Fort Oglethorpe native singer-songwriter James Rogers first had the idea for his song "My Hometown" after seeing a slideshow highlighting the city about two years ago.
"I've always written songs and loved to write songs, and I thought, 'What would set us apart? ... We should have a song,'" Rogers said at a Dec. 9 Fort Oglethorpe City Council meeting.
The song came to him in pieces.
"Slowly but surely, as always, the angels sang and I started coming up with the lyrics," he told the council.
Rogers first debuted the song in November at the dedication of Honor Park: A Tribute to Those Who Serve, the city's new park which honors veterans and first responders. Since then, he's been fine-tuning it.
" ... I want to give it to Fort Oglethorpe," Rogers said. "It's your song. It belongs to you."
The city council unanimously approved the adoption of the song as the city's theme song following a performance at the Dec. 9 meeting.
"The lyrics and genre of this musical masterpiece describe the citizen's sentiments about the life of and in Fort Oglethorpe," City Attorney Robert Stultz read in the resolution.
The resolution notes that the lyrics express the scenic beauty, history and progress of the city and the attitudes of residents.
Listen to the song at tinyurl.com/FortOAnthem.
Email Sabrina Bodon at sbodon@timesfreepress.com.