O Fair New Mexico
"O Fair New Mexico", the regional anthem of the U.S. state of New Mexico was officially selected as the state song 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 New Mexican governor Washington E. Lindsey.History
The author of the song, Elizabeth Garrett, was the daughter of former Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett, the man who killed Billy the Kid. "O Fair New Mexico" was composed and copyrighted in 1915 as a guardia vieja era tango.
On March 14, 1917, the New Mexico legislature and then governor Washington E. Lindsey approved the song as the official state song of New Mexico.
In 1924, Elizabeth Garret made a recording of the song at Marsh Laboratories in Chicago, released on the Autograph Records label.
In 1928, John Philip Sousa presented then New Mexico governor Governor Arthur T. Hannett with a version of the song arranged as a march.
Contemporary versions of the state song have been arranged with more of a New Mexico music style.Lyrics
The following are the lyrics for "O Fair New Mexico":
