From a Reader: Arizona's Other State Song

Mike Harris of Poneto, Indiana, has spent several summers in Arizona. He recently wrote to us to ask about a piece of the state's past.

"I was just made aware of the state song (I Love You Arizona by Rex Allen Jr.)," he wrote. "If I can make it out, the third line is "A raise of Dos Cabezas." I know Rex Allen was raised at Willcox, and just southeast of Willcox is Dos Cabezas. Is he hoping for a rebuild of Dos Cabezas?"

As it turns out, the song is simply called Arizona, and according to the Arizona State Library, it was named Arizona's alternate state anthem in 1982 (the primary anthem, Margaret Rowe Clifford's The Arizona March Song, was adopted in 1919).

The line Mike asked about is actually "The rise of Dos Cabezas," and it refers to the Dos Cabezas Mountains, which are near the old mining town of Dos Cabezas. So Allen was referring to the mountains' iconic profile, rather than to a rebirth of the town named for the mountains.

We did some Googling and found what appears to be Allen's version of the song on YouTube. Check it out below. Several cover versions are out there as well.

Thanks for writing, Mike! And if you have other questions about Arizona that you'd like answered, feel free to get in touch with us.