In 1846, Stephen Foster moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and became a bookkeeper with his brother's steamship company. While in Cincinnati, Foster wrote "Oh! Susanna," possibly for his men's social club.The song was first performed by a local quintet at a concert in Andrews' Eagle Ice Cream Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 1847. It was first published by W. C. Peters & Co. in Cincinnati in 1848.Other minstrel troupes performed the work, and, as was common at the time, many registered the song for copyright under their own names. As a result, it was copyrighted and published at least twenty-one times from February 25, 1848, through February 14, 1851.Foster earned just $100 ($2,774 in 2016 dollars) for the song but its popularity led the publishing firm Firth, Pond & Company to offer him a royalty rate of two cents per copy of sheet music sold, convincing him to become America's first fully professional songwriter.
The name Susanna may refer to Foster's deceased sister Charlotte, whose middle name was Susannah.
The Light Crust Doughboys Oh! Susanna lyrics
Well I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee
And I'm bound for Louisiana, my own true love for to see
It did rain all night the day I left
The weather was bone dry
The sun was so hot I froze myself
Suzanne, don't you go on and cry
I said, oh, Susannah
Now, don't you cry for me
As I come from Alabama with this banjo on my knee
Well I had myself a dream the other night
When everything was still
I dreamed that I saw my girl Suzanne
She was coming around the hill
Now, the buckwheat cake was in her mouth
A tear was in her eye
I said, that I come from Dixie land
Suzanne, don't you break down and cry
I said, oh, Susannah
Now, don't you cry for me
Cause I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee
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