Question: In 2008, Florida adopted updated lyrics to what state official song written by Stephen Foster in 1851?
Answer: Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)
Stephen Foster is reported to have chosen the term “Swanee” because its two-syllable cadence fit nicely into the music he had composed. He was not familiar with the Florida section of the Suwannee River, because he never visited the state. A memorial center at White Springs, Florida, honors Foster, who authored about 200 popular songs during his prolific career.
