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struggle4progress

(126,683 posts)

15. Our past is a different country than this one, and its language differs from ours

Wed May 9, 2018, 05:35 PM

May 2018

Our past has its own covert speech, just as we have our own: those who know what to hear will hear such speech differently from those who do not know what to hear

Foster's subtle subtext is that a slave likes good weather and a house full of children, and looks back on happy times, the same as any non-slave -- which in some quarters has always been obvious but in others has always been almost unthinkable and meets reactionary rage

Those who do not know what to hear will hear will hear only a song about looking back towards happy times, good weather, and a house full of children

Perhaps we should sing the refrain Foster originally wrote: not "old Kentucky home, good night!" but "poor old Uncle Tom, good night!"

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My Old Kentucky home - original lyrics [View all] packman May 2018 OP

Reworked lyrics JeaneRaye May 2018 #1

Thanks, thought it would be- just too damn lazy to research packman May 2018 #2

Actually, the message is, essentially, "Gee, Kentucky's a great place to be a slave..." Old Crow May 2018 #3

Well no..... JeaneRaye May 2018 #4

Sorry: anti-slavery ballads don't include the lyrics "The darkies are gay." Old Crow May 2018 #5

In 1856 or thereabouts... JeaneRaye May 2018 #8

Acceptable to whom? Racist Whites? Old Crow May 2018 #9

I agree! JeaneRaye May 2018 #11

They did use it to describe themselves treestar May 2018 #13

Source? Old Crow May 2018 #16

You have a hard time believing that 1854 was not 2018? treestar May 2018 #17

Swing and a miss. Old Crow May 2018 #18

Let hear what Frederick Douglass says of it: struggle4progress May 2018 #12

Interesting treestar May 2018 #14

Our past is a different country than this one, and its language differs from ours struggle4progress May 2018 #15

The lyrics were changed years ago Bayard May 2018 #6

The good, the bad, the tragic memories. Duppers May 2018 #7

I attended a Derby party on Saturday, and we all watched the race. Aristus May 2018 #10