Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
Encyclopedia
"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" is a song which was written by James A. Bland
(1854 – 1911), an African American
minstrel who wrote over 700 folk songs. Written in 1878, soon after the American Civil War
, when many of the newly freed slaves were struggling to find work, the song has become controversial in modern times.
A slightly reworded version was Virginia
's state song from 1940 until 1997, using the word "Virginia" instead of "Virginny". In 1997, it was retired on the grounds that the lyrics were considered offensive to African Americans. On January 28, 1997, the Virginia Senate voted to designate "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" as state song emeritus
, and a study committee initiated a contest for writing a new state song. The Virginia General Assembly
suspended the contest on January 5, 2000, and recently reinstated it. There are currently eight candidates.
In January 2006, a state Senate panel voted to designate "Shenandoah
" as the "interim official state song". On March 1, 2006, the House Rules Committee of the General Assembly voted down bill SB682, which would have made "Shenandoah
" the official state song.
. The song however is written from the perspective of a seemingly nostalgic former slave. The controversy over "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" rests on whether or not the song may be intended or interpreted ironically. The ex-slave describes his slavery and his owners in picturesque and ostensibly positive terms.
Defenders of the song argue that this interpretation is too literal and that "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" articulates and perhaps satirizes the feelings of betrayal and abandonment white Southerners
felt after Emancipation
. Like minstrel music of the same era, the song was written in dialect
, from a black point of view, and expressed the feelings some whites wished blacks to feel; in this case, nostalgia for days of slavery
. Others argue the song was written to express difficulties and discrimination facing free blacks in the North
which perhaps were bitter enough to make slavery an ironically appealing contrast. These defenders argue that minstrel's songs were never written to be taken literally but were sly and humorous. The slightly less explicit "Old Folks at Home
", still the state song of Florida
with important modifications, carries a similar message.
whose 1916 version was the first celebrity recording by a classical musician to sell one million copies
Ray Charles
covered "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" on his full covered release "Sings for America".
Frankie Laine
recorded this song. It was the other side of the "Mule Train" single.
Virginia O'Brien
recorded this song in her trademark deadpan style in a dream sequence for the Martin Block
Musical Merry-go-round.
Jerry Lee Lewis
also recorded this song in 1963, his final offer at Sun Records. In early 1957 he also recorded Bland's 'Hand Me Down My Walking Cane'.
The Marching Virginians
, the civilian marching band
of Virginia Tech, performs this song as part of its repertoire, often following the fight song
or a big play.
A set of Christian Swedish
lyrics, entitled "Striden på jorden evig ej skall vara", have been written. Bo Andersson and Per-Göran Ekeroos, duet, w. ensemble recorded in on December 3, 1966. The song was released in on the extended play
Harmoni HEP 264l
There's where the cotton
and corn
and taters
grow.
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
There's where I labored so hard for old Massa,
Day after day in the field of yellow corn;
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
Than old Virginny, the state
where I was born.
Carry me back to old Virginny.
There's where the cotton and the corn and taters grow;
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
There let me live till I wither and decay.
Long by the old Dismal Swamp
have I wandered,
There's where this old darkey's life will pass away.
Massa and Missis
have long since gone before me,
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore.
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more.
Carry me back to old Virginny.
There's where the cotton and the corn and taters grow;
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
James A. Bland
James Alan Bland , also known as Jimmy Bland, was an African American musician and song writer.-Biography:...
(1854 – 1911), an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
minstrel who wrote over 700 folk songs. Written in 1878, soon after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when many of the newly freed slaves were struggling to find work, the song has become controversial in modern times.
A slightly reworded version was Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
's state song from 1940 until 1997, using the word "Virginia" instead of "Virginny". In 1997, it was retired on the grounds that the lyrics were considered offensive to African Americans. On January 28, 1997, the Virginia Senate voted to designate "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" as state song emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
, and a study committee initiated a contest for writing a new state song. The Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
suspended the contest on January 5, 2000, and recently reinstated it. There are currently eight candidates.
