Stephen Foster: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

My Old Kentucky Home

Stephen Foster

“My Old Kentucky Home” as printed in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918).

Stephen Foster: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1918 · historical text
Public domainSoldier songHistorical song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home

'Tis summer, the darkies are gay,

The corn top's ripe, and the meadow's in the bloom,

While the birds make music all the day.

The young folk roll on the little cabin floor,

All merry, and happy and bright;

By'n by hard times come a knocking at the door

Then my old Kentucky home good night.

Chorus

Weep no more, my lady,

Oh, weep no more to-day,

We will sing one song for my old Kentucky home

For my old Kentucky home far away.

Credits

Written by Stephen Foster

Words by Stephen Foster. Historical text published in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918), “My Old Kentucky Home”

The 1918 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; other entries are held.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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