The Sons of the Pioneers did several songs for the John Ford movies Wagon Master (in 1949) and Rio Grande in (1950).
The six members who made the Sons of the Pioneers famous in the late 1930s with their close-harmonied western style music were elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1995, they were inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1977, the Smithsonian designated the Sons of the Pioneers as "national treasures". Through many changes to the line-up, the Sons of the Pioneers have continued to perform.
Oh Susanna
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee
I'm goin' to Louisiana, my true love for to see
It rained all night, the day I left the weather it was dry
The sun so hot I froze to death, Susanna, don't you cry
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
(Oh, Susanna don't you cry for me)
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
I had a dream the other night when everything was still
I fell in love with Susanna, a-comin' down the hill
A buckwheat cake was in her mouth, a tear was in her eye
Said I, I'm comin' from the south, Susanna, don't you cry
Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
(Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me)
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
The lyrics of the song Oh Susanna by Sons of the Pioneers is about a man who is leaving his home state of Alabama to travel to Louisiana with his banjo to see his true love. The lyrics convey the hardships of the journey through the weather conditions that the man faces, such as rain and hot sun. Despite these challenges, the man is determined to see his lover and he sings to her, asking her not to cry. The last verse of the song tells a dream that the man had, where he saw Susanna coming down the hill with a buckwheat cake in her mouth and a tear in her eye. He reassures her that he is coming from the south and asks her not to cry.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me
Please don't worry about me, Susanna.
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
I am traveling to Louisiana with my banjo.
I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee
I am originally from Alabama and brought my banjo with me.
I'm goin' to Louisiana, my true love for to see
I am traveling to Louisiana to see my true love.
It rained all night, the day I left the weather it was dry
It rained heavily the night before I left, but the day I left was dry.
The sun so hot I froze to death, Susanna, don't you cry
It was very hot out, but I need to keep my spirits up and not worry.
(Oh, Susanna don't you cry for me)
Please don't worry, Susanna.
I had a dream the other night when everything was still
I had a dream when everything was quiet and calm.
I fell in love with Susanna, a-comin' down the hill
In my dream, I fell in love with you, Susanna, as you were walking down a hill.
A buckwheat cake was in her mouth, a tear was in her eye
In my dream, you had a buckwheat cake in your mouth and a tear in your eye.
Said I, I'm comin' from the south, Susanna, don't you cry
In my dream, I reassured you that I was coming from the south and not to worry.
Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me
Please don't worry about me, Susanna.
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
I am traveling to Louisiana with my banjo.
(Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me)
Please don't worry, Susanna.
I'm goin' to Louisiana with my banjo on my knee
I am traveling to Louisiana with my banjo.
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bill Akins
on The Devil's Great Grandson
"The Devil's Great Grandson" (Lyrics)
Recorded by Roy Rogers & The Son's Of The Pioneers
(Lyrics submitted by Bill Akins)
(The Devil's Great Grandson performed by the Sons Of The Pioneers and written by Bob Nolan. The tune was recorded in Los Angeles on December 14, 1937 and the group at that time was Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, Lloyd Perryman and the Farr brothers.)
Old Skyball Paint was the devil's saint
His eyes were a fiery red
Good men have tried this horse to ride
And all of them are dead
Now I won't brag but I rode this nag
Till his blood began to boil
Then I hit the ground and ate three pound
Of good old western soil
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Light group harmony yodel)
I swore by heck
I'd break his neck for the jolt he gave my pride
I threw my noose on that old cayuse and once more took a ride
He turned around and soon
I found his tail where his head should be
So says says I Perhaps he's shy or he just don't care for me
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Only Roy Rogers STRONG yodeling, group harmony humming and ahhing along)
In town you see just to have a spree when
I meets old Sheriff Jim
With fistic fun and my big six-gun
I buys the town from him
For a whoop and a holler and a counterfeit dollar
Then I ask for a bill of sale
But my face turned red when the contract said just thirty days in jail
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Light group harmony yodel again)
Where the greasewood bats wear
Stetson hats and the bad men all run free
Where they sold the jail at a bargain sale
That's the land for me
Where the desert ants wear buckskin pants and help me rule the land
With the ants and the bats and my two gats
I'll rule with an iron hand
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Only Roy Rogers STRONG yodeling, group harmony humming and ahhing along)