"Sing Again That Sweet Refrain, or, 
Far From the Old Folks at Home" (1894) 
Song and Chorus.
Sung by William A. Galpen
of Lew Dockstaders Minstrels   
Words & Music
by
Gussie L. Davis, 1863-1899 
Composer of
"The Fatal Wedding" 
"Beyond Pardon, Beyond Recall" & Etc.

New York: Spaulding & Gray , 16 W. 27th Street
Cover ill.: Floral design by H. Carter.
Plate Number: 4 [?]
[Source: Detroit Public Library',
The Hackley Collection;
Digital ID: dpl-hac-11166.dc 
OCLC Record ID: 22496400]

1. The music hall was crowded in a city o’er the sea, 
And brilliant lights were burning ev’rywhere, 
The songs and witty sayings, filled the audience with glee, 
For the minstrels from the sunny South were there! 
A minstrel sang a song about his old plantation home, 
Down upon the Swanee River far away; 
Then a greyhaired aged darkey sat in sadness and in gloom, 
He rose rose, and this is what they heard him say:

REFRAIN [sung after each verse]
Sing again that sweet refrain, 
Dars where the old folks stay; 
It takes me back to slav’ry days, 
Before I was sold away; 
Along de Swannee River banks, 
Dars where I used to roam; 
Nows I’se old and grey, and far away, 
Far from the old folks at home!

2. The minstrel sang the song again and eyes grew dim with tears, 
The aged darkey sat with head bowed low, 
And something in his heart awoke, that slumbered there for years, 
’Twas the mem’ry of a mother long ago. 
The play, let out, to loud applause, and when the curtain fell, 
The darkey slowly tottered on his way; 
Thinking of the sweet voiced singer, and the song he’d sung so well, 
Thinking of the song that made him rise and say: