Old Folks at Home

"Old Folks at Home" as sung by Christy's Minstrels in 1851.
"Old Folks at Home" as sung by Christy's Minstrels in 1851.
1904 postcard

"Old Folks at Home," also known by the words of its first line, "(Way Down Upon the) Swanee River," is a song originally written in 1851 by composer Stephen Foster, to be performed by the New York performing troupe Christy's Minstrels. The name of E.P. Christy, the troupe's leader, appears on early printings of the music as the song's creator, as shown in the illustration; Christy had paid Foster to be credited, something Foster himself had suggested. Though Foster later regretted this, the deal stood. It has been the official state song of Florida since 1935.

The inspiration for the song was the Suwannee River, which runs in North Central Florida. Foster never saw the Suwannee River and picked it from a map because its name fit the music (the original draft referred to the "Pedee River") but though Foster himself never visited, the song is said to have began major tourism in Florida as travelers came to visit the river.

This song is often seen as offensive to black Americans for its imitation of Black English Vernacular (the song is intended to be from the perspective of a black man), and its references to "darkies" and "a-longin' for the old plantation." Foster himself is said to have been progressive for his time in his views about racial equality, and W.E.B. DuBois considered it "an authentic song of the Negro race." However, "Old Folks At Home" has stirred up controversy in Florida about its appropriateness as a state symbol for such usages. In 1997, former state representative Willy Logan attempted to have it replaced with something more politically neutral on the grounds that "Old Folks At Home" was racist, but he was unsuccessful. However, Florida now substitutes words like "darling," "brothers," or "dear ones" for "darkies." Some recordings substitute the word "doggies."

The song was recorded by boogie woogie pianist Albert Ammons as "Swanee River Boogie" and by Ray Charles as "Swanee River Rock." Under the title "Swanee River," the song was recorded by Tony Sheridan in the early 1960s and is sometimes erroneously listed as an early recording by The Beatles due to their association with Sheridan at that time.

Contents

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Modern lyrics

Way down upon the Swanee River,
Far, far away.
That's where my heart is yearning ever,
Home where the old folks stay.
Way down upon the Swanee River,
Far, far away-hey.
Wo, that's where my heart is yearning ever,
Home where the old folks stay.
All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly I roam.
I'm a still a-longin' for the old plantation,
Oh, for the old folks at home.
Ah-oh-oh!
Oh, my my!
Well, way down upon the Swanee River,
Far, far away-hey.
Wo, that's where my heart is yearning ever,
Home where the old folks stay,
All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly I roam.
I'm still a-longin' for the old plantation,
And for the old folks at home.
All the world is sad and dreary,
Ev'rywhere I roam,
Oh, darkies, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home
Far from the old folks at home
Far from the old folks at home
Far from the old folks at home.
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Original lyrics

[1]

1st verse
Way down upon de Swanee ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation
And for de old folks at home.
Chorus
All de world am sad and dreary,
Ebry where I roam,
Oh! darkeys how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home.
2nd verse
All round de little farm I wandered
When I was young,
Den many happy days I squandered,
Many de songs I sung.
When I was playing wid my brudder
Happy was I
Oh! take me to my kind old mudder,
Dere let me live and die.
Chorus
3rd verse
One little hut amond de bushes,
One dat I love,
Still sadly to my mem'ry rushes,
No matter where I rove
When will I see de bees a humming
All round de comb?
When will I hear de banjo tumming
Down in my good old home?
Chorus
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External links

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References

  1. ^  source: Christy, E. P. [sic]. Old folks at home : Ethiopian melody as sung by Christy's Minstrels. New York : Firth, Pond & Co., [date obscured].