My Old Kentucky Home - Edison Male Quartet

[RADSK891]

Yo my professor just showed me this in class. Fuck Kentucky nigguh

[steamerthesteamtrain]

yah darkies are gay 

[FunkMan53]

Good version but not exactly a "Kentucky" accent. Why was he trying to sound so British??

[RunkkaajaApina]

@FunkMan53 Was popular style to sing back in those days

[angryrusski]

In my opinion the best version on the web.

[crk4427]

Kentucky.....what a beautiful place.....very good people too.

[MrGrevy]

Thank GOD they didn't change the lyrics to appease a bunch of uppity black morons. They complain about this, but have no problem with the National Association for Colored Persons or the United NEGRO College Fund. Disgraceful people.

[WonderBread006]

WOW....The word "Gay" is totally inappropriate!

[futurejockey8]

@WonderBread006 I hope you are being sarcastic lol

[Moir11]

@WonderBread006  Idiot!

[squirell1952]

Can YOU not change the lyrics, so offensive they are.

[LongviewGD182]

@squirell1952 How the hell is he supposed to change the lyrics? Hed have to cover the song and record it himself

[BowToMySkill]

darkies are gay LOL

[LongviewGD182]

@BowToMySkill

GAY:

having or showing a merry, lively mood

[porkyminch01]

@LongviewGD182  and the difference is?

[MrCateyanne]

Historical documents, whether it is books or music or art, should never be altered. If so, you are altering history and there will be no progress without being able to know where we really came from. An altered past is a lie and so the future will also be a lie.

[getsomelead]

lets see $200 in 1900 adjust for inflation with my chart in my new economics book and... OMFG $5170.79. brings a whole new meaning to disposible income

[Qwi0s]

@getsomelead The $200 figure was already adjusted for inflation. That's what "equivalent" means in this situation.

[getsomelead]

@Qwi0s that makes sense, give me a break I typed that at 1 in the morning

[horarwgt]

Incredibly high fidelity for a nineteenth century recording! This record (Edison 2223) spent three weeks at #1 over a six week chart run in January-February 1898.

[shumei8234]

Thanks for sharing this historical recording. This is the very first song I learned when I joined our high school chorus in late 40's. This is a very beutiful, melodious and nostalgic piece I love.

You may want to correct the typographic error:  Foster was born in 1826.

[mindspring57]

My father, who was born in Kentucky in 1910, insisted that "birds make music all the day" was originally "darkies make music all the day." He asked me, did you ever see a bird grin and play a banjo?

[awesometjdude]

i song this song on a yt vid

[TheCadykins]

You're wrong. Stephen Foster did live in Kentucky.

[freightshaker58]

I LOVE IT  ..... ! THANK YOU

[Artieb220]

they don't make music like this anymore...

[Artieb220]

@Artieb220 despite the racism

[BELACSAMOHT]

@Artieb220

Shut up.

[Artieb220]

@BELACSAMOHT its a great, and old song, i didn't mean it as an insult. unfortunetly that was the norm back that. it doesnt take away from the fact it is a great song.

[LongviewGD182]

@Artieb220 Whats so racist about it? That they said "darkies" ? It was a common word back than, like how today we say "blacks" or "coloured", those things might be considered racist someday

[leaheli]

What a very informative and interesting clip!

[bobbya16]

great song ! fuck political correctness !

[sboo001]

Don't trust Wikipedia for history! Stephen Foster was inspired while visiting family in KY to write this song. From Federal Hill website: Today, this Georgian-style mansion is as endearing to visitors as it was in 1852, the year Foster wrote what has become the official state song while visiting his cousins, the Rowan family. Step into the days of the antebellum South as costumed guides escort you through the stately mansion and formal gardens. I was born in KY and KY will always be my home!!

[ejasiura]

@sboo001 If you did actual research outside of the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archivs, you'd know it's not true. I wrote a paper on the song's history and I'd be happy to provide you with credible articles and books on "Poor Uncle Tom, Good Night!" aka "My Old Kentucky Home"

[hackman12179]

@ejasiura What's not true?

