"My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight"

The original title was "Poor Uncle Tom, Goodnight," written in 1850. "My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight" was published in 1852 by Stephen C. Foster (1826-1864). It was adopted as the Kentucky state song in 1928. The controversial phrase "the darkies are gay" is sometimes replaced with "the people are gay." For more see My Old Kentucky Home, the Stephen Collins Foster Papers in Special Collections, University of Kentucky. (The Guide to the Papers is available from the Kentucky Digital Library.) See also Frank X. Walker, "The Song Doesn't Remain the Same," Ace Weekly, 11/21/02.