Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


OLD FOLKS AT HOME by STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER

First Line: WAY DOWN UPON DE SWANEE RIBBER [THE SWANEE RIVER]
Last Line: FAR FROM DE OLD FOLKS AT HOME!
Subject(s): ABSENCE; HOME; MOTHERS; SEPARATION; ISOLATION;

Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.

All de world am sad and dreary,
Ebery where I roam;
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!

All round de little farm I wandered
When I was young,
Den many happy days I squandered,
Many de songs I sung.
When I was playing wid my brudder
Happy was I;
Oh, take me to my kind old mudder!
Dere let me live and die.
One little hut among de bushes,
One dat I love,
Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where I rove.
When will I see de bees a-humming
All round de comb?
When will I hear de banjo tumming,
Down in my good old home?

All de world am sad and dreary,
Ebery where I roam;
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!



Home: PoetryExplorer.net