Dixie
Sheet music cover, c. 1900.
Unofficial National Anthem of	Confederate States of America
Also known as	I Wish I Was in Dixie Dixie's Land
Lyrics	Daniel Decatur Emmett, Unknown
Music	Daniel Decatur Emmett, Unknown
Adopted	1861
Until	1865
Dixie Image File history File links Sheet music from the 1900s for Dixie, showing four singers in blackface. ... Image File history File links Confederate_National_Flag_since_Mar_4_1865. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial)  States that seceded under CSA control  States and territories claimed by CSA without formal secession and/or control Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia... Daniel Decatur Dan Emmett (October 29, 1815 – June 28, 1904), was born at Mount Vernon, Ohio. ... Daniel Decatur Dan Emmett (October 29, 1815 – June 28, 1904), was born at Mount Vernon, Ohio. ... Image File history File links Dixie_(1916). ... Problems listening to the file? See media help.

"Dixie", also known as "I Wish I Was in Dixie", "Dixie's Land" and other titles, is a popular American song. It is one of the most distinctively American musical products of the 19th century,^[1] and probably the best-known song to have come out of blackface minstrelsy.^[2] Although not a folk song at its creation, "Dixie" has since entered the American folk vernacular. The song likely cemented the word "Dixie" in the American vocabulary as a synonym for the Southern United States. The first major American popular songwriter, Stephen Foster Even before the birth of recorded music, American popular music had a profound effect on music across the world. ... This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, 1843 The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the American Civil War, African Americans in blackface. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... For other uses, see Dixie (disambiguation). ... Historic Southern United States. ...

Most sources credit Ohio-born Daniel Decatur Emmett with the song's composition; however many other people have claimed to have composed "Dixie", even during Emmett's lifetime. Compounding the problem of definitively establishing the song's authorship are Emmett's own confused accounts of its writing, and his tardiness in having "Dixie" copyrighted. The latest challenge has come on behalf of the Snowden Family of Knox County, Ohio, who may have collaborated with Emmett to write "Dixie". This article is about the U.S. State. ... Daniel Decatur Dan Emmett (October 29, 1815 – June 28, 1904), was born at Mount Vernon, Ohio. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... Handbill for the Snowden Family Band The Snowden Family Band was an 19th century African American musical group. ... Knox County is a county located in the state of Ohio. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

The song originated in the blackface minstrel show of the 1850s and quickly grew famous across the United States. Its lyrics, written in a comic, exaggerated version of African American Vernacular English, tell the story of a freed black slave pining for the plantation of his birth. During the American Civil War, "Dixie" was adopted as a de facto anthem of the Confederacy. New versions appeared at this time that more explicitly tied the song to the events of the Civil War. Since the advent of the American Civil Rights Movement, many have identified the lyrics of the song with the iconography and ideology of the Old South. Today, "Dixie" is sometimes considered offensive, and its critics link the act of singing it to sympathy for the concept of slavery in the American South. Its supporters, on the other hand, view it as a legitimate aspect of Southern culture and heritage and the campaigns against it as political correctness and even cultural genocide. Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial)  States that seceded under CSA control  States and territories claimed by CSA without formal secession and/or control Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia... Martin Luther King is perhaps most famous for his I Have a Dream speech, given in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom This article is about the civil rights movement following the Brown v. ... Geographically, Old South is a subregion of the American South, differentiated from the Deep South as being the Southern States represented in the original thirteen American colonies, as well as a way of describing the former lifestyle in the Southern United States. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... Cultural genocide is a term used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. ...

Structure

"Dixie" is structured into 32 measure groups of alternating verses and refrains, following an AABC pattern.^[3] As originally performed, a soloist or small group stepped forward and sang the verses, and the whole company answered at different times; the repeated line "look away" was probably one part sung in unison like this. As the song became widely popular, the audience likely joined the troupe in singing the chorus.^[4] Traditionally, another eight measures of unaccompanied fiddle playing followed, coming to a partial close in the middle; since 1936, this part has rarely been printed with the sheet music.^[5] In musical notation, a bar or measure is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration. ... The structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional forms, such as strophic form. ... A refrain (from the Old French refraindre to repeat, likely from Vulgar Latin refringere) is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the chorus of a song. ... “Fiddler” redirects here. ...

The song was traditionally played at a slower tempo than most listeners are familiar with today. Rhythmically, the music is "characterized by a heavy, nonchalant, inelegant strut",^[6] and is in duple meter, which makes it suitable for both dancing and marching. "Dixie" employs a single rhythmic motive (two sixteenth note pickups followed by a longer note), which is integrated into long, melodic phrases. The melodic content consists primarily of arpeggiations of the tonic triad, firmly establishing the major tonality. The melody of the chorus emulates natural inflections of the voice (particularly on the word "away"), and may account for some of the song's popularity.^[7] For other uses, see Tempo (disambiguation). ... Metre is the measurement of a musical line into measures of stressed and unstressed beats, indicated in Western notation by a symbol called a time signature. ... In music, a motif is a perceivable or salient reoccurring fragment or succession of notes that may used to construct the entirety or parts of complete melodies, themes. ... [[ Figure 1. ... In poetry, anacrusis is the lead-in syllables that precede the first full measure, while, similarly, in music, it is the note or notes (even a phrase) which precede the first downbeat in a group. ... Various arpeggios as seen on a staff Notation of a chord in arpeggio In music, an arpeggio is a broken chord where the notes are played or sung in succession rather than simultaneously. ... The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ... In music or music theory, a triad is a tonal or diatonic tertian trichord. ... In music theory, the major scale is one of the diatonic scales. ... Tonality is a system of writing music according to certain hierarchical pitch relationships around a key center or tonic. ...

