Songs About New Mexico: O’ Fair New Mexico
written by Elizabeth Garrett (1915)
“O Fair New Mexico” was adopted as the state song of New Mexico by an act of the state legislature, approved on March 14, 1917, as signed by Governor Washington E. Lindsey. The musical genre of “O Fair New Mexico” is classified as a tango.
The author, Elizabeth Garrett, was the daughter of former Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett, the man who killed Billy the Kid. Elizabeth lost her sight shortly after birth. She attended the Texas School for the Blind, in Austin. As an adult, she applied herself and was qualified as a voice and piano teacher. She loved to sing and worked her way east teaching and singing. Audiences were appreciative of her talents and her interesting compositions about the far-west land of New Mexico. Elizabeth, the blind teacher/singer/songwriter soon found herself performing in respected theaters in Chicago and New York. She was called the “Songbird of the Southwest.”
Popular award winning New Mexico musician, Busy McCarroll, sings her fun & unique arrangement of New Mexico’s state song. Busy was asked to sing the song at the 2014 burning of Zozobra before a crowd of 40,000 people. Busy has come to love the song and, as you can see, she had a ton of fun recording the video, below!
Que Viva New Mexico!
above: Busy McCarroll performs her version of “O Fair New Mexico” for the burning of Zozobra.
Lyrics
Under a sky of azure,
Where balmy breezes blow,
Kissed by the golden sunshine,
Is Nuevo Mejico.
Land of the Montezuma,
With fiery hearts aglow,
Land of the deeds historic,
Is Nuevo Mejico.
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
Our hearts with pride o’reflow,
No matter where we go.
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
The grandest state to know
New Mexico.
Rugged and high sierras,
With deep canyons below,
Dotted with fertile valleys,
Is Nuevo Mejico.
Fields full of sweet alfalfa,
Richest perfumes bestow,
State of apple blossoms,
Is Nuevo Mejico.
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
Our hearts with pride o’reflow,
No matter where we go.
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
The grandest state to know
New Mexico.
Days that are full of heart-dreams,
Nights when the moon hangs low;
Beaming its benedictions,
O’er Nuevo Mejico.
Land with its bright manana,
Coming through weal and woe;
State of esperanza,
Is Nuevo Mejico.
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
Our hearts with pride o’reflow,
No matter where we go.
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
The grandest state to know
New Mexico.
For more information about Busy: Busy McCarroll
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.