I Love You Arizona
~ Western Orchestral background accompaniment track ~ 2012-01-24
This is the semi-official Arizona State Song, originally recorded by Arizona cowboy legend, Rex Allen Jr.
Notes / Back story
Due to popular demand, here you can download the sheet music for piano and vocal line with chords.
A friend of mine teaches elementary school music and she asked me if I could come up with a background track for "I Love You Arizona" to use with her choir as they celebrate our 100 year anniversary of statehood this Feb, 14, 2012. I said sure, because I always do, and here it is.
If you would like to use this for a non-commercial event, please feel free. The download link is above, but I'd still love it if you made a post here and told me what group/event you were using it for.
This version is not nearly as western-style as the original; just a few nods to the western style in the piano part. It's a little more anthem-like in nature. A flute is doubling the melody to make it easier for kids to follow.
Lyrics
I love you, Arizona;
Your mountains, deserts and streams;
The rise of Dos Cabezas
And the outlaws I see in my dreams;
I love you Arizona,
Superstitions and all;
The warmth you give at sunrise;
Your sunsets put music in us all.
Oo, Arizona;
You're the magic in me;
Oo, Arizona,
You're the life-blood of me;
I love you Arizona;
Desert dust on the wind;
The sage and cactus are blooming,
And the smell of the rain on your skin.
Oo, Arizona;
You're the magic in me;
Oo, Arizona,
You're the life-blood of me.
Oo, Arizona;
You're the magic in me;
Oo, Arizona,
You're the life-blood of me.
Visitor Comments
Ken Powers from United States Of America ~ 2020-09-07 16:35:31 ~ I need to record the video to a flash drive. Please let me know how to do this.
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Response from Kelly... Ah, where to start? It's not a video. But if you want to save the mp3, I provided a link to it at the top of the post. After you download it, you can copy it to wherever you like, including a flash drive.
CM from United States Of America ~ 2020-07-10 22:39:58 ~ I feel bad for AZ now with the pandemic. I want to sing this song for a Zoom Open mike just because my thoughts are there for good friends and everyone in AZ. I wasn't sure of the melody so appreciate this.
LStinson from United States ~ 2019-03-21 19:51:16 ~ Do you know if anyone has arranged this for SATB chorus?
ROD FARNSWORTH from United States ~ 2017-09-23 15:57:03 ~ I WAS BORN IN MESA,AZ IN 1936 AND HAVE LIVED HERE ALL BUT A SHORT TIME DURING WW11, I LOVE THIS STATE SO MUCH THAT EVERY TIME I HEAR THIS BEAUTIFUL SONG IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES.
I'M JUST AN OLD ARIZONA COWBOY IN LOVE WITH AZ.
A. R. Walser from United States ~ 2016-10-25 20:48:47 ~ Love this one too! and all the comments.
Anonymous from United States ~ 2016-04-25 14:11:41 ~ I love this rendition of "I love you arizona".
Can I use it commercially? I would like to make it our company theme song.
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Since I don't own the rights, I can't give permission for commercial use. ~ Kelly
Cain from United States ~ 2016-03-10 17:37:22 ~ great song you should do other state songs
cwhuff from United States ~ 2015-08-20 13:32:26 ~ I'm so happy to find an instrumental version of this song. I want to teach it to the students in my school class. Could you send me the mp3 of it? Thank you!
KBM from Indonesia ~ 2015-07-01 02:54:55 ~ A very touching music. It can even make a peace in your heart.
JAC from United States ~ 2015-05-27 15:07:44 ~ I really love this song. Could you please email the mp3?
JC from United States ~ 2015-02-25 11:48:48 ~ I would love to get the chords to this song, just cannot seem to find them anywhere. Is it possible for you to email them to me?
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Done.
~ Kelly
Andi Gooch from United States ~ 2014-05-04 16:00:59 ~ I love this song. Born and raised here in AZ. (Native) I loved SD comments sharing all the fun AZ history sites that I too remember. They sang the song in the Gilbert Temple Celebration. My son participated in. Although this was not his song, he participated in a "2nd grade" program singing this song. We both wished we could have a copy. How do we buy or download?
Sent via email. ~K
Ruby from United States ~ 2014-03-05 13:07:23 ~ I loooove this song! I just heard it for the first time on the Gilbert Temple Youth Cultural Celebration and understand so much better why people love Aizona in the wintertime! It is heavenly!
Could I have the mp3 to just sing along to because we loooove it?
CM from United States ~ 2014-03-01 21:24:47 ~ SD I would like to hear your legends via email
soc from United States ~ 2013-12-17 21:07:30 ~ In our retirement community, in Green Valley, Arizona, our chair exercise instructor always plays "I love you Arizona" during our cool down. She says "If you don't like this song, please don't take this class because I play it each and every time." Of course, we all love it and know all the words.