Detail from a playbill of the Bryant's Minstrels depicting the first part of a walkaround, dated 19 December 1859.

According to musicologist Hans Nathan, "Dixie" resembles other material that Dan Emmett wrote for Bryant's Minstrels, and in writing it, the composer drew on a number of earlier works. The first part of the song is anticipated by other Emmett compositions, including "De Wild Goose-Nation" (1844), itself a derivative of "Gumbo Chaff" (1830s) and ultimately an 18th-century English song called "Bow Wow Wow". The second part is probably related to even older material, most likely Scottish folk songs.^[8] The chorus follows portions of "Johnny Roach", an Emmett piece from earlier in 1859.^[9] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1069x685, 566 KB) Summary Detail from a playbill of the Bryants Minstrels depicting the first part of the walkaround, 19 December 1859. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1069x685, 566 KB) Summary Detail from a playbill of the Bryants Minstrels depicting the first part of the walkaround, 19 December 1859. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For album by Prince, see Musicology (album). ... Daniel Decatur Dan Emmett (October 29, 1815 – June 28, 1904), was born at Mount Vernon, Ohio. ... Detail from a playbill from the Bryants Minstrels, 24 January 1859, depicting blackfaced men dancing. ... De Wild Goose-Nation is an American song composed by blackface minstrel performer Dan Emmett. ... Gumbo Chaff, also spelled Gombo Chaff, is an American song, first performed in the early 1830s. ... The Music of England has a long history. ... The Tannahill Weavers Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music. ... Johnny Roach is an American song written by blackface minstrel composer Dan Emmett. ...

As with other blackface material, performances of "Dixie" were accompanied by dancing. The song is a walkaround, which originally began with a few minstrels acting out the lyrics, only to be joined by the rest of the company (a dozen or so individuals for the Bryants).^[10] According to a musician named Oscar Coon, Bryant's Minstrels performed a jig to "Dixie" called Beans of Albany. This is probably Albany Beef, the Scots-Irish dance that Emmett refers to in a book on fife instruction.^[11] Dancers probably performed between verses,^[4] and a single dancer used the fiddle solo at the end of the song to "strut, twirl his cane, or mustache, and perhaps slyly wink at a girl on the front row."^[12] This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... In the first part of the walkaround, a single dancer moved forward and performed while other dancers kept time. ... Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, 1843 The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the American Civil War, African Americans in blackface. ... The jig (sometimes seen in its French language or Italian language forms gigue or giga) is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type, popular in Ireland and Scotland. ... Scots-Irish (also called Ulster Scots) is a Scottish ethnic group that historically resided in Ireland which ultimately traces its roots back to settlers from Scotland, and to a lesser extent, England. ...

Lyrics

Countless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular.^[4] Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point of view, common to minstrelsy at the time, that slavery was overall a positive institution. The pining slave had been used in minstrel tunes since the early 1850s, including Emmett's "I Ain't Got Time to Tarry" and "Johnny Roach". The fact that "Dixie" and its precursors are dance tunes only further made light of the subject.^[13] In short, "Dixie" made the case, more strongly than any previous minstrel tune had, that slaves belonged in bondage.^[14] This was accomplished through the song's protagonist, who, in comic black dialect, implies that despite his freedom, he is homesick for the plantation of his birth: Image File history File links Dixie_(1916). ... Ada Jones (June 1, 1873 – May 22, 1922) was a popular singer whose recordings ranged from 1905 to the early 1920s. ... Billy Murray (25 May 1877 - 17 August 1954) was one of the most popular singers in the United States in the early decades of the 20th century. ... Image File history File links Dixie_2nd_South_Carolina_String_Band. ... The 2nd South Carolina String Band The 2nd South Carolina String Band is a band of Civil War re-enactors who recreate American popular music of the 1820s to 1860s with authentic instruments and in period style. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... I Aint Got Time to Tarry, also known as The Land of Freedom, is an American song written by blackface minstrel composer Dan Emmett. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... This article is about crop plantations. ...

I wish I was in de land ob cotton,

Old times dar am not forgotten;

Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

In Dixie Land whar I was born in,

Early on one frosty mornin,

Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

The remaining verses drift into the common minstrel idiom of a comical plantation scenario, "supposedly [depicting] the gayer side of life for slaves on Southern plantations":^[15]

Old Missus marry "Will-de-weaber,"

Willium was a gay deceaber;

Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

But when he put his arm around'er,

He smilled as fierce as a forty-pound'er,

Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

The final verse mixes nonsense and dance steps with the freed-slave scenario: For other uses, see Nonsense (disambiguation). ...

Dar's buck-wheat cakes an 'Ingen' batter,

Makes you fat or a little fatter;

Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

Den hoe it down an scratch your grabble,

To Dixie land I'm bound to trabble.

Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.^[16]

The lyrics use many common phrases found in minstrel tunes of the day—"I wish I was in . . ." dates to at least "Clare de Kitchen" (early 1830s), and "Away down south in . . ." appears in many more songs, including Emmett's "I'm Gwine ober de Mountain" (1843). The second stanza clearly echoes "Gumbo Chaff" from the 1830s: "Den Missus she did marry Big Bill de weaver / Soon she found out he was a gay deceiver."^[17] The final stanza rewords portions of Emmett's own "De Wild Goose-Nation": "De tarapin he thot it was time for to trabble / He screw aron his tail and begin to scratch grabble."^[18] Even the phrase "Dixie's land" had been used in Emmett's "Johnny Roach" and "I Ain't Got Time to Tarry", both first performed earlier in 1859. Clare de Kitchen is an American song from the blackface minstrel tradition. ... Im Gwine ober de Mountain, also spelled Im Going ober de Mountain, is an American song written by blackface minstrel composer Dan Emmett. ... In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. ...

As with other minstrel material, "Dixie" entered common circulation among blackface performers, and many of them added their own verses or altered the song in other ways. Emmett himself adopted the tune for a pseudo-African American spiritual in the 1870s or 1880s. The chorus changed to: == Historical background on spiritual music Spirituals were often expressions of religious faith, although they may also have served as socio-political protests veiled as assimilation to white, American culture. ...

I wish I was in Canaan

Oaber dar—Oaber dar,

In Canaan's lann de color'd man

Can lib an die in cloaber

Oaber dar—Oaber dar,

Oaber dar in de lann ob Canaan.^[19]

Both Union and Confederate composers produced war versions of the song during the American Civil War. These variants standardized the spelling and made the song more militant, replacing the slave scenario with specific references to the conflict or to Northern or Southern pride. This Confederate verse by Albert Pike is representative: Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... Albert Pike (b. ...

Southrons! hear your country call you!

Up! lest worse than death befall you! . . .

Hear the Northern thunders mutter! . . .

Northern flags in South wind flutter; . . .

Send them back your fierce defiance!

Stamp upon the cursed alliance!^[20]

Compare Frances J. Crosby's Union lyrics: Frances Jane Crosby (March 24, 1820 - February 12, 1915) usually known as Fanny Crosby, was an American lyricist best known for her Protestant Christian hymns. ... The Union was a name used by many to refer to the Northern states during the American Civil War. ...

On! ye patriots to the battle,

Hear Fort Moultrie's cannon rattle!

Then away, then away, then away to the fight!

Go meet those Southern traitors,

With iron will.

And should your courage falter, boys,

Remember Bunker Hill.

Hurrah! Hurrah! The Stars and Stripes forever!

Hurrah! Hurrah! Our Union shall not sever!^[21]

"The New Dixie!: The True 'Dixie' for Northern Singers" takes a different approach, turning the original song on its head:

Den I'm glad I'm not in Dixie

Hooray! Hooray!

In Yankee land I'll took my stand,

Nor lib no die in Dixie^[22]

Soldiers on both sides wrote endless parody versions of the song. Often these discussed the banalities of camp life: "Pork and cabbage in the pot, / It goes in cold and comes out hot," or, "Vinegar put right on red beet, / It makes them always fit to eat". Others were more nonsensical: "Way down South in the fields of cotton, / Vinegar shoes and paper stockings".^[23] In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ...

Aside from its being rendered in standard English, the chorus was the only section not regularly altered, even for parodies.^[24] The first verse and chorus, in non-dialect form, are the best-known portions of the song today:^[25]

I wish I was in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten,

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land.

In Dixie Land where I was born in, early on a frosty mornin',

Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land.

Then I wish I was in Dixie, hooray! hooray!

In Dixie Land I'll take my stand to live and die in Dixie,

Away, away, away down South in Dixie,

Away, away, away down South in Dixie.^[26]

Composition and copyright

"I Wish I Was in Dixie's Land" Sheet music

According to tradition, Ohio-born minstrel show composer Daniel Decatur Emmett wrote "Dixie" around 1859. Over his lifetime, Emmett often recounted the story of its composition, and details vary with each account. For example, in various versions of the story, Emmett claimed to have written "Dixie" in a few minutes, in a single night, and over a few days.^[27] An 1872 edition of The New York Clipper provides one of the earliest accounts, claiming that on a Saturday night shortly after Emmett had been taken on as songwriter for the Bryant's Minstrels, Jerry Bryant told him they would need a new walkaround by the following Monday. By this account, Emmett shut himself inside his New York flat and wrote the song that Sunday evening.^[28] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1881x645, 183 KB) Summary Sheet music for Dixies Land. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1881x645, 183 KB) Summary Sheet music for Dixies Land. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The New York Clipper, also known as The Clipper, was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Other details emerge in later accounts. In one, Emmett claimed that "Suddenly, . . . I jumped up and sat down at the table to work. In less than an hour I had the first verse and chorus. After that it was easy."^[29] In another version, Emmett stared out at the rainy evening and thought, "I wish I was in Dixie." Then, "Like a flash the thought suggested the first line of the walk-around, and a little later the minstrel, fiddle in hand, was working out the melody"^[30] (a different story has it that Emmett's wife uttered the famous line).^[31] Yet another variant, dated to 1903, further changes the details: "I was standing by the window, gazing out at the drizzly, raw day, and the old circus feeling came over me. I hummed the old refrain, 'I wish I was in Dixie,' and the inspiration struck me. I took my pen and in ten minutes had written the first verses with music. The remaining verses were easy."^[32] In his final years, Emmett even claimed to have written the song years before he had moved to New York.^[33] A Washington Post article supports this, giving a composition date of 1843.^[34] ...

Emmett published "Dixie" (under the title "I Wish I Was in Dixie's Land") on 21 June 1860 through Firth, Pond & Co. in New York. The original manuscript has been lost; extant copies were made during Emmett's retirement, starting in the 1890s. Emmett's tardiness in copyrighting the song allowed it to proliferate among other minstrel groups and variety show performers. Rival editions and variations multiplied in songbooks, newspapers and broadsides. The earliest of these that is known today is a copyrighted edition for piano from the John Church Company of Cincinnati, published on 26 June 1860. Other publishers attributed completely made-up composers with the song: "Jerry Blossom" and "Dixie, Jr.", among others.^[35] The most serious of these challenges during Emmett's lifetime came from Southerner William Shakespeare Hays; this claimant attempted to prove his allegations through a Southern historical society, but he died before they could produce any conclusive evidence..^[36] By 1908, four years after Emmett's death, no fewer than 37 people had claimed the song as theirs.^[37] is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Firth, Pond & Company was an American music company that published sheet music and distributed musical instruments in the 19th century and early 20 century. ... A manuscript (Latin manu scriptus, written by hand), strictly speaking, is any written document that is put down by hand, in contrast to being printed or reproduced some other way. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... A variety show is a show with a variety of acts, often including music and comedy skits, especially on television. ... 31 Songs (published in the United States as Songbook) is a 2003 collection of essays by English writer Nick Hornby about songs and (more often) the particular emotional resonance they carry for him. ... USS Iowa Broadside (1984) A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous (or near simultaneous) fire in naval warfare. ... The John Church Company was a 19th century American publishing company that specialized in sheet music. ... Cincinnati redirects here. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... William Shakespeare Hays (1837—1907) was an American poet and lyricist. ...

