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#40411 - 06/26/02 10:00 AM Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Douglas Dean Offline
Member

Registered: 04/15/02
Posts: 554
Loc: Prospect Heights IL USA
Fellow music lovers,

This is what I wrote to Bebop when I sent in my last song for the 20-4-1 disk.

Bebop, I need help! Yesterday my family (which is quite large) came over to the party I threw to make sure they didn’t forget to honor their old dad on fathers day. They tend to give all the credit to their Ma and overlook the fact that old dad had quite a large part in their entrance into this world. I have to point out how much it took out of me to accomplish this feat. Anyway, I thought I would honor them by letting them listen to the new song I was going to send to you for the next 20 for 1 disk. The song was a very old standard by a very, very well known and honored composer of American music. A classic to say the least. Well, I played my heart out trying to interpret the feeling of romping in that old river and admiring the twisting and turning of it’s waters flowing threw it’s rambling banks and curves. After the foot stomping and very inspiring rendition of the old favorite southern classic, I rose from the bench and took my very humble bow and asked how they liked it. To the very last person they said it was nice but what was the name. They all agreed the song sounded sort of familiar but could not come up with the name. My first reaction was of gross disappointment with my family and friends. Their inability to recognize an old favorite showed their lackluster appreciation of the arts. A quality that I tried to instill in them since childhood. Was I a failure as a father? In my mind the notion of being a failure was an impossible thought. My mind started to do tricks with me. Maybe, just maybe I might be loosing it. Maybe trying to give the old river sort of a bluegrass flavor, maybe too hillbillyish? What, just what? Was I too far north for a southern river? Bill, this is why I need help. I sort of changed the name of the song I’m sending you to see if you recognize the original name. I know you will but I would like to see of any of the others on the forum could. To my surprise Bill said I would offer a prize to the one who came up with the name. I was really worried and could see big bucks changing hands. Thank goodness I said original name. Kind of like when Ruthie calls me honey. Honey do this or honey do that. Honey is not my real name or disposition. Sometimes I wonder why she calls me honey. Oh well! Maybe I’m better than I think? Could be better off not knowing. Anyway so it is with this song. I might of thrown you guys off by naming it just, River.

Bill wrote me back and said the name was ‘Swannee River’. Also two others wrote me with the same name. Being older than most of you and Ruthie being older than me we of course know it by the older name and also by Swannee River. So here is some documentation and history of the mystery tune I murdered with my KN. I know sometimes I ramble on and on. It might be old age but I kind of like to blame it on all the kids and the multitude of grand kids. Maybe that’s why my playing sometimes rambles on and kind of gets away from the tune.


Center for American Music
Stephen Foster Pages

Go!

The Old Folks at Home

* State song of Florida, adopted in 1935 through House Concurrent Resolution no. 22.
* Words and music written in 1851 by Stephen Collins Foster in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for E.P. Christy and his performing troupe, Christy's Minstrels, in New York. E.P. Christy paid Foster for the privilege of having his name appear as composer of Old Folks at Home, apparently at Foster's suggestion, an arrangement Foster later tried to reverse
* First line: "Way down upon the Swanee River, far, far away"
* In the original draft of the song in Foster's sketchbook, Foster used the Pedee River instead of the Suwannee
* Most popular song ever published at that time; sold 100s of thousands of copies
* The first international "folk song," familiar in every culture of every continent
* Foster never saw the Suwannee River, never visited Florida. The river was chosen from an atlas to fit the poetic meter of the lyrics
* The song started the tourist industry in Florida; beginning in 1880s, it drew millions of people from around the world seeking the symbolic river and idyllic home described in the song's words
* Meanings of the words, significance of the song

(selective list, paraphrased, based on interpretations reported in the literature):


1. Foster's intended meaning (1850s):

No matter how far we may travel or what sadness the world imposes on us, all our hearts ache for the best memories of childhood, the security of a family and parents ("old folks"), the familiarity of a home.
2. Post-reconstruction era (1870s-1890s):

Blacks yearn to go back to the plantation, where they were better off. (The song was performed condescendingly and with exaggerated dialect.)
3. Harry T. Burleigh and Antonin Dvorak (1890s):

A "heart song" of the American people, a folk song alongside slave's spirituals.
4. W.E.B. DuBois (ca. 1900):

Old Folks at Home is legitimately considered an authentic song of the Negro race, who have adopted it to express their own emotions.
5. W.C. Handy ("Father of the Blues" in his autobiography, 1955):

Old Folks at Home, My Old Kentucky Home, and Old Black Joe helped bring about emancipation, and owe something to the "well of sorrow" that gave rise to the blues.
6. Civil Rights Era (1950s-1960s):

Any song ever associated with negative ethnic images should be eliminated.
7. Postmodern era (1980s-1990s):

Any song (even The Star Spangled Banner and America) can be interpreted both positively and negatively. Old Folks at Home has hundreds of meanings around the world.


