Stephen Foster

“ For the name of my commander was George Washington.
My home and my country to me were dear,
And I fought for both when the foe came near,
But now I will meet with a slight or sneer,
For I’m nothing but a plain old soldier.
Chorus:
Nothing but a plain old soldier,
An old revolutionary soldier,
But I’ve handled a gun
Where noble deeds were done,
For the name of my commander was George Washington. ”

“ 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. ”

“ And when I see the gold lumps there, I'll pick them off the ground.
I'll scrape the mountains clean, my boys, I'll drain the rivers dry.
A pocketful of rocks bring home, So, brothers don't you cry. ”

“ The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home ”

“ Flitting like the dreams that have cheered us and gone.
Now the nodding wild flowers may wither 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. ”

“ There was an old Nigger, his name was Uncle Ned,
He's dead long ago, long ago'
He had no wool on de top ob his head,
De place whar de wool ought to grow,
Den lay down de shubble and de hoe,
Hang up de fiddle and de bow;
Refrain:
No more hard work for poor Old Ned,
He is gone whar de good niggers go. ”

“ 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! ”

“ De Shanghai chicken, when you put him in de pit,
He'll eat a loaf of bread up, but he can’t fight a bit
De Shanghai fiddle is a funny little thing
And ebry time you tune him up he goes ching ching. ”

“ Go down to de cotton field and bring de boys away.
Chorus:
Go down to de cotton field!
Go down, I say!
Go down and call de Nigga boys all;
We’ll work no more to day.
Go down to de cotton field!
Go down, I say!
Go down and call de Nigga boys all;
We’ll work no more to day. ”

“ Way down on de old plantation
Dah's where I was born,
I used to beat de whole creation
Hoein in de corn;
Oh! den I work and den I sing
So happy all de day,
Till Angelina Baker came
And stole my heart away. ”

“ Nelly Bly shuts her eye when she goes to sleep,
When she wakens up again her eye-balls 'gin to peep:
De way she walks, she lifts her foot, and den she brings it down,
And when it lights der's music dah in dat part ob de town.
Chorus:
4.
Nelly Bly! Nelly Bly! Nebber, nebber sigh,
Nebber bring de tear-drop to de corner ob your eye,
For de pie is made ob punkins and de mush is made of corn,
And der's corn and punkins plenty, lub, a lyin' in de barn. ”

“ Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.
Refrain.
All de world is sad and dreary,
Ev'rywhere I roam;
D.S.—Oh! darkies, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home. ”

“ De long tail filly and de big black hoss, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Dey fly de track and dey both cut across, Oh, doo-dah-day!
De blind hoss sticken in a big mud hole, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Can't touch bottom wid a ten foot pole, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Chorus
Old muley cow come on to de track, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
De bob-tail fling her ober his back, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Den fly along like a rail-road car, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Runnin' a race wid a shootin' star, Oh, doo-dah-day! ”

“ I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair,
Borne like a vapor on the sweet summer air; ”

“ Old dog Tray's ever faithful,
Grief cannot drive him away,
He's gentle, he is kind;
I'll never, never find
A better friend than old dog Tray. ”

“ It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was dry
The sun so hot I froze to death, Oh, brothers don't you cry.
Oh, Susannah, Oh, don't you cry for me ”