"Dixie" is the only song Emmett ever claimed to have written in a burst of inspiration, and analysis of Emmett's notes and writings shows "a meticulous copyist, [who] spent countless hours collecting and composing songs and sayings for the minstrel stage . . . ; little evidence was left for the improvisational moment."^[38] The New York Clipper wrote in 1872 that "[Emmett's] claim to authorship of 'Dixie' was and is still disputed, both in and out of the minstrel profession."^[39] Emmett himself said, "Show people generally, if not always, have the chance to hear every local song as they pass through the different sections of [the] country, and particularly so with minstrel companies, who are always on the look out for songs and sayings that will answer their business."^[40] He claimed at one point to have based the first part of "Dixie" on "Come Philander Let's Be Marchin, Every One for His True Love Searchin", which he described as a "song of his childhood days". Musical analysis does show some similarities in the melodic outline, but the songs are not closely related.^[41] Emmett also credited "Dixie" to an old circus song.^[33] Despite the disputed authorship, Firth, Pond & Co. paid Emmett $300 for all rights to "Dixie" on 11 February 1861, perhaps fearing complications spurred by the impending Civil War.^[42] Look up melody in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

African American origin?

On at least one occasion, Emmett attributed "Dixie" to an unnamed Southern black man,^[33] and some of his contemporaries said that the song was based on an old African American folk tune. Taken at face value, these claims are hardly surprising, as minstrels often billed themselves as authentic delineators of slave material. Names of these chance-met black songwriters were rarely given.^[43] An African American man gives a piano lesson to a young African American woman, in 1899 or 1900, in Georgia, USA. Photograph from a collection of W.E.B. DuBois. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ...

Lew and Ben Snowden on banjo and fiddle in the second-story gable of their home, Clinton, Knox County, Ohio, c. 1890s.

However, a Mount Vernon, Ohio, tradition, which dates to the 1910s or 1920s at the latest,^[44] lends some credence to this notion. Many Mount Vernon residents claim that Emmett collaborated informally with a pair of black musicians named Ben and Lew Snowden. Those who remember the Snowden brothers describe them as "informal", "spontaneous", "creative", and "relatively free of concern over ownership" of their songs.^[45] The Snowden brothers were part of the Snowden Family Band, which was well known for traveling about the region. That Emmett might have met and played with these local celebrities is hardly surprising. The story is well enough known that the grave marker for Ben and Lew Snowden, set in 1976 by the black American Legion post, reads, "They taught 'Dixie' to Dan Emmett".^[46] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1914x1310, 868 KB) Summary Lew and Ben Snowden on banjo and fiddle in the second-story gable of their home, Clinton, Knox County, Ohio, c. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1914x1310, 868 KB) Summary Lew and Ben Snowden on banjo and fiddle in the second-story gable of their home, Clinton, Knox County, Ohio, c. ... Location within Summit County, Ohio Clinton is a village in Summit County, Ohio, United States. ... Mount Vernon is a city located in Knox County, Ohio. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Handbill for the Snowden Family Band The Snowden Family Band was an 19th century African American musical group. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

However, the Snowden theory has one serious hole. While Emmett likely did meet and play with Ben and Lew Snowden when he retired to Knox County, the Snowden brothers would have been only small children at the time Emmett composed "Dixie". Howard L. Sacks and Judith Sacks suggest that the Ohio legend may in fact be off by a generation, and that Emmett could have collaborated instead with the Snowden parents, Thomas and Ellen. This idea dates to at least 1978, in a genealogical history of the Robert Greer family of Knox County.^[47] Knox County is a county located in the state of Ohio. ...

Circumstantial evidence suggests that this is possible. Emmett's grandparents owned the farm adjacent to the Snowden homestead, and Emmett's father was one of a few blacksmiths to whom Thomas Snowden could have brought his horses for shoeing. Furthermore, an unpublished biography of Emmett, written in 1935 by a friend of the Emmett family, Mary McClane, says that Emmett visited Mt. Vernon several times from 1835 until the 1860s and toured the surrounding area giving fiddle performances.^[48] Emmett certainly refers to Knox County in other songs, including "Seely Simpkins Jig", which refers to a fiddler there, and "Owl Creek Quickstep", which is named for an early settlement in the area.^[49] Circumstantial evidence is lesbian sex with a huge glass dildo unrelated facts that, when considered together, can be used to infer a conclusion about something unknown. ... Seely Simpkins Jig is a song by American songwriter Dan Emmett. ... Owl Creek Quickstep was a song written by American songwriter Dan Emmett. ...

