Charles, Ray - Carry Me Back To Old Virginny Lyrics






Carry me back to old Virginny,
There's where the cotton and the corn and tators grow,
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring time,
There's where the darkies' heart am longed to go.

There's where I labored so hard for old massa,
Day after day in the field of yellow corn,
No place on earth do I love more sincerely,
Than old Virginny the state where I was born.

Carry me back to old Virginny,
There's where I lived till I withered and decay,
Long by the old dismal swarm have I wandered,
There's where these old darkies' life am passed away.

Massa and misses, have long gone before me,
Soon we'll meet on that bright and golden shore.
There's where we'll happy and free from all sorrow,
There's where we'll live and we'll never part no more.

Carry me back to old Virginny,
There's where the cotton and the corn and tators grow,
There's where the birds warble sweet in the spring time,
There's where the old darkies' heart am longed to go.





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Charles, Ray Carry Me Back To Old Virginny Comments
  1. J.... R....

    Born in Lexington, Virginia on August 16, 1940. No place on earth that I loved more. There was segregation back then, but even against the law, my best friends were mostly black. We played together, sang songs and just enjoyed life the best we could. We never saw color....just felt love. The best part of my life was living in good ole Virginny! Tomorrow, August 16 is my Birthday, and just had to play this again.... ❤️. to you all!

  2. A.... V....

    I'm a Southerner, an unreconstructed Virginian. If Virginia's former state song is good enough for the legendary Ray Charles, it's sho good enough for me! Sic Semper Tyrannis!

  3. D.... S....

    There is no other state I love more sincerley than my Ol' Virginny.

    D.... S....

    I love your profile picture. Beautiful .

    D.... S....

    @Bretton Johansen Oh yes thank you.

    D.... S....

    That flag is weak....

    D.... S....

    @George 81 How so?

  4. J.... R....

    I am John Robert Bland (Jone Roparte) and have not only traced my family back to Virginia, which is no big surprise, but also a songwriter who has written over 1000 songs.

  5. L.... ....

    The poignancy of this song is that it is supposed to be being sung by an ex-slave. Original lyrics are essential.

    L.... ....

    The confederates sang this after their loss at Antietam

  6. q.... k....

    I love this state. Born in henrico virginia. Such a beautiful landscape.

  7. S.... K....

    Where did you get this audio? I can’t find any such on iTunes and Spotify, I want a copy so bad!!!

    S.... K....

    Spencer Katoa It is on the album "The Genius Hits the Road".

    S.... K....

    I got that album on vinyl.

  8. W.... P....

    I am a proud Virginian and southerner!!! God bless you Ray Charles my fellow southerner......I will see you in HEAVEN someday brother!!

    W.... P....

    And I will see you both. I'm a Texan but a Southerner. through-and-through. God Bless Robert E. Lee!!!

  9. G.... R....

    amazing !!!

  10. M.... D....

    Ray is my hero ------- in light of the election results --- I hope mr trump gets a reading of this great rendition

    M.... D....

    Hell naw

  11. B.... B....

    Some people take things to the extreme. Just enjoy music just as the great Ray Charles did.

  12. B.... B....

    I do find it odd a black man is singing this song,but we cannot erase history. He was a very wise and talented man. Just as I can't take back the fact I have family that is Japanese. I am American born and raised. Proud of it too. Can't pick my family..

    B.... B....

    Brenda Butler you are obviously not from VA. Go home, yankee.

    B.... B....

    Go home, brit.

    B.... B....

    get, yankee go wear your macaroni feather cap

    B.... B....

    This song was originally written by a black freeman

    B.... B....

    Same here Brenda - I'm half Taiwanese and half Virginian :P

    I've lived near the state capital all my life; even as a half-breed I wouldn't change a thing.

  13. g.... S....

    when you're from virginia, you find every way to be proud of your state.

    g.... S....

    @King Raptor Yes but even though it was illegal, the south was the one that also illegalized the slave trade in the Constitution. It was not about slavery it was about keeping the Union together, Lincoln did not give a half a squirt of piss about slaves.

    g.... S....

    @Deep South Gaming I was giving Virginians a hard time. Virginia is actually a lovely place and probably the state with the most historical presence. I'm just from Texas and being Texan is a bragging right, tbh.

    g.... S....

    @ArcusDraco The only thing about living here though is that we have a governer that makes Virginia looks bad not to mention the repulicans in this state won't get up and vote, I am a conservative but the republicans just wont get up and vote in this state, plus we have a democratic governer that just got caught in his 1984 year book in black face.

    g.... S....

    @Deep South Gaming ok you can't say that the civil war wasn't about slavery. Yes, there were other reasons for the tension and split, but a major one was about slavery.

    g.... S....

    @curebdc I didn't say that slavery wasn't an issue during the war but people often make the mistake that the war was about slavery as a whole, what the war was about entirely was keeping the union together. Slavery was an issue with the rich not the common man.

  14. C.... ....

    That ole virginny

  15. K.... C....

    Love it!!!!!!!!!!!

    K.... C....

    Katherine Conzemius of

    K.... C....

    What do you mean?

    K.... C....

    Googled a few Conzemius's; here's one https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/catherine-conzemius_186752502. Posted by John Gee (above)

    K.... C....

    I replied below about your name. Sorry if improper. I was just curious about your last name.

  16. R.... H....

    Thanks, Kat..., I appreciate what you pointed out. I still find it a bit odd, though. He sure sounds great, though!

  17. R.... H....

    Does anyone else find it surprising that Ray Charles recorded this song that pines for the old days of slavery?  (And yes, I know it was written by a black man.)

    R.... H....

    Nostalgia is a very human emotion.

    R.... H....

    It's a classic African American spiritual not written by Ray Charles (but to be fair it was written by an African American). Are we supposed to forget about our musical heritage because some of it took place during terrible events? This style of music along with the blues and some forms of jazz and ragtime are the only styles of music that are uniquely American and originated from America.

    R.... H....

    David Lejenkins you're all wrong. This song was from a popular confederate tune, and it romanticized a slave's life on the plantation. This black guy you speak of adapted the song, and it became Virginia's state song.

    R.... H....

    @Michael Craig Because, the character in the lyrics (or the author or both) has fond memories of the place, regardless of "laboring so hard for old Massa" (who apparently wasn't at all like Hitler - that's an absurd comparison) - he even thinks of his reunion with "Massa & Missus" in Heaven where they'll all be happy together! "Massa" was obviously a good and kind person who treated his workers as people, even tho they were slaves. Also, the character in the song clearly didn't have miserable or traumatic experiences as a "slave," otherwise he is could scarcely be so poetic about the joys and beauties of Virginia itself.

    R.... H....

    @OG SuperSonic Carry Me Back To Old Virginny is an original song both musically and lyrically, written by James A. Bland, a black composer of more than 700 songs and published in 1878. It is no adaptation of the other song of the same name written earlier by E.P Christy in 1847. Bland DID take that song's title and use it for his own song. The reworded title, changing "Virginny" to "Virginia" occurred in 1940 for use as Virginia's State Song. No "black guy" "adapted" this song in order for it to become Virginia's State Song. The State General Assembly voted the title change.

  18. c.... p....

    His unique reading of this material reveals his genius (if there ever was any question).

    Currell