Way Down in Old Virginia

DESCRIPTION: "'Way down in old Virginia Where I was bred and born, On the sunny side of that country I used to hoe the corn." The singer recalls those happy times: "And I couldn't stay away." He recalls his old mistress and master, who were "good and kind"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1922 (Dean-FlyingCloud)
KEYWORDS: slave home work food
FOUND IN: US(MW)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Scarborough-OnTheTrailOfNegroFolkSongs, pp. 225-226, "'Way Down in Ole Virginia" (1 text)
Dean-FlyingCloud, p. 111, "I Couldn't Stay Away" (1 text)
ST ScaNF225 (Partial)
Roud #9578
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" (theme)
NOTES [47 words]: I find it highly unlikely that this is of actual Black composition; I suspect that the woman who sent it to Scarborough was unclear or inaccurate about its source. The fact that Dean (whose repertoire is strongly northern and contains much from the stage) has it may be indicative. - RBW
File: ScaNF225

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