Advocates of the Snowden theory believe that the lyrics of "Dixie" are a protest through irony and parody against the institution of slavery. The references to "Cimmon seed an' sandy bottom" in one version of the song may refer to Nanjemoy, Maryland, Ellen Snowden's birthplace, and located in an area that was known for its persimmons and sandy, wet lowlands.^[50] Slaves rarely knew their exact birth date, instead recalling broad details that someone was born, for example, "Early on one frosty mornin'". A domestic slave, as Ellen Snowden had been, would have been well placed to witness a love affair between "Old Missus" and "Will-de-weaber". Food imagery, such as "buck-wheat cake" and "'Ingen' batter", further points to a writer who had some experience as a cook.^[51] Ironic redirects here. ... Nanjemoy is the name for a general area of Charles County, Maryland that is more or less bounded by the Nanjemoy Creek and by the Potomac River. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N...

A 1950 article by Ada Bedell Wootton claims that Ben and Lew Snowden sometimes played with Dan Emmett during the minstrel's retirement.^[52] At his death in 1923, Lew Snowden owned a small box of newspaper clippings asserting Emmett's authorship of "Dixie". He also had a small framed photograph of Emmett, a fixture on the Snowden house's wall for years, with the text "Author of 'Dixie'!" written under the minstrel's name.^[53] Scholars such as Clint Johnson, Robert James Branham, and Stephen J. Hartnett accept the claims of black origin for the song or at least allow for the possibility.^[54][55] Nevertheless, many scholars, such as E. Lawrence Abel, dismiss the Snowden claims outright.^[56] Clint Johnson (born in Fish Branch, Florida) is an American historian and author of nonfiction, primarily about the American Civil War. ...

Popularity through the Civil War

Detail from a playbill for Bryant's Minstrels at the 4 April 1859 premiere of "Dixie", Mechanics' Hall, New York City

Bryant's Minstrels premiered "Dixie" in New York City on 4 April 1859 as part of their blackface minstrel show. It appeared second to last on the bill, perhaps an indication of the Bryants' lack of faith that the song could carry the minstrel show's entire finale.^[57] The walkaround was billed as a "plantation song and dance".^[58] It was a runaway success, and the Bryants quickly made it their standard closing number. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (234x640, 142 KB) Summary Detail from a playbill for Bryants Mintrels, Mechanics Hall, New York, 4 April 1859 (the night Dixie premiered). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (234x640, 142 KB) Summary Detail from a playbill for Bryants Mintrels, Mechanics Hall, New York, 4 April 1859 (the night Dixie premiered). ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Mechanics Hall, 1803 Mechanics Hall was a meeting hall and theatre located at 472 Broadway in New York City. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

"Dixie" quickly gained wide recognition and status as a minstrel standard, and it helped rekindle interest in plantation material from other troupes, particularly in the third act. It became a favorite of Abraham Lincoln's and was played during his campaign in 1860 and at his inauguration in 1861. The New York Clipper wrote that it was "one of the most popular compositions ever produced" and that it had "been sung, whistled, and played in every quarter of the globe."^[59] Buckley's Serenaders performed the song in London in late 1860, and by the end of the decade, it had found its way into the repertoire of British sailors.^[60] As the American Civil War broke out, one New Yorker wrote, For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... An inauguration is a ceremony of formal investiture whereby an individual assumes an office or position of authority or power. ... Detail from a playbill for Buckleys Serenaders, 16 December 1853. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

"Dixie" has become an institution, an irrepressible institution in this section of the country . . . As a consequence, whenever "Dixie" is produced, the pen drops from the fingers of the plodding clerk, spectacles from the nose and the paper from the hands of the merchant, the needle from the nimble digits of the maid or matron, and all hands go hobbling, bobbling in time with the magical music of "Dixie."^[61]

The song even added a new term to the American lexicon: "Whistling 'Dixie'" is a slang expression meaning "[engaging] in unrealistically rosy fantasizing".^[62] For example, "Don't just sit there whistling 'Dixie'!" is a reprimand against inaction, and "You ain't just whistling 'Dixie'!" indicates that the addressee is serious about the matter at hand. For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ...

The Rumsey and Newcomb Minstrels brought "Dixie" to New Orleans in March 1860; the walkaround became the hit of their show. That April, Mrs. John Wood sang "Dixie" in a John Brougham burlesque called Po-ca-hon-tas, or The Gentle Savage, increasing the song's popularity in New Orleans. On the surface "Dixie" seems an unlikely candidate for a Southern hit; it has a Northern composer, stars a black protagonist, is intended as a dance song, and lacks any of the patriotic bluster of most national hymns and marches. Had it not been for the atmosphere of sectionalism in which "Dixie" debuted, it might have faded into obscurity.^[63] Nevertheless, the refrain "In Dixie Land I'll took my stand / To lib an die in Dixie", coupled with the first verse and its sanguine picture of the South, hit a chord.^[64] Woods's New Orleans audience demanded no fewer than seven encores.^[65] NOLA redirects here. ... Mrs. ... John Brougham (May 9, 1814 - June 7, 1880), was an Irish actor and dramatist. ... For other uses, see Burlesque (disambiguation). ... Po-ca-hon-tas, or The Gentle Savage (subtitled An Original Aboriginal Erratic Operatic Semi-civilized and Demi-savage Extravaganza) is a two-act musical burlesque by John Brougham. ... Sectionalism is a tendency among sections in bureaucracy to blindly focus on the interest of a section at the expense of the whole. ...

Unauthorized sheet music to "Dixie", published by P. P. Werlein and Halsey of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1861.

