# Oh! Susanna

“Oh! Susanna” is Stephen Foster’s 1848 American minstrel song, presented here in a common modernised first verse and chorus without the original racist dialect and verses.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Stephen Foster |
| First known | 1848 |
| Best for ages | 4–9 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/oh-susanna/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

I came from Alabama with my banjo on my knee,
I’m going to Louisiana, my true love for to see.
It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was dry;
The sun so hot I froze to death—Susanna, don’t you cry.

Oh! Susanna, oh, don’t you cry for me,
For I came from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.

## How to sing it

1. Begin slowly so everyone can hear the repeated words and the action cue.
2. Keep a walking beat, mime carrying an instrument, and pause to notice the deliberately impossible weather lines.
3. Repeat the song once and invite a different child to lead the cues.

## Common questions

**Why does this page omit some verses of Oh! Susanna?**

Stephen Foster wrote “Oh! Susanna” for the minstrel stage, and the 1848 text includes racist caricature and dialect. This page therefore presents only a modernised first verse and chorus and does not reproduce the offensive verses.

**Why is the weather impossible in Oh! Susanna?**

The singer says it rained all night although the weather was dry, then says the sun was so hot that he froze. These deliberate contradictions are the comic turn in the familiar opening verse.

## Sources

- [Wikimedia Commons — original 1848 sheet music](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oh_Susanna_Original_1848_Sheet_Music_(IA_OhSusannaOriginal1848SheetMusic).pdf)
- [Wikipedia — Oh! Susanna (1848 publication; minstrel-show history and original dialect)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh!_Susanna)