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Maryland’s state senate voted Thursday to take out references to the Confederacy in the official state song. Instead, the contentious parts of the anthem “Maryland, My Maryland” will be replaced with a part of a poem that details the state’s natural beauty. The song, written in 1861 by James Ryder Randall, should be unifying and reflect Maryland residents through history up to the present, the bill’s supporters argued. As it stands now, the song calls Northerners “scum” and calls President Abraham Lincoln a tyrant. At one point, because Randall was reportedly distraught over the death of his friend—who was shot while protesting Union troops—he calls for Maryland residents to join the South in Civil War efforts. State Sen. Ronald N. Young said: “I think it’s time to get rid of the verse that basically criticizes and makes us look bad. The [song] is degrading to Maryland and should not represent us moving forward.”