Interesting History of ‘My Old Kentucky Home’

Pop Culture
Though for many "My Old Kentucky Home" evokes images of idyllic Kentucky settings, the lyrics and meaning have evolved greatly in the song's 150-year history. (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

The Kentucky state song has been many things since it was first written by Stephen Foster in 1852. It started out as a minstrel song, inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” about the lament of a slave sold from his Kentucky plantation to a slave owner down south “where the sugar canes grow.”

Over the years, “My Old Kentucky Home” has been rewritten many times; first to eliminate the original minstrel idioms Foster included to make the song sound in the voice of a slave (words like “dem” for them and “de” for the), then later to eliminate racially offensive language like “darkies.” It has been rewritten many times over the years by popular recording artists, from rock to country to rap. It is perhaps best known as the song they sing before the running of the Kentucky Derby.

When you hear the crowd at Churchill Downs sing “My Old Kentucky Home,” it seems like the song is a celebration of the culture of the old south, and over the years that’s what the song has come to represent for generations of Kentuckians.

In truth, the song was written about slave life on a Kentucky plantation, and one particular slave’s worry that life will be excruciatingly difficult (and perhaps even short!) now that he has been sold to a plantation in the Deep South. Despite Stephen Foster’s desire to use the song to draw attention to the cruelties of slavery, the song has lost most of its intended cultural context today. Kentuckians sing the minstrel ballad written by a Yankee who only visited Kentucky once as an anthem to everything they love about the Bluegrass State. It’s just weird how things work out.

Throughout the song’s long life there have been many versions and re-imaginings, which gives some insight into just how much this song has been able to morph into multiple interpretations and representations and be all things to all people. While my favorite rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home” will always be the one played by the University of Louisville Marching Band during the post parade of the Kentucky Derby, here’s a few of the versions I enjoy away from the track.

Paul Robeson - 1930 

The blacklisted left-wing activist singer, actor and NFL player Paul Robeson recorded the song in 1930 with his own orchestra. Robeson’s voice is perfect for the modern rendition of the song we hear before the Derby today - somber, full of sentiment, heavy with gravitas. You’ll notice that Robeson sings the lyrics “darkies” rather than “people” as it is sung today. This is notable because Robeson famously changed racist lyrics in other popular songs he recorded and performed during that time, including “Old Man River.”

Johnny Cash - 1975

The version of the song that the man in black sings on his 1975 album “John R. Cash” isn’t the Stephen Foster version of the song. Instead Cash is covering a song written by Randy Newman in 1970. Before Cash covered this version, it has already been recorded by Kentucky bluegrass favorites The Osbornes and the rock group Three Dog Night.

Randy Newman had a lot in common with Stephen Foster. He wrote popular ballads and often used broad humor. He studied folk music from all over the country and tried to mimic various styles and forms. And he was a Yankee who hadn’t spent a lot of time in Kentucky. His version of “My Old Kentucky Home” is, just like the original version, often sung with sentiment and affection by Kentuckians despite the lyrics having ambiguous motives. The porch-sittin’, gun-totin’, wine-drinkin’ rednecks in Newman’s song get drunk and beat on women. It feels like it’s poking fun at southerners, although Newman has said it is “making fun of people who would think that’s funny.” This version only makes this list because, come on, Johnny Cash. 

KD, Goodfella, Scales, Villebillies - 2006

This version is often mistakenly credited to the Kentucky rap group Nappy Roots. It’s understandable why they would get credit for writing a rap song that celebrates the state of Kentucky - their hits Po’ Folks and Aww Naw made proud reference of the state, both in their lyrics and their videos, and Scales from Nappy Roots has a verse on this track. But the song was from a little-known (outside of Kentucky) rapper named KD’s album “Home Grown” and featured, in addition to Scales, rappers Goodfella and Demi from the Villebillies. The song was played on local radio a lot in the late 2000s, often requested as a Nappy Roots song.

This version borrows little from Foster’s, other than the title, but unlike the Newman version that took Foster’s hook, this hip-hop version is a much more loving depiction of life in Kentucky. The lyrics, like many Nappy Roots lyrics, celebrate the simple, carefree life of being poor in Kentucky, whether you live in the city or the country. The Kentuckians in this song have traded in Randy Newman’s guns for fishing poles. They’re still getting drunk, though. What can you say? Sometimes stereotypes aren’t far off.

 

Louis Armstrong - 1959

Louis Armstrong recorded a Dixieland album in 1959 as a tribute to one of his most important mentors and inspirations - Joe “King” Oliver, the legendary jazz corenetist and leader of the famous Creole Jazz Band. The album was made up of a number of songs that were penned by either Oliver or Armstrong and Oliver together, or songs that Oliver and Armstrong were known to perform. One song stood out on the record as an outlier. It was neither a Dixieland jazz song nor a song that “King” Oliver was ever known to perform. But during the three-day session that Armstrong and his band recorded “Satchmo Plays King Oliver,” they laid down this jazzy, Dixieland version of “My Old Kentucky Home” and gave the song a completely new vibe - both upbeat and at the same time wistful.

When asked why Armstrong included this strange tune on the record he replied that well, “Joe might have played it.” Jet Magazine was on hand to witness the recording and they applauded Armstrong for deciding before pressing record to change the word “darkies” to “folks,” still a good 20 years before Representative Carl Hines would sponsor the legislation to change the lyric to “people” whenever the song was sung at official functions. Jet applauded Armstrong by writing “Forget those old notions about Louis Armstrong being a ‘handkerchief head’ ... Salute!”

Salute, indeed. This is the version I listen to every day for the two weeks leading up to the Derby. One day, it’d be cool if the University of Louisville Marching Band could play this version, too. People can still weep if they wanted, they’d just have to do it while they danced.

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