Stephen Foster Songbook

Songs with sheet music, chords, lyrics & midis

My Old Kentucky Home (1853)

TML # 007190
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"The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home; 'Tis summer, the darkies are gay...." The song lists the troubles of the poor tired slave (soon to die? far from home?), "Weep no more, my lady... We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home far away..."
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
'tis summer, the darkies 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 on song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.
2. 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 darkies have to part
Then my old Kentucky home, good night. Chorus:

3. The head must bow and the back will have to bend
Wherever the darky 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:
**"My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!" was
**adopted by Kentucky as its state song in 1928.
**It was written by Stephen Foster in 1853
**and is said to have been inspired by his
**visit to Federal Hill, the Bardstown home of
**his Rowan cousins. Federal Hill is now a
** part of My Old Kentucky State Park.
This royalty free score was generated by the Traditional Music Library On Line Tunebook (Shareware Version). As-is copies of this score may be freely distributed. Further info from WWW.TRADITIONALMUSIC.CO.UK