Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
Journey to Old Virginny: A Melodic Tale of Longing and Legacy
Lyrics
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Expresses a desire to return to Virginia, suggesting a sentimental connection to the place.
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
Highlights the agricultural richness of Virginia, mentioning cotton, corn, and potatoes.
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
Emphasizes the beauty of nature in Virginia, with birds singing sweetly in the springtime.
There's where the old darke'ys heart am long'd to go,
Indicates that the speaker's heart longs to go back to Virginia, especially for the older African American population.
There's where I labored so hard for old massa,
Reflects on the speaker's hard work for their old master in Virginia.
Day after day in the field of yellow corn,
Describes the speaker's daily labor in the fields, specifically in a yellow cornfield.
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
Declares a deep love for Virginia, portraying it as the most cherished place on earth.
Than old Virginny, the state where I was born.
Expresses sentimental attachment to Virginia as the birthplace of the speaker.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Reiterates the desire to return to Virginia and mentions the crops that grow there.
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
Repeats the agricultural reference and the sweet bird sounds in Virginia.
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
Reiterates the speaker's longing to return to Virginia.
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
Reaffirms the emotional connection of the older African American speaker to Virginia.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
Restates the desire to be taken back to Virginia, wishing to live there until old age.
There let me live 'till I wither and decay,
Expresses a desire to live in Virginia until aging and declining.
Long by the old Dismal Swamp have I wandered,
References the old Dismal Swamp, suggesting a prolonged and difficult journey in life.
There's where this old darke'ys life will pass away.
Foresees the speaker's life coming to an end in Virginia.
Massa and missis have long gone before me,
Mentions the master and mistress, implying their passing, and the speaker's anticipation of joining them.
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore,
Anticipates a reunion in an afterlife, portrayed as a bright and golden shore.
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
Envisions happiness and freedom from sorrow in the afterlife with the master and mistress.
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more.
Affirms the expectation of an eternal reunion, emphasizing an unending bond.
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