Where Did The Folk Song Oh Susanna Come From

Why did that guy in the old song "come from Alabama with a banjo on his knee"? Wouldn't it be easier to put it in a case and put it on a wagon with his other luggage?

This is a Troll……or someone who has never read the lyrics, hence doesn’t have a clue about the comic nature of the lyrics, which, even considering the level of humor in the 1850s, was pretty lame.For the record, here are the Original Lyrics:(Cover page to the sheet music.)I come from Alabama,Wid my banjo on my knee,I'm gwyne to Louisiana,My true love for to see;It rain'd all night the day I left,The weather it was dry,The sun so hot I froze to death,Susanna, don't you cry.CHORUSOh! Susanna, Oh don't you cry for me,I've come from AlabamaWid my banjo on my knee.2I jumped aboard de telegraph,And trabbled down de riber,De lectric fluid magnified,And killed five hundred nigger.De bullgine bust, de horse run off,I realy thought I'd die;I shut my eyes to hold my breath,Susanna, don't you cry.CHO: Oh! Susanna &c.3I had a dream de odder nightWhen ebery ting was still,I thought I saw SusannaA coming down de hill;The buck-wheat cake war in her mouth,The tear was in her eye;Says I, "I'm coming from de south,Susanna, don't you cry."CHO: Oh! Susanna &c.4I soon will be in New Orleans,And den I'll look all round,And when I find Susanna,I will fall upon de ground.And if I do not find her,Dis darkie'l surely die,And when I'm dead and buried,Susanna, don't you cry. CHO: Oh! Susanna &c.

Why is "Oh! Susanna" among the most popular American songs ever written, but one can hardly find females who have Susanna as their given names?

Because the girls died off.Susanna comes from the original Shoshannah in the Bible. But it didn’t become popular as a name until sometime after the Middle Ages. Its peak was middling around the 1900s in the Americas.O Susanna came out in 1848 by Steven Foster and went west with the Gold Rush of 49.The song became eternal, the popularity of Susanna did not. On the other, it did give rise to other names like Susan, Sue, Suzette and others, so it hasn’t gone away completely.

What was the first pop song?

I like Jon Pennington’s nomination of “After The Ball,” especially given the context of a publisher looking for a “million-selling” song as sheet music, which is the only secure method of calculating song popularity in the pre-recording age.But for comparison, “Oh! Susanna” has been calculated to have been owned by one in six American homes in the 1850s, and introduced the polka, a new Continental sensation. It was copyrighted by at least six different publishers, and became a staple of humorous Americana in popular songbooks well into the 20th century, while “After The Ball” was relegated to nostalgia.Taking a longer view, I propose the 12–13th century, “Sumer Is Icumen In” — a folksong (meaning only that it preceded the custom of honoring composers — “folk songs” are composed like everything else; acknowledgment of authorship became important only after songs became monetized).Not only is the song significant in its ubiquitous appearance down the centuries, it is reflective of a new style of vernacular song: the rota, or “round,” which means it was intended to be sung in parts. The song is an example of the contemporary English style of polyphony, in which thirds and sixths are consonant. This was not typical of the music of the Continental establishment (e,g., Guillaume Machaut, 1300–1377), this was not the case. But British composers of the time included John Dunstaple, whose “softer, sweeter” harmonies were to influence the Franco-Flemish School, and hence, the Renaissance.

Would one be considered racist in the US if they sing a song with n-word in the lyrics?

Depends on who you are.African American people have a right to use it; in their parlance it is nothing offensive. Only when a non-African American uses it does the word become a racist slur. The film Rush Hour depicts this social equation in the pool-table fight scene, when the black officer uses it as a greeting. The moment he leaves the room for a moment, the Chinese officer tries to follow his lead, with disastrous results.And thus when African Americans use the word "nigger" nobody has an issue. However, the word is usually used more often in gangsta rap and the more foulmouthed, realistic songs. This is perhaps because the audience of nicer, sweeter songs may be children and no white man wants their daughter or son using such a word, especially to an African American child.There is one exception: When someone of a different race sides with the blacks and tries to represent their cause. This happened most famously in Bob Dylan's Hurricane when he talks about the injust trial of Rubin Carter: "And for the black folks he was just a crazy nigger/no-one doubted that he pulled the trigger" Usually when a Caucasian uses it the word becomes highly offensive. The famous folk song "Oh Susanna" is usually sung sans the instance when electricity kills "five hundred nigger" - such a line, especially when sung in an old Southern number, brings back scary memories of slavery. And such instances are more common in old songs, as racism was quite normal back then - and thus prejudices and stereotypes in the arts and culture was not seen as bad. For example, Roald Dahl's Oompa Loompas in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory were initially an African Pygmy tribe that Willy Wonka brought to England. This was changed all of eight years later.More recently, rapper Eminem has used this word in many of his songs. However, his image is quite racist already and thus he loses nothing in being offensive - but quite a lot to gain, as he taps into the white redneck crowd.If you are writing a song with this word, make sure you check with an African-American friend if he finds the lyrics offensive. If he does, delete the word out.In sum, the offense behind the use of such a word often depends a lot on context. The context of the song is very important.