Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "fat… Read Full Bio ↴Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century.
His songs — such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "Hard Times Come Again No More", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", and "Beautiful Dreamer" — remain popular over 150 years after their composition.

Gentle Annie
Stephen C. Foster Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Gentle Annie' by these artists:

Ann and Kate McGarrigle Thou wilt come no more gentle Annie Like the flower Who's sp…
Foster & Allen Fair and lovely Annie Your gentle ways have won me You bring…
Kate & Anna McGarrigle Thou wilt come no more gentle Annie Like the flower Who's sp…
Kate & Anna McGarrigle featuring Linda Ronstadt Thou wilt come no more gentle Annie Like the flower Who's sp…
Kate McGarrigle Thou wilt come no more gentle Annie Like the flower, who's…
Liam Clancy & Tommy Makem Fair and lovely Annie, Your gentle ways have won me. You…
Liam Clancy/Tommy Makem Fair and lovely Annie, Your gentle ways have won me. You…
Linda Ronstadt Thou wilt come no more gentle Annie Like the flower Who's …
Linda Ronstadt with Kate & Anna McGarrigle Thou wilt come no more gentle Annie Like the flower Who's sp…

Stephen Foster Gentle Annie (Stephen Foster) Thou wilt come no more, gentl…
The McGarrigles Thou wilt come no more gentle Annie Like the flower Who's sp…
Tommy Makem Fair and lovely Annie, Your gentle ways have won me. You…
Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy Fair and lovely Annie, Your gentle ways have won me. You…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Stephen C. Foster:

Hard Times Come Again No More Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many…
Oh! Susanna I come from clabama With my banjo on my knee…

Susanna I come from clabama With my banjo on my knee…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Indah Huegele

7y↑62

Thou wilt come no more, gentle Annie,
Like a flow'r thy spirit did depart;
Thou art gone, alas! like the many
That have bloomed in the summer of my heart.

Shall we never more behold thee;
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the Springtime comes gentle Annie,
When the wild flow'rs are scattered o'er the plain?

We have roamed and loved mid the bowers,
When thy downy cheeks were in their bloom;
Now I stand alone mid the flowers
While they mingle their perfumes o'er thy tomb.

Shall we never more behold thee;
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the Springtime comes gentle Annie,
When the wild flow'rs are scattered o'er the plain?

Ah! the hours grow sad while I ponder
Near the silent spot where thou art laid,
And my heart bows down when I wander
By the streams and the meadows where we stray'd.

Shall we never more behold thee;
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the Springtime comes gentle Annie,
When the wild flow'rs are scattered o'er the plain?

All comments from YouTube:

Berkley Pearl

5y↑54

I’m writing a research paper on civil war era funeral practices in Texas. I recently read in the diary of a man, that before his sweet little daughter passed away from scarlet fever, she asked him to sing this song for her. And the girl’s mother felt that the song was prophecy and was overcome with emotion. The next day the little girl died. I’d never heard this song before. However, I’ll never be able to hear it as anything other than a loving father singing to his sick and dying daughter.
I’m now sitting here crying for a little girl that died in 1862 who’s family loved her very much

japlangston

4y↑1

Watch the video with Linda Rondstadt and Kate & Anna McGarrigle singing this beautiful song.

I Hate YouTube

3y↑3

I love your comment, it shows the connection of people no matter time, or place. I sometimes feel that way reading about people in history. I feel so bad for Sporus who committed suicide at 19/20. His was such a sad short life.
Also I'd be really interested in reading the diary you talked about. Do you still know it's name by chance?

Salty Croc

3y↑6

This is a stupendous version! Listening to it makes me feel like I sitting in Foster's drawing room listening to a recital with him at the piano in Pittsburgh or Cincinnati or New York (or wherever else he may have lived!) Bravo, to a performance that captures the spirit of the time this beautiful melancholy song was composed.

Buaile Bawns

If I was sitting in Foster's drawing room, I would strongly advise him to copyright his music. If I can get this dodgy Chinesium time machine from Ebay to work, I may do that. The poor guy should have been financially rewarded for his talent. Life isn't fair.

Nikola Zekić

51w↑2

This is the only version recorded after 1920s, that is sung according to the spirit of the time when the tune was composed. I take my hat off to both the singer and the accompanist. Warmest regards!

Indah Huegele

7y↑62

albertdiner

7y↑2

Thank you so much fr the lyrics. Yet, in the vocal i think he sings " bows down WHERE i wander by the streams and the meadows where e stray'd. " Please check which is the one Stephen Foster indicated.

