"Home Again" - DISCOVERED!

[Eric Burke]

By George, I think I've got it!

After months and months of researching/finding references/etc. I've found that "Home Again" was indeed a very common period song. Mark Twain himself actually referenced the piece in one of his works, and the song is mentioned in the diaries of many Western federals. No one I have talked to has heard the song before, and I felt like I was digging up a treasure when I partook the "project". I did some research, and dug up the original 1850 sheet music for the piece at the Library of Congress. Now, I cannot read music so it presented a bit of a problem to me. My sister however, can read music and play the piano as well. She visited my family last night, and I printed the original music and gave it to her to play while recording with my camcorder so that I could correctly imitate the melody again.

Guys, I gotta say, this is truly a very moving period piece, and if you can read music/play the piano, I strongly suggest you getting a copy of the music here:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?dukesm:4:./temp/~ammem_osHu::@@@mdb=manz,eaa,aap,aaeo,rbaapcbib,aasm,ftvbib,aaodyssey,hh,gottscho,mharendt,bbpix,bbcards,magbell,berl,lbcoll,rbpebib,calbkbib,tccc,lhbcbbib,cdn,cic,cwband,cwnyhs,gmd,mtaft,cwar,cola,consrvbib,bdsbib,coolbib,coplandbib,curt,dag,musdibib,fsaall,mfd,papr,aep,fine,fmuever,dcm,cmns,flwpabib,afcreed,cowellbib,toddbib,lomaxbib,ngp,afcwwgbib,haybib,raelbib,hurston,gottlieb,mtj,alad,wpa,mal,scsm,mcc,mymhiwebib,mmorse,aipn,ncpm,ncpsbib,afcwip,fawbib,omhbib,pan,afcpearl,vv,wpapos,psbib,pin,presp,lhbprbib,qlt,ncr,relpet,mussm,dukesm,afcesnbib,mesnbib,llstbib,denn,amss,uncall,fpnas,svybib,runyon,wtc,lhbtnbib,detr,hlaw,lhbumbib,upboverbib,varstg,horyd,mgw,hawp,nawbib,suffrg,awh,awhbib,nfor,sgp,wright

It is my hope to share this great song with everyone on these boards in order to introduce yet another TRULY AUTHENTIC song to the community! I have made a mediocre-recording of the melody on my banjo (In un-authentic Clawhammer technique), but don't take it as the authentic way to play the song, I'm just trying to relay the melody so that others can take up their own endeavours.

To download my recording, visit: http://www.dkompanie.com/ha1.wav

The lyrics (I have found no other renditions) are as follows:

Home again, home again,
From a foreign shore,
And oh, it fills my soul with joy,
To meet my friends once more.
Here I dropped the parting tear,
To cross the ocean's foam;
But now I'm once again with those
Who kindly greet me home.
Home again, &c.

Happy hearts, happy hearts,
With mine have laughed in glee,
But oh, the friends I loved in youth,
Seem happier to me;
And if my guide should be the fate
Which bids me longer roam,
But death alone can break the tie,
That binds my heart to home.
Home again, &c.

Music sweet, music soft,
Linger round the place,
And oh, I feel the childhood charm
That time cannot efface.
Then give me but my homestead roof,
I'll ask no palace dome,
For I can live a happy life,
With those I love at home.
Home again, &c.

[When it makes reference to "HOME AGAIN, &c" as the chorus, all its referring to is the first part of the first verse of the song, which also serves as the chorus. I've bolded that text in order to make it easier to recognize. The chorus is sung after each verse.


I'd really like some opinions/discussion here, as I'm excited to have dug up a song that I had never heard, yet seems to have been so popular during the time period (especially in the West)!

Hope this helps!

[Spinster]

Re: "Home Again" - DISCOVERED!

Oh my Mr. Burke, what a gift!

I've not heard this song in over 40 years, since my dear great Uncle Brite's last years. And here I've been trying to think of a nice sentimental civilian song suitable for an older woman to sing, not even realizing the song in my head was a period one.

Brite was born in the late 1880's in northeast Georgia, served in WWI, and married a very young woman very late in his life, after WWII. I remember a merry old man, prone to wear a dandy brown fedora, white dress shirt and starched blue overalls, with a well stocked candy counter in his general store. His daughter is only a year older than I.

Thank you,

[County Militia]

Re: "Home Again" - DISCOVERED!

Eric,

If you spent months trying to find sheet music to "Home Again", you could have done it in two minutes. The first place, I have found, is to check the Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection.


Because the the link that was supplied to see the sheet music didn't load, I'll add the images on here.

Home Again












Next time I'm at an event out here, and I have to galvanize, I'll have to remind myself to play it on my fiddle.

[Eric Burke]

Re: "Home Again" - DISCOVERED!

Nooooo, I didn't spend months finding the music, I spent months finding someone to play it! ( I can't read music ). :confused_

I'd be very excited to possibly get together with you sometime either at an event or elsewhere to get the song recorded on fiddle. It's quickly becoming my favorite period song, which is interesting because I didn't even know it existed until I read Wills' mentioning of it in his letters home.