The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-16
Way Down Upon
De s. warmee Ribber

heavy drunks- that had occurred
while Peachy Lumpkin was In power.
When Foster composed his lyric the
change in the circumstances about the
old house had just before transpked.
me old master and his family were all
broken up. The SONS had lost their
lives In the Civil War and all of the
slaves, except a few old and discrepit
ones, had become scattered and gone
and all was left to waste and desola-
tion- Well and truthfully might the
old negro who had been left behind
sing
ooh. darkfes how my heart grows weary
An for the old folks at home"
Then when Peachy Lumplzin took
possession the change was for no good.
His careless manners-his lack of in
dustry and his dissipated ways-soon
brought him TO grief, and the old
house to the dissertation of the shertfrss
hammer. In consequences the old
plantation, which was once quite ex-
tensive in area. has been sub-divfded
over and over again until 1t is now no
larger than an ordinary country farm.
Thus conversing with the proprietor,
we all repaired to the bank of the river
and sat down for contemplation, upon
some old rfckety benches. The great
trees above our heads waved their
branches and their spectral wreaths Of
moss. in unison with the scene We
sang together the famous song and felt
melancholy pleasure In doing so. The
old house at home Is certainly and
steadily going to decay, like an aged
men. who has performed his part in the
victssitudes of a long life. But still
the sombre river rolls on it's way, just
as before. It has not yet completed
its course. Its labors are like those OF
old Hercules. Its task to drain the
turbid waters of the immense, Okeefee-
mckee swamp. from away on, up in
Georgia, down to the Mexican gulf. 1t
ceaselessly continues this work, un-
mindful of the inspiration it has sug-
gested to the poet or the praise COM
mended to it In the worship of song.
1t gives back no responses 10 our sing
ing, no suggestions of utterance be-
yond hoarse whispers. like the babbling
brook of the great poet:
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever"
The Song Itself.
This concludes Mr.. Nichols's article,
but the song itself is hereby published
IL othOA " AIeA0 IhS 4ofSSolIS iloFc
complete:
OLD FOLKS AT HOME.
Way down upon de S'wannee Rubber,
Far, far away
Oars whar my heart is turning ebber-
Oars whar de old folks stay.
All UP and down de whole creation,
Sadly I roam;
| Still longing for de old plantation,
And fOr da old follS nj homo
All de world am sad and deary,
Everywhere I roam;
oh, darkeys, how my heart grows
weary,
Far from de old folks at home.
All round de little farm wandered
When was young;
Den many happy days squandered.
Many de songs / sung.
When I was playing wild my brudder,
Happy was I;
| Oh. take me to my kind old mudder,
Oar let me live and diei
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb'rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows
weary,
Far from de old folks at home.
One little hut among de bushes,
One dat love-
| Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where rove,
When will 1 see de bees a-humming,
All round de comb2
| When will / hear de banjo cumming
Down In my good old home?
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb'rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys. how my heart grows
weary,
Far from de old folks at home.
Sold for $4,000.
It will be noticed that Mr. Foster
| composed and sang the melody at the
same time, that the air is his as well
as the words. It is also a fact that
Christy's Ministries paid Mr.. Foster
$500 for this song. and that its sale
reached nearly a quarter of a million
dollars IN a very short time. Foster
was also the author of MY Old Ken.
! lucky Home" and many other popular
songs in his day, but none have ever
attained the popularity that has been
/ won by de Old Folks at Home"