She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain

She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain is a traditional folk song, but is derived from the spiritual “When the Chariot Comes”. The song first appeared in Carl Sandburg’s 1927, The American Songbag. He reported that “the spiritual  “When the Chariot Comes“, which was sung to the same melody, was adapted by railroad workers in the Read More

Oh! Susanna

Oh! Susanna is a popular American folk song. In 1846, Stephen Foster moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and worked in his brother’s steamship company as a bookkeeper. He wrote Oh! Susanna during this time. “The name Susanna may refer to Foster’s deceased sister Charlotte, whose middle name was Susannah.” Many historians believe he wrote it for Read More

The Ballad of Cassey Jones

The song tells the story of train engineer Cassey Jones, who stayed on his locomotive, to try to stop the train from running into another, while his fireman jumps to safety. The song not only preserved his memory but enhanced his legendary status. The song was first sung by Jones friend Wallace Saunders, shortly after Read More

Oh Shenandoah

Oh, Shenandoah is a folk song with unknown origins. The song is believed to date back to the early 19th Century, originating with the Canadian and American fur traders traveling down the Missouri River in canoes. The earliest versions of the song refer to a trader falling in love with a daughter of one of the Read More

Red River Valley

Another popular American folk song is Red River Valley. As with many folk songs the origin is unknown. The earliest known manuscript of the lyrics is titled “The Red River Valley” and has the notations “Nemaha 1879” and “Harlan 1885.”  “Nemaha and Harlan are the names of counties in Nebraska and are also the names Read More

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Take Me Home, Country Roads is a popular folk song about West Virginia. The song was written by Bill Danoff, Taff Nivert and John Denver. The trio received a letter from their friend John Albert Fitzgerald who was living in West Virginia at the time. The song was reportedly derived from a poem Fitzgerald wrote Read More

Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

Carry Me Back to Old Virginny was written by James A. Bland, an African American who wrote over 700 songs. Bland used the same title Edward Christy used in his Christy Minstrels. Bland wrote his version in 1878. In 1916, Alma Gluck was the first celebrity to record the song. A reworded version of the Read More

Song Story: Happy Birthday to You

  Happy Birthday may be one of the most sung songs in the world.  Once a year each individual has a birthday and the song sung to them at least once, if not more. According to the 1998 Guinness World Record, this song is the most recognized song in the English Language.  The melody to Read More

You Are My Sunshine

You Are My Sunshine is one song that I know can break through the bonds of dementia or connect with children. I was surprised to discover the origins of the song, though. The song was first recorded in 1939 by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell.  Davis and Mitchell are credited as the songwriters and own Read More

You’re a Grand Old Flag

You’re a Grand Old Flag is a popular song written by George M. Cohan. The song was published in 1906 and first performed on the stage on February 6.  Cohan wrote the song for his musical George Washington, Jr.  The song was first performed on the opening night of the play at Herald Square Theater Read More