The National tribune., 1903-07-02
''DIXIE." I"

always be relied upon for dense ignorance
upon any subject connected with the war,
and has made that ignorance the basis of
prejudice against the Union side, has n
labored editorial upon the song ''Dixie,"
in which, among other things, il says:
at is startling revelation to Northern
people that the Southerners are forgetting
the words of Dixie A recent incident at
Nashville, when the citizens engaged in en-
tertaining n party of Milwaukee and Chi
cagO men were asked to sing the old song.
and could not get through with it, has fur
nished new topic for Southern editors to
discuss. 'The Nashville incident says one
paper, should make a grand general re-
vival for the incompatible song of, the
South. Let us relearn Dixie
Here in the North Dixie is now simply
a piece of instrumental music. Played in
the theater or in medley of patriotic
airs there is no song at present, excepting
America and the Star Spangled Banner,
which aroused greater enthusiasm. This
has been true for the last five years, yet
the words are almost never sung. When
the once sectional song was revived in the
North is was solely for band music. Evi-
IDENTIFY, people do not want the same thing
to happen in the South The enthusiasts
write of Dixie as if its lines were the
supreme development of Southern poetry"
Think Of any one speaking of "Dixie"
as the one Incompatible song of the
South" There never was a silier, trasher
bit of doggerel written even for negro
minstrels than "Dixie." 1t has no meaning
or relevancy to anything in the world, and
never was intended to have. Its author,
Dan Emmtt, an Ohio man, and afterwards
a Union soldier, wrote the words and music
one afternoon for lively "walk-around"
for his troupe of negro MINISTRIES. All that
he wanted or expected was to secure n live
ly, swinging movement, in which he GER
tainly succeeded in the music, and then he
threw in any kind of old words that would
fit the notes. He wasn't writing an epic
or an ode or anything, except to supply
something, no matter how nonsensical,
which the minstrels could sing to the air
he had written and make yivacious
jingle Take the following which is the
exact text of the song, and see if any sane
man can find anything savoring of the
supreme development of Southern poe
try:
I wish 1 was in de land Of cotton,
Old times dar am not forgotten,
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!
In Dixie Land whar / was born in,
Early on one frosty mornin,
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!
Chorus.-Den 1 wish 1 was in Dixie
HOoray, hooray!
In Dixie Land I'll took my stan!
To lib an die in Dixie.
Away, away,
Away down south in Dixie;
Away, away,
Away down South in Dixie!
Ole Missus marry "Willde-Weaber,"
William he was gay deceber
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!
But when he put his arm around 'er
He smiled as fierce as forty-pounder
Dixie Land! Chorus
His face was sharp as Butchers cleaber,
But dat did neber seem to grieb 'er,
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!
Ole Missus, she acted de foolish part,
An died for a man dat broke her heart,
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land! Chorus
Now, here's health to de next ole Mis-
sus,
All! all de gals dat want to kiss us,
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!
But if you want to drive way sorrow.
Come an hear dis song tomorrow,
Look away. look away, look away,
Dlxle Land! Chorus.
Dar's buckwheat cakes an Injun batter
Dey make you fat, or little fatter,
Look away, look away, look away,
Dixie Land!
Den hoe it down and scratch your grabble
To Dixie's Land I'm bound to trabble.
Look away, look away, look away,
Dlxle Land! Chorus
Still, farther, nobody ever heard of the
South being called ''Dixie" until Dan
Emmet invented the name for his walk.
around. A number of Southern writer's.
particularly Albert Pike, a Connecticut
renegade who commanded Indians at Pea
Ridge, tried to write Southern words to
fit the tune, but all of them made melan-
choly failures. They got in a great deal
OF Southern sentiment, but none of their
rhymes would fit the music, and all had to