Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
Composer:
American traditional, by Stephen Foster
Genre: World / Folk
Decade: before 1923
Submitted by: Russell Ambrose
Description:
From WikipediaOriginal sheet music coverMusic by Stephen FosterLyrics by Stephen FosterPublished New York: Firth, Pond & Co. (1854)Language EnglishForm Strophic"Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" is a parlor song by Stephen Foster (1826-1864). It was published by Firth, Pond & Co. of New York in 1854. Foster wrote the song with his wife Jane McDowell in mind. "Jeanie" was a notorious beneficiary of the ASCAP boycott of 1941. During this period, most modern music could not be played by the major radio broadcasters due to a dispute over licensing fees. The broadcasters used public-domain songs during this period, and according to Time magazine, "So often had BMI`s Jeannie [sic] With the Light Brown Hair been played that she was widely reported to have turned grey."[1] The song`s ubiquitous airplay in the 1940s led Spike Jones to create a parody, called "I Dream of Brownie with the Light Blue Jeans". In the song, it turns out that "Brownie" is a wire-haired terrier. The instrumental interlude contains a number of references to other Stephen Foster songs.
by: Russell Ambrose