{
  "urn": "urn:us-la:rs:49:155",
  "title_number": "49",
  "section_number": "155",
  "citation": "R.S. 49:155",
  "heading": "State song",
  "text": "A. The official state song for the state of Louisiana shall be the musical composition with words and music by Jimmy H. Davis and Charles Mitchell, entitled \"You Are My Sunshine\"; the words reading as follows:\n\nVerses:\n\nThe other night, dear\n\nAs I lay sleeping\n\nI dreamed I held you in my arms\n\nWhen I awoke, dear\n\nI was mistaken\n\nAnd I hung my head and cried;\n\nI'll always love you\n\nAnd make you happy\n\nIf you will only say the same\n\nBut if you leave me\n\nTo love another\n\nYou'll regret it all some day;\n\nYou told me once, dear\n\nYou really loved me\n\nAnd no one else could come between\n\nBut now you've left me\n\nAnd love another\n\nYou have shattered all my dreams;\n\nLouisiana my Louisiana\n\nthe place where I was borne.\n\nWhite fields of cotton\n\n--green fields of clover,\n\nthe best fishing\n\nand long tall corn;\n\nCrawfish gumbo and jambalaya\n\nthe biggest shrimp and sugar cane,\n\nthe finest oysters\n\nand sweet strawberries\n\nfrom Toledo Bend to New Orleans;\n\nChorus:\n\nYOU ARE MY SUNSHINE\n\nMy only sunshine\n\nYou make me happy\n\nWhen skies are grey\n\nYou'll never know dear\n\nHow much I love you\n\nPlease don't take my sunshine away.\n\nB. The official state cultural song for the state of Louisiana shall be the musical composition with words and music by Allen Toussaint, entitled \"Southern Nights\", which was inspired by Allen Toussaint's time spent in Terrebonne Parish; the words reading as follows:\n\nSouthern nights\n\nHave you ever felt a Southern night?\n\nFree as a breeze\n\nNot to mention the trees\n\nWhistling tunes that you know and love so\n\nSouthern nights\n\nJust as good even when closed your eyes\n\nI apologize\n\nTo any one who can truly say\n\nThat he's found a better way\n\nSouthern skies\n\nHave you ever noticed southern skies?\n\nIts precious beauty\n\nLies just beyond the eye\n\nIt goes running through the soul\n\nLike the stories told of old\n\nOld man\n\nHe and his dog that walk the old land\n\nEvery flower touched his cold hand\n\nAs he slowly walked by\n\nWeeping willows would cry for joy\n\nJoy\n\nFeels so good\n\nFeels so good it's frightening\n\nWish I could\n\nStop this world from fighting\n\nLa-da-da-da-da, da-la-da-da-da-da\n\nDa-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da\n\nMystery\n\nLike this and many others\n\nIn the trees\n\nBlow in the night\n\nIn the southern skies\n\nSouthern nights\n\nThey feel so good it's frightening\n\nWish I could\n\nStop this world from fighting\n\nDa-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da\n\nDa-da-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da...",
  "status": "active",
  "hierarchy_path": [
    {
      "level": "title",
      "number": "49",
      "name": "STATE ADMINISTRATION"
    },
    {
      "level": "chapter",
      "number": "1",
      "name": "GENERAL PROVISIONS"
    },
    {
      "level": "part",
      "number": "VIII",
      "name": "STATE SYMBOLS AND DISPLAY OF FLAGS"
    }
  ],
  "breadcrumb": "Title 49 › Chapter 1 › Part VIII",
  "acts_citations": [
    {
      "act_year": 1970,
      "act_number": 431,
      "section": 1,
      "effective_date": null,
      "effective_date_raw": null,
      "role": "enactment"
    },
    {
      "act_year": 1977,
      "act_number": 540,
      "section": 1,
      "effective_date": null,
      "effective_date_raw": null,
      "role": "amendment"
    }
  ],
  "acts_citations_raw": "Amended by Acts 1970, No. 431, §1; Acts 1977, No. 540, §1; Acts 2021, No. 471, §1. 1 On authority of R.S. 24:253, the music has been omitted from the Revised Statutes.",
  "source_url": "https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=103542",
  "website_law_id": 103542,
  "scrape_timestamp": "2026-05-22T23:40:49Z",
  "source_html_hash": "sha256:6cf240513fe4622b8ec10390ca506957a62a1a6a9ad37a8751296408e79007e5",
  "schema_version": "1.0.0"
}