New Orleans publisher P. P. Werlein took advantage and published "Dixie" in New Orleans. He credited music to J. C. Viereck and Newcomb for lyrics. When the minstrel denied authorship, Werlein changed the credit to W. H. Peters. Werlein's version, subtitled "Sung by Mrs. John Wood", was the first "Dixie" to do away with the faux black dialect and misspellings. The publication did not go unnoticed, and Firth Pond & Co. threatened to sue. The date on Werlein's sheet music precedes that of Firth, Pond & Co.'s version, but Emmett later recalled that Werlein had sent him a letter offering to buy the rights for $5.^[66] In a New York musical publishers' convention, Firth, Pond & Co. succeeded in convincing those present that Emmett was the composer. In future editions of Werlein's arrangement, Viereck is merely credited as "arranger". Whether ironically or sincerely, Emmett dedicated a sequel called "I'm Going Home to Dixie" to Werlein in 1861.^[67] Image File history File linksMetadata Werlein's_Dixie. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Werlein's_Dixie. ... P. P. Werlein was an American music publisher based in New Orleans, Louisiana. ... P. P. Werlein was an American music publisher based in New Orleans, Louisiana. ... Sheet music is written representation of music. ... In music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet. ... Im Going Home to Dixie is an American walkaround, a type of dance song. ...

"Dixie" quickly spread to the rest of the South, enjoying vast popularity. By the end of 1860, secessionists had adopted it as theirs; on 20 December the band played "Dixie" after each vote for secession at St. Andrew's Hall in Charleston, South Carolina.^[65] On 18 February 1861, the song took on something of the air of national anthem when it was played at the inauguration of Jefferson Davis, arranged as a quickstep by Hermann Arnold, and possibly for the first time as a band arrangement.^[68] Emmett himself reportedly told a fellow minstrel that year that "If I had known to what use they were going to put my song, I will be damned if I'd have written it."^[69] is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... St. ... Nickname: Motto: Aedes Mores Juraque Curat (She cares for her temples, customs, and rights) Location of Charleston in South Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N  - Longitude 78° 32′ W to 83... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... For other uses, see Jefferson Davis (disambiguation). ... Quickstep is an International Style ballroom dance that follows a 2/4 or 4/4 time beat, similar to a fast Foxtrot. ...

In May 1861 Confederate Henry Hotze wrote: Henry Hotze (September 2, 1833-April 19, 1887) was a Swiss-born propagandist for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. ...

It is marvellous with what wild-fire rapidity this tune "Dixie" has spread over the whole South. Considered as an intolerable nuisance when first the streets re-echoed it from the repertoire of wandering minstrels, it now bids fair to become the musical symbol of a new nationality, and we shall be fortunate if it does not impose its very name on our country.^[70]

Southerners who shunned the song's low origins and comedic nature changed the lyrics, usually to focus on Southern pride and the war.^[71] Albert Pike's enjoyed the most popularity; the Natchez (Mississippi) Courier published it on 30 May 1861 as "The War Song of Dixie", followed by Werlein, who again credited Viereck for composition. Henry Throop Stanton published another war-themed "Dixie", which he dedicated to "the Boys in Virginia".^[20] The defiant "In Dixie Land I'll take my stand / To live and die in Dixie" were the only lines used with any consistency. The tempo also quickened, as the song was a useful quickstep tune. Confederate soldiers by and large preferred these war versions to the original minstrel lyrics. "Dixie" was probably the most popular song for Confederate soldiers on the march, in battle, and at camp.^[72] is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Henry Throop Stanton (1834 — 1899) was an American poet, best known for his poem The Moneyless Man. He was born in Alexandria, Virginia, and educated in Maysville, Kentucky. ...

Southerners who rallied to the song proved reluctant to acknowledge a Yankee as its composer. Accordingly, some ascribed it a longer tradition as a folk song. Poet John Hill Hewitt wrote in 1862 that "The homely air of 'Dixie', of extremely doubtful origin . . . [is] generally believed to have sprung from a noble stock of Southern stevedore melodies."^[73] For the Major League Baseball team, see New York Yankees. ... John Hill Hewitt (1801—1890) was an American songwriter, playwright, and poet. ... Stevedores on a New York dock loading barrels of corn syrup onto a barge on the Hudson River. ...

Meanwhile, many Northerners took offense to the South's appropriation of "Dixie". Before even the fall of Fort Sumter, Frances J. Crosby published "Dixie for the Union" and "Dixie Unionized". The tune formed part of the repertoire of both Union bands and common troops until 1863. Broadsides circulated with titles like "The Union 'Dixie'" or "The New Dixie, the True 'Dixie' for Northern Singers". Northern "Dixies" branded Southerners as traitors and resorted to pure insults.^[74] Emmett himself arranged "Dixie" for the military in a book of fife instruction in 1862, and a 1904 work by Charles Burleigh Galbreath claims that Emmett gave his official sanction to Crosby's Union lyrics.^[75] At least 39 versions of the song, both vocal and instrumental, were published between 1860 and 1866.^[76] Fort Sumter, a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston harbor, South Carolina, was named after General Thomas Sumter. ... In music, a band is a company of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of or improvising a musical arrangement on different musical instruments. ... Fife from the American Civil War A fife is a small, high-pitched, transverse flute that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore. ...

Northerners, Emmett among them, also declared that the "Dixie Land" of the song was actually in the North. One common story, still cited today, claimed that Dixie was a Manhattan slave owner who had sent his slaves south just before New York's 1827 banning of slavery. The stories had little effect; for most Americans "Dixie" was synonymous with the South.^[77] This article is about the borough of New York City. ...

On 10 April 1865, one day after the surrender of General Robert E. Lee, Lincoln addressed a White House crowd: is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... The court house The Appomattox Court House is a historic court house located in Appomattox, Virginia famous as the site of the surrender of the Confederate Army under Robert E. Lee to Union commander Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War. ... For other uses, see Robert E. Lee (disambiguation). ...

