"The Young Folks at Home" (1852)
Words by Frank Spencer.
Music by Miss Hattie Livingston.
Written & Composed expressly for
Wood's Minstrels, Minstrel's Hall, 444 Broadway, N.Y.

New York: T. S. Berry & Co., 297 Broadway
Philadelphia: J. E. Gould & Co. (Successor to A. Fiot)
[Source: 068/193@Levy]

1.
'Twas in a southern grove I dwelt,
  No sorrow then I knew;
It seem'd dat eb'ry hour was bright,
  Dat gayly o'er me flew;
De little ones dat clung around,
  Ere I from dem did roam,
Made ev'ery hour still happier seem,
  Oh! dear Young Folks at Home!

CHORUS [sung twice after each verse]
I'm berry sad-- no joy for me,
Why did I eber roam?
Oh! shall I nebber, nebber see
De dear Young Folks at Home!

2.
We play'd de banjo, tambourine,
  And danced beneath de shade;
And all around us love to hear
  De music dat we made;
De mocking-bird sung sweetly then;
  De wild birds dey would come,
And make de grove wid music sing--
  Oh! dear "Young Folks at Home!"

3.
But now I broken-hearted go--
  Poor Tom dey all despise;
I grieve o'er all de happy past
  Wid bitter tears and sighs;
I'm scorned by all de careless crowd,
  No matter where I roam;
Oh! shall I neber see again
  De dear "Young Folks at Home!"

4.
Ah! no,-- I now am far away,
  Where no such pleasures shine;
I neber dream'd dat sorrow'd come
  To dis poor heart of mine!
Den take me to dat dear old spot,
  Nor longer let me roam,--
And lay me in de cold, cold grave,
  Near de dear "Young Folks at Home!"