TL from United States ~ 2013-08-04 17:02:40 ~ Thank you, SD, for sharing your memories. Would love to hear your tales of the Superstitions.
Isn't there another verse to the song?
SD from United States ~ 2013-07-01 16:59:21 ~ My wife and I love Arizona and we love this song. Arizona is in our hearts and souls.
My wife is making a quilt by hand and including the lyrics of this song "I Love You Arizona" sewed onto the quilt with an Arizona theme.
I used to ride bulls back in the day at the Scottsdale Rodeo Arena. Like other Arizona icons, these places have since then been torn down. The rodeo arena was located near the Scottsdale Police Station and the old Scottsdale Baseball Stadium (built in 1956.) The Parada Del Sol and Rodeo was such a part of Arizona back then, they released school for the day to allow the students to attend the rodeo.
The old Scottsdale Baseball Stadium was made out of wood and painted red. The outside of the old wooden ball stadium had a reference to Home of Chicago Cubs Spring Training.
http://www.lewisblehrman.com/Field%20of%20Memories.jpg
As a boy I would walk the old ball park stadium and literally feel the stadiums baseball history. I could almost hear the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd on their feet.
This was back when it was safe to leave your car doors unlocked and windows rolled down at night. The only time anyone ever opened your car doors was out of courtesy to roll your car windows up for an incoming rain storm.
I rode in the Scottsdale Parada Del Sol Rodeo for several years when it was held at the rodeo arena near the Scottsdale Baseball Stadium. Prior to that the arena sat at the corner of Scottsdale Rd. & Camelback Rd. That location was torn down and replaced with the Goldwater Shopping Center. Then moved to the new location near the Baseball Stadium.
I also rode in the Prescott 4th of July Rodeo for several years.
Many of the places that gave us such wonderful Arizona memories are long gone. One such place was the N.E. corner where Bell Rd. dead ended into Scottsdale Rd. We used to ride our horses across that desert out to a mountain trail. Back then those roads were one lane each way with no sidewalks.
I raced race cars at Beeline Dragway, Manzanita Speedway, Mel Larsens and Phoenix International Raceway back in the day. These things were part of Arizona that I loved enough to make them a part of me.
There used to be some very entertaining tales about the Superstition Mountains. I'm happy to have passed those stories on to my grandchildren, who I hope keep them alive in years to come.
If anyone is ever interested in hearing some of the tales (sometimes called legends) I'd be happy to pass them on to you via email.
I'd like to thank the person who created this website and the information about the song "I Love You Arizona".
TL from United States ~ 2013-04-12 15:58:25 ~ Your version is beautiful. We are a Tucson ukulele group and would love to have this as one of our songs. Can you send us your mp3? Thank you.
Would love to, but you would have to tell me your email address....
KBD from United States ~ 2013-02-03 10:07:46 ~ I love the music.
BJ from United States ~ 2013-01-20 00:01:31 ~ I heard this song while taking a cruise on Lake Saguaro. It is so beautiful and I would be very grateful if you could send me the mp3.
JRM from United States ~ 2012-12-15 12:07:57 ~ The Barleen Sisters (Arizona Opry) also have a beautiful rendition of this song.
JEANE from Australia ~ 2012-10-03 20:00:25 ~ I'M A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE THIS MUSIC. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. PLEASE WILL YOU SEND IT TO ME? MANY THANKS.
llo from United States ~ 2012-04-27 22:59:06 ~ I am an art teacher for a K-8 school in Phoenix and would love to use your background music in our up coming Centennial Art Show in May. Could you share this with me?
~ Glad to! Just send me your email address.
jlw from United States ~ 2012-02-29 09:48:57 ~ I am a snowbird. And I love arizona and this is a great version.
Thank you
I would love to have a copy to use.
Note from Kelly: Please send me your email address and I'll get you a copy.
JJM Raised in Tucson from United States ~ 2012-02-23 19:19:15 ~ Wow, I used to own this song by Rex Allen and taught it to my "kids" when teaching History of the West...yes, I am an elementary teacher, retired. It still brings tingles to my skin, especially in this version. Thank You! I also perform with a singing group here in Tucson, and I will suggest we put this song in our performances.
Double Thanks!
RJC from United States ~ 2012-02-19 05:45:32 ~ That arrangement is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It really brings me home. I am a transplanted Arizonan who has been "temporarily visiting" in New England for almost 30 years.
This reminds me why my heart will always be in Arizona.
Thank You!
jcdonk from United States ~ 2012-02-11 23:55:21 ~ I am a teacher as well and would like to use your version of I love you Arizona for our Feb. 14 program as well. Could you please email me the mp3? I would really appreciate it.
Thanks
KCVS from United States ~ 2012-01-28 09:02:40 ~ I didn't know you put this song HERE! Yes I go to the elementary school in the back story! But do you know my name?