I propose now closing up by requesting you play a certain piece of music or a tune. I thought "Dixie" one of the best tunes I ever heard . . . I had heard that our adversaries over the way had attempted to appropriate it. I insisted yesterday that we had fairly captured it . . . I presented the question to the Attorney-General, and he gave his opinion that it is our lawful prize . . . I ask the Band to give us a good turn upon it.^[78]

"Dixie" reconstructed

"DIXIE'S LAND", 1904 postcard

"Dixie" slowly re-entered Northern repertoires, mostly in private performances..^[79] New Yorkers resurrected stories about "Dixie" being a part of Manhattan, thus reclaiming the song for themselves. The New York Weekly wrote, "... no one ever heard of Dixie's land being other than Manhattan Island until recently, when it has been erroneously supposed to refer to the South, from its connection with pathetic negro allegory."^[80] In 1888 the publishers of a Boston songbook included "Dixie" as a "patriotic song", and in 1895 the Confederate Veterans' Association suggested a celebration in honor of "Dixie" and Emmett in Washington as a bipartisan tribute. One of the planners noted that: Download high resolution version (610x874, 238 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (610x874, 238 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For the computer diagnostic tool, see POST card. ... Boston redirects here. ... The United Confederate Veterans, also known as the UCV, was a veterans organization for former Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War, and was equivalent to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) which was the organization for Union veterans. ...

In this era of peace between the sections . . . thousands of people from every portion of the United States will be only too glad to unite with the ex-confederates in the proposed demonstration, and already some of the leading men who fought on the Union side are enthusiastically in favor of carrying out the programme. Dixie is as lively and popular an air today as it ever was, and its reputation is not confined to the American continent . . . [W]herever it is played by a big, strong band the auditors cannot help keeping time to the music.^[81]

However, "Dixie" was still most strongly associated with the South. Northern singers and writers often used it for parody or as a quotation in other pieces to establish a person or setting as Southern.^[79] For example, African Americans Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle quoted "Dixie" in the song "Banana Days" for their 1921 musical Shuffle Along. In 1905 the United Daughters of the Confederacy mounted a campaign to acknowledge an official Southern version of the song (one that would purge it forever of its African American associations).^[56] Although they obtained the support of the United Confederate Veterans and the United Sons of Confederate Veterans, Emmett's death the year before turned sentiments against the project, and the groups were ultimately unsuccessful in having any of the 22 entries universally adopted. For the Wikipedia quotation templates, see Category:Quotation templates. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... James Hubert Blake (February 7, 1887 – February 12, 1983), was a composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. ... Noble Sissle (born July 10, 1889 in Indianapolis, Indiana, died December 17, 1975 in Tampa, Florida) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer and playwright. ... The Black Crook (1866), considered by some historians to be the first musical[1] Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... Shuffle Along premiered in 1921, written and composed by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and was the first major African American hit musical of the 1920s. ... The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is a sororal association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served and died in service to the Confederate States of America (CSA). ... The United Confederate Veterans, also known as the UCV, was a veterans organization for former Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War, and was equivalent to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) which was the organization for Union veterans. ... Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is a historical and patriotic honor society and non-political fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history of the American Civil War and the 1861-1865 era. ...

As African Americans entered minstrelsy, they exploited the song's popularity in the South by playing "Dixie" as they first arrived in a Southern town. According to Tom Fletcher, a black minstrel of the time, it tended to please those who might otherwise be antagonistic to the arrival of a group of black men.^[82]

Photograph of Dan Emmett with "Author of 'Dixie!'" written across the bottom. The portrait belonged to Ben and Lew Snowden of Knox County, Ohio.

Still, "Dixie" was not rejected outright in the North. An article in the New York Tribune, c. 1908, said that "though 'Dixie' came to be looked upon as characteristically a song of the South, the hearts of the Northern people never grew cold to it. President Lincoln loved it, and to-day it is the most popular song in the country, irrespective of section."^[83] As late as 1934, the music journal The Etude asserted that "the sectional sentiment attached to Dixie has been long forgotten; and today it is heard everywhere—North, East, South, West."^[84] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1066x1500, 845 KB) Summary Photograph of Dan Emmett taken from the belongings of Ben and Lew Snowden. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1066x1500, 845 KB) Summary Photograph of Dan Emmett taken from the belongings of Ben and Lew Snowden. ... The New York Tribune building - today the site of Pace Universitys building complex of One Pace Plaza in New York City The New York Tribune was established by Horace Greeley in 1841 and was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States. ... Cover of the first issue from October 1883 The Etude was a magazine dedicated to music, which was first published in October 1883. ...

"Dixie" had become Emmett's most enduring legacy. In the 1900 census of Knox County, Emmett's occupation is given as "author of Dixie".^[85] The band at Emmett's funeral played "Dixie" as he was lowered into his grave. His grave marker, placed 20 years after his death, reads,

Modern interpretations

Beginning in the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans have frequently challenged "Dixie" as a racist relic of the Confederacy and a reminder of decades of white domination and segregation. These feelings were amplified when white opponents to civil rights began answering songs such as "We Shall Overcome" with the unofficial Confederate anthem.^[87][88] Martin Luther King is perhaps most famous for his I Have a Dream speech, given in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom This article is about the civil rights movement following the Brown v. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota... Racial segregation characterised by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. ... We Shall Overcome is a protest song that became a key anthem of the US civil rights movement. ...