* Related songs by Foster (date of composition):


Nelly Was a Lady (1849): First known song for the mass market to insist on an African-American woman as a "lady" and to portray a married African-American couple as a faithful, loving husband and wife destroyed by slavery
My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night (1852): over several years Foster had tried to persuade professional performers to portray African-Americans with dignity; this is his first song for the professional stage published without dialect
Old Dog Tray (1853): Foster's first song for the professional stage in which race is not identifiable
Hard Times Come Again No More (1854): race is not identifiable, and those who can afford life's pleasures are asked to "sup sorrow with the poor"
Old Black Joe (1860): a secular hymn written by a white man to the beauty and dignity of a black man, first such song in American history
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Old Folks at Home

Way down upond 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.

chorus:
All de world am sad and dreary,
Ebry 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 mem'ry 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?
_________________________
Grampa Doug

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#40412 - 06/26/02 10:32 AM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
ogre Offline
Member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 242
Loc: UK
Grandpa,

That was fascinating and thank you for it.

Peter
_________________________
Peter

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#40413 - 06/26/02 11:04 AM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Uncle Dave Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/01/99
Posts: 12800
Loc: Penn Yan, NY
Quote:

Any song ever associated with negative ethnic images should be eliminated.


I agree SO strongly with that! It has to stop, and stop now.
There is just NO need to continue this perverted, hurtful tradition...especially in an artform as beautiful as music.

The lyrics to most of today's music instills a feeling of negativity, and prejudice...not to mention disrespect of each other - mostly women, and the sacred intimacy that should be reserved for marriage. It's sad.
John Mellencamp wrote:
" ..... Holding hands meant so much baby "
Remember?
So simple, but so essential to humanity.
I miss the days when the anticipation of a kiss was almost more than you could handle, and the thrill of someone holding your hand .... well there are no words to describe the comfort and safety that five fingers can instill in your heart.

Music is a powerful teacher - let's use it to REteach the values that will enhace our lives, and not drag us into ruin. We all need to be colorblind .... it's the only way to truely be at peace.
_________________________
No longer monitoring this forum. Please visit www.daveboydmusic.com for contact info

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#40414 - 06/26/02 03:53 PM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Bud Whipple Offline
Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 480
Loc: The Plantation, Leesburg, Flor...
Amen, Uncle Dave. My father was a Wesleyan Methodist, and bigoted! He didn't care for my Catholic wife and her father almost died when we adopted our black foster child. Bigotry was running rampant! However, my father died loving my choice of a lifemate, and her father died knowing this kind, gentle soul who happened to have been born black, was one of God's creations and he finally accepted him as his grandson. Knowledge will force acceptance, and acceptance will force change. Now we have to pray that change will bring love and understanding.

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#40415 - 06/26/02 08:23 PM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Dave Shively Offline
Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 71
Loc: Calimesa, Ca, USA
Hi Grandpa Doug and Bud,
Amen to that. God is no respecter of persons only mans inhumanity to man.
Best Regards,
Dave Shively

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#40416 - 06/26/02 11:16 PM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Douglas Dean Offline
Member

Registered: 04/15/02
Posts: 554
Loc: Prospect Heights IL USA
Uncle Dave,

Foster's intended meaning (1850s):
No matter how far we may travel or what sadness the world imposes on us, all our hearts ache for the best memories of childhood, the security of a family and parents ("old folks"), the familiarity of a home.

