'Hang On Sloopy,' you're almost legal - Ohio lawmakers

(Reuters) - The 1960s hit "Hang On Sloopy" is a step closer to becoming Ohio's official state rock song. A bill granting the song legal status passed the state House of Representatives on Wednesday and will be assigned to a Senate committee this week or next, a spokesman for co-sponsor state Representative Michael Stinziano said on Thursday. Why pick "Hang On Sloopy," which doesn't even mention the Buckeye State in its tale of a girl who lives in a "very bad side of town?" The song was a major hit in 1965 for The McCoys, of Dayton, Ohio. It was written about Steubenville, Ohio, singer Dorothy Sloop, who sometimes used the stage name "Sloopy," according to Stinziano's office. The song has become the informal anthem for Ohio State University football. "It's just sort of ingrained in Ohio culture," said Joseph Garrity, a spokesman for Stinziano. Ohio lawmakers including Stinziano's father, former Representative Mike Stinziano, sponsored a resolution in 1985 that designated "Hang On Sloopy" the state's official rock song. The resolution was adopted, but the song was never properly placed in Ohio law along with other state designations, Stinziano's office said. "Hang On Sloopy" has bipartisan support in the swing state. (Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Doina Chiacu)