History Behind "Oklahoma" Lyrics

…Riggs was eight years old when Indian Territory and Oklahoma territory fused in 1907. Riggs’ mother was a Cherokee Indian and Blackburn said many of the songs in “Green Grow the Lilacs,” were Cherokee-inspired folk songs.

…As the rift over Indian Territory grew deeper, another rift developed. Cowboys felt threatened by farmers and the settling of territory, Blackburn said.

“In a way, ‘Green Grow the Lilacs’ and ‘Oklahoma!’ brings you this same story of the wild wild West with the free ranging cowboys who live off their whips, the gun on their hip and a bedroll on their horse. They control their destiny,” Blackburn said. “Suddenly the land is being broken up into these farms with fences that hem you in and keep you tied to the land, because once you farm it, you have to mortgage your land.”…