By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

This state’s bicentennial — which was not publicly celebrated in 2020 — became the reason that Bridgton resident and businessman Terry Swett penned the song, My Sweet Maine.

It wasn’t hard for him to find inspiration.

After all, Maine is the state that molded his personality and keeps him tethered by an invisible line. Like a Boomerang, no matter how far Swett travels, he returns to his home state. 

“I felt compelled to do it [write the song]. I’ve traveled all over this great country. Every time I came back here, I’ve said, ‘There is nothing better,’” Swett said. 

The song had its debut in early March 2020 at the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s breakfast. That was right before the state-wide quarantine.  

A year later, the song My Sweet Mainehas been thrust into spotlight. Two state representatives, Rep. John Andrews (L-Paris, Buckfield, Hebron) and Rep. Walter N. Riseman (I-Harrison) — have co-sponsored a bill LD-232 to recognize My Sweet Maine as Maine’s Song of the 21st Century.

The politicians commented on the song in a press release. 

“This song is a true representation of Maine written by one of her own. My Sweet Mainehas the ability to unite folks from all walks of life. We need more of that now more than ever,” Rep. Andrews said.

Rep. Riseman mentioned Terry and his wife’s community service work, which includes the Harrison Food Bank.

“Terry and Sandy Swett are well known not only locally for their great civic work but [also] Terry in particular is known for his love of music. Terry and his band [Milltown Road Show] have provided musical entertainment across the region and state of Maine for many years,” Riseman said. “His connections to the state inspired him to write his wonderful song about the State of Maine.”

The proposed bill, LD 232, was received by the Clerk of the House on Jan. 25 during which time it was referred to the State and Local Government Committee for a public hearing on March 1. 

A video rendition of the song can be viewed on YouTube, by typing in: My Sweet Maine by Terry Swett. 

Swett gave a shout out to Jeff Dobbs Productions for the video. 

“Jeff Dobbs is the videographer who added footage to song. I wanted to give him credit because it gives song a totally different dimension,” he said.

Last year, Swett decided to write a song to honor the 200-year anniversary of Maine becoming a state. 

“That’s how it started. I wanted it to have more longevitythan just a birthday song,” he said. 

He began that writing process in February and the words rolled off his tongue easily, he said. 

“Some songs take 25 years to write. That one took a day and a half. All the pieces came together. I just knew that Maine has so much to offer: the ocean, the mountains, the rugged coast, the tall pines. I tried to include a big part of the state so someone up in Bangor wouldn’t said it was a song about southern Maine. I tried to get in Lewiston and Auburn. I tried to get in country towns like Peru and Denmark,” he said.

Those towns in particularwere included in the song because the names matched the rhythm of the words.

“I am a wordsmith. That gets me in trouble. I don’t write in chronological order. I am all about the spoken word, the iambic pentameter. How syllables click together,  giving the words a sense of rhythm,” Swett said. “I wanted to have some nice harmony in there. Sometimes, when you write a chorus you breathe a little more. So, the verse can be more filled with words. You try to make it a sing-able chorus so that people want to sing along and so that people in the band can sing, harmonize during the chorus.”

The chorus goes like this: 

     “My sweet Maine, you kinda made me who I am. 

       And, if I wind up gone tomorrow, 

       I’m gonna come back home again.

      My sweet Maine, I know January’s cold. 

      But I was born on the edge of summer-time. 

      It’s where I’m growing old, my sweet Maine.”

                             - Terry Swett, My Sweet Maine    

“I have a friend I haven’t seen in 10 or 15 years who lives in Oregon. He heard the song, and he said it makes him want to come home,” Swett said. 

Swett encourages Mainers who like the song enough to have it become the state song of the 21st Century to contact their state representative, asking for support of the bill, LD-232. 

“I am not trying to replace the 1937 song that was written by Roger Vinton Snow. This is in addition to the state song,” he said.  

While Swett hasn’t worked all of the stereotypical Maine jobs, his job as a sign-maker allowed him to meet a variety of small business-owners in the region. 

“I have been on a lobster boat as a friend of the lobsterman. I’ve traveled extensively all over the United States, hitchhiking and singing for my supper. I’ve always been a huge fan of small towns. That cozy homey feeling. I worked for a summer in a sawmill making cedar shingles when I was just a teenager,” he said.  “I worked most of my life, 45 years, as a sign maker.” 

“There’s just a lot of really good people here. They seem to care for their families and their health. There is a lot of pride and honesty,” he said.