In January 2006, a state Senate panel voted to designate "Shenandoah
Oh Shenandoah
"Oh Shenandoah" is a traditional American folk song of uncertain origin, dating at least to the early 19th century...
" as the "interim official state song". On March 1, 2006, the House Rules Committee of the General Assembly voted down bill SB682, which would have made "Shenandoah
Oh Shenandoah
"Oh Shenandoah" is a traditional American folk song of uncertain origin, dating at least to the early 19th century...
" the official state song.
Controversy
Bland himself was an educated black man born in Queens, New York, and educated at Howard UniversityHoward University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
. The song however is written from the perspective of a seemingly nostalgic former slave. The controversy over "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" rests on whether or not the song may be intended or interpreted ironically. The ex-slave describes his slavery and his owners in picturesque and ostensibly positive terms.
Defenders of the song argue that this interpretation is too literal and that "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" articulates and perhaps satirizes the feelings of betrayal and abandonment white Southerners
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
felt after Emancipation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
. Like minstrel music of the same era, the song was written in dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
, from a black point of view, and expressed the feelings some whites wished blacks to feel; in this case, nostalgia for days of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. Others argue the song was written to express difficulties and discrimination facing free blacks in the North
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
which perhaps were bitter enough to make slavery an ironically appealing contrast. These defenders argue that minstrel's songs were never written to be taken literally but were sly and humorous. The slightly less explicit "Old Folks at Home
Old Folks at Home
"Old Folks at Home" is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. It was intended to be performed by the New York blackface troupe Christy's Minstrels. E. P. Christy, the troupe's leader, appears on early printings of the sheet music as the song's creator...
", still the state song of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
with important modifications, carries a similar message.
Covers
Alma GluckAlma Gluck
Alma Gluck was a Romanian-born American soprano, one of the world's most famous female singers at the peak of her career .-Life and career:...
whose 1916 version was the first celebrity recording by a classical musician to sell one million copies
Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
covered "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" on his full covered release "Sings for America".
Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
recorded this song. It was the other side of the "Mule Train" single.
Virginia O'Brien
Virginia O'Brien
Virginia Lee O'Brien was a popular American actress, singer, and radio personality known for her comedic roles in MGM musicals of the 1940s.-Life and career:...
recorded this song in her trademark deadpan style in a dream sequence for the Martin Block
Martin Block
Martin Block born in Los Angeles, California, was an American disc jockey. Walter Winchell is said to have invented the term "disk jockey" as a means of describing Block's radio work.-Early years:...
Musical Merry-go-round.
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
also recorded this song in 1963, his final offer at Sun Records. In early 1957 he also recorded Bland's 'Hand Me Down My Walking Cane'.
The Marching Virginians
Marching Virginians
The Marching Virginians are one of two collegiate marching bands at Virginia Tech . Established in 1974, their shows feature standard DCI techniques...
, the civilian marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
of Virginia Tech, performs this song as part of its repertoire, often following the fight song
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
or a big play.
A set of Christian Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
lyrics, entitled "Striden på jorden evig ej skall vara", have been written. Bo Andersson and Per-Göran Ekeroos, duet, w. ensemble recorded in on December 3, 1966. The song was released in on the extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Harmoni HEP 264l
Lyrics (Original version)
Carry me back to old Virginny.There's where the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and taters
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
grow.
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
There's where I labored so hard for old Massa,
Day after day in the field of yellow corn;
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
Than old Virginny, the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
where I was born.
Carry me back to old Virginny.
There's where the cotton and the corn and taters grow;
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
There let me live till I wither and decay.
Long by the old Dismal Swamp
Dismal Swamp
* The Great Dismal Swamp located near Virginia and North Carolina* The Dismal Swamp located in Middlesex County New Jersey* The Dismal Swamp in Tasmania...
have I wandered,
There's where this old darkey's life will pass away.
Massa and Missis
Mrs.
Mrs or Mrs. is a honorific used for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title, such as Dr, Lady, or Dame. In most Commonwealth countries, a full stop is not used with the title...
have long since gone before me,
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore.
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more.
Carry me back to old Virginny.
There's where the cotton and the corn and taters grow;
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.