Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
America: Vols. XXV–XXIX. 1876–79.

Southern States: Suwanee, the River, Fla.

Old Folks at Home

By Stephen C. Foster (1826–1864)

WAY down upon de Swanee ribber,

Far, far away,

Dere ’s whar my heart is turning ebber,

Dere ’s whar 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.

All de world am sad and dreary,

Ebry whar 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,

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.

All de world, etc.

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?

All de world, etc.