The earliest of these protests came from students of Southern universities, where "Dixie" was a staple of a number of marching bands.^[89] In 1967 black cadets at The Citadel refused to stand for "Dixie" or to sing and perform it at football games. Similar protests have since occurred at the University of Virginia, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Tulane University. In 2002, the University of Mississippi's vice chancellors attempted to compromise by adding more general American pieces to the band's playlist and by restricting the playing of "Dixie" to twice per game.^[90] The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina. ... The University of Virginia (also called U.Va. ... The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly known as Georgia Tech, is a public, coeducational research university, part of the University System of Georgia, and located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia, Metz, France, Shanghai, China, and Singapore. ... Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

The debate has since moved beyond student populations. Members of the 75th United States Army Band protested "Dixie" in 1971. In 1989 three black Georgia senators walked out when the Miss Georgia Sweet Potato Queen sang "Dixie" in the Georgia chamber. Meanwhile, many black musicologists have challenged the song's racist origins. For example, Sam Dennison writes that "Today, the performance of 'Dixie' still conjures visions of an unrepentant, militarily recalcitrant South, ready to reassert its aged theories of white supremacy at any moment . . . This is why the playing of 'Dixie' still causes hostile reactions."^[91] United States Service Bands Each of the branches of the U.S. military, has a headquarters band organization, all but one of which are in the Washington, D.C. area. ...

On the other hand, for many Southerners, "Dixie", like the Confederate flag, is a symbol of Southern heritage and identity.^[92] Southern schools maintain the "Dixie" fight song, often coupled with the Rebel mascot and the Confederate battle flag school symbol, despite protests.^[93] Confederate heritage websites regularly feature the song,^[94] and Confederate heritage groups routinely sing "Dixie" at their gatherings.^[95] In his song "Dixie on My Mind", country musician Hank Williams, Jr., cites the absence of "Dixie" on Northern radio stations as an example of how Northern culture pales in comparison to its Southern counterpart.^[96] Others consider the song a part of the patriotic American repertoire on a par with "America the Beautiful" and "Yankee Doodle". For example, Chief Justice William Rehnquist regularly included "Dixie" in his annual sing-along for the 4th Circuit Judicial Conference in Virginia. However, its performance prompted some African American lawyers to avoid the event.^[97] The following are the flags used by the short-lived Confederate States of America. ... For the single by Marilyn Manson, see The Fight Song. ... This article is about Hank Williams, Jr. ... America the Beautiful is an American patriotic song. ... Yankee Doodle is a well-known US song, often sung patriotically today. ... William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American lawyer, jurist, and a political figure who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the Chief Justice of the United States. ... Sing Along is a term describing many videos released by childrens media companies in the late 80s through early 2000s. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Campaigns against "Dixie" and other Confederate symbols have helped create a sense of political ostracism and marginalization among working-class white Southerners.^[98] Confederate heritage groups and literature proliferated in the late 1980s and early 1990s in response to criticism of the song.^[99] Historian Clint Johnson calls modern opposition to "Dixie" "an open, not-at-all-secret conspiracy"^[100] and an example of political correctness. Johnson claims that modern versions of the song are not racist and simply reinforce that the South "extols family and tradition."^[54] Other supporters, such as State Senator Glenn McConnell of South Carolina, have called the attempts to suppress the song cultural genocide.^[101] Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... Cultural genocide is a term used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. ...

Performers who choose to sing "Dixie" today usually remove the black dialect and combine the song with other pieces. For example, Rene Marie's jazz version mixes "Dixie" with "Strange Fruit", a Billie Holiday song about a lynching. Mickey Newbury's "An American Trilogy" (often performed by Elvis Presley) combines "Dixie" with the Union's "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the African American spiritual "All My Trials".^[102] For other uses, see Strange Fruit (disambiguation). ... Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... Mickey Newbury (May 19, 1940 - September 29, 2002) was an American songwriter and singer. ... An American Trilogy is a song arranged by country songwriter Mickey Newbury and made popular by Elvis Presley. ... Elvis redirects here. ... The Battle Hymn of the Republic is a patriotic anthem written by Julia Ward Howe for the United States during the American Civil War as a replacement for the words to the marching song John Browns Body. ... All My Trials was an important folk song during the social protest movements of the 1950s and 1960s. ...

However, in modern times "Dixie" is usually heard as an instrumental piece. Thus, to countless people "Dixie" signifies nothing more than "Southern United States".^[103] This interpretation has been reinforced through years of American popular culture. For example, the soundtracks of cartoons featuring Southern characters like Foghorn Leghorn often play "Dixie" to quickly set the scene. On the television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which takes place in Georgia, the car horn of the General Lee plays part of the melody from the song. Sacks and Sacks argue that such apparently innocent associations only further serve to tie "Dixie" to its blackface origins, as these comedic programs are, like the minstrel show, "inelegant, parodic [and] dialect-ridden".^[103] On the other hand, Poole sees the "Dixie" car horn, mimicked by white Southerners, as another example of the song's role as a symbol of "working-class revolt".^[104] However, in more serious fare, "Dixie" signals "Southern". For example, Max Steiner quotes the song in the opening scene of his late 1930s score to Gone with the Wind as a down-beat nostalgic instrumental to set the scene and Ken Burns makes use of instrumental versions in his 1990's Civil War documentary. This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the culture of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. ... Foghorn Leghorn is the name of a character appearing in numerous Warner Brothers animated cartoons, especially Looney Tunes. ... For the 2005 film, see The Dukes of Hazzard (film). ... Bo (R) and Luke Duke in their famous car, The General Lee The General Lee is the car driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. ... Maximilian Raoul Walter Steiner (born May 10, 1888 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary; died December 28, 1971 in Hollywood, California) was an Austrian-American composer of music for theater production shows and films. ... Gone with the Wind is a 1939 film adapted from Margaret Mitchells 1936 novel of the same name. ... Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American director and producer of documentary films known for his style of making use of original prints and photographs. ... The Civil War was a highly popular and acclaimed PBS documentary about the American Civil War created by Sam Sim, and released on PBS in September 1990. ...

Notes

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Dixie's Land

Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ...

References

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External links

• Example version of "Dixie's Land" (MIDI)
• Sheet music for "Dixie's Land" from Historic American Sheet Music at Duke University.