Michigan, My Michigan
Michigan, My Michigan is a long-standing anthem for the state. The official state song is My Michigan, which was adopted in 1937, but the other title remains widely remembered. In 2003, a bill to make My Michigan the official state song did not pass.
The song’s history spans several writers and changes. It began in 1862 with lyrics by Winifred Lee Brent Lyster of Detroit, set to the tune of O Tannenbaum, the same melody used for Maryland, My Maryland. Lyster’s husband, Henry Lyster, served as a medical officer for the Union Army during the Civil War, and she wrote the piece after the Battle of Fredericksburg.
In 1886, Major James W. Long of Grand Rapids wrote new lyrics but kept the same tune and Civil War spirit. In 1902, Douglas Malloch updated the lyrics for a convention of the Michigan State Federation of Woman’s Clubs in Muskegon, aiming for a peacetime tone. A new tune for the song was also composed by W. Otto Miessner of Detroit.
The words celebrate Michigan’s beauty and resources—lakes, pines, mines, and cities—while honoring Michigan’s soldiers who fought in the Civil War, and those who kept watch over the state. The verses reference battles from the Revolutionary era through the Civil War and pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Michiganders, both living and fallen. The song ends with a strong sense of love for Michigan and a pledge to protect and support the state.
Today, Michigan, My Michigan remains an important historic anthem in the state’s musical heritage, even as the official designation is My Michigan. It reflects Michigan’s pride in its landscape, history, and people.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:48 (CET).