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Oh! Susanna

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hyacinth (talk | contribs) at 13:24, 11 December 2011 (The first two phrases of the melody are based on the major pentatonic scale<ref>Benward & Saker (2003). ''Music: In Theory and Practice'', Vol. I, p.37. Seventh Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.</ref> {{audio|'Oh, Susanna' penta). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the folk song. For other uses, see Oh! Susanna (disambiguation).
For the 1936 film, see Banjo on My Knee (film).
"Oh! Susanna"
Original sheet music
Song
LanguageEnglish
PublishedCincinnati: W. E. Peters & Co. (1848)
Composer(s)Stephen Foster
Lyricist(s)Stephen Foster

"Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826-1864). It was published by W. C. Peters & Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1848.[1] The song was introduced by a local quintette at a concert in Andrews' Eagle Ice Cream Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1847. Foster was said to have written the song for his men's social club.[2] The name Susannah may refer to Foster's deceased sister Charlotte, whose middle name was Susannah.[3]. Glenn Weiser suggests the song was influenced by an existing work, "Rose of Alabama" (1846), with which it shares some similarities in lyrical theme and musical structure.[4]

The first two phrases of the melody are based on the major pentatonic scale[5] Playⓘ

"Oh! Susanna" (1848)
Stephen Foster's "Oh! Susanna" performed by the United States Navy Concert Band
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"The Banjo Song" and "Venus"

In 1963, the Big 3 recorded a new arrangement of the song as "The Banjo Song". The Dutch band, Shocking Blue, in turn, adopted the new arrangement with completely different lyrics for their 1969 hit "Venus".

References

  1. ^ "Oh! Susanna". 2008. Retrieved September 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ Richard Jackson. 1974. Stephen Foster song book: original sheet music of 40 songs. Courier Dover Press. p. 177.
  3. ^ Michael Saffle. 2000. Perspectives on American music, 1900-1950 Taylor & Francis. p. 382.
  4. ^ "Oh! Susanna by Stephen Foster - Likely Origins". Celticguitarmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  5. ^ Benward & Saker (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p.37. Seventh Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
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