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by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864)

Away down Souf
Language: English 
We'll put for de souf -- Ah! dat's the place, 
For the steeple chase and de bully hoss race-- 
Poker, brag, eucher, seven up and loo, 
Den chime in N——s1, won't you come along too. 

Chorus: 
No use talken when de N---- wants to go, 
Whar de corn-top blossom and de canebrake grow; 
Den come along to Cuba, and we'll dance de polka juba, 
Way down souf, whar de corn grow. 

My lub she hab a very large mouf, 
One in de norf, tudder corner in de souf; 
It ams so long, it reach so far-- 
Trabble all around it on a railroad car. 

I went last night to see my Sally-- 
Two story house in Pig tail ally, 
Whar de skeeters buz, and de fleas dey bite, 
And de bull dogs howl and de tom cats fight.

View text without footnotes
1 N---- is a historical (and offensive) American racial epithet.

Text Authorship:

  • by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), "Away down Souf" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), "Away down Souf", published 1848. [voice and piano] [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this page: Laura Stanfield Prichard [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-12-26
Line count: 17
Word count: 139

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