil Young over the opening credits), and the 1954 Looney Tunes cartoon short Claws for Alarm (sung by Porky Pig).