Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
Journey to Old Virginny's Heartfelt Nostalgia
Lyrics
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Expresses a longing to return to the state of Virginia.
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
Highlights the agricultural richness of Virginia with cotton, corn, and potatoes growing there.
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
Portrays Virginia as a place where birds sing sweetly in the springtime, evoking a sense of natural beauty.
There's where the old darke'ys heart am long'd to go,
Conveys the deep desire of an old African American (referred to as "darkey") to return to Virginia.
There's where I labored so hard for old massa,
Reflects on the hard labor performed for an old master (massa) in Virginia.
Day after day in the field of yellow corn,
Describes the daily toil in the fields, specifically a yellow cornfield.
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
Expresses a profound love for Virginia as a place like no other on earth.
Than old Virginny, the state where I was born.
Affirms a sentimental connection to Virginia as the birthplace of the speaker.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Repeats the plea to be taken back to Virginia, emphasizing the emotional attachment to the state.
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
Reiterates the agricultural abundance of Virginia.
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
Repeats the image of birds singing sweetly, symbolizing the beauty of nature in Virginia.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
Restates the heartfelt desire of the old African American to return to Virginia.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Echoes the yearning to return to Virginia, emphasizing the emotional connection to the place.
There let me live 'till I wither and decay,
Expresses a wish to live in Virginia until old age, withering, and decay.
Long by the old Dismal Swamp have I wandered,
Refers to the speaker's wandering near the Dismal Swamp, suggesting a long and arduous journey.
There's where this old darke'ys life will pass away.
States that the speaker's life will end in Virginia, emphasizing a sense of finality.
Massa and missis have long gone before me,
Mentions that the master (massa) and mistress (missis) have passed away, indicating a separation between the speaker and the past.
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore,
Anticipates a reunion with the master and mistress in an afterlife on a bright and golden shore.
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
Envisions a future happiness and freedom from sorrow in the afterlife in Virginia.
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more.
Concludes with a strong affirmation that the speaker will meet the master and mistress in Virginia and never part again.
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