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Stephen Collins Foster was born in 1826, in Lawrenceville,Pennsylvania. He composed 285 songs, hymns, arrangements and instrumental works. He wrote the lyrics for most of them as well. Many of his songs were written for minstrel shows and were very popular. 'Oh! Susanna' was one of Foster's first compositions, written for a group of boyhood friends while he was a tennager. He sold the song at age 20.
As his musical composition progressed, Foster sought to humanize the characters in his songs by showing them as caring for one another.This he felt would convey a sense that people regardless of their ethnic identities,social and economic class share the same longings and needs for family and home. He asked the white 'black face' performers of his songs to not mock slaves but to try to get the audiences to feel compassion for slaves. Stephen Foster hoped to help reform 'black face' minstrelsy which was the most popular form of entertainment in America at that time.
Despite the popularity of his music, Foster lived in poverty. Since his songs were not protected by copyright, Foster realized only a small income from them. There was no music business as we know it today, no performing rights fees were paid.
After 'Oh! Susanna' became a national hit , the song was widely pirated by more than two-dozen music publishing firms who earned tens of thousands of dollars from sheet music sales. But Foster received a only $100 from a publishing company in Cincinnati.
In today's music industry he would be worth millions of dollars a year. On January 13, 1864, he died at age 37 with 38 cents and a scrap of paper in his pocket that read, "dear friends and gentle hearts."
Here is a picture of the paper found in his pocket...Picture
During his lifetime, his songs were often referred to as folk songs. For example, during the Gold Rush 'Oh! Susanna' was a popular song with the Forty-Niners, who came up with new lyrics for the lively tune as they made their way to California.
Because he did not perform his music professionally, as most songwriters did to support themselves, Foster was not well known to the public. Today most school children (as well as adults) still know the song 'Oh! Susanna', but not many can name Stephen Foster as the composer.
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Oh! Susanna
Song lyrics
I came from Alabama wid my banjo on my knee,
I’m g’wan to Louisiana my true love for to see,
It rain’d all night the day I left, the weather it was dry,
The sun so hot I frose to death; Susanna, dont you cry.
Oh! Susanna, Oh! dont you cry for me,
I’ve come from Alabama, wid my banjo on my knee.
I jumped aboard de telegraph, and trabbelled down de ribber,
De Lectrie fluid magnified, and killed five hundred Nigger
De bullgine bust, de horse run off, I realy thought I’d die;
I shut my eyes to hold my breath, Susanna, dont you cry.
Oh! Susanna, Oh! dont you cry for me,
I’ve come from Alabama, wid my banjo on my knee.
I had a dream de odder night when ebery ting was still;
I thought I saw Susanna, a coming down de hill.
The buckwheat cake war in her mouth, the tear was in her eye,
Says I’m coming from de South, Susanna, dont you cry.
Oh! Susanna, Oh! dont you cry for me,
I’ve come from Alabama, wid my banjo on my knee.
I scon will be in New Orleans, and den I’ll look all round,
And when I find Susanna, I’ fall upon the ground.
But if I do not find her, dis darkie ’I surely die,
And when I’m dead and buried, Susanna, dont you cry.
Oh! Susanna, Oh! dont you cry for me,
I’ve come from Alabama, wid my banjo on my knee.
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Beautiful Dreamer
Song Lyrics
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
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Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair
Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair
Song Lyrics
I dream of Jeanie with the light hair,
Borne, like a vapor on the summer air,
I see her tripping where the bright streams play,
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way.
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour.
Many were the blithe birds that warbled them o'er:
Oh! I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair,
Floating, like a vapor, on the soft summer air.
I long for Jeanie with the day-dawn smile,
Radiant in gladness, warm with winning guile;
I hear her melodies, like joys gone by,
Sighing round my heart o'er the fond hopes that die:--
Sighing like the night wind and sobbing like the rain,--
Waiting for the lost one that comes not again:
Oh! I long for Jeanie, and my heart bows low,
Never more to find her where the bright waters flow.
I sigh for Jeanie, but her light form strayed
Far from the fond hearts round her native glade;
Her smiles have vanished and her sweet songs flown,
Flitting like the dreams that have cheered us and gone.
Now the nodding wild flowers may whither on the shore
While her gentle fingers will cull them no more:
Oh! I sigh for Jeanie with the light brown hair.
Floating, like a vapor, on the soft summer air.
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My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night
Song Lyrics
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay,
The corn top's ripe and the meadows 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 to-day!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky Home,
For the old Kentucky Home far away.
They hunt no more for possum and the coon
On the meadow, the hill, and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by the old cabin door.
The day goes by like a shadow o're the heart,
With sorrow where all was delight:
The time has come when the darkies have to part,
Then my old Kentucky Home, good-night!
Chorus
The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the darkey may go:
A few more days, and the trouble all will end
In the field where the sugar-canes 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
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Old Folks at Home(Swanee River)
Song Lyrics
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 down de whole creation,
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.
CHORUS(sung Twice)
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb'ry where I roam,
Oh! darkeys how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home.
All round de little farm I wandered
When I was young,
Dem 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 Twice
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?
Chorus Twice
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here is a link to...Old West Songs
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