[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
a 1850 popular song by Stephen C. Foster
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Werner Tomaschewski:
Lyrics
- I’ve told you ’bout de banjo,
De fiddle and de bow,
Likewise about de cottonfield,
De shubble and de hoe;
I’ve sung about de bulgine
Dat blew de folks away,
And now I’ll sing a little song
About my Dolly Day.
Chorus
Oh Dolly Day looks so gay,
I run all round and round,
To hear her fairy footsteps play,
As she comes o’er de ground.
- I like to see de clover
Dat grows about de lane,
I like to see de ‘bacco plant,
I like de sugar cane;
But on de old plantation
Der’s nothing half so gay,
Der’s nothing dat I love so much
As my sweet Dolly Day. - When de work is over
I make de banjo play,
And while I strike de dulcem notes,
I think of Dolly Day.
Her form is like a posy
De lily of de vale,
Her voice is far de sweetest sound
Dat floats upon de gale - Massa give me money
To buy a peck of corn
I’se guine to marry Dolly Day
And build myself a barn;
Den when I’m old and feeble,
And when my head is grey,
I’ll trabble down de hill of life
Along wid Dolly Day
Sung here by Fred Feild: