Old Folks At Home
written by stephen foster

OLD FOLKS AT HOME
OLD FOLKS AT HOME   (SONG CAR-TUNES)   1925
Old Folks At Home is a minstrel song composed in 1851 by "the father of American music" - Stephen Foster. The song was commissioned by E.P. Christie for his minstrel trope. Although the song famously recalls the Swanee River in Florida (actually spelled "Suwannee"), the choice of using that river in the song was relatively random, and it was chosen only because it sounded good. Foster had never even been to Florida, and he had never seen the Swanee River. In 1935, the song was adopted by Florida for it's official state song. The song has been criticized for romancing slavery, and some of the original lyrics are considered offensive, particularly today. When the song was written slavery was legal in 15 states - including Florida. The song has appeared in numerous films over the years. It first appeared on the big screen as the title and subject of a 1925 installment of the Song Car-Tunes series. The song was used again later that year in the Song Car-Tunes short Swanee River - an alternate title of Old Folks At Home. A few years later, in 1930, the song was featured in Al Jolsen's musical drama film Mammy. Old Folks At Home also appears in Fleischer's 1933 Screen Songs short Boilesk.
For more on this song see: SWANEE RIVER (Song Car-Tunes) 1925
1904

HAYDN
​QUARTET
1904

FLORENCE
QUINN AND
WILLIAM H.
​THOMPSON
1905

ADELINA
​PATTI
1908

FLORENCE
ETHEL
​SMITH
1909

VESS L.
​OSSMAN
19??

FRED
​VAN EPS
1912

ELSIE
​BAKER
1914

ALMA
​GLUCK
1918

COLUMBIA
STELLAR
​QUARTET
1918

ERNESTINE
SCHUMANN-
​HEINK
1922

AMELITA
​GALLI-
​CURCI
1927

THE
MUSICAL
ART
QUARTET
1928

​FRITZ
​KREISLER
1930

PAUL
​ROBESON
1935

BING
CROSBY
from the film
​MISSISSIPPI
19??

DEANNA
​DURBIN
1937

KIRSTEN
FLAGSTAD
19??

BIG BILL
​BROONZY
19??

LOUIS
ARMSTRONG
& THE MILLS
​BROTHERS
1940

VERONICA
WIGGINS
1940

AL
JOLSON
​(in blackface)
1945

DAVID
​OISTRAKH
19??

​FRANKIE
CARLE
AND HIS
​ORCHESTRA
19??

JASCHA
​HEIFETZ
19??

MAC
​WISEMAN
1958

ROBERT
SHAW
​CHORALE
1959

​MANTOVANI
AND HIS
ORCHESTRA
1959

JULIE
​LONDON
19??

NELSON
​EDDY
19??

GARY
LAWRENCE
QUINTET
19??

JOHNNY
​CASH
19??

QINGYANZI
​GROUP
1992

MORMAN
TABERNACLE
CHOIR
2004

NEW
ORLEANS
​HOT SHOTS
2010

NEW
ORLEANS
​RASCALS
20??

TOM
​ROUSH
20??

DUNJA
​LAVROVA
2018

SING
​ALONG
OLD FOLKS AT HOME

1.
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

2.
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

3.
One little hut among 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?
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