"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.^[1] Download high resolution version (757x951, 94 KB)A copy of Old Folks at Home, as performed in 1851 by Christys Minstrels. ... Download high resolution version (757x951, 94 KB)A copy of Old Folks at Home, as performed in 1851 by Christys Minstrels. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 439 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (630 × 861 pixel, file size: 234 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Suwanee River Postcard, Copyright by P. J. Plant, Washington, D.C., 1904 USA copyright expired. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 439 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (630 × 861 pixel, file size: 234 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Suwanee River Postcard, Copyright by P. J. Plant, Washington, D.C., 1904 USA copyright expired. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Stephen Foster Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the father of American music, was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century. ... NY redirects here. ... Christys Minstrels, sometimes referred to as the Christy Minstrels, were a blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy in 1843, in Buffalo, New York, USA. They were instrumental in the solidification of the minstrel show into a fixed three-act form. ... Edwin Pearce Christy (November 28, 1815 – May 21, 1862) was an American composer, singer, actor and stage producer. ... Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state legislature as a symbol of the state. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ...

According to legend^[2], Foster had most of the lyrics in place but was casting about to give a name to the river of the opening line and asked his brother to suggest one. The first suggestion was "the Yazoo" of Mississippi, which, despite fitting the melody perfectly, Foster rejected. The second suggestion was "the Pee Dee" of the Carolinas, to which Foster said, "Oh pshaw! I won't have that." His brother then consulted an atlas and called out "Suwannee!". Foster immediately wrote it in (misspelling it "Swanee" to fit the melody^[1]), saying "That's it exactly!". Foster himself never saw the Suwannee or even visited Florida, but the popularity of the song singlehandedly started a major tourist movement to Florida to see the river, as travelers from the Northeastern states in particular flocked to the region. hTe Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Mississippi and the second longest tributary of the Mississippi River that flows into that river from the east (the longest is the Ohio River). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Shad Fishing in February Pee Dee River, Yauhanna, South Carolina The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in South Carolina. ... The Carolinas is a collective term used in the United States to refer to the States of North and South Carolina together. ... The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River) is a major river of southern Georgia and northern Florida in the United States. ... The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River) is a major river of southern Georgia and northern Florida in the United States. ... Tourists on Oʻahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ... Regional definitions vary The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. ...

Controversy

This song is seen by some as offensive to black Americans for its imitation of Black English Vernacular (the song is sung from the perspective of a black man), with its original lyrics referring to "darkies" and "a-longin' for the old plantation".^[2] Foster himself supported the North in the American civil war and sympathized with the plight of the black Americans in his day. In 1997, former state representative Willy Logan presented an unsuccessful motion to have the song replaced, on the grounds that it was racist. At many public performances, words like "lordy," "mama," "darling," "brothers" or "dear ones" are often used in place of "darkies". 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. ... African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), also called Ebonics, Black English, or Black English Vernacular (BEV) is a dialect of American English. ... A slur can be anything from an insinuation or critical remark to an insult. ... // This article is about crop plantations. ... This article is becoming very long. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As the official state song of Florida, it had become a tradition for the tune to be performed as part of the inauguration ceremony for incoming governors. However, Charlie Crist decided not to include it in his 2007 inauguration so as not to possibly offend the state's African-American population. In its place, Crist decided upon "The Florida Song", a composition written by jazz musician Charles Atkins, an African-American born in Daytona Beach and who now lives in Tallahassee. Charles Joseph Crist, Jr. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Daytona Beach in 2005 Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. As of 2004, the population estimates recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 64,422. ... Location in Leon County and the state of Florida. ...

Most authorities trace the success of "Old Folks At Home" to the same qualities shared by most of Foster's other well-known compositions: a bright, memorable melody joined to rather melancholic lyrics. Melancholia (Greek μελανχολια) is a mood of non-specific depression. ...

Popular culture

The song is mentioned in Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in the line, "If you want to hear the 'Swanee River' played in ragtime". 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. Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ... Alexanders Ragtime Band is the name of a song by Irving Berlin. ... Boogie woogie has two different meanings: a piano based music style, boogie woogie (music) a dance that imitates the rocknroll of the 50s, boogie woogie (dance) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... Albert Ammons (1907-1949) was a rapist on the run ! !!!!Is he really a rapist? Prove it please!!!!!!! ?!?!Is this info had been vandalised?!?! Ammons formed his own band in 1934, and in 1938 performed in the From Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnegie Hall, which among other achievements launched... Ray Charles was the stage name of Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004). ... Tony Sheridan (born Andrew Esmond Sheridan McGinnity on May 21, 1940), is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ...

George Gershwin's "Swanee" (1919) was clearly influenced by the popularity of "Old Folks at Home". This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

In Science Fiction writer John Wyndham's story Pillar to Post, a 20th Century American is marooned in a strange world of the far future, where he is taken to a strange kind of museum: "We went back, back and still back. I wanted to see or hear something of my own time. Suddenly, into that great hall a familiar sound stole softly and mournfully. As I listened to it I had a sense of emptiness and vast desolation. Memories flooded me, a wave of sentimentality and nostalgia for all the hopes and joys and childhood that had vanished, and the tears streamed upon my face. I did not go to that museum again. And the music which conjured a whole world from the aged dust? No, it was not a Beethoven symphony, nor a Mozart concerto; it was, I confess, 'The Old Folks at Home'...". John Wyndham (July 10, 1903 – March 11, 1969) was the pen name used by the often post-apocalyptic British science fiction writer John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris. ...

In what some consider to be the funniest moment on the 1950's sitcom The Honeymooners, Ralph Kramden becomes a contestant on a game show where he has to answer questions about popular music. To practice, he has his neighbor Ed Norton play songs on the piano as he identifies them. To warm up, Ed would play "Swanee River," while Ralph yelled at him to "stop playing that racket!", not realizing it was a real song. Ironically, the first question asked to him on the show was to identify the author of "this piece" which was "Swanee River." Flustered, Ralph, realizing it was a real song, guesses "Ed Norton". The Honeymooners is an American television situation comedy produced by Jackie Gleason Enterprises, Inc. ...

Lyrics

^[3]Although this song may sometimes be performed with "modern" lyrics that some see as more racially sensitive, the song's original lyrics, included here, have been officially adopted as the lyrics of Florida's state song.^[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! darkies 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

External links

• Closeup of Foster's notebook page with first draft of "Old Folks at Home", including substitution of "Pedee" with "Swannee"
• Old Folks At Home, from the Center for American Music, home of the Foster Hall Collection
• New York Times article on Foster mentioning "Old Folks at Home"
• www.negrophile.com article on lyrics, alternate state songs
• Recording of "Old Folks at Home" at the 1955 Florida Folk Festival; made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida
• Alternate recording by The 97th Regimental String Band

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Florida State Song The Swanee River. Netstate. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
2. ^ ^{a b} Center for American Music. Old Folks at Home. Center for American Music Library. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
3. ^ source: Christy, E. P. [sic]. Old folks at home : Ethiopian melody as sung by Christy's Minstrels. New York : Firth, Pond & Co., [date obscured].