ɐ sˈaɪn ʌv ɪts dᵻsˈɛnt fɹʌmðə ʃˈæŋ ɪz ðætðə stˈeɪt ʌv sˈɔŋ ɪn ɪts ˈɜːli pˈiəɹɪəd fˈɑːloʊd ðə səksˈɛʃən pɹˈɪnsɪpəl ʌv æɡnˈæɾɪk sˌiːnɪˈɔːɹᵻɾi, ɹˈæðɚ ðɐn æɡnˈæɾɪk pɹˈɪmoʊdʒnˌɪtʃɚ lˈaɪk ðə ʒˈuː.
A sign of its descent from the Shang is that the state of Song in its early period followed the succession principle of agnatic seniority, rather than agnatic primogeniture like the Zhou.