Oh! Susanna

Oh! Susanna by Stephen Foster - Nursery Rhymes, oh susanna printable lyrics

Languages: English, French
Ressource Type: song
Theme: the United-States
Age-range: 7 – 10 years

“Oh! Susanna” is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster. It was first published in 1848. “Oh! Susanna” is one of the best-known American songs. Popularly associated with the California Gold Rush, the song is occasionally called “Banjo on My Knee”. The original version is currently stored in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Culture and Vocabulary:

Places: Alabama, Louisiana, the hill, the south.
Verbs: come from…, to see, to cry, to leave, to rain, to froze, to be (was), to be dry, to say.
Weather: rain, night, day, the weather, the sun, freeze, hot.
Nouns: a banjo, a dream, a buckwheat cake.
Body: my knee, her mouth, the tear, her eye.

Grammar:

singular personal pronouns: I, my, me, it.
using the past tense: it rained, it was, I left, I froze, I thought, I saw.

Simplified Version

English version:

Oh! Susanna

I came from Alabama,
With my banjo on my knee,
I’m going to Louisiana,
My true love for to see;
It rained all night the day I left,
The weather it was dry,
The sun so hot I froze to death,
Susanna, don’t you cry.

CHORUS
Oh! Susanna, Oh don’t you cry for me,
I’ve come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee.

I had a dream the other night,
When everything was still;
I thought I saw Susanna,
A coming down the hill;
The buckwheat cake was in her mouth,
The tear was in her eye;
Says I, “I’m coming from the south,
Susanna, don’t you cry.”
CHORUS

French Translation:

Oh ! Susanna

Je suis parti d’Alabama,
Avec mon banjo sur les genoux,
Je pars pour la Louisiane,
Pour y voir l’amour de ma vie ;
Il a plu toute la nuit le jour de mon départ,
Le temps était sec,
Le soleil si chaud que je suis mort de froid,
Susanna, ne pleure pas.

REFRAIN
Oh ! Susanna, oh ne pleure pas pour moi,
Je suis parti d’Alabama,
Avec mon banjo sur les genoux.

J’ai fait un rêve l’autre nuit,
Quand tout était calme ;
J’ai cru voir Susanna,
Descendre de la colline ;
Une galette de sarrasin à la bouche,
Les yeux plein de larmes ;
Je dis : «Je viens du sud,
Susanna, ne pleure pas. »
REFRAIN

Download the words of the song:
Oh! Susanna – Nursery Rhyme Lyric

Original Version by Stephen Foster

Download the words of the song:
Oh! Susanna by Stephen Foster – Original Lyrics

English version:

Oh! Susanna

I came from Alabama,
Wid my banjo on my knee,
I’m gwyne to Louisiana,
My true love for to see;
It rain’d all night the day I left,
The weather it was dry,
The sun so hot I froze to death,
Susanna, don’t you cry.

CHORUS
Oh! Susanna, Oh don’t you cry for me,
I’ve come from Alabama
Wid my banjo on my knee.

2
I jumped aboard de telegraph,
And trabbled down de riber,
De lectric fluid magnified,
And killed five hundred nigger.
De bullgine bust, de horse run off,
I realy thought I’d die;
I shut my eyes to hold my breath,
Susanna, don’t you cry.
CHO: Oh! Susanna &c.

3
I had a dream de odder night
When ebery ting was still,
I thought I saw Susanna
A coming down de hill;
The buck-wheat cake was in her mouth,
The tear was in her eye;
Says I, “I’m coing from de south,
Susanna, don’t you cry.”
CHO: Oh! Susanna &c.

4
I soon will be in New Orleans,
And den I’ll look all round,
And when I find Susanna,
I will fall upon de ground.
And if I do not find her,
Dis darkie’l surely die,
And when I’m dead and buried,
Susanna, don’t you cry.
CHO: Oh! Susanna &c.

Oh! Susanna (1848) by Stephen Foster
Original lyrics