my old kentucky home" is the state song of kentucky. it was written by stephen foster in 1853 and was adopted by the kentucky general assembly as the official state song on march 19, 1928.
the song was inspired by foster's visit to federal hill mansion, the home of his cousins, the rowans, in bardstown, kentucky. rowan's wife was given land by her father william lytle, a member of the prominent lytle family of cincinnati, and there rowan built his home. this house, now part of "my old kentucky home" state park, appears on the kentucky state quarter.
the original song describes a scene of life on a slave plantation. some view the song as a racist view of an idyllic time of slavery, while others, including abolitionist frederick douglass, saw the song as sympathetic to slaves. in 1986, the kentucky general assembly adopted a version unlikely to cause offense in which the word "darkies" was changed to "people."
"my old kentucky home" is traditionally sung annually at the kentucky derby to music by the university of louisville marching band. the tradition began sometime between 1921 and 1930, by which time it was established as the music played while the horses are led to the post parade. churchill downs, home of the derby, has had since 1982 a race named the stephen foster handicap. [1] the university of kentucky band also plays the song at their college's basketball and football games. fans consider it to be a major breach of etiquette to sing any lyrics preceding "weep no more, my lady..."
lyrics: my old kentucky home words and music by: stephen c. foster the sun shines bright in the old kentucky home 'tis summer, the people are gay; the corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom, while the birds make music all the day; the young folks roll on the little cabin floor, all merry, all happy, and bright, by'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door, then my old kentucky home, good night! (chorus) weep no more, my lady, oh weep no more today! we will sing one song for the old kentucky home, for the old kentucky home far away. they hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon, on meadow, the hill and the shore, they sing no more by the glimmer of the moon, on the bench by that old cabin door; the day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart, with sorrow where all was delight; the time has come when the people have to part, then my old kentucky home, good night! (chorus) weep no more, my lady, oh weep no more today! we will sing one song for the old kentucky home, for the old kentucky home far away. the head must bow and the back will have to bend, wherever the people may go; a few more days and the trouble all will end in the field where sugar-canes may grow; a few more days for to tote the weary load, no matter, 'twill never be light, a few more days till we totter on the road, then my old kentucky home, good night! (chorus) weep no more, my lady, oh weep no more today! we will sing one song for the old kentucky home, for the old kentucky home far away
史蒂芬-福斯特生平 a little about stephen foster (1826-1864)
stephen foster collins was born in lawrenceville, pennsylvania on july 4th, 1826 - a year noted for not only the 50th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence, but also the year that both thomas jefferson and john adams died.
foster began to compose even before he had completed athens academy. at the age of 16, he composed his first published work, "open thy lattice, love." foster belonged to a secret club, "the knights of the s.t. (square table)." one of their principal activities was singing, with stephen acting first as song leader and then composer. some of his earliest songs--perhaps including "oh! susanna"--were composed for the group.
once he completed schooling, foster moved to cincinnati to become a bookkeeper in his brother's merchant firm, irvin and foster. it was in cincinnati that foster became acquainted with w.c. peters, who operated a music store in louisville and a publishing company in cincinnati. foster gave manu copies of several songs to minstrels, who found them to be quite popular, as well as to friends "with permission nor restriction in publishing them." these same songs, which included "old uncle ned," "louisiana belle" as well as "oh! susanna" and others all issued under the collective title, "songs of the sable harmonists," were presented to peters as a gift for publication. (another version of the story states that peters gave foster two $50 bills for the song. whether he received a cent, their success seems to have more than justified foster's subsequent leaving of his bookkeeping career.)
the peters editions of the foster songs garnered close to $10,000, in spite of the fact that several of the songs found their way, via foster's friends, to other publishing companies about the same time. while "old uncle ned" and "louisiana belle" were popular, it was "oh! susanna" which swept the county. it was published in 1848, and was carried cross-country when it became the theme song of the forty-niners panning for gold out west.
foster's name soon became recognized, and the company of firth, pond and co. signed as his publishers. during the next fifteen years, foster wrote more than 200 songs. until he moved to new york in 1860, foster spent much of his life in pitt*****urgh where he worked consistently at his songwriting, keeping a thick sketchbook to draft ideas for song lyrics and melodies. as a professional songwriter of unparalleled skill and technique, he had made it his business to study the various music and poetic styles circulating in the immigrant populations of the new united states.
foster knew the importance of marketing his "wares" and creating a new trend. this was the day in which minstrel shows were extremely popular. the early blackface minstrels were white performers who mimicked blacks. they colored their faces and used makeup to give the impression of big lips and large eyes. while it was entertainment, the main attraction for white audiences was that it was a declaration of white superiority. among the most popular of these were the "christy's minstrels." foster and e.p. christy set up a contract which allowed the group to sing the foster songs before they were officially published with the fee being $10 or $15 per song with the understanding that the white performers of his songs were not to mock slaves but to get their audiences to feel compassion for them.
foster's "hard times come again no more," published in early 1855, was both a reflection of recent events in his personal life and an omen of things to come. he and his wife, jane, had separated, with jane taking their daughter back to live with relatives. both of his parents died. the civil war was looming on the horizon. as his song output diminished, his debts increased. he attempted writing new patriotic songs to supplement his income, but earlier nostalgic songs found far more favor among soldiers and civilians. during these final years, foster also wrote a group of sunday school songs and hymns, such as "give us this day our daily bread."
during the last four years of his life, foster wrote close to 100 songs. while few are scarcely known today, one remains an all-time favorite --"beautiful dreamer," written in 1862 and published after his death in 1864.
foster died january 13, 1864 in the charity ward at bellvue hospital, new york from an infection caused by a cut acquired when foster tripped over and smashed a washbasin. there is also speculation that foster's alcoholism as well as a bout with tuberculosis caused his death. he is buried in pennsylvania.