Tri

6y↑2

I sang this song in choir and the sheet music said when and not where.

S Y

6y↑1

Mavis Surely "when" makes more sense.

Aodan Peacock

8y↑24

Ah, at last! This is how it should be sung...Thank you; most other versions are ghastly

Ken M

Alas, many are ghastly and but a insult to the the beautiful melody of the composition.

Harbor Heart

6y↑3

Gorgeous tune.

Benjamin Hartle

1y↑1

If you listen to the lyrics of Stephen Foster it’s easy to tell he had a level of depression a lot of people today would understand. Happy, joyful songs one day, next day depressing funeral songs. I really wish more people would give more of his songs a chance rather than just dismiss his entire repertoire as racist and bigoted because of a few of his songs.

paacer

6y↑11

Beautiful voice , never heard of this lovely singer .

hans zwisler

paacer 5

Panda Fish

My guy did you go to school

Franklin Pierce

2y↑1

@Panda Fish Leslie Guinn isn’t exactly a household name

Linda Easley

3y↑1

This song was said to be about his cousin named Annie who died shortly before it was composed or possibly a farewell to his deceased maternal grandmother named Annie McGinnis
Beautiful

Dudley Delany

9y↑6

Beautiful!

S Y

6y↑5

Who is the dinger? This is great! Thanks for posting! Foster was a genius.

oppie47

6y↑1

Steven Yourke
This is Leslie Guinn. The other singer you’ll hear is Jan DeGaetani.

S Y

6y↑2

oppie47 Thank you very much for posting this wonderful rendition of this Foster song. Thanks for the tip. It pains me to think that the PC song police are picking on Foster whose music breathes compassion for the oppressed. When I sing it, I will not change the lyrics at all but perhaps explain them and set him in historical context. Again, my sincere thanks for posting. Cheers.

Mary Tolhurst

5y↑7

Just in case anyone is wondering, the photo is of Stephen Foster: the singer Leslie Guinn.is alive and well (as far as I know).

aphternoon

3y↑4

He passed on December 12, 2020 (a year after the above comment was written). May he be remembered fondly.

Linda Easley

3y↑1

I think he had the perfect voice for handling music that was written before the 20th century . So dignified

Berkley Pearl

4y↑3

My baby cousin died and all I can think of is this song. She was 8 years old. Death is so sad

filipinowhiteboy

3y↑1

especially when they're only 8. You have my condolences

Dennis Kinnane

1y↑1

I keep looking at the photograph of Stephen Foster, the "Father of American Music" and see such a sad and sensitive face.. he died at 38, penniless and broken... those who used his music made Hundreds of thousands... Life is sadly full of injustices...

Kat Person

He wrote so many beautiful songs indeed. I enjoy Tom Roush singing many of them. RIP Tom.

Máire Walsh

8y↑7

This is for my late Mother Annie

sophie☼

27w

ohmygod ive been searching for this song for MONTHS

John L. Godwin

27w

Beauty lives timeless...

Alex1999

2y↑3

Goin down the Mr Beat rabbit hole

Shūichi Tazhibek-Matsushita

2y↑1

Great youtuber. He used this song in the 1856 election video I believe. You should really check out more from Foster, one of the greatest American composers.

Fredrick II

2y↑1

What video did he sing this in

Alex1999

2y↑1

@Fredrick II the 1856 presidential election

Skyline

1y↑1

Same!!

이민우

2y↑3

You have beautiful and sad eyes.

Skyline

1y↑2

1856 election

Zena M. Snyder

Nelson Eddy sings it much sweeter

mh605

I personally like the understated approach, which I feel has--paradoxically--more emotional impact.

Kat Person

@mh605 I also like Canon Sydney McEwan’s version.

mh605

@Kat Person Never heard that one. It's not on YOuTube, as far as I can tell.

Kat Person

@mh605 look up “Roamin in the gloamin the sound of Scotland “. It’s an album with various songs including Gentle Annie. It’s definitely there on YouTube. Sydney was a priest and later a canon. He was Scottish like me and was born and brought up near me in Glasgow. He toured the world with his beautiful singing voice, and modelled himself in a way similar to the singing style of John McCormack, the Irish tenor. They both had great enunciation and clarity when they sang. I’ve got his version of Gentle Annie on my iTunes list.

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