Carry On
Rufus and Jamal 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 lyrics to Rufus and Jamal's song Carry On reference the old pre-Civil War era of Virginia, where cotton, corn, and potatoes were staple crops grown on plantations worked by enslaved Africans. The lyrics suggest a longing to return to this seemingly idyllic setting, where the birds sing sweet in the springtime and the singer once labored hard for their master. Despite the grueling work and oppressive conditions of enslavement, the singer claims that there is no place on earth they love more sincerely than old Virginny, the state where they were born.
The second stanza of the song reiterates the singer's desire to return to Virginia, where they hope to live until they wither and decay. The mention of the Dismal Swamp, a vast and swampy region located in both Virginia and North Carolina, suggests that the singer may have been an enslaved laborer who escaped to this area to find freedom. They may have lived there for some time, wandering and hiding from slave catchers before eventually hoping to reunite with those who have passed away before them. In the final lines, the singer expresses hope for a happy and free future on a "bright and golden shore," implying an afterlife where they will be reunited with their loved ones and never part again.
Overall, the lyrics of Carry On are bittersweet and melancholic, expressing a longing for a past that was plagued by enslavement and oppression. However, the song also underscores the resilience and hope of those who endured these atrocities and longed for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Take me back to Virginia where I feel a sense of belonging
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
The crops grown in Virginia such as cotton, corn, and potatoes are special to me
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
Virginia is where I hear sweet birdsongs during the spring
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
I, as an old African-American feel strongly connected to Virginia
There let me live 'till I wither and decay,
I wish to spend the rest of my life in Virginia until the end of my days
Long by the old Dismal Swamp have I wandered,
I have spent a lot of time wandering by the Dismal Swamp in Virginia
There's where this old darke'ys life will pass away.
My life will eventually end in Virginia
Massa and missis have long gone before me,
The master and mistress whom I served have passed away before me
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore,
I believe I will reunite with them in a better place after I pass away
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
In that better place, we will be happy and sorrow-free
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more
In that better place, we will meet again and never be separated
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James A Bland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@umarmohd9526
Jussie Smollett & Mariah Carey:]
To live for things impossible
Come dream, my cup, it overflows
Right now we face the sunrise of love
Your body closes in on mine
Wishes break in, and justified
Sweet hurricane of love flowing with
The tide
Now say you mean, the world to me
Say what you are, it's Infamous
It's such a rush: reality
I'm so into you, the things you do
I know it's dangerous, but I believe
A greater love, there'll ever be
I'm hoping, boy, so turn and see
Carry on and on and rock with me
Love is a sport and we're infamous
Rise up this moment's drizzling boy
Face time, come back to play and enjoy
My champion, your will always saves the day
Ready to stop and start again
Return to blissful innocence
Go past the places I never shown
She's cast alone
I said you mean the world to me
Say what you are, it's infamous
It's such a rush: reality
I'm so into you, the things you do
I know it's dangerous, but I believe
A greater love there'll never be
I'm hoping, boy, so turn to be
Carry on and on and rock with me
Love is a sport and we're infamous
[Jussie Smollett:]
Okay, we both got a reputation
Been around since day 1
Baby my A-1
Know we have our little days
But yeah
Ain't nothing like our creation
Carry on and on and rock with me
Long as we're rolling it's infamous
I call you bae
So you know that mean
It ain't my last temptation
I know that my feelings is clouded
But baby we can't live without it
Love, no, game
Carry on and on and rock with me
Long as we rolling
It's infamous
[Mariah Carey & Jussie Smollett:]
Now say you mean, the world to me
Say what you are, it's infamous
It's such a rush, reality
I'm so into you, I'm so into you
I know it's dangerous, but I believe
A greater love, there'll never be
I'm hopin', boy, so time to see
Carry on and on and rock with me
Long as it's glowing as long as this moment
We're infamous
@Guy_Tang
I hope the radio plays this track❤️
@edwardkjellberg8813
I love you, Guy! Please dye my hair. 😘
@virginiagriffin2080
I Hope they really do I like this song
@keauntv3543
Yess
@kamarionbarrett9959
Guy Tang
@malenikae6382
love you GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!
@jayceebaguio
Can we just appreciate the fact that Mariah wrote it? 💕
@lamontsimpson4871
Damn I really miss Empire especially seasons 1-3
@reggiesaidit513
I didn’t know that
@leonngunther4819
With Jaermaine Dupri and James Quenton. Great songwriters though