Song about Maine’s Civil War soldiers could be state ballad

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - A Democratic legislator wants to declare a song about Maine’s most renowned Civil War soldiers as the official state ballad.

The Portland Press Herald reports that Democratic Rep. Scott Cuddy’s bill would name “The Ballad of the 20th Maine” by the band The Ghost of Paul Revere as the state ballad.

Maine doesn’t have a state ballad. It does have a little known, official song dating back to the early 1930s: “The State of Maine Song” by Roger Vinton Snow of Portland.

The state’s official march is “The Dirigo March,” which lawmakers approved in 2012.

Republican Rep. Will Tuell said it’s possible the public is tired of proposals to create new state symbols.

Lawmakers referred the bill to committee on April 11 but no public hearing is listed online yet.

___

This story has been corrected to show the name of the band is The Ghost of Paul Revere, not The Ghost of Paul Reverse.