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A New Take on Stephen Foster's Music
 Listen to Melissa Block's report.
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American musician and poet Stephen Collins Foster
Credit: Corbis
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Sept. 3, 2004 -- Stephen Foster, born on July 4 in 1826, is considered America's first great songwriter. A new CD, Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster pays tribute to the songwriter, with musicians such as John Prine, Alison Krauss, Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer performing his American classics.
The Pennsylvanian was the first to make a living by writing songs such as the parlor ballads Beautiful Dreamer and Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair. He also wrote songs considered comic at the time, such as Oh! Susanna, which were performed in coarse dialect in blackface minstrel shows.
Oh! Susanna was first performed in 1847 when Foster was just 21, at a minstrel song contest at the Eagle Ice Cream Saloon in Pittsburgh. Within a year, it had swept the nation. It became the unofficial theme of the California gold rush.
Today, however, the original version of the song isn't performed, says Ken Emerson, author of Doo-Dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture. The second verse is violently racist. Emerson says that artist performing Fosters' songs these days leave out the offensive lyrics.
NPR's Melissa Block talks with Emerson, who wrote the liner notes for the CD, about Foster's life, and the controversial aspects of his works.
Songs from Beautiful Dreamer, Original Lyrics by Stephen Foster
(Warning: Lyrics contain offensive material reflecting racial attitudes of the day and one act of violence.)
» Nelly Was a Lady
» Oh! Susanna
» My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!
» Beautiful Dreamer
Nelly Was a Lady, performed by Alvin Youngblood Hart
Down on de Mississippi floating,
Long time I trabble on de way,
All night de cotton wood a toting,
Sing for my true lub all de day
chorus:
Nelly was a lady
Lastnight she died,
Toll de bell for lubly Nell
My dark Virginny bride.
Now I'm unhappy and I'm weeping,
Can't tote de cotton wood no more;
Last night, while Nelly was a sleeping,
Death came a knockin at de door.
When I saw my Nelly in de morning,
Smile till she open'd up her eyes,
Seem'd like de light ob day a dawning,
Jist 'fore de sun begin to rise.
Close by de margin ob de water,
Whar de lone weeping willow grows,
Dar lib Virginny's lubly daughter;
Dar she in death may find repose.
Down in de meadow mong de clober,
Walk wid my Nelly by my side;
Now all dem happy days am ober;
Farewell my dark Virginny bride.
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Oh! Susanna, performed by Michelle Shocked and Peter Anderson
I come from Alabama with my Banjo on my knee
I'se gwine to Lou'siana my true lub for to see.
It rain'd all night de day I left, de wedder it was dry;
The sun so hot I froze to def -- Susanna, don't you cry.
chorus:
Oh! Susanna, do not cry for me;
I come from Alabama,
Wid my Banjo on my knee.
I jump'd aboard the telegraph and trabbled down de ribber,
De lectrick fluid magnified, and kill'd five hundred Nigga.
De bulgine bust and de hoss ran off, I really thought I'd die;
I shut my eyes to hold my bref -- Susanna don't you cry.
I had a dream de udder night, when ebry ting was still;
I thought I saw Susanna dear, coming down de hill,
De buckwheat cake was in her mouf, de tear was in her eye,
I says, I'se coming from de souf, -- Susanna don't you cry.
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My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night! , performed by John Prine
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 one song
For the old Kentucky Home,
For the old Kentucky Home, far away.
They hunt no more for the possum and the coon
On the meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by the 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!
The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the darkey may go:
A few more days, and the trouble all will end
In the field where the sugar canes 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!
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Beautiful Dreamer, performed by Raul Malo
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!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
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Related NPR Stories
 Bluegrass Fiddler Alison Krauss
John Prine's 'In Spite of Ourselves'
Yo-Yo Ma's 'Obrigado Brazil'
Stephen Foster on 'All Songs Considered'
Web Resources
Stephen Foster on PBS's 'American Experience'
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