“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.
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
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