[Zoroark]

the darkies are gay means happy gay normally meant happy...

[Monarchos]

This song is not racist against blacks. Stephen Foster was sympathetic to slaves. At the time he wrote this song, "darkies" was not considered a pejorative when referring to blacks.

[navydoctrinidad]

Wonderful music and information. Got anymore?

[MultiPeaches123]

yhe darkies are gay XD cracks me up plus im doing a state a report about Kentucky , so funny!!!!1

[Philflash]

Gotta love it!

[yinyang10020]

this is the old version now they edited the song to a non-racial song

[AgentCarter]

the song was originally about black slaves being sold down the river

[themfromspace]

This is an exceptionally well preserved copy! Thanks for sharing!

[Jake9360]

The word "Darky" is a racial slur now!

[Carycomic]

Even when this song wasn't in the public domain, Stephen Foster never saw a dime of that $200 per song. Not during his lifetime, anyway.

[MightySnail007]

i hum this at work all the time

[MoleDFigg]

I have posted a 'jazz' version as a "Response" to this track. It is really great to hear the original words and atmosphere intended by the writer.

Thanks.

[Tabithern]

Very well said ewd76

[SpeakCherokee]

The song was introduced in the musical "Uncle Tom's Cabin." The "darkies" singing it were to be sold off to settle a debt, and some had planned to escape across the Ohio. Either way, they were saying goodbye to Kentucky. A very sad song in context.

[amceagle1]

Reflecting on the times past. I don't consider the word "darkies" a slur. That was then. Political correctness has no meaning. Only today's narrow minded find fault in anything "old".

[axeholme2]

Just love this version of a truly great song

[ewd76]

I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct.

[maybrook1]

amen

[dollypartonidol]

I am in the middle school choir we have to sing this song almost everyday

[SuperWarriorcats]

He said gay intead of gray!!

[cv5600]

This, in fact is NOT a brown wax cylinder. It was probably a remake of what had been a brown wax recording.This onewas not recorded by the round. The first give away is the announcement, which is by Edward Meeker. Meeker did not announce on brown waxers.H became the house announcer for Edison AFTER they began producing moulded records in 1902..Most brown wax vocal performances were accompnied by piano. Remakes were very common during this era. still a great record!

[tl10397]

my grandpa used to sing this song to me when i was little

[edisonphonographs]

This is a great recording! Where did you find the equivalilent of $200 in todays money? They also sold large diamater brown wax cylinders called concert cylinder to give the record more volume. I do not know what a normal brown wax cylinder origionally cost but I know that concert cylinders cost more than regular brown wax cylinders. The initial price for a concert cylinder was $5 which is equalivaliant to 127.74 in 2008 dollars. They began molding cylinders in 1902.

Thanks

[rikkosuave88]

my wife is from kentucky... this song makes her miss her home.

[bandwagonretards]

she misses the gay darkies, eh?

[1Abhorred]

"darkies" is a slur...didnt realize it until i was older...i think its funny now

[1Abhorred]

As a black woman im offended because i had to sing this song in the middle school choir! lol

[BigSlimJimmy]

but the lyrics say their happy, that's bad?

[AustinWorthington]

"Darkies" if often considered a derogatory term for black people, even if its saying something good about them. But the word wasn't considered innappropriate in Kentucky until around the sixties, and even now its a fairly common term

[DyersburgTennessee]

My great-grandfather moved to Tennessee from Kentucky in the late 1800's, and my grandfather used to sing this song when I was a kid. It is remarkable what you can find on Youtube!

[Ineededanaccount0]

very nice, American spirit survived in this excellent wax cylinder, thanks for the upload

[barryplem]

what a waste of 2:15

[fczwollefan]

Very nice.

Didn't know that wax could actually sound that good.

[Altamisal]

The singing is fine, i appreciated the past blast and the additional info, very educational, thanks!

[MYFreeSpeach4U]

Such a good post, I got a lot of Wax, and you cann't have them, till my daughter says so, when and after i am dead