I can see from your post, you, as well as many others, are dreaming for something that will for the most part always remain in the realm of dreams. Sad to say history reminds us of this fact. Foster in his heart of hearts told us no matter how far we may travel or what sadness the world imposes on us, all our hearts ache for the best memories. Yes, memories and dreams, what a motivating force. Makes me sad to see how many kids and many of the younger generations today all over the world don’t have a real family and parents (“old folks”) and the familiarity of a home such as I had. How can they even have any concept of what we are talking about. Working mothers, single mothers, kids raised by baby sitters and day care centers. The kids being taught morals and values by people who don’t even know how to spell morals much less values. Don’t have the foggiest of what they mean.

Music is a powerful teacher - let's use it to Reteach the values that will enhance our lives, and not drag us into ruin. Good idea. Civil Rights Era (1950s-1960s): Any song ever associated with negative ethnic images should be eliminated. Uncle Dave you strongly agree with that. The government also and have made many laws in that direction: If it were up to me I would Include drugs and many other categories. Also I would have much to say about the songs of druggies and the musicians who use them also. They have been glorified as great wonderful people and musicians. Sad, sick times we live in.

But we live in a free society. We have been created with a free will. We live in an imperfect world. If God zapped all things that was evil He would have no way of judging people. Each one must choose which way he will go. God told Adam and Eve the consequences of eating the fruit of good and evil but gave them freedom of choice. One of their kids were good and one evil. The evil one got all bent out of shape when God would not accept his ways. God told Cain don’t get all bent out of shape. Don’t you know if you straighten up and fly right I’ll accept you? And you know the rest of the story. Jesus said the same thing and they dun him in too. He boiled it all down into a few words. Do to others what you would like them to do to you. Short and sweet. All that was ever written in any law or mouthed by any prophet in a few words.

Bud, would those few words have done any good in your situation? I understand there are over 500 different religions and subdivisions or denominations of these religions in the USA. All with different flavors of doctrines. All supposed to be christian. None can get along. All have knowledge of these words. It’s in their book. Jesus spoke these words and changed the world in his day. Now we have millions of books, scores of songs, thousand upon thousands of preachers who never have enough money or stained glass and now look where the world is headed. What’s wrong? Like the old saying goes - ‘Keep it simple stupid’. Again Jesus said it: You must be doers of the word and not just hearers otherwise you are building your house on sand. No foundation! Just simply good bye Charley when the rains come. We need a lot less of hot air and much more action. Action that starts at home. We must always remember God gave everyone free will and never forces anyone to become a slave. The choice must come from our own free will. That will be accepted, honored and rewarded.

Enough from an old man that has seen and heard many things. Just thought I would throw my two cents into the mix. Me is me and you is you. He is he and her is her. Let the crowd of us always gain knowledge but more so understanding. Without understanding coupled with wisdom, knowledge could be dangerous. Just the other day I learned about adding a (s) to my chord notation. The trouble with that knowledge is I don’t understand or have the wisdom to know how I ever will use it. I took a song the other day and notated it with the continental chord notation. With the knowledge I had acquired do this I looked at the finished product and mused: Alec would be proud of me! Alec is a man of understanding. My buddy came over and I proudly showed him my masterpiece. New song, he commented. Fire up the board and let me see how it goes. Here, let me give it a try, he said. Hey, wait a minute, he belched, what are these screwy chords your using. You gone off your rocker or did you forget how to type? Guess I lacked wisdom showing him the piece without explanation.

That’s OK. Sometimes I don’t understand all I know about things. Ruthie says my wisdom might be warped at times. But I still would like you to comment on my pontificating.

Grampa Doug
_________________________
Grampa Doug

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#40417 - 06/27/02 05:51 AM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
technicsplayer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/17/02
Posts: 3319
Hey Doug...... I'm proud of ya!

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#40418 - 06/27/02 06:45 AM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Douglas Dean Offline
Member

Registered: 04/15/02
Posts: 554
Loc: Prospect Heights IL USA
Alec, thanks. Feeling better all ready.

Grandpa Doug
_________________________
Grampa Doug

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#40419 - 06/27/02 07:34 AM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Uncle Dave Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/01/99
Posts: 12800
Loc: Penn Yan, NY
Doug - Well spoken. (again)
_________________________
No longer monitoring this forum. Please visit www.daveboydmusic.com for contact info

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#40420 - 06/27/02 09:29 PM Re: Grandpa Doug comes clean!
Ted Rose Offline
Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 515
Loc: United States
Cheers, Doug! You can pontificate any time you wish--always great to read!

Ted Rose

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