Local Pronunciation (Des Moines, Burlington, Keokuk: high school, distance, county)

[NLDad]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

I can't say I have ever heard of that song!

I was born in Iowa and lived there over 40 years.

I think it's still the official state song. I learned it in elementary school, but that was 40 + years ago, and taught by an elderly teacher at the time (okay, from an elementary student's perspective she was probably more like 60 than 80, but she seemed ancient to us.)

[Nedibes]

Originally Posted by NLDad

I think it's still the official state song. I learned it in elementary school, but that was 40 + years ago, and taught by an elderly teacher at the time (okay, from an elementary student's perspective she was probably more like 60 than 80, but she seemed ancient to us.)

Well, my grandfather was born 100 years ago this October in Cedar Rapids, so I'm sure it's an older song. We didn't actually pronounce Iowa that way outside of the song, and I always thought of it as an old-fashioned pronunciation. I do think Ioway sounds better in the song, as hitting a schwa syllable hard sounds wrong to my ear.

My grandfather actually lived in Illinois as an adult, but his Iowan roots were so important to him that he would stop the car on trips "home" when they crossed the state line so that he could get out and kiss the ground. When he passed away a few years ago we sang the Ioway song at his memorial service (in Illinois), and almost every person there, friends and family, knew it because he sang it so often . When we moved to Iowa I was amazed that they weren't still teaching it in the elementary schools.

I also remember an episode of Punky Brewster (gosh that's embarrassing to admit) where Punky got caught cheating on a geography exam and then had to learn a bunch of state facts, and sang this song as Iowa's state song:
Cheaters Never Win (the singing part starts at 22:39).

[NLDad]

I can't be certain but I'm reasonably sure this is the first time the phrase "I also remember and episode of Punky Brewster...." has ever been written on the internet.

;-)

[inave]

Thanks, ya'll. Just helped me win a bet with my husband!

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by NLDad

I think it's still the official state song. I learned it in elementary school, but that was 40 + years ago, and taught by an elderly teacher at the time (okay, from an elementary student's perspective she was probably more like 60 than 80, but she seemed ancient to us.)

No, this is the state song written in 1897:

Iowa State Song
Written by S.H.M. Byers
To the music of Tannenbaum


You asked what land I love the best, Iowa, tis Iowa,
The fairest State of all the west, Iowa, O! Iowa,
From yonder Misissippi's stream
To where Missouri's waters gleam
O! fair it is as poet's dream, Iowa, in Iowa.

See yonders fields of tasseled corn, Iowa in Iowa,
Where plenty fills her golden horn, Iowa in Iowa,
See how her wonderous praries shine.
To yonder sunset’s purpling line,
O! happy land, O! land of mine, Iowa, O! Iowa.

And she has maids whose laughing eyes, Iowa, O! Iowa.
To him whose loves were Paradise, Iowa, O! Iowa
O! happiest fate that e’er was known.
Such eyes to shine for one alone,
To call such beauty all his own. Iowa, O! Iowa

Go read the story of thy past. Iowa, O! Iowa
What glorious deeds, what fame thou hast! Iowa, O! Iowa
So long as time’s great cycle runs,
Or nations weep their fallen ones,
Thou’lt not forget thy patriot sons, Iowa, O! Iowa

The line posted is from the Iowa Corn Song, written in 1912:

Iowa Corn Song
Lyrics by Ray W. Lockard & George Hamilton
Original Music by Edward Riley

Let's sing of Grand old I-O-Way, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho
Our love is strong-er ev-'ry day, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho
So come a-long and join the throng, Sev-'ral hun-dred thou-sand strong
As you come just sing this song, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho

We're from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land
Joy on ev-'ry hand. We're from I-O-way, I-O-way.
That's where the tall corn grows

Our land is full of ripe-ning corn, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho
We've watched it grow both night and morn, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho
But now we rest, we've stood the test. All that's good we have the best
I-O-way has reached the crest, Yo-Ho, yo-ho, yo-ho

We're from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land
Joy on ev-'ry hand. We're from I-O-way, I-O-way.
That's where the tall corn grows

We're from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land
Joy on ev-'ry hand. We're from I-O-way, I-O-way.
That's where the tall corn grows

[NLDad]

interesting...and still virtually only several hundred thousand strong.

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by NLDad

interesting...and still virtually only several hundred thousand strong.

It's an interesting line given that the population of Iowa was roughly 2.5 million when it was written. Maybe he was talking about the number of people who would be singing the song.

Although I think that would be more like several hundred, period. Or maybe even just several.

[Datfiyah]

The people of Iowa, Louisiana pronounce it “eye-uh-way”.

[fezzador]

Minnesotans somewhat jokingly refer to Iowa residents as "Iowegians", which probably stems from the old "Ioway".

[601halfdozen0theother]

The correct pronunciation of Iowa actually IS I o way. That is the phonetic term for the spelling of what the Lakota called the Iowa people. The Iowas' own name for themselves is pronounced BAH koh jay. Most modern Baxoje now live in Oklahoma.