My Old Kentucky Home
Al Jolson & Bing Crosby Lyrics


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The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day;
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy, and bright,
By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!

[Chorus]
Weep no more, my lady,
Oh weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.

They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by that old cabin door;
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
With sorrow where all was delight;
The time has come when the people have to part,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!

[Chorus]

The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the people may go;
A few more days and the trouble all will end
In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
No matter, 'twill never be light,
A few more days till we totter on the road,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

"My Old Kentucky Home" is a classic Americana song that tells the story of a happy time in the old Kentucky home during the summer season. The sun shines bright, the people are happy, the birds sing all day long, and the young folks roll on the cabin floor. However, as the song progresses, the mood changes, and the lyrics hint at the difficult times that arise. The people have to face hard times, and gradually the joy and happiness fade away. The tone becomes more somber, and the lyrics suggest that the people have to leave their home, which is heartbreaking. Finally, the people must leave their home, and the lyrics end with the lament, "Then my old Kentucky home, good night!"


The song evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing for home, which is a common theme in American folk music. The lyrics also reflect the difficult times that people had to face, especially in the rural areas of Kentucky. The song celebrates the simplicity of life and the beauty of nature, while also acknowledging the hardships of poverty and the struggles of everyday life.


Line by Line Meaning

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
The home in Kentucky is very bright and full of sunshine


'Tis summer, the people are gay;
It is the summer season and everyone is happy and joyful


The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
The corn crops are fully grown and the meadows are full of blooming flowers


While the birds make music all the day;
The birds are singing and making pleasant music throughout the day


The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
The young people are happily and playfully rolling on the floor of the small cabin


All merry, all happy, and bright,
Everyone is in a cheerful and lively mood


By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Soon, hard times will arrive and present difficulties to the inhabitants of the home


Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
At that point, it will be time to say goodbye to the Kentucky home


Weep no more, my lady,
Do not cry anymore, my lady


Oh weep no more today!
There is no need to cry anymore today


We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
We will all sing a song in remembrance of the old Kentucky home


For the old Kentucky home far away.
The Kentucky home is far away now, but we will still sing in memory of it


They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
The people no longer hunt for possum and raccoons


On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They no longer hunt on the meadows, hills or shores


They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
They do not sing anymore by the faint light of the moon


On the bench by that old cabin door;
On the bench by the old cabin's entrance


The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
The day passes by like a fleeting shadow over the heart


With sorrow where all was delight;
With sadness where there was once joy


The time has come when the people have to part,
The time has come for everyone to leave each other


Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Again, it will be time to say good night to the Kentucky home


The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
People must humble themselves and work hard


Wherever the people may go;
No matter where the people go, humility and hard work are required


A few more days and the trouble all will end
There are only a few more days until the troubles come to an end


In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
The troubles will soon end in the sugar-cane fields


A few more days for to tote the weary load,
For a few more days, people will have to carry their heavy burdens


No matter, 'twill never be light,
Even if the burdens may seem never-ending, they will not always be burdensome


A few more days till we totter on the road,
For a few more days, we will struggle along the journey


Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Finally, it will be time to bid farewell to the Kentucky home once more




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALF CLAUSEN, STEPHEN C. FOSTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@kylepierce7251

Probably a good call using Bings face on this one :D

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