Re-thinking Dixie lyrics

[Linda Trent]

BTW, I realized that I was only checking Google books for the war years and before. But here's a report of an interview with the author (Dan Emmett) that even includes a facsimile of the original song. This is rather lengthy, and since it includes a copy of the original, well I'll let you all read it rather than summarize it. It's from The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, October 1895, p. 958.

One thing that I find interesting is it starts out

I wish I was in de land ob cotton
'Cimmon seed and sandy bottom.

Those are the same words as shown on the Levy Sheet music site. However, if one doesn't like the words to the original Dixie they can always sing this fiery Southern version written in Martinsburg, [W]VA, December 1861, entitled "The Song of the Exile," sung to the tune of Dixie. See Levy sheet music You'll have to put in the search box "Dixie's Land," and I believe that both versions will come up. Sorry, but Levy wouldn't let me link the actual song.

I do find it interesting that Emmett told the author of the article that "when the cold wintry days of the North set in, all minstrels had a great desire to go south, that is to 'Dixie's Land.' On a cold day a common saying was 'Oh, I wish I was in Dixie's Land!'" Hey, we pretty much still say that today!

Anyway, here's the link to the Century Illustrated: http://books.google.com/books?id=DXg...J&pg=RA1-PA958

Linda.