~
vinyl LP front cover
cover photo by Guy Webster
cover design by Bob Cato
photo of album cover by Styrous®
September 11 is a day with many historical references, the most infamous being the disastrous incident in New York City, in 2001. But another event happened over a hundred and fifty years earlier in 1847. The Stephen Foster song, Oh! Susannah, was performed in public for the first time by a local quintet in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I
have always been intrigued by this song as a lot of the lyrics make no
sense whatsoever! Samples: "It rain'd all night the day I left, The
weather it was dry, The sun so hot I froze to death..." and so on. I remember as a kid thinking this was, "The cat's pajamas!" a phrase still in use at the time.
And the
name, Susana, has always been a fascination for me. The rhythmic
syllables, the bouncy feeling of the consonants and vowels dancing around each other
and, of course, when pronouncing it in the Castilian/Catalan tounge, the sensuous pursing of the lips to produce the sound "Su" (link below).
VERY erotic! From my childhood, the name has always had a middle-eastern sound to
my ears; then in 2000 when I was on Cyprus, the distant call of the Iman
electrified me to the core when I heard it clearly ringing out above
the raucous cacophony of the busy city streets. This totally cemented it
in my mind as a mysterious, sensual, powerful and wonderful name!
Anyway,
I digress, back to the song itself! Foster was only 21 years old when
he composed it in 1848. He later wrote, “the two fifty-dollar bills I
received (for "Oh! Susanna") had the effect of starting me on my present
vocation as a songwriter.” He wrote over two hundred songs, a lot of
them dealing with the South although he only visited it once (link below). Oh! Susannah was a favorite of the ‘49ers during the California Gold Rush and others heading west during the mid-nineteenth century.
The first version of it I knew was featured in the film, The Jazz Singer, with Al Jolson singing in black face. In 1942, Looney Tunes had Elmer Fudd singing a totally wacked-out version of it for the war effort. Connie Francis covered it in 1961 on her Connie Sings Folksong Favorites album. The version The Byrds did in 1965 on their album, Turn! Turn! Turn!, is one of my all-time favorites. James Taylor did a really wonderful duet for guitar & vocal on his Sweet Baby James 1970 album (links below).
The cover design was by Bob Cato who also did a cover for Blood, Sweat & Tears, Simon & Garfunkel and the graphics for the sound track recording of the 1933 film, King Kong which starred Fay Wray.
In 1940 the United States Postal Service issued a 1¢ commemorative stamp in Foster's honor for the Famous American Composers series.
There
has been opposition to honors for him because of the racist aspect of
the lyrics of his songs; but it was another era with different values.
Lyrics
I came from Alabama,
Wid my banjo on my knee,
I'm gwyne to Louisiana,
My true love for to see;
It rain'd all night the day I left,
The weather it was dry,
The sun so hot I froze to death,
Susanna, don't you cry.
CHORUS.
Oh! Susanna, Oh don't you cry for me,
I've come from Alabama
Wid my banjo on my knee.
2
I jumped aboard de telegraph, And trabbled down de riber,
De lectric fluid magnified,
And killed five hundred nigger.
De bullgine bust, de horse run off,
I realy thought I'd die;
I shut my eyes to hold my breath,
Susanna, don't you cry.
Cho: Oh! Susanna &c.
3
I had a dream de odder night When ebery ting was still,
I thought I saw Susanna
A coming down de hill;
The buck-wheat cake was in her mouth,
The tear was in her eye;
Says I, "I'm coming from de south,
Susanna, don't you cry.
"
Cho: Oh! Susanna &c.
4
I soon will be in New Orleans, And den I'll look all round,
And when I find Susanna,
I will fall upon de ground.
And if I do not find her,
Dis darkie'l surely die,
And when I'm dead and buried,
Susanna, don't you cry.
Cho: Oh! Susanna &c.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
Side 1:
A1 - Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season),Adapted By, Music By – Pete Seeger - 3:34
A2 - It Won't Be Wrong, written by Gerst* - 1:58
A3 - Set You Free This Time - 2:49
A4 - Lay Down Your Weary Tune - 3:30
A5 - He Was A Friend Of Mine - 2:30
A2 - It Won't Be Wrong, written by Gerst* - 1:58
A3 - Set You Free This Time - 2:49
A4 - Lay Down Your Weary Tune - 3:30
A5 - He Was A Friend Of Mine - 2:30
Side 2:
B1 - The World Turns All Around Her - 2:12
B2 - Satisfied Mind, written by J. Rhodes*, R. Hayes* - 2:21
B3 - If You're Gone - 2:45
B4 - The Times They Are A-Changin' - 2:17
B5 - Wait And See, written by D. Crosby* - 2:19
B6 - Oh! Susannah, arranged by J. McGuinn* - 3:00
Companies, etc.
Printed By – Modern Album, Terre Haute, Indiana
Published By – Melody Trails, Inc.
Published By – Tickson Music Co.
Published By – M. Witmark & Sons
Published By – Peer International Corp.
Credits:
Art Direction [Uncredited] – Bob Cato, John Berg
Bass – Chris Hillman
Drums – Mike Clark*
Guitar, Leader – Jim McGuinn
Liner Notes – Derek Taylor (2)
Photography By [Cover Photo] – Guy Webster
Producer – Terry Melcher
Rhythm Guitar – Dave Crosby*
Tambourine – Gene Clark
Written-By – B. Dylan* (tracks: A4, B4), G. Clark* (tracks: A3, B1, B3), J. McGuinn* (tracks: A2, B5)
Notes:
Columbia Two-Eye Red label, "360 Sound Stereo" in white text.
NONBREAKABLE printed on labels.
Columbia Masterworks on label rim.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Label matrix, side A): XSM 112091
Matrix / Runout (Label matrix, side B): XSM 112092
Matrix / Runout (Runout, side A, etched): XSM 112091 1D
Matrix / Runout (Runout, side B, etched): XSM 112092 1C
Matrix / Runout (Runout var 1, side A, etched): XSM 112091 1A O C
Matrix / Runout (Runout var 1, side B, etched): XSM 112091 1B D O
Rights Society (Tracks A1 to A3, A5 to B3, B5 and B6): BMI
Rights Society (Tracks A4 and B4): ASCAP
Other (Rear jacket fabricator identification): 3
Matrix / Runout (Label matrix, side B): XSM 112092
Matrix / Runout (Runout, side A, etched): XSM 112091 1D
Matrix / Runout (Runout, side B, etched): XSM 112092 1C
Matrix / Runout (Runout var 1, side A, etched): XSM 112091 1A O C
Matrix / Runout (Runout var 1, side B, etched): XSM 112091 1B D O
Rights Society (Tracks A1 to A3, A5 to B3, B5 and B6): BMI
Rights Society (Tracks A4 and B4): ASCAP
Other (Rear jacket fabricator identification): 3
The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!
Label: Columbia – CS 9254
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: Dec 6, 1965
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Styrous® ~ September, 11, 2023
Label: Columbia – CS 9254
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: Dec 6, 1965
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Digital Music News ~
YouTube links:
2nd South Carolina String Band ~ Oh! Susanna
The Byrds ~ Oh, Susana
Connie Francis ~ Oh, Susana
Elmer Fudd - Oh, Susana
Al Jolson ~ Oh, Susana
PronounceNames.com ~ Susana
Stephen Foster ~ OH! SUSANNA - Original 1848 Lyrics
