Stephen Foster. Henley states that, as a child, his grandmother sang songs such as My Old Kentucky Home. "“My grandmother lived with us. She sat in a rocking chair every day, singing hymns and Stephen Foster songs: ‘My Old Kentucky Home,’ ‘Way Down Upon the Suwanee River’ and ‘The Old Folks At Home,’ and all those very American things. That’s probably where I got ‘Desperado.’ If you listen to that melody and those chords ... Billy Joel said to me the minute he heard it, ‘That’s Stephen Foster! I said, ‘OK, fine!’" Lyrics by Stephen C. Foster The original Stephen Foster lyrics of the song are: My old Kentucky Home, good-night! 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 folks roll on the little cabin floor, All merry, all happy and bright: By'n by Hard Times comes a knocking at the door, Then my old Kentucky Home, good night. Chorus: Weep no more, my lady, oh! weep no more today! We will sing one song For the old Kentucky Home, For the old Kentucky Home, far away. They hunt no more for the possum and the coon On the meadow, the hill and the shore, They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon, On the bench by the old cabin door. The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart, With sorrow where all was delight: The time has come when the darkies have to part, Then my old Kentucky Home, good-night! Chorus. The head must bow and the back will have to bend, Wherever the darkey may go: A few more days, and the trouble all will end In the field where the sugar-canes grow. A few more days for to tote the weary load, No matter 'twill never be light, A few more days till we totter on the road, Then my old Kentucky Home, good-night! Chorus. References Further reading External links Performances My Old Kentucky Home (instrumental) as played by one of the University of Kentucky Bands Geraldine Farrar's 1908 recording Other List of recordings of "My Old Kentucky Home" at SecondHandSongs.com List of recordings of Randy Newman's adaptation at SecondHandSongs.com 1853 songs American songs Blackface minstrel songs Music of Kentucky Songs written by Stephen Foster Kentucky