Carry Me Back To Old Virginny
Mills Brother Lyrics
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There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
There's where the old darke'ys 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 tatoes grow,
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
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 darke'ys life will pass away.
Massa and missis have long 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.
The Mills Brother's "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" is a nostalgic and sentimental song about the singer's love for his birthplace, Virginia. The song is characterised by its nostalgic lyrics, which speak of the simplicity of life in rural Virginia, where the singer worked hard in the fields and longs to return to. The lyrics also speak to the African American experience of slavery and the deep connection to the land that many slaves had.
The chorus of the song serves as a refrain with the phrase "Carry me back to old Virginny" repeated three times in each chorus. The first verse speaks of the rich and fertile land in Virginia, where cotton, corn, and potatoes are grown, and where the birds warble sweetly in the springtime. The singer then speaks of their own personal experience working hard in the fields for their master, which speaks to the history of slavery in the American south. The second verse speaks of the singer's desire to live out their days in Virginia until they eventually wither away and die. The final verse speaks of the singer's belief that they will be reunited with their master and missus in heaven where they will be happy and free.
Overall, the song is a poignant reminder of the African American experience in Virginia during the era of slavery. The lyrics express a deep longing for a simpler time, and the strong connection that African Americans had to the land and their masters.
Line by Line Meaning
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Take me back to Virginia, where I was born.
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
Virginia is where crops like cotton, corn, and potatoes grow.
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
Virginia is where I hear the sweet songs of birds in the springtime.
There's where the old darke'ys heart am long'd to go,
The hearts of old African American slaves long to return to Virginia.
There's where I labored so hard for old massa,
I worked hard for my old slave owner in Virginia.
Day after day in the field of yellow corn,
I worked every day in the cornfields.
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
I have no greater love for any place on Earth than Virginia.
Than old Virginny, the state where I was born.
Virginia is the state where I was born and holds a special place in my heart.
There let me live 'till I wither and decay,
Let me live in Virginia until I die.
Long by the old Dismal Swamp have I wandered,
I have spent much time wandering near the old Dismal Swamp in Virginia.
There's where this old darke'ys life will pass away.
Virginia is where I will eventually die.
Massa and missis have long gone before me,
My former slave owner and his wife have passed away before me.
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore,
I will soon be reunited with them in the afterlife.
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
In the afterlife, we will be happy and free from any troubles.
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more.
In the afterlife, we will be reunited forever and never separated